The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-05-03
UTILITIES BILL WILL 81
BE BIG STATE ISSUE
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eventually pass bill Of some kind.
On Saturday last the Minneapolis
Public Utility Franchise committee
held a large and enthusiastic meet
ing and voted to oppose any and every
kind Of a bill that will take from any
city in Minnesota the power which 1t
now possesses Of regulating public SER
vice corporations. ...' E.,
This committee voted to call a spe-
cial conference to be held at Mime
apo1ts tonight and Saturday. Invita-
tons have been extended to the Stir
rup Club of Duluth, the Current
Topics Club of st. Paul, the Whole
salers and Manufacturers Association
and the Saturday Lunch Club of Min
neapolis.
Organize to Fight.
AT this conference program will
be devised to combat the effort of the
public service corporations in forcing
upon the people of the state through
the governor a public utilities COM
mission bill. The Stirrup club will be
represented at the conference. The
Minneapolis committee has sent Stiles
P. Jones Of that city into Wisconsin
Tor months study Of the workings
of the Wisconsin commission.
The friends of the commission bill.
and Governor Eberhart is one Of
them, have taken refuge behind the
fact that Robert M. La Toilette, while
governor Of Wisconsin, supported the
~ }r to
however, Senator La Toilette is not
now the warm advocate of public
utilities commission that he was when
governor Of Wisconsin.
In that last issue of his weekly ma
gazine over his own signature, Senator
La Toilette exposes the program of
the public service corporations in
seeking shelter behind commissions.
rather than behind the courts, their
FORMER place Of refuge. His editorial
In La Follette's is in part as follows:
Control the Commission.
whenever the law is so constructed
as to provide for the thoroughgoing
control of rates and services by a
commission, then the System will fight
to the last ditch to CONTROL THE
COMMISSION.
If the System succeeds in this final
contest 1t will be the end of regula-
ton by commission, and public owner
ship will come, and come quickly.
THAT private interest Is confident
OF Its ability to dominate public in
terest, through the control of the
commissions established to regulate
rates and services, is clearly indi-
Gated. The private owners of public
utilities are openly advocating the en-
actment Of legislation for the creation
OF commissions, noninally clothed
with full power to regulate
Their program is a simple one.
They profess conversion to the new
faith. They no longer oppose legisla-
ton for their CONTROL Indeed. they
insist on having an active part in
framing legislation.
Let the Public Beware.
Let the public beware! Any law
which these corporations approve will
be weak where it should be strong.
Concealed In it's provisions there win
be found many snares and pitfalls for
the public. And in any event, they
will exert every possible influence to
secure the appointment Of friend
ly' commission.
I'm this long struggle, there is but
one course open to the people. They
must never relax their interest nor
their vigilance. Wherever the regu-
lation of public utilities is attempted,
the legislation must be safeguarded
at every point, And am convinced
that every such law should provide
that any member Of commission
charged with the enforcement of it's
provisions may be recalled by the
public whenever he fails to serve the
public interest justly and fairly.
Experience of Superior.
Pursuing this course intelligently,
vigorously, and with settled purpose,
we shall soon and finally determine
whether the people can really control
public service corporations through a
commission