People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1899-08-24
The City to Own its Water and Light Plants.

The city council held called meet
ing Thursday and voted ITO offer the
owners of the waterwOrks plant $50.
600 for the plant as it stands, 10 4 per
cent bonds, payable in thirty years.
The offer, OF course, is made COntin'
gent upon its approval by the voters
Of the city. Should the owners ac-
cept the offer, special election will
be called to vote the bonds. The
matter will then be "up to" the
voters and they will decide the Ques-
tioI for all time.
A motion was also passed by the
council last night, that In the event
the city becomes the owner Of the
waterworks plant, an electric light
ingand power plant shall be built and
owned and operated by the city. The
water and light committees were in
structed to make estimates of the
cost Of improving the waterworks
system so that it will meet the re-
Quiremelts Of the city, and of erect
ing lighting and power pla1t.
Prior to the action of the council, a
number of interested tax payers ex.
pressed their views as to what the
city should do in regard to the water
and light questions. The sentiment
Of a majority OF those who expressed
themselves was in favo. Of the city
purchasing the waterworks plant at
the figures given, and Uf putting in a
good electric lighting system. The
majority Of the sentiment was also 10
favor Of spending $4,000 or $4,000 in
improving the waterworks plant.
The gentlemen who spoke upon the
questions were: ]. NJ. Thralls, W. H.
Maddy, Rev. ThOs. Penick, Lx-Mayor
W. R. Savage, Ex- Mayor S.'N. Brown,
A. Graf, o. G. Knowles, Geo. B. Dean,
W. A. Maxey and John T. Stewart.
Mr.. Thralls did not express an
opinion in regard to the advisability
of the city purchasing and assuming
control of the waterwOrks plant, f1r.
ther than to say that it would be
cheap at $4,000 He showed that the
company had expended much more
than this sum on the plant after the
mains had been laid and the pump
house built.
The water tower alone cost $1,000
and the dam $4,000. The two boilers
in the pump house cost 81 ,575 in st.
Louis. The smoke stack on the pump
house cost Sl,l0O, and the old filter
cost over $1,000. Much was learned
from Geo. H. Grouse, the superintend.
ent, ofthe real condition of the plant.
There has been an impression that
the boilers were about worn out and
that the mains needed replacing
This is mistaken idea. The boilers
have been used very carefully by En.
queer H. r. Wightman, and in the
ten years of their service have never
sprung leak Of any kind and have
never needed repairing. Only one
boiler is used at time, and every two
weeks they are changed while a mar
goes into the one not in use and care
fully removes the scales. So far al
the mains are concerned, they are a:
good as they were the day the dir
was thrown over them. The life Of q
cast iron water main is practically
unlimited. All of the mains in the
city are of cast iron except a short
stretch east of A. CRAFTS residence
These are Of stone. None of the cast
iron mains were frozen up last winter
when the temperature was p degrees
below zero. The stone pipes burst
once, and several surface pipes burst
Mr.. Graf expressed himself as op.
posed to the idea Of the city buying
the waterw0rks plant, and still chung
to his pet theory of securing water
from the NinIescah river. The price
of iron has advanced 50 that it is out
OF the question for the city to carry
out that proposition. Mr.. Graf
wanted the city to make a contract
with the water company for four OIL
FIVE years, with the idea that the
price of iron would 60 down by that
time and the city would then be able
to follow his suggestion.
Mr.. Maddy was opposed to munici
pal ownership on general principles
and believed that no Municipality
could conduct any kind of a public
institution as economically as a cor.
pOratiOn.
Mr.. Maxey was heartily 10 favor Of
the city acquiring the ownership Of
the waterwOrks plant and improving
it so that it will always meet the re
quirements Of the city. He thought
the welfare Of the city depended upor
it, and was not willing to stand bach
on any amount OF money necessary t.
carry out the councils ideas.
Rav penick was in favor nj nunici