The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-10
VOLK FINDS A LEAK
City Been Paying Too Much
For Electric Lights.
SHULTZ AND HATFIELD
Address the Council For and
Against the Hog.

There were two interesting features TO
the city council meeting last night The
first was ths explosion that Gerald Yolk
caused by his report on the lighting of
the city building and the other was the
addresses made by Mr.. R. r. Hatfield and
the reply by DR.. ]. W. shultz. Il was the
largest crowd which has visited the coun-
Gil chamber in some time time which was
present last night
AT the call Of roll the following mem
bers responded: Reese, Volk, Handiey,
Cubban, Smith, Schell, Guthrie, Herblg
and Crib. Mr.. Reese chairman OF street
railways asked that the present company
be given an extension Of time. The mayor
took part in the littletaIk which ensued
and declared himself most positive against
the granting Of an extension of time. The
city attorney was asked If they had for
feited their charter. An affirmative reply
settledthe matter for the present. Suit
viii undoubtedly be brought 10 recover
the $4,000 bond given by the company.
Councilman Volk introduced the follow
ing report;
To the Honorable Mayor. Wichita, Kan:
Gentleman:-In pursuance 10 your in
structions the Light Committee disires TO
call your attention to a matter which We
feel warranted in saying needs a thor
ough investigation. We have discovered
that in the City building there are located
four electric metres, one beinqS4n the Ii
brary, another in the police departm
another in the school boards room and
the last one supposed to be for the rest
of the building. The Electric Light COM
pany Of this city has been reading these
metres and presenting bills 20 the proper
parties for the amount used as registered
by the aforesaid meters. As an inustra-
tion, during the month of January the
metre for the city building registered
s7410; the metre for the police department
$3.50; for the library $3.50 and for the
school board room 800; total paid in jan
uary for incadescent lights S114.05. We
have discovered that the metre registered
S74.10 registered the full amount of light
used by all these different departments.
We have furthermore discovered that the
s33- 10 registered in the police department
and the s6.55 in the library and school
departments should have been deducted
from the total s1l405, which would leave
$74.10 and from this amount s6.55, which
has been paid by the school board, should
also be deducted making a total of $40 80
overcharge in the month Of January In
other words we have been paying double
metreage on the three metres and for that
month we paid $3.50 more than we should
have paid. At this time we have not yet
ascertained how many years We have been
so generous with our money, but it is safe
TO say that we have paid between $500 and
500 a year too much money to the Elec-
trio Light company As far back as July
1896 we have found that this has been the
case.
We recommend that the mayor Of the
city meet with the Light Committee and
cali on the superintendent of ten Electric
Light comapny and go over the amounts
which we have paid them so We can report
at the next meeting what is due the city
IN the way Of overcharge.
GERALD VOLK,
Chairman Light Commute
Mr.. Arthur Sullivan put in bill for 500
for attending to the dam. The matter was
referred TO the judiciary committee.
Mr.. Cubban made a motion that the
proper committee find out what rights
the city had in the dam and report at the
next meeting. Motion carried.
The light committee made the following
recommendation: That the city council az
vertise for bids on go or more vapor
lights commonly known as blinkers for
lighting suburbs Of the city. To take the
place OF the present blinkers. The same
10 Relocated by the mayor and council
The report was signed by the full COM
mittee. It carried.
Mr. Edward Vail addressed the council
for few minutes asking that permission
be given Immediately for the building OF
a sewer from the nearest main to the new
hospital on the West Side. Permission was
granted.
Judge A J. Wyatt spoke for a few min
utes relative TO damage suit pending
in the supreme court against the city
Its the case wherein LYDIA S1alHngs was
given judgment in the district court
In the sum Of S7.Oo0. The question was
referred to the city attorney and judi
ciary committee with power 10 act.
A number of claims were read and re-
ferred to the proper committees.
Petitions for several cinder and psrma-
uent walks were read. The property own
srs were in each case given thirty days in
which 10 construct the same
The fun began when Councilman Scheu
arose and said that he had petition with
the names Of 500 worthy citizens attached
asking that the hog ordinance. which
was passed at the last meeting before be
repealed He asked that Mr.. Hatfield be
allowed the privilege OF addressing the
council Permission being granted. he
proceeded to extol the hog. making fire.
Quent reference to women and widows
who could by raising hogs IN the summer
keep out Of the poorhouseIn the winter.
He made quite a nice talk from his stand
point The mayor called on Or. Shultz,
president Of the board Of health for his
opinion II didn't take the Doctor very
long 20 say that be thought Il was detri-
mental 10 the health OF the city 20 have
swine within the corporate limits. He first
told Of the Disadvantages OF having hogs
in the city and the nhe proceeded 10 ridi-
cule That was what won the day He
referred 10 she high price % hogs and ice
which certainly were a luxury for wealthy
people. leave alone the poor. A. another
tine he said that he had been raised an
orthodox Methodist and had been instruct
ed from infancy 20 hate the devil but az
ter reading IN the Bible where the devf
drove the hogs into the sea he had al
ways a sort Of reverence for him The
mayor called for the question, but Mr.
Hatfield asked TO be allowed 10 aagin al