The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-08
HOW CAN CITY GET IT ?
Money Paid For Surety Bonds
Wanted by Treasury.

Topeka plumbers and contractors now
have on file with the city of Topeka
total Of approxim = ely $230,OO0 Under
the rules of the city, all these bonds
are given by surety companies. and the
average cost to the person giving the
bond is about IS per $1,000 for the an
nual premiums. This would make
total of about $3.50 which is being sent
out of town every year to support for
eign bonding corporations.
The above facts were up for consid-
Grafton last night before the license
committee, and the question was SER
iously discussed as to the ACCESSIBILITY
of adopting some plan which would d.
vert this 81, $50 into the treasury OF the
city.
Some of the members of the commit
tee believe that the resolution of the
council requiring that all bonds given
to the city be surety bonds be rescinded
and that the plumbers and contractors
be required to give personal bonds, and
pay to the city treasury fee or license
about equivalent to the premiums
which have been paid out to surety
companies.
I'VE might as we'll get this $1,10O as
to have it go out of town. said one
member of the council Il believe the
plumbers and contractors would rather
have it that way
Councilman Blossom, who has to pay
the surety company SO year for his
bond as a house mover. said:
I wish it could be fixed SO that I
could pay the city that money instead
of paying the surety company. I would
rather give the city $40 than the surety
company So"
Other contractors, however, do not
take this view of it. James Ramsey
said today:
when this surety bond resolution
was passed, thought it was unfair to
the contractors. Now, however. be-
lieve it is a good thing. and I believe
the contractors would prefer to have it
this way. A man does not like to ask
his friends to sign a bond for him, no
matter how good he may be. For nv
part / would rather pay for bond
than ask my friend to sign for me-"
The objection to bonds signed by pri-
vate parties is that there are many
such bonds which do not protect the
city. They are STRAW and would be
worthless in case the city was obliged
to fall back on them for protection If
a contractor brings up bond signed
by some notorious dead beat, the coun-
Gil as a usual thing is afraid to turn it
down, for fear of making the signer
mad, and stirring up fight in politics.
Plumbers in the CITY are required to
give bond for 81. 900 each to compel
them to repair the streets after making
excavations. There are about 25 of these
bonds on file with the city clerk and
the remaining $180,000 of bonds are CIV
en- by contractors and others engaged
in occupations endangering the city. No
bonds of city officials are included in
this statement.
The license committee did not make
very much progress with their work
last night. They went through the or
dinance proposed by. the city attorney,
and then commenced to suggest
changes. 1t will take several meetings
to hammer the ordinance into some sort
of shape which will prove acceptable to
the council.
At the request Of Samuel T. Howe
and Mayor Parker, Councilman C. ".
Wolf has taken the place of Councilman
Howe on the license committee while
the latter is in Chicago. The committee
as composed at last nights meeting was
S. A. Swendson. chairman: j. w. Bios
som and c.. ". Wolf.