The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-07-01
R, R. Com. have
TROUBLE in sight
SUGGESTION FOR COMMISSION
DEALING WITH THE TELE-
PHONE RATES.
LONG WRANGLE SEEMS LIKELY
VARIOUS PROPOSALS TO BE AD-
VANCED TO DELAY CON-
CLUSION IN MATTER

St. Paul, June 30.-One of the few
really good laws passed by the last
Legislature was the bill providing for
the regulation of fire insurance rates
within the state. The measure was
fathered by State Insurance Commits
sioner Works and it's first fruit is an
announcement of a general reduction
in rates on buildings throughout Min
nesota. 1t is one of the few instances
of state control making good, and as
the act has a close neighbor in the
telephone rate control law, the en-
forcement of which has been entrusted
to the state railway and warehouse
commission, to what extent the latter
will relieve the overworked purse of
Mr.. Consumer will be watched with
interest. Evidently taking their clue
flom the telephone companies, who
Immediately followed the passage of
the telephone control law with gen.
eral raising of rates throughout the
state, the fire insurance companies,
through the head rating bureaus, To-
Gated in Chicago, without delay mott
fled State Insurance Commissioner
Works that fire insurance rates in
Minnesota were to be boosted. Sam
didn't paw the air and spout lot of
rot about hearings and looking into
the matter. He conferred with his
chief, Governor Hammond. go to it"
was the curt command, and from all
accounts the insurance commissioner
did ego to it." Boarding the bunch in
their palatial den at Chicago he calm
|, ly informed them that instead of per-
hitting a raise in rates he was going
to order a reduction, and if they did
not like it the courts were handy. That
the bunch did not elect to seek the
aid of the courts was evident, for
when Mr.. Works left for St. Paul he
carried with him a number of conces-
=sions. There was a Is per cent re-
sduction on fire proof buildings all over
the state, one Of Is per cent on brick
and frame buildings in the southern
part of the state and 1914 in r. the
northern part, and a reduction of 20
per cent on all dwellings and their
contents in municipalities having fire
protection. 1t was some bunch of ba-
con to bring home, and naturally his
excellency and everybody connected
with the administration felt good.
Now if State Insurance Commits
sioner Works can put up bluff of
this kind and get away with it, what
is the matter with the state Railroad
and Warehouse commission, when it
gets on the job handling the telephone
companies in the state a similar jolt?
The railway commission comes into
official possession Of the telephone
lines in Minnesota July and the
first thing it will be confronted with
is the raise in rates which are now in
effect. That the commission will
have to look into the matter; that it
must determine whether or not the
telephone companies are receiving a
proper return for their investment;
that physical valuation Of the vari-
GUS properties and dozen other
things tending to delay will prob
ably be advanced, seems probable,
but it is of note that Insurance Com
missioner Works, when he was con-
fronted with threatened advance,
did not stop to make inquiries. He
acted, and as result the users of
fire insurance in the state are the
benefciaries. He simply placed the
burden on the insurance companies
to show that his demands were wrong,
and they did not see fit to question
his authority. If reports are correct
telephone rates have gone up all over
the state. At the capitol can be
sfound the annual records of the gross
BUSINESS done by all the big compa-
les operating in Minnesota and there,
nothing to indicate that any of
IN have been doing business at
s.. OF course the state railway
omission knows its business it is
,swerable to the people direct, but
,urance Commissioner Works little.
mt stands as good tip. No harm
l.. ing it. Sometimes there is a lot
in 9. good bluff.
Governor Hammond is now provid-
ed with q fully equipped staff. His
excellency has taken over former
Governor Eberhart's staff, with addi-
tions, and their first official display
was at Lake City, where they were
used in impressing the national guard
in camp at that point. One of the adj
ditions to the gold laced brigade is
Stanley Washburn, of Minneapolis,
NV a war correspondent and located
the front in Europe. Friends ask
for his appointment on the ground
t a military title would aid him in
work. Officially his title is major.
t was tired bunch that dropped
in the st. Paul Union depot yards
other day. / refer to the score or
re of state senators, state officials
others who would like to repre-
the state at so much per, who