The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-27
BENT ON "DOING" Us.
That SouIless Corporation the
Topeka Water Company.
HOW IT CHEATS THE CITY.

uUM H OALhA IA ALL 4AA As
Furnishes Uuae aIthy water, rails In
the Proper Fire Pressure and DE
manda Immense sums 60 Pay Inter
est on Inflated bonds.
The people of Topeka are confronted
with a very serious question How much
longer must they submit to the e1tortion
and disregard Of its contract by the COR
poration styled THE Topeka Water Sup
ply company"
In September, 1881, the city council
p assed an ordinance granting the Topeka
Water Supply company franchise TO
furnish water to Topeka and its citizens
in consideration Of which the com pany
bound themselves to do certain things
One Of the things they promised 70 do
by the provisions of the ordinance was
to supply Topeka and its citizens with
good clear, healthful and wholesome
water, we'll suited for domestic and man
ufacturing purposes"
To find out whether the company il
complying with the provision Of this
clause of their contract the mayor re-
Gently ordered a chemical analysis of
the water. That ANALYSIS has been COM
pieted and while il cannot now be made
public in detail it reveals almost
astounding condition Of the water fur
nlShed by the company. Not only does
the water contain sodium sulphate in
large DuL organic D1ALt5E OF
albuminOid5 enough for the chemist to
pronounce the water furnished ''dele-
terious to the public health" This Is no
doubt due to the fact that every day or
two water is taken directly from the
river-particularly when ire pressure is
needed
That is the kind Of liquid the water
company compels the people of Topeka
20 use and for which they are charged
an exorbitant rate
Then the water company agreed to
furnish a fire pressure which would
guarantee excellent fire protection, the
following section prescribing the test.
ssThe following shall be the test Of the
capacity of the works. To discharge ten
one-inch streams. at the same time. from
auy ten hydrants on the distribution
pipes with fifty feet of hose attached to
the height Of one hundred feet, or main
tain its equivalent ia pressure at the
nozzle of MIGRANTS"
And still at the recent test under IRE
pressure IL was found that some OF the
streams were only forced to q height
Of twelve feet, while the greatest
height to which any of the streams
were thrown was only a little over fifty
feet or half the distance agreed to in the
contract with the city. This is the ire
protection upon which the people of
Topeka depend for their safety. What
would become of the business quarter Of
the city should a large ire break Out2
There is another provision in the
ordinance in which tile city agrees to
pay $50 per year for each of 300 hvdrants
to be used for fire protection. Those in
excess of 800 were to be supplied with
water free Of charge. The company lost
no time in putting in the 3OO hyGrants
for the use Of which it has been paid the
nice sum of $4,000 annually by the city,
but when it was asked to extend its
mains and put in more hydrants il re-
fused The reason is apparent. The
city would not be required to pay 500
each for the water furnished to the ad-
ditional hydrants The company
did not hesitate to take the
$4,000 from the city, which is an out
rageous price, even if the water pres
sure were up to the conditions of the
ordinance, but when the city asked it 10
comply with It's part OF the contract It |
seemed very much surprised. thrust its
nose into the air and said, "Make me If
you can"
That is why the people living in Mar
tin s. Dennis addition. Lowman Hill. !
and other outlying portions Of the city
are left absolutely without fire protection |
though they pay their share of the taxes |
to support this defective water supply
Institution.
There is a suit pending in the district
court Of this county for the forfeiture Of
the franchise of the company because Of /
its refusal to extend its mains The
suit has been the docket !
over two years and was to have been /
commenced yesterday before j. g. Sion
ecker as judge pro tenn, but the water
company was not ready for trial aud the
case went over to next "Wednesday Even !
if when the case is finally tried the de
cislOn is against the company il viii un- /
oubtedly be taken to the supreme court, |
and with the Over-crOwded condition Of I
the docket it would hardly be heard 7
much before the franchise of the com I
pany expires by limitation in 1891
The water company has worked a 4
scheme by which il hopes to perperuate /
itself Although the charter expires IN /
1901. the ordinance provides that the /
city shall purchase the plant at the ex- i
piration Of the franchise if IL desires. but /
if not, an extension of twenty years shall f
be given. The company has there +
fore issued bonds to more /
than four times the value of I
the plant and if the city takes the I
plant it Will have to assume the entire I
indie btedness Of the concern. Nothing I
could have been more premeditated or
dishonest than the action of this corpora
ton, which hopes TO continue to fatten
itself on the people Of Topeka
There appears to be only one way to
secure the forfeiture of the franchise as
soon as possible, and then let the
city make deal for the plant
The people have already paid
many times the cost of building the en-
tire establishment in water rent. and the
city can furnish the water at cost. The
people of Topeka are tired of paying
high rates on poor water to pay the in
terest on inflated bonds
Other cities own their water plants
and so should Topeka.