The Topeka state journal., 1898-10-22
WATER WORKS.
The City Will Shortly Vote on
a Bond Question
To Provide Funds For the
Purchase of a
WATERWORKS PLANT.
Either the One Owned by the
Present Company
Or a New One to Be Built by
the City.

An important local proposition will be
before the people three weeks from to-
day-the waterworks bond question.
The great majority of the citizens are
evidently on general principles favora-
bic to the city ownership of the water
works just as they are generally salts
fed with the municipal ownership of
the present city electric light works.
The pending proposition as yet has
been little discussed by the public.
A statement of facts is important to
an understanding of the situation.
The special election forthcoming is
not to decide whether the city wishes to
own waterwOrks or not. That question
may come up later. If the present pro-
position carries Of course it means that
the city has decided on ownership and
has subscribed the money. If it fails
it leaves the matter open to be decided
prior to September, 1901.
On Saturday, November IL, people of
Topeka viii vote on the proposition to
issue $40, 900 of waterworks bonds. This
amount is the estimate of the cost of
new plant according to plans made by
City Engineer Barnes.
The ordinance under which this cleo
tion is held contains three provisions.
One is that the city purchase the plant
Of the Topeka water company at a price
to be agreed upon; another that the
price fixed by the district court ap-
praisement, and third that the city shall
build a new plant outright. If the
plant should be purchased for less than
S440 600 the bonds issued would be only
for the amount of the purchase price.
The ordinance provides that the bonds
issued shall bear interest not to exceed
the rate of per cent. If the entire
issue be sold and the bonds draw per
cent the interest each year would
amount to $22 0O0 This would have to
be pafd by the consumers or bv general
taxation.
There is some question about the right
Of the city to condemn the plant before
the franchise expires City Attorney
Bird claims that the city can take the
plant at any time. The water company
asserts that the law passed by the last
legislature giving cities the right to con-
denim water plants is unconstitutional.
In the event that the law is not valid
the only other way to acquire the pres
ent plant would be by an agreement
between the city and the company on
the purchase price.
Receiver O'NeiI says that the com
pany cannot sell the plant because it
would be necessary to secure the con-
sent of all the bond holders. a cOntin-
gency he believes could hardly be OBJ
tained owing to the great number. That
would leave but one alternative-the
construction Of a new plant in accord
ance with the plans of the city engi-
neer, unless the city wishes to wait two
or three years until the present fran
chise expires.
It was originally provided in the plans
for new waterwOrks that the mains
should be placed in the alleys. City En-
gtneer Barnes says that after careful
" considering the matter and studying
the plat of the city he was forced to
change the plans and provide for plac-
ing the mains in the streets. This is be
cause the alleys are not straight in
many places and the strain on the pipes
occasioned by the turns would be too
great and also because in some places
the alleys have not been opened through
an entire block.
The franchise of the ToDelza wafer
company will expire in September, 1901
that means that the present company
has right to do business in Topeka
for nearly three years longer. If the city
should build plant before the fran
chise expires the company could contin-
ue to do business just the same as if the
city had not built a plant and it would
mean that the business of the city
would be divided between two concerns
The argument for new Waterworks
which has had the most weight has
been made by the people who live in
what is called the dry Districts These
are the localities which have no water
privileges though they have annually
contributed their share to the taxes
which have helped support the water
company. A compromise was proposed
by the present company by which these
localities could be reached but it fell
through. The plans for a new plant
provide for mains in the portions of the
city without water and they also pro-
There are now 200 families in Topeka
who use water 1t is estimated that
there are at least 5000 families in the
city so that not half the people use
city water A large number of these
live in the dry districts so that the
number Of users will naturally be in
creased by the extension of the mains
1t is said by Receiver O'NeiI that the
receipts of the water company from the
consumers have never yielded the COM
pany more than $43, 900 a year. Allow
ing for per cent interest on the pro-
posed bonds and per cent for a sink
ing fund would make an expense of S44 -
600 per annum to the city besides the
running expenses of the new plant II
the number Of customers did not In
crease greatly after the new plant has
been bought it would probably mean an
annual deficit which would require ar
additional tax to meet. This however
IS hardly a fair presumption for the
extension of the water mains could not
but result in an increase in the mum
Der of consumers and whether the in.
crease in consumption would be large
enough to meet these expenses or not i:
a question that can only be a subject
for speculation.
The water company comedies that tn,
city will have the right to purchaSt
the present plant in 1901 but the com
pany claims that unless the city doe!
purchase at that time it is entitled t
an extension Of franchise for 20 years
So 1t is possible that even if the city
builds a plant now there will be tive
plants in existence for years to come
This is not probable, however, as it i,
well known that two plants could no
do business prOftably in a city the siZ
of Topeka and it would simply be
question of which could live the long
est under adverse conditions.
The water company now furnishe:
water free to the public schools, fou
drinking fountains and a half dOzel
watering trOughs, The company ais,
furnishes water free to flush the sewer
r y all