The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-15
ground for his opposition to the Howe
q Of ter

ground for his opposition to the Howe
plan of waterworks control.
Most cities having municipal water
works have adopted the plan of plac-
ing the control of the plant in the
hands of a special board composed of
men possessing some special training
in that kind of work. This fact indi-
Gates that the system of direct control
by city councils in general has not
been found to be advisable.
If, as a general proposition, it is bet
ter to have waterworkS plants under
control of a board of commissioners,
it will doubtless be advisable to begin
municipal ownership of waterworkS in
Topeka with this system, even if the
board is obliged to wait for a few
months for the legislature to give 1t
the statutory existence which 1t needs
for effective work.
Councilman Ryder says in discuss
ing the advisability of having a board
to manage the plant: 81 have had
some experience with state institutions.
and believe that politics is much
more likely to creep into the manage
ment of the plant through board con-
troll than if the plant should be di-
rectly under the charge of the coun-
ell, as is the fire department. The
waterworks committee of the city
council could do all the work which
board of waterworks commission
ers could do, and would have just as
much authority.
Suppose we had a board, it could
go no further than the council might
direct. unless some new. state laws
should be passed. The board would
have to come to the council whenever
it wanted an ordinance passed; it
would have to refer matters of policy
othe council, because the council
would have the right to step in and
overturn anything the board might do.
1t could even abolish the board entirely
if it took a notion. The board, it is
said, would tend to keep out politics;
1 don't think so. If the mayor wanted
to get some of his friends places in
the waterworks plant, he would go to
the members of the board and suggest
that certain appointments would
of the board would hasten to comply
with his suggestion, for they depend
on him for reappointment. Or If some
employee of the plant proved to be in
his place through friendship of some
member of the board. The superin-
tendent of the plant, whoever he
might be, would feel the effect of this
division of authority; he could not
enforce discipline among his men, be-
cause they would do just as it done
in the state institutions under similar
circumstances; they would tell the SUI
perintendent to go to, and defy him to
discharge them so long as he had his
pull with some member of the board.
These are some of the objections to
this board system of controlling the
WaterWOrKS. 1t would De mucn more
simple and more effective in accom-
plishing the object for which the city
is aiming, to organize the waterworks
department in just the same way we
have organized the fire department.
For twenty-five years that depart
ment has been kept out of politics; it
is the best managed and most eco
nomical department in the city adj
ministration, and there is no reason
why the waterworkS department
should not be handled in exactly the
same manner if we get the right kind
of a superintendent to take charge of
it,"
For a year or two. the work of man
aging and organizing the work of the
city water plant is going to be heavy.
1t will be more than the council can
properly attend to. The council is too
This is shown by the delay which is
constantly occurring in city business.
Moreover, the majority of the members