The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-18
Will TRY IT over
Council to Consider the Water
works Tonight.
May Give People Chance to Vote
on Question.
SPENCER is WAITING.
City Attorney Says He Will
Await Instructions.
Big Budget of Business Sched-
uled For Tonight.

CApCSt ltiC City SOuuCli " tclhC uP
the waterworks question this evening",
said City Attorney Spencer today, and
make it more definite and certain what
it wants to do about this litigation. The
council has adopted resolution, by
vote of to instructing me to COM
mence suit against the company, but
since then four of the six councilmen
who voted for the resolution have indi-
Gated that the matter might be recon-
Sidered. l don't want to go ahead with
the litigation until the council is sure
that it mas made a final decision
Indications are that the matter of
plunging at once into litigation will be
reconsidered this evening. The sent-
ment of the people of the city seems to
be so strong against this step that the
councilmen are generally willing to ad-
nit that the action taken on August 6
was hasty-
Councilmen Neil and Wolf. who voted
in favor of commencing suit, have both
stated that they would be willing to re-
consider the matter. and Councilmen
Weber and Griley also favor a reconsid-
Grafton, under ceksain conditions.
Mayor Parker thinks that the council!
acted too hastily in turning down Presi-
dent Streets proposition to sell the wa
terworks plant for $500, 900.
Personally I don't care what the
council does,' said the mayor. Il have
not spoken to a single councilman about
the waterwOrkS matter since the meet
ing l certainly was surprised when
the council took such summary action
on the matter. l had supposed the pro-
position would be submitted, and dis
cussed and then referred to some future
meeting, in order that the councilmer
might have time to think the thing
over. But instead of that they put
through one motion after another and
practically killed the whole thing ir
about fifteen minutes. We had to work
hard to get this offer from the water
company, and 1 believe it is worthy OF
more careful consideration than the
council gave it"
Street of the water company was that
the city should enter into a contract to
submit to the people an offer to buy
the plant for $620,0O0, and in event of
the failure of this proposition to carry.
that the company be granted a renewal
of the franchise. This proposition the
courcil voted down, the vote standing
to g. The city attorneys advice was
that the city could not under existing
laws renew the old water franchise.
The council then by a vote of to
rejected proposition to simply submit
to popular vote the question of buying
the plant for $620,000. eliminating the
question of a renewal of the franchise.
Then by vote of to 5, it was de-
cided to commence suit against the wa
ter company
The Overwhelming sentiment of the
business men of Topeka seems to be
that the council made a mistake; that
it should have agreed to submit to the
people proposition to vote $4,000 in
bonds to buy the plant, and thus placed
the responsibility for the proposed ex-
penditure exactly where it belongs, with
the taxpayers, though the conditions
should be modified.
In connection with the question of city
ownership, it is interesting to note that
the city ownership of waterworkS at
Grand Rapids, Mich, is proving very
successful. The receipts from the plant
pay all the interest and other charges
on the bonded debt of the plant, and
could be made to prevail in Topeka.
The water rentals would pay for the
| plant Instead of contributing $4,000 a
| year in net profits to the Golfers OF a
corporation, the city would have $780, 600
a year to apply on the purchase price of
| the water plant The following infor-
nation concerning the Grand Rapids
waterworks plant is from the Municipal
| Journal and Engineer:
1.-The total receipts for the water de-
partment for the past year have beer
| about $109, 900, of which $l04,500 come
| from the water rates. The remainder
| was collected from plumbers licenses
| inspectors fees, material sold. etc. The
| water rates amounted to $4,000 less thar
| during the previous year, due to re-
| duction of meter rates. and to the fact
| that there was very little in delinquent
rates to collect during the past year.
| The interest and exchange paid during
| the last fiscal year amounted to S39,261
| The total amount paid fol the operation
! of the pumping station was $32,393; for
maintenance and distribution, SIC, ,135;
| office salaries and expenses, incluHng
| books blanks and advertising, s4,S21 Z:
| for the inspectors department, "a, 429,
and on the construction account, $14.
| 853, the total expenditures being approx
! imately $106, ,0O0."
| WILL REDUCE TAX LEVY.
| 1t seems almost certain that the coun-
| ell will this evening vote to reduce the
| city tax levy from 10 to 1S11 mills
City Treasurer NJ. NJ Hale states pos
| itively that levy of 181h mills will be
| sufficient to meet the interest charges
| of the city. The extra half mill which
| was added by the council was hot air
| for the purpose of throwing discredi'
| on the Parker administration County
| Treasurer H. NJ Philips is responsible
| for the agitation which will result ir
| squeezing out this hot air."
/ The reduction of half a mill will be
made in the fund to pay interest on
| coupon bonds The levy for this fund
| was raised from 11s mills to 21z mills
| for the alleged reason that there was q
| deficit in tire fund to be met. City
| Treasurer Hale said today:
| There will be due in January S.
| 60o. So in bonds and sS.593.71 in interest
| coupons. To meet this total of SIS. 1874 SO
| we have on hand in that fund SIS, SO
| so we will have small surplus at the
| end of the year. The increase of hal
/ mill in the levy for that fund is made
| necessary by the issuance OF $150.00'
more in paving bonds this year.
PAINT THE VIADUCT
The only item of business which |.
| definitely set for this evening is tn,
| opening of bids for painting the Sixth
street viaduct. Indications are thai
| this will bring out a number of bidders
| There is no "eon bine'' on painting 81
| far as there is on pavement
City Engineer McCabe says that hs
| expects to see a great variation in tn,
price for painting the structure. Som.