FILLED CONVENTION HALL.
Beardsley and Warner the Speakers
at Closing Republican Party.
Republicans held the closing general rally of the campaign in Convention hall last night. Speeches were made by Senator William Warner, Mayor Beardsley and R. R. Brewster.
The big hall was crowded to overflowing with men, women and children, many bringing their entire families to hear the speeches of the workers for the Republican administration. Repeated applause from a vicinity within close reach of the platform where the speakers stood followed the attacks on the different corporations, James A. Reed and Mr. Thomas T. Crittenden, Jr. Bitter attacks were made upon the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, and pictures of cities were shown where the street car fare is less than 5 cents, in one of which, at least, the fare was reduced by a public utilities commission.
Another series of pictures of the different Republican candidates for election today and of different improvements in the city made under the Beardsley administration was shown.
Senator William Warner acted as chairman of the meeting and delivered the opening address. The first part of his speech was pertaining to national and state affairs, in which he upheld the policies of President Roosevelt, and added that William H. Taft intends to carry out those policies. He gave a short talk on the railroad corporations as they are conducted today and as they were before President Roosevelt's administration.
NEED OF A COMMISSION.
He soon turned, however, to the election today in Kansas City, and in a brief address commended every candidate and attacked the Metropolitan street railway, Mr. Reed and Mr. Crittenden. One of his principal points was that a utilities commission will give the city a chance to govern corporations, and not the corporations to govern the city. "Corporations should not govern the city and dictate to the people how much they shall pay for their service, or how city affairs shall be operated," said Senator Warner. "I believe in a public utilities commission. The people should control and regulate the electric light plant and the Metropolitan street railway. We do not know whether these corporations and others are conducted properly, we do not know whether they are charging us unreasonable prices for service. A public utilities commission would see the books of these corporations and determine for the citizens if the corporations are meeting the public's interest.
