The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-10-20
LETTER TO PUBLIC
FROM CITY HEAD
CLAIMS TRACTION COM
fANY rs WELL TREATED
GOING : INTO HISTORY
Executive Says There Can and
Should be Adjustment of
Differences

Mayor w. A. Beach in q commu-
aication 10 The Free Press dealing
eith the present street car situation
oppressed the belief that fair dis
,ussion Of the problem by commit,
ee of the Civic and Commerce Us .
ociation together with President ].
D.. SchulEe and the members of the
ity council should be held in order
o ,obviate the necessity Of special
.lectioR and the mayor suggests
bat some such means be taken be-
ore going to any further expense.
The communication is as, follows
ITO the Public of Mankato: In
egard to the street car, question
low agitating Mankato. / feel that II
s my duty to call your attention to
acts as they exist, and to place the
aty council in its true position
The charter of the city OF Man
Lato. expressly commands that il is
he duty OF the mayor to see that tho
erms OF, all franchises are perform
ID, and If they are not, that he shall
institute the necessary proceedings
o revoke them. 80.
The street car company refuses to
Keep the terms of the franchise. and
therefore as mayor of the city OF
Mankato it was my duty to institute
he proceedings necessary TO revoke
he franchise.
Wants Street Railway to Remain
The city council as well as every
other person In Mankato desire that
he street car comany remain in the
city. They have done everything
possible to find some way 10 accom-
pi1sh this purpose. We put up the
ordnance releasing the car company
rom future paving but retaining the
clause that the street car company
Eouid maintain the paving along It's
light OF way.
We. offered to pay sixty percent
q the cost of the repairs of the
north and south ends of Front street.
although the condition of this paw
ing Is wholly due to the track be-
ing thereon. We even offered TO
take the street car companys notes
signed by the Mississippi Valley
Traction company, the owners of the
Mankato Electric Traction company.
Every proposition was refused by the
street car company Then the only
thing that could be done according
70 the charter was 70 institute the
necessary proceedings or suit to re-
woke the franchise.
: AT the present time the city has
not got any control over the material
and construction of the street car
tracks, being laid in our new paving.
We see old second hand light rails
being put on rotten cedar ties. This
VIII cause very great vibration of
the tracks causing, them to force up
the paving and necessitating con :
slant repairs. According TO the pres,
ent attitude of the street car com
many. the city viii be nut to a con
slant expense Of repairing the paw
ing over the .company's faulty right
Of way.
Claims Help for Railway
The street car company has been
given the equivalent of more than
twenty thousand dollars in release
OF paving and tax reductions during
the present year, and In the face OF
all that they refuse TO repair their
right of way. at expense not to ex-
coed four thousand dollars. This posi-.
ton is taken because OF the en-
enlargement given the company by
those financially interested in the
proposition, who want the city of
Mankato to substitute the street car
company SO that they may continue
20 receive the i've percent interest
on their bonds
could help the street car company
raise the necessary $4,000 in order
that they might keep good their op :
legations and continue their fran
ichise- Why put the city to an expense
rof an election and continually increase
ITS taxation? We are all having a
hard time to meet the tax that is
ALREADY burdening US. No one else in
close times is asking that their taxes
be taken on because they are max
Ing no money. am sure that a mer-
chant that cam not run his business
at profit would not expect the city
toypay his losses.
Law and Equity
This question of the law and
equity in the repairing OF the paving
rs before the courts, and if it is not
equitable, the courts will decide it.
The attorneys for the street car com
'pany know that the right is on the
side OF the city, and are now asking
for q referendum to pull them out OF
the hole they have dug for them
Selves rz
IF the directors of the Civic and
Commerce association will use half
Of the EFFORT in inducing the street
car company to live up to its obi
cations that they do in helping them
TO eyade their franchise there would
be no street car question in Man
kato today.
II believe that a rair discussion OF
the problems by committee of the
Civic and Commerce association to-
gether with Mr.. Scnuize and the
members Of the city council, c6dld
obviate the expense of special cleo
tion, and. I would suggest that some
such means be taken before going to
any further expense.-W. A Beach,
Mayor. -s8. ....
4 "a