The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-01-26
CROWD ENJOYED
Continued From Paue One

SSVtl'Sto doC VIC
development OF resources in this
state. He-Cited the fact that outside
corporations are not taking the iron
ore out OF the state. He wanted to
know what it will result in the next
forty years. The very best thing
that this state can do Tor posterity
is to conserve its resources. On
trio has started plan of conserv-
ing its wafer. power, which has been
put in a jack pot with the results
that the people are reaping the bene-
fit of lower electrical rates.
Mayor Nelson OF st. Paul in open
ing his side of the debate said: The
power which viii be developed at
the high dam is not the property OF
the people OF Minneapolis, nor is it
the property OF the people of St.
Paul. Mayor Nelson said. 1T be-
longs to the. people of the entire
country and should be developed so
that it will most benefit the great
est number of persons.
Since when" he continued, have
the people of Minneapolis been Civ
en- any power to decide what should
be done with a utility which belongs
to the people Of the entire state I?
And such decision is what they
propose to make in the amendment
to the power bill now before the
Minnesota legislature" .s go.
This bill is known as house file
number ninety three, which author
ICES the cities of ST. Paul and Min
neapolis to apply Jointly for power
rights bonds each in an amount not
to exceed 100000 for development
of the power.
Bill In Legislature.
J The bill presented and sponsored
by the mayor of Minneapolis, if
two cities. would act as a bar to the
proposed industrial development by
Mr.. Ford. 1t is true that the Ford
! Motor company has purchased it's
site in st. Paul and will build i'm
mediately its plant, but the question
of larger development which will be
felt by the people of this state hinges
upon the acquisition of the power
/ rights by the Ford Company.
! 1T is apparent that house file
number ninety three is based on the
false promise that st. Paul and Min
lneapolis alone have am interest in
those power rights.
| II can assure you on behalf of the
citizens Of st. Paul that such is not
their attitude and that they will
not operate under that act even
though it be passed. ~..
The sponsors of the bill in the
legislature acting undoubtedly in
cooperation with Mayor Leach
only Tuesday realizing that it was
\ a 81 60
amendment providing trn the sub
mission of the question !of develop
ing the power rights and issuing
the bonds to the people of Mime
apolis.
/ Concerns People of State.
! Ladies and gentlemen, | repeat,
the issue of the power rights at the
Twin Cities lock and dam No. l is
not local issue to be determined
by the people of Minneapolis. Just
when, may / ask, have the citizens
Of this great state yielded to Min
neaROlis, it's mayor or its citizens
the right to determine a matter af =
fecting the welfare of the entire
state?
"On what theory, may L ask, does
the mayor of that city propose that
his constituents alone shall deter
mine whether~the greatest industrial
genius in the world shall come to
assist us here in building up the
great state of Minnesota?
by what right can it be said that
the people of Minneapolis are to
determine for the farmers of Mime
apolis whether they shall continue
to pay tribute to the Industries of
! the east in the marketing of their
products far from the source of pro
duction?
Can the mayor of Minneapolis
give reasonable assurance that the
people of that city would accept his
proposition even though referred to
/, them? By no means.
"The Minneapolis Civic and Com
! merce association representing the
business people of that city and
the Lake Street association of Com
merce, two of the largest cipic or
] CARNATIONS in that city, are in favor
of the Ford proposition, and oppos
ed to the passage of House file No
: 80. There is general feeling in ST.
Paul and Minneapolis that that bill
has been introduced solely for the
purpose of delay, and share in that
belief" -
! Mayors In Rebuttal.
bOLn mayors LOOK ten minutes
each in re5uttal Mayor Leach in
his brief rebuttal suggested that the
question be submitted to vote OF
the people of Minneapolis in accord
ance with bill now pending before
the state legislature. He stated that
he did not particularly object to
Henry Ford being granted the pow :
er to be generated at, the high dam,
but he did wish to have some string
on that power, which would provide
safety for the future
Mayor Nelson in his brief rebut.
tai said:
The proposal OF Mayor Leach. as