The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1915-01-16
HISTORY OF FIGHT TO
GET CITY LIGHT PLANT
Story of How People Have Been Thwarted In Their Efforts
Covers Period of Ten Years-Duluth Edison sAS
Hand Exposed. p .##zs8s
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
BRINGS ISSUE TO CLIMAX
Commissioners Elected In 1918 Determined to Garry Out Their
Pledge to People-Electric Company No Longer
- In Control At City Hail.

luth, by majority of over 1900
votes decided to issue bonds and
build their own electric light and
power plant.
Council Ignores Peoples Wish.
But while the people decided over
whelmingly in favor of building the
plant, they neglected to elect mayor
and city council that would carry
out the wishes of the people as ex-Ss;
pressed at the polls, although both
the mayor and majority of the a1-
dermen were pledged so to do.
On May Z, therefore. the people by
an overwhelmingly vote adopted the
Initiative, Referendum and Recall
amendment to the city charter which
amendment made it impossible, for
the city council to tie the city up In.
any contract with the Duluth Edison
Electric company-or any other COM
pany-without the consent of the
people of Duluth themselves.
But the council still refused to-
carry out the wishes of the people,
On Dec. 3, 1912, the people of Du-
1uth, despairing of getting their city
council to carry out their wishes,
adopted a new city charter which
would safeguard the rights of the
people, and compel the city officials
to carry out the will Of the people,.
not only in regard to municipal
lighting plant, but in all matters
whatsoever.
1913. A Pledged Commission.
On April l., 1913 the first selectionN
under the new charter was held, ret
sulting in the election of five COM
missioners who were all pledged to
work for the municipal ownership OF
an electric light and power plant bysl
the city of Duluth. These commits
sioners as soon as possible had fair:
and impartial valuation OF the plant
of the Duluth-Edison Electric COM
pany made by two disinterested efl
gineers Wit view to Its acuu uifsnnes
/ by the city The Duluth Edison Elec-
trio company appointed its own cleo
trical+ engineer to look after their in-
terests and see that they got fair
deal, and agreed to sell at the lvalua-
tion so made.
After the physical valuation was
company abb 1ptly broke off negotia-
tions with the city and refused to 4
sell.
No Other Course Left.
This left the commissioners with.
only one course open to them, and
that was to build competing plant
owned and controlled by the people
themselves. The commissioners there
fore at once had their engineers de-s
sign a modern high efficiency distri-
button plant for the city, and passed
an ordinance appropriating the sum
of $S5,8O0 to pay for the construc
ton of the first unit of the proposed
plant.
The Duluth Edison Electric com
pany at once circulated petitions CALI
ing for referendum vote on the orr
dinance.
Duluth Edison Ordinance.
At the same time the same people
circulated an initiative petition order
ing the city council to sign a contract
drawn by ~ attorneys of the DiI-
luth- Edison Electricicompany, binding
the city and the people to buy their
light and power. from the electric
company for a period of two years at
their own rates and. on their own
terms. This contract is now known
as the Scent ordinance and in the
making thereof the representatives OF
the city had. not one word to say. IT.
Is drawn primarily in the interest OF
the Duluth-Edison Electric company.
by their own attorneys, and the rights
of the people have not been consid
cred in the making of it.
Commissioners Remain True.
The commissioners then decided TO 8
adopt an alternative. ordinance. IN
which the rights of the people should II
be considered and submit the same
to the people at the same time the
cent contract should be submitted. .a
known as the 4-cent ordinance ii S.
which the rights Of the people are
safeguarded as well as the rights Of q
Duluth Edison Insincere.
On Dec. 26, 1914, the Duluth Ed
ison Electric company. through the
agency Of a private citizen, brought
proceedings against the officials OF s.
the city of Duluth, asking the court
to remove the 4-cent ordinance from
the ballot, thus preventing the peo-
pie from voting on it at all. notwith-
standing the fact that IN booklst
printed and circulated by them s. s
1912 they state, over their own. signA
ture: IF the rate of the Duluth
ison Electric company is too high. the
city council has the right to make Il s.
lower. 6s5a j. 81, a.s.# s;s
i Is the Duluth Edison company sln
cere? \. .5 i IN NJ 1 ss Ssh