The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-02
KNOCKED IT OUT.
Board of Education Loses Figth
In City Council.
Feared That Plumbing Regula-
tion Would Create Monopoly.
WM. GREEN REPORTS
Chairman of Ways and Means
Committee Tells of Deficit.
1t Will BE just One Dollar Less
Than $4,000.

Large quantities of impassioned ora
tory were emptied into the ears of the
city council last night in regard to the
proposed amendments to the plumbing
ordnance, and the final result was a
defeat for the board OF education. BY
a vote of z to 5, the council defeated
me principal amendment asked for by
the board of education. 1t was evident
mat the rest of the ordinance was of
minor Importance, and so the council
voted to lay the matter of amendments
10 the ordinance before the board of
plumbing examiners and the committee
on health and sanitation.
Ihis is a bitter pill for the board of
education, for both of these bodies are
uh1rlenaly to any changes in the plumb
ing ordnance as it now stands What
ever concessions the board of education
gets now must come from the hands of
the council itself.
AS whole, the council is not radical
~ opposed to the board of education
plans Apparently it is divided almost
equally. the first vote was taken on
the approval of the health committees
adverse report on the proposed amend
ments. The vote stood to 5 against
the approval of the report. This tickIed
the board of education lobby, which
was present en- masse, until Councilna N
SINNER got up and said he had misun-
derstood the motion, and intended to
vote the other way. But it was too late
to change his vote.
When the ordinance came up for pas
sage, however, Mr.. Sinner got in line,
and Councilman Green also came over
making the final vote as follows on
the adoption of section 1 of the or
dinance:
Ayes-Kutz. Griley. Rice. swendson
and Hughes.
Noes-Ryder, Holiday. Neil. Green.
Nellis, Howe, Sinner.
The thing which helped to defeat
section 1 of the proposed amendments
was the fact that it was carelessly
drawn, and was not specific enough in
its terms. There was also the direct
charge made that the section as drawn
would bar out all forms of plumbing
except the kind manufactured by Louis
& Kitchen, the Kansas City firm
Though this charge was denied, there
were several councilmen who did not
seem to be fully satisfied that there
was no danger of getting into the grip
of a monopoly of some sort
The board of education was well rep
resented at the meeting, and it had
some of its plumbing friends along to
offer suggestions at critical points. w.
H Wilson, cnairman6of the buildings
committee, was one of the speakers but
the leader in the fight was J.. w. Gleed.
Mr.. Gleed made an extended address,
reading a great number of letters and
kilograms from school superintendent
and health authorities in various towns
endorsing the American latrine system.
Dr. Menninger also made a lengthy
speech, and presented an equally ex-
Speeches were also made by Council
men Hughes, Swendson, Ryder, Holli-
day and others.
j 1t is expected that the plumbing in
spectors and the health and sanitation
committee will recommend some sort of
an amended ordinance giving the board
permission to install the latrine sys-
tenn, but the ordinance will be drawn
in such a way that some of the lex
elusive features objected to by the
members of the council will be avoided.
City $4,000 Short.
Estimates compiled by S. T. Howe
and William Green of the ways and
means committee of the city council
from data furnished by the various
city officials show that for the current
fiscal year the city of Topeka will have
a deficit of S20.999 for the running
expenses of municipal government
This is a bad showing. The only
extraordinary expense of great i'm
portance this year has been $4,000
for new fire apparatus. Evidently the
city will go 81. 900 into the hole on
its ordinary running expenses; Either
this $1,000 must be saved in the
operation of some of the city depart
ments or else it must find some way
to increase its revenues.
1t is to the solution of this problem
that the ways and means committee
is devoting it's attention. 1t expects
to cut down on the item of miscel-
laneous expenses 1t also looks as
though the street department might
be run at smaller expense As a. mat
ter of fact, Street Commissioner Sny-
der has so far been running from 5000
to $500 per month inside of his esti-
mate, and may be able to wind up
the year with an expense of not over
$4,000, instead of $3S.9S3.6 as esti-
mated.
The sanitary department has de-
manded a sum of over $4,000 for its
expenses during the year. which seems
IN hn oh In r.
the city might shave down its ex-
penses in almost every department
without making any percepuble diff
ference in the effectiveness of service.
looked upon by some of the mem bers
of the ways and means committee as
the only real solution of the problem.
They hope to be able to raise 500
additional from the occupation tax,
and save the rest on the running ex-
penSeS as estimated.
There is no doubt that the ways and
means committee is going at it in the
right way to straighten out Topeka'S
much abused finances. 1t is getting
down to the facts and figures in the |
case, which is no small undertaking. |
can be done toward reform
until the exact truth about prevailing
conditions is known
The following is the tabulated re-
suit of the work of Mr.. Howe and
Mr.. Green:
Estimated receipts fiscal year ending
March 81. 1905:
in general revenue fund
from 1903 levy April 1, 1eO4....... S,meSS
in general Improvement
fund from 1903 levy, April 1.
Five iyet months Of 1904 levy avaiia- '''i'
BILE Nov. to March S1--.--.-..-- 52,2To0 90 |
Average of miscellaneous re-
celpIS -.-----.-.----.---.- Zy,St0b |
Total receipts .s153. sas q
ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES.