The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-22
MANKATo FREE n E

contract with the Consumers Pow
e. company will expire this fall.
' strongly recommend that this ques
ton be taken up at an early date
and be given the attention and con
: sideration which Is due 1t. | believe
the first step to make should be tc
ascertain the very best rates thai
can be secured from the company
under a new contract, and then q
thorough investigation by the coun
Gil of the reasonableness and justice
of such rates.
Soon after this the council took
up the matter OF ascertaining from
the company what rates they would
be willing to give under a new con.
tract. both to the city and to the
private At the same time
some two hundred cities or more
| we're correspondent with for the pur,
pose of a~scerta!ning what rates were
generally charged throughout the
country in cities of our class. A great
mass of information WINS obtained
published and given to the public.
3 The company submitted q prop
ositicn giving some reduction for
city lighting. but ~conceding practi
caIly nothing TO the private consum,
e., which offer was at once refused,
and another n asked for, which
was soon afterwards furnished and
also found 10 be entirely unsatlsfac.
tory.
Talked Of Municipal Plant.
The council took under consil era.
ton the a~dvissbiiity cr directing
= municipal plant. and employed
Earl ID. Jackson Of ST. Taul to pre-.
pare an estimate of the cost of the
installation Of Il Municipal plant in
this city. Quite an elaborate report
vas prepared by Mr. Jackson which
was generally considered as being
unfayorablc to the ACCESSIBILITY OF
erecting Il Municipal plant both OIL
account Of IN" larg" cOst or install.
ing the same. aud the small benefit
that would or could accrue rrCEi
Nitl II NOui sc. WV ElItltSS CHt tl
he cOuncilmen presented n rcsolu.
ton to bond the city for the purpose
OF the election of n plant, whic.l
resolution was. however, defeated b.
a vote Of three TO two. In the meaI
time the CITY attorney was instructed
TO proceed against the compan.g
under section l07 OF the city charter
which reads a follows: Section
i07. The city shall have the power
20 regulate and control the maximum
rate TO be charged by any ccrpor,
alton or person exercising any
franchise in the city for the service
rendered by il to the city. or To the
public. but such price shall be fai:
and reasonable to such corpOratir.l
or persons and TO the public. The
manner in which such rate shall b.
-. regulated shall be fixed by the
council BY ordinance and the coun,
ill il hereby authorized To provide
by ordinance for the appointment
OF commissioners 60 fully Investigate
and determine ell questions with
reference to rates to be charged b.
any such corporation or person.
Commission TO investigate.
During the month OF August.
1918, the city attorney presented an
ordinance. which was passed August
20, creating = commission of three
citizens with authority TO investigate
and determine the rates charged b.
public utilities in the city of Man,
kato. and instructions submit al
evidence brought before them an,l
their recommendations to the city
council. On September 8, the mayor
appointed as members OF this com,
mission George w. Scherer, Jean 4.
Flittic and W. J. Merchant, which
appointment was confirmed by the
council on that date. Upon Septcm'
Der 18th, 1913 the council authorized
the mayor To make a formal applica'
ticn In the name OF the city
10 the newly created commits,
sion asking them to investigate and
determine the maximum rate
charged by the Consumers Power
company for gas and electricity. and
OH the following day the city at.
torncy prepared an application which
was signed by the mayor and filed
with the commission alleging tina.
the gas rates CT the Consumers
Power company were unreasonable
and unjust; and that the gas itself
was OF an inferior quality, and also
setting forth that the electric rates
charged were unreasonable and un'
just. and further stating that the
contract of tll" city with the CON.
paBy for street lighting would ex
pirc on December I. 1913. and that
the city had tried To secure reason
allie rates from the company foi
street lightning, hut had u~tterally
failed. On September is. the com
mission fled its order for a hearing
en- this matter fer September "a,
and asked the Consumers Power
company to be present at said hear
ing.
The Company Was Represented.
The company appeared at. th,
hearing and objected TO the jurisdic
ton of the commission which obiec
tion was cverruled. and after that q
! great many hearings were had from
time to time before the commission
Y - a