The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-09
CUT AND SLASH.
City Council Makes a Charge on
the Corporations.
Ice, Gas, Water and Telephone
Companies Included.
WITH ONE FELL SWOOP
Gas Rate Reduced to One Dollar
Per Thousand.
Attorneys to Be Hired to Fight
Water Company.
NEW TELEPHONEPLAN
Franchise For Pankey Company
Will Soon Be Granted.
Ordinance to Dissolve Ice Trust
introduced and Passed.
Other Things Disposed of at
City Council Meeting.

Important things done by the council
last night:
Dollar gas ordinance passed unan-
imously.
New independent telephone company
petitions for city franchise, and will
get it.
Stringent antitrust ordinance, aimed
at ice company, passed unanimously.
City attorney authorized to employ
two attorneys to assist him in the wa
New contract with Topeka crematory
approved
Every time the octopus stuck up its
Shiny head at the council meeting last
night the city paters took a whack at
it. 1t was a rough and thorny road
which corporate eupidity was compelled
to ambulate
Gas, ice. water and telephone COM
panies had better beware. The season
of their discomfort is at hand. A big,
brutal majority of the councilmen is
lying in wait. bludgeon in hand, and
viii undoubtedly land on anything that
is made in the image of a trust.
Public sentiment in Topeka IS un-
dOubtedly against trusts, and the city
council is bent on enforcing public
sentiment. The councilmen are wing
with each other to abuse corporations
controlling public utilities. Talk of
municipal ownership of Waterworks, of
ice plants, of gas tanks and telephone
franchises was a staple article at the
council meeting. Each councilman is
striving to be q trust buster and each
one has picked out an especial pet
among Topeka trusts which he strives
to mutilate by word and deed at every
opportunity
GAS AT 81 A THOUSAND.
After fighting and arguing and ac-
comprising nothing for ten years, the
city council passed a dollar gas ordf-
nance last night in five minutes. There
was no debate and no division. The
ordinance was introduced by Council
man Bergundthal of the First ward
rushed through under suspension of the
rules. and viii become a law this week
The new law makes a fiat rate OF 81
a thousand for gas. for both illuminate
ing and fuel purposes. Any person or
firm which uses 10000 cubic feet a.
month is entitled to a rate of 80 cents
per thousand.
The present rates for gas are $1.65
for illuminating and $1.50 for fuel
The officials Of the gas company in
innate that they will not obey the or
dinance, but will fight it's enforcement
in the courts. They say that they can
not afford to sell gas at 81 a thousand,
losing money as that is the rate in near
ly all cities
The penalty for refusing to sell gas
at 81 a thousand is a fine of from S25
to 800 for each offense.
Kansas City has a dollar gas rate
which is satisfactory to the company
and the city Three years ago the To-
pelxa company promised to give the city
dollar gas as soon as certain improve
ments to their plant should be made.
The improvements are now completed.
The city has fixed the price because the
United States supreme court has de-
clded that 1T has that power.
WAR FOR MUNICIPAL WATER
WORKS.
G. c. Clemens attended the council
meeting last night. Il am here to in
ject some enthusiasm into this honor
able body" he said. He accomplished
his object He reused the council from
its lethargy on the waterworks oues-
ton, told it some things it has been
wanting to know. and pointed out the
danger which confronts It
Il tell you, gentlemen declared Mr..
Clemens with tremendous impressive
ness. "the attorneys for the water COM
pany are playing deep game, as at
torneys for corporations usually do.
They are trying to lull you to Sleep
/ They are waiting for September z, and
/ when that time comes then they will
laugh at you, for they viii have you
/ in their power for another ten years.
Mr.. Clemens is probably better posted
on the waterworks question than any
| attorney in Topeka. aside from the at
torneys for the water company. He ap-
| peared before the council last night as
a citizen of Topeka who felt it his duty
to warn the council of its danger. He
was permitted to address the council on
the subject Largely as result of his
/ speech the council voted to employ two
attorneys to assist City Attorney
Spencer in the conduct of the water
/ works case.
The attorneys who represent the
water company are Rossington, Smith
& listed
Mr.. Glen ems said: Unless the coun-
ell act at once, the company will have
/ another -ten-year franchise The orig
/ inal WaterwOrks ordinance provided
that the city might buy the water
| works, and conferred jurisdiction on
| the district court to determine the
| value of the plant. That was absurd
The council can not confer jurisdiction
| on the district court
In 1888 the legislature amended the
section of the charter granting a fran
| chise. So far as the council is con-
cerned. you are compelled to obey this
| law The only question is, Did the
water company accept? I say that the
| act of 1888 is valid because it was a
/ benefit to the corporation, and by de-
cision Of the courts corporation is
| supposed to accept whatever is of ben
/ eft to it. This made a new contract,
/ which IS binding today.
Within six months prior to Septem-
Der the city must pass a resolution
announcing its intention of acquiring
| the plant. It must appoint an engineer,
| and the company must appoint an en-
| gineer to fix the value OF the plant
election to vote on whether the terms
shall be accepted or not must be held.
All this within SIX months.