Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1913-08-21
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.-(SpeciaD -Governor Eb-
erhart opened his campaign for state
wide control of public utilities in a
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-
tural and mineral resources and un-
surpassed facilities for transportation,
coupled with most wonderful genius
for invention, organization, and de-
velopment, have enabled the Ameri-
can people to produce untold millions
of wealth and to form the most gigan-
tic commercial and industrial organ
ization ever known to the civilized
world.
The effective control of these bust
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-
titles organizations with the result
generally that the public utilities have
either dominated the administration
or have been made a political football
for the benefit of INSCRIPTIONS politi-
clans Only the favored few have
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 CON-
pared with municipal regulation has
been generally successful will not be
questioned. Municipal ownership OF
public utilities when properly direct
ed, has been a blessing to many mu-
inequalities of this state, and in most
instances has proven itself infinitely
superior to the former local regula-
ton.
AS a general rule it can be safely
stated that the state or the municipal
1ty should not engage in any business
enterprise which can be conducted as
efficiently and economically for the
benefit of all concerned by the pri-
vate individual or association, But
human nature is always more or less
selfish, and in the case of public utili
ties, which, by their very nature often
constitute monopolies. of public neces
sites, these; must not under any cir
cumstances be- left d prey to selfish
and unscrupulous private enterprise
1t is therefore. essential in order, tc
properly protect the interests of the
public that these utilities should be
either operated or regulated by pub
lie authority.
Within the state the regulating au
thority must be exercised by the state
or municipality or both During re
cent years the tendency has been to
ward state regulation and there j:
scarcely state in the nation which
has not either adopted state yregula
ton in some form or made prepare
lions therefor. While the superiority
of state regulation is quite generally
conceded, there are still many who d.
not understand its principles, and
shall briefly discuss the question O
state control from the standpoints of
l. EFFICIENCY; a. $3.50.
IT.. ECONOMY. and ..%~. .
III. UNIFORMITY. " =. 80
!. EFFICIENCY. ,.4a
1. JurIsdiction.-In order that sth
regulation Of a public utility shall b,
effective, it is absolutely !, essentia
that such utility In all its constituen
elements shall be located within an,
under the jurisdiction Of the regulat
ing power The question in spearl.
Y every case is what shall constitut,
good service at a fair and REASONABLE
Y, rate. III the determination thereof