The Ely miner., 1913-08-22
EBERHART URGES
PUBLIC UTILITY Law
Z

valuation and Be able to enforce it's
DEGREES. Very few, if any, of the utili-
ties are entirely within and subject to
the jurisdiction of any one municipal
1ty. They are either inter-municipal
or have their sources of supply and
power outside tee limits of the mu-
nicipality. Gas companies are extend
ing their mains far beyond the city
limits. Street cars are reaching out
into the adjoining country. Electric
| light and power concerns transmit the
| currents from power plants located at
some waterfall many miles away.
| Telephones, telegraphs. electric and
steam railroads are all inter-municipal
and cannot possibly, for lack of juris-
| diction, be regulated by the municipali-
| ties.
The Consumers Power company of
st. Paul furnishes light and power to
dozens of Southern Minnesota cities
and villages. In this case it's most
important and valuable property are
the water power plants at Cannon
Falls and Rapidan. How in the name
OF common sense can any city or vii
lage dependent for light and power
upon this utility corporation deter
mine the fairness of rate by making
a physical valuation of properties and
enforcing rules and regulations out
side the limits of it's Jurisdiction?
Granting, however, for the sake of
argument, that this were possible,
how can such city or village determine
the fairness of rate dependent upon
the rates and service in every other
city or village served by the same
corporation? The same is true as to
Minneapolis, st. Paul, Duluth, and
many other cities in Northern Mime
sofa, to which currents for light and
power are transmitted from power
plants located outside of their juris-
local regulation the municipal officers
cannot proceed beyond their jurisdic-
tion and the suburban and country
residents have absolutely no means of
securing adequate service or reason
able rates if the utilities corporation
is not willing to grant the same. These
are facts of common knowledge which
should convince anyone that the regu-
lation Of these public utilities is not
municipal problem but a state prob
lem.
2. Definite Fixing of Responsibility.
The efficient regulation of public
utilities require the definite fixing of
responsibility in the hands of as few
persons as possible. Under the old
system of ward government it has
been found almost impossible to fix
the responsibility for mismanagement
of city affairs. Whenever the advo.
Gates of more efficient government
started a movement for change from
the ward system to the city wide COM
mission form, the ward politicians,
certain special interests and favored
consumers joining with them, would
Immediately, under the guise of home
rule" proceed to defeat the movement.
In spite of such efforts, however, quite
number of Minnesota cities have
adopted the commission form of gov
ernment and the remaining cities will
unquestionably do so in the near fu-
ture. The all important advantage of
the commission form of government
is it's definite fixing of responsibility
for the operation of each city depart
ment in one person elected at large
and held responsible to the people
through the initiative, referendum and
recall. In the regulation of a state
wide utility, which is always a public
necessity and often a monopoly, it is,
therefore, of still greater Importance
that such regulation should be fixed in
the hands of few commissioners, so
that every department of such regula-
tion may have one commissioner at
it's head, who should be held respon-
sible to the governor and he to the
people of the state directly through
the initiative, referendum and recall.
The governor should have authority
to remove such commissioners for
proper cause shown, but upon public
hearing so as to prevent the exercise
of undue influence or dictation by
executive authority.
g. Segregation From Political In
fIuence.-It is recognized as primary
controversy, that the acting judges
should be free from bias and prejudice
and personally disinterested in the
results. Let up apply this to the con-
troversy between the public utility
corporation and the municipal official.
In most cases he has been elected up
on an issue involving the public util-
ity in question. He has often made
his campaign either for or against |
certain contentious of the utility cor
poration, is dependent for his renomi-
nation and reelection upon the set
tlement of controversy in certain
way, and is, therefore, personally in
terested in the controversy. Should
he be permitted to sit as Judge in a
contest involving his own personal
and political interests? Every sense
of fairness and justice will rebel
against such a conclusion. The ad-
Indication should be made after thor.
ougn investigation and report or ex-
perts by competent commission
which has no personal interest in the
controversy and is wholly independent
of local conditions, politically or other
wise.
4. Expert Service and Equipment.
Effective regulation involves also the
best possible expert service and
equipment. In testing the quality as
well as quantity of light, heat, power,
%o1-