Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-09-10


properly operated company. they offer
no real hardship, though perhaps con-
siderable annoyance, 1t would seem best
to welcome such commission and lend
such help as we can to get 1t started
on broad lines with educated talented
commissioners. rather than on lines
political. Such q commission should.
make Our securities more stable and
that our business is a legitimate one
run on honorable methods fE
Time will not permit me this evening
to show the tremendous progress that
has been made by the cities Of this
country. along the line Of regulating
and limiting the charges Of public
franchise corporations, work that has
been done under home rule without the
aid of state commissions The first and
great fight Of the people along this line.
was made in Cleveland, Ohio, by that
great leader, Tom Johnson. His fight
was the beginning Of q new life in our
city governments Of the United States.
Through his efforts the citizens Of
Cleveland today and for the last four
years have been riding for three cents
on the street car. The city Of Column
bus, which no doubt was inspired by
the magnificent fight in Cleveland, is
buying eight street car tickets for csc,
and I want to say too that those two
cities have better street car service
than Milwaukee, or any other city that
has been controlled for any length Of
time by state public utilities commits;
sion. The city Of Detroit has, during
this present month, ordered street car
service at seven tickets for quarter
In the city Of Seattle, Washington,
where the people have carried on a
battle against the combined public util-
tiles corporations Of the city for years,
they, are buying their electricity for &c
per kilowat hour. Winnipeg, with home
rule, is paying only SC per kilowat hour
for electricity. There is no city in the
United States that has been under a
state commission control that can show
the progress in the control of public
franchise corporations that can be
shown by Cleveland, Chicago. Column
bus Detroit Minneapolis, Winnipeg,
Duluth and Seattle. ..%s
We must bear in mind that the con-
troll Of public utilities owned by priv
ate corporations is as much a part of
the government of city as the con-
troll of it's police force or public schools.
No argument can be advanced why Min
| neapolis shall surrender the control of
her city water works any more than
she should surrender the control of her
city schools If we are to give away
our right to home rule In one particu-
lar, there is no reason why we should
mt prS0 ~ k~ 11 ,14
in all particulars. If the state of Min
nesota can control our water. supply
better than the people Of Minneapolis,
there is no reason why. they cannot run
our police force or pave our streets
better than the people of Minneapolis
can do it. If we must be bereft Of the
control of our own affairs, why not
make a clean sweep Of it? Why not
take our police force, our school sys-
tenn, the street system, the street car
system, the water system and the light
ing system, fire and, health departments,
and pile one on top of, the other and
turn it in to the Governor Of the state
to operate for us? It will make the most
gigantic political monopoly: that ever
existed. It will be greater than all the
pyramids piled one on top of the other
with Pharoah on the top of ALL. .zl< =
1t may seem to some that my. position
is inconsistent, inasmuch as public util-
tiles commissions were originally cham
pioned by such men as President Will
son; and Senator LaF'ollette. Those two
men championed those bills when they
were but theory; when they had not
been tried. It is a little strange that
of all of the progressive and reform
measures, that were enacted into law
through the efforts Of such men as Will
son, LaFollette and Hughes, the public
utilities commission is the only meas
ure that has been taken up and is now
being advocated by the corporations
themselves. The reason for it is two
fold First, it furnishes the most COM
plete political machine Tor patronage
and power ever conceived Of. The cost
to- the state Of Wisconsin to take care
of it's public utilities is about 100000
per annum. 1t would probably cost the
state of Minnesota one-half again as
| much. The amount or salaries drawn
during the year by the Governors ap-
pointees in the state Of Minnesota at
the present time is about $350,00O per
| annum. If you add this additional
amount, it will add one-third to the
present campaign fund of the political
| machine. The machine is we'll nigh inn
| pregnable at the present time, but If
| you multiply the present machine by
one and one-third you will have some
adequate idea Of what this law will add
to the power of corrupt politics in the
state Of Minnesota. But am inclined
| to think that this is not the worst part
of the matter. The public utilities cor
porations Of the state have a great in
| f1uence, when left to- themselves, but
| If, however, you hook them up to the
/ political machine that is now running
affairs in the state of Minnesota, you
will have an organization we'll nigh in
vincible. So. 80 =, + s. s $:=s. zl :
i Surprising, for instance, that there
was a controversy between the city OF
Minneapolis and it's. street railway com.
pany, and that the Public Utilities
Commission was called in to settle the
difficulty. It is not beyond the range
Of possibility that the members of tina
commission might be politicians of tn.
same type as the game wardens, boilel
inspectors and oil inspectors, and al
, such politicians, = it is probable the!
would say to the Street Railway Com
pany of Minneapolis, What will you d,
for the administration IN this count.
and city, if we decide in your favor?
If the city of st Cloud should have diff
ficulty with one Of it's public utilize
companies and the state commission
should be called in TO settle the mat
ter, it is not beyond reason that til
. lzsame thing might occur in that county
It isn't alone the salary that an ap