Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-06-13
Governor Likely to Win in Pub
lie Utilities Fight.
EFFECT OF ACT DOUBTFUL
Question Whether Proposed LegisIa-
ton Will Benefit the People
or the Utilities.
Special Correspondence

st. Paul, June 9.-With a full knowl-
edge of the strength of the Eberhart
administration, knowing it's control as
far as the Twin City dailies are con-
cerned and its many ramifcations in
a wire pulling way, it is no stretch of
the imagination when I say that the
passage of a statewide law for control
of public utilities seems almost GER
tain, but what bothers is whether the
law as enacted will give the proposed
control to the people or the utilities.
The problem had its first inning last
week when the house committee
named by Speaker Rines to inquire
into the question of state control OF
public utilities met at the state capitol
and organized. That is all it did, or
ganize, according to the record made,
and il my observations are correct
the organization as perfected means
that the utilities, which inclue the
General Electric company of Minneap-
oils. the ST Paul Gas Light company
and the several concerns supplying
Duluth with heat, light and power, are
not going to have everything their
own way. Speaking frankly the vel
low dogs" as the governor terms
those organizations which are against
the scheme, are confident that the
best wishes of the executive are with
those interests which hope to see the
enactment of law that will be to
their interest only. AS far as yours
truly is concerned he is confident that
anything else will have hard time
getting by and this prediction does
not mean that the governor has in
mind anything else but law that
will treat everybody alike AS stated.
if you in the country want inside
information it will have to come
from some other source than that of
the cities and for that reason l am
speaking plainly. The biggest chump
that walks the earth is the average
voter and a half dozen publications
that operate in the population centers,
not to speak of those who indulge in
the biennial sport of kingmaking, are
aware of this fact, still it is matter
of history that Nero fiddled once too
often, that CORVALLIS met his Wash
ington and Napoleon his Waterloo.
Who knows what might happen?
:. X =
To you taxpayers, patrons of gas,
water and electric light companies,
and the thousands who contribute an
nually to the Twin City Rapid Transit
company, the Northwestern Telephone
company and the Tri-State Telephone
company, the name utilities is per-
faps the least of your troubles. All
that concerns you is what you pay,
the fact that last months bill was lar
ger than it should be and that when
you protested the best you got in the
way of relief was the merry "ha, ha."
This "ha, ha" answer game is as old
as the hills and has put thousands of
dollars into the Golfers of those inter
ested, though in the case of st. Paul
and Minneapolis it has fallen down
on a number of occasions with the re-
suit that 81 gas is now the result. If
the public utilities act prevails this
cha, ha" game, those behind the move
ment say, will no longer be the style
and it is what Governor Eberhart is
trying to enact into law. So serious
is his exceIlency that half of those
connected with his administration are
working on the scheme and their
desks are covered with literature on
the subject His next step will be an
invasion of those municipalities haV-
ing public utilities within their midst
with speeches covering the subject.
His itinerary is now being prepared
and, as l said, his speechmaking tour
will cover half of the municipalities in
the state.
Duluth, you probably know, already
has the commission form Of govern
ment, st. Paul has adopted it and
Minneapolis is now preparing to take
on a charter providing for the new or
der of things. Commenting on the
newest idea in things municipal Colo.
mel Wilkinson, who used to be con-
nected with the Great Northern in a
legal and political way, but who now
puts in all his time farming in Wash
ington county, remarked the other day
that perhaps the three might offer
some explanation for the sudden de.
mand for public utilities commits.
sion. 1t looked to him like centralized
home government, with a demand for
low rates in the matter of utilities
that those operating the utilities were
not prepared to grant. The colonel
Was some boy in his day and he pilot
ed the Great Northern over many a
rough political road. What he does
not know about the good old days is
not worth knowing.
!. K +
Governor Eberhart is pretty much
on the job, but they slipped one over
on him and State Insurance Commits