The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-10-20
VARIETY OF VIEWS
GIVEN BY PEOPLE
EXPRESSIONSAREBYBUSI-
NESS MEN AND WORKERS
ALL NOT OF ONE MIND
Divergence of Thought Came
Out of Those Who Were
Interviewed. 49,.

DNSAASoo AASAA. WV hA4ANh 1919 RAo
lfessionai men interviewed as to
their views on the proposed revoca-
ton of the street car franchise by
the city council, and the proposed
action of the Mapkato Civic and
Commerce association in petition
ing the council to have the question
OF revocation submitted to vote Of
the people had the following state
ments to make to the Free Press:
l.. Blum: Owing to the fact that
the city council submitted the ques-
ton of raising the burden of paving
along its right Of way on the shoul-
Qers OF the street car company |
think that the question of the re-
vocation of the franchise of that
company, which effects a greater
NUMBER OF people. should also be
submitted to popular vote of
the people OF this city"
DR.. T. c. Kelly: THE five men.
members of the city council. in
my opinion do not express the wish
es OF all the. people in MankatU
Some consideration should be given
to the convenience of the people who
do not own automobiles and have to
get to and from their work as cheap
| ~ as possible. I do not think 1t
should be necessary for the question
to be submitted to vote of the
people, but if the city council does
decide to revoke the franchise of the
street car company then l would
favor the question being submitted
| to a vote of the DeODle"
Edward Gugisberg, real estate
man and owner of property on North
Fifth street: The men who get the
real benefit out of the street car
service are the working men who
can not afford to own autos. Some
people think that a laboring NAH
can hoof it to work no matter how
| far. l wonder how far some of the
business men and members of the
city council would feel If their car
refused to work and they had to
walk down town to their places Of
business. say that the city should
| fix up the damaged part Of the paw
ling. | was there when il was paved
and ! can truthfully say that in less
than four months after the job was
finished, it showed signs of giving
away. If the city council persists in
its determination to revoke the
franchise of the company, then
would say submit it to vote of the
people. If the city engineer could
have had his way and the contractor
not interfered with by one of the
then city officials, who did not know
anything about the laying of paving,
the job would have been all right in
my opinion.
Postmaster c. E. Wise: at is
very unfortunate indeed to thinR
that the city council and the street
car compay can not get together on
this proposition. 1t seems TO me
that the street car company should
be willing to bear a fair proportion
Of the expenses of repairing. At the
same time | do not think. that Man
kato can afford to lose the street car
development of the outskirts of the
city"
]. B. Richards: II think that the
council is taking the right course.
When the street car company came
here 1t accepted a franchise calling
for the company to take care of the
paving inside its rails and certain
distance outside. Why should the
street car company go back on that
agreement now?"
David Richards: 81 think that
Mayor Beach is in the right in pro-
posing to revoke the franchise Of
the street car company, owing to the
fact that the company refuses to re-
pair their paving. The mayor in my
opinion is meeting the wants of the
people, and think that the major
=. II 10 sCfs 81 Srysk =,
his proposed action. It strikes me
as strange that big corporation is
| trying to evade coming up to the re-
quirements of the franchise. do
not see any necessity of putting the
question up to vote of the people.
THE city has lived up to its side of
| the contract. Now it is up to the
street car company to do its share"
Ed. Brett: 1T would be a great
blow to the city's progress to have
the street car company driven from
this city. / should think that there
could be some way to compromise
the situation. In trying to force the
street car company out of this city,
the members of the city council for
get that they are working for the
people at large, and that the car line
is an absolute necessity to the fu-
ture development of Mankato." lei
J. c. Creeden, joint agent of the
Milwaukee and Great Western rail
ways: Il think that everybody is
in favor OF retaining the street car
| line, but in case the city council
should see fit to revoke the fran
chise of the street car company. /
think that the matter should be sub
mitted to vote of the people"
James Sheehy, telegrapher at Mil
waukee depot: II think that the
street car company is necessity to
the working man in this city in go
ing to and from his work. ] would
like to see the line retained"
PHI. McGraw: hate to see the
city shouldering all of the burdens
which come up, but do think that
all OF the property owners in this
city want the street car kept in
Mankato If it comes to the ques-
ton of revocation, then / would say.
submit the question to vote of the
people"
Gust Person: IF the street car
line were driven away from Man
kato it would put Dukes addition
and West Mankato out ,of commits
sion as far as development is con-
cerned"
Robert Sinclair. a teamster. 81
would just as leave see truck line
| In this city. In driving over the