Morris tribune., 1913-08-29
Advocates Policy Of
State Control.
PREDICTS BEST RESULTS
Plan Now in Successful Opera
tiOn in Number Of States.
PRESENT SYSTEM OBSOLETE

State Executive in Speech at st. Paul
Covers Subject Thoroughly and Gives
Numerous Reasons for His Belief
That Such Legislation Would Be of
Great Benefit to Minnesotans.
st. Paul.-(SpectaL)- )-Governor Eb-
erhart opened his campaign for state
wide control of public utilities in
speech before a crowded meeting of
the st. Paul Office Mems association
at the ST. Paul hotel. The governor
said, in part:
Never before in the history of our
nation have greater problems confront
ed us for solution. Enormous agricul-
&ural and mineral resources and un-
surpassed facilities for transportation,
coupled with a most wonderful genius
for Invention, organization, and de-
Velopment have enabled the Amert-
can people to produce untold millions
of wealth and to form the most gigan-
tic commercial and industrial organ
axation ever known to the civilized
world.
The effective control of these busi-
ness organizations by nation, state,
and municipality has long been the
object of legislative and executive
authority, but not until the last two
decades has such control become gen.
orally effective. This applies special
ly to public utilities organizations.
Prior to the last two decades the con-
troll of public utilities was attempted
only by the various municipalities.
That such regulation, with very few
exceptions, has been a failure is now
quite generally conceded. 1t has been
found utterly impossible to keep the
public utilities out of politics and the
constantly changing municipal authori-
ties, dominated largely by ward poll
ticians, have made their campaigns on
some issues involving such public util-
tiles organizations with the result
generally that the public utilities have
either dominated the administration
or have been made political football
for the benefit of unscrupulous politt-
benefited by such administration and
the vast majority of consumers have
been compelled to pay high and dis
criminatory rates for inadequate and
Inferior service.
Perhaps the strongest evidence Of
unsuccessful municipal regulation Of
public utilities is the rapid growth OF
municipal ownership. That municipal
ownership of public utilities as COM
pared with municipal regulation has
been generally successful will not be
questioned Municipal ownership of
public utilities when properly direct
ed, has been blessing to many mu-
inequalities Of this state, and in most
instances has proven itself infinitely
superior to the former local regula-
ton. n -.
AS a general rule it can be safely
stated that the state or the municipal
ity should not engage in any business
enterprise which can be conducted as
snciently. and economically for the
benefit OF all concerned by the pri-
wAte' individual or association. But
human nature is always more or less
selfish, and in the case OF public utili-
t&es, which by their very nature often
constitute monopolies of public neces-
sites, these must not under any cir
eHnastances be left prey to selfish
and unscrupulOUs private enterprise
II ID therefore essential in order to
properly protect the interests of the
pubic that these utilities should be
either operated or regulated by pub
No aHtAOrity.
Within the state the Regulating au.
&ASttty must be exercised by the state
q muHicipslity on both. During re-
cent years tho tendency has been to.
WAFA stats regulation and there il
scarcely a skate in the nation which
AAS not either adopted state regula,
tioat ia soIae form or made prepara
lions therefor. While the superiority
oE state regulation is quite generally
conceded, there are still many who dc
net understand it's principles, and
shall briefly discuss the question OF
state control from the standpoints OF:
I. EFFICIENCY,
II. ECOEOMY, and
III. UNIFORMITY.
l. EFFICIENCY.
1. JurisG iction.-In order that tht
regulation OF public utility shall b.