The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-05


lieve that we should wipe this provision
of the law off the books if we don't in
tend to enforce it,
! Councilman Weber: IF we haven't a
man who can give a bond, we should
get one. There are plenty of men viii
ling to take the office of chief of police
and give good bond"
Mr. Howe asked the city attorney
whether the city could be held liable, as
i Mr. Ryder said provided the chief of
police had no bond
Certainly not said Mr.. Spencer.
1.-THE law delegates to the mayor and
council the right to require a bond from
whoever it sees fit. On the contrary, if
did not enforce it, it might be a ques-
ton whether or not the city would be
! table,
Section 40 of the city charter act
said Mr.. Ryder, TO which the city at
/ torney refers, does not as 1 take it, give
the city the right to abolish bonds, but
/ simply to regulate their amount The
/ same section refers to oaths of office. IF
/ the city has the power to waive the Civ
ing of bond, it has the power to waive
| taking the oath of office. If your chief
does right, his bond cannot be success
| fully attacked If he does wrong, he
ought to be held liable"
! City Attorney Spencer held that the
/ section 40 referred to was not manda-
tory, but left it to the discretion of the
fcOuncil altogether.
The vote on Weber's amendment
stood: Ayes, Ryder, Snyder, GriIey and
! Weber, 4; noes, KutZ, Neil, Wolf, NelliS,
Howe, Sinner, Swendson and finch
| er, 8.
Mr.. Weber moved as a second amend
ment that the two jailers, who handle
1 all the money, be required to give $500
bond each. This amendment prevailed
without opposition On the final pas
sage of the ordinance, Ryder, Snyder,
Griley and Weber again voted together
against it, and the ordinance passed. It
becomes a law as soon as published in
the official paper
As sort of an expression of regret at
| its action, the council passed a very
/ misunderstanding resolution demand
ing that the two jailers file their bonds
! Immediately and at once, without any
further procrastinatiOn.
MUST RAISE SIS, 600.
4 Between now and February / the city
of Topeka must raise $4,000 to pay off
/ that amount of old POtWin sewer bonds
which fall due at that time. 1t will
probably meet this difficulty by refund
ing the bonds.
When Potwin was taken into the city
of Topeka it had just completed the
construction of a sewer; the same one
which has recently been condemned as
practically worthless for the needs of
that growing community. Instead OF
paying for the sewer by Improvement
bonds, as is done now, the bonds of
the city of Potwin were issued. and
Topeka assumed these bonds
The bonds ran for 10 years and drew
per cent interest. 1t is understood
that the city now has a proposition to
refund these bonds at AZ per cent. The
proposition comes, it is said, from a To-
peka bond firm or bank.
In it's careless way Of doing business,
noattention has been paid by the council
to the fact that this issue of bonds was
to mature until it is now almost too
late to refund them at best advantage.
1t bears the earmarks of a scheme to
hold up the city. The city must have
| the money by February 1, and there is
not time to go at it in regular fashion
and advertise the bonds for bids.
Instead of that. the council referred
the whole matter to the ways and
means committee with power to act.
Power to act' is a dangerous imple-
ment in the hands of a committee. I'm
/ der the careless wording of the motion
the ways and means committee prob
) ably has the right. if it sees fit, to go
| ahead and refund the $4,000 in bonds
: without even telling the council of its
plans. The only restrictions imposed
by the council were that the new bonds
should not bear over Az per cent. and
. should not run for over 20 wears.
REQ UEST FOR INCREASE.
| Employees of the city electric light
plant fled a request for an increase in
pay, which was referred to the ways
and means committee The following
changes in the schedule are requested:
Engineer, from SIS to $50; f1remen, from
$50 to 500: Hneman, from $65 to SIS;
trimmerS, from $50 to $40.
UP GO THE SALARIES.
On recommendation of the ways and
means committee. ordinances We're in
troduced and PASSED increasing the pay
of the following city officers:
City physician, from $50 to $55.
Sanitary policemen, from $50 to SIS.
Assistant city attorney. $50 to $65.
City engineer, 81, 200 to $1,620 per year.
t The ways and means committee rec
commended a salary of 81 800 for the city
engineer, but two or three of the coun-
cilTnen stated that they were going to
: fight the ordinance unless this was cut
: down, so to avoid trouble 1t was agreed
to compromise on $1,620 which is an in
crease of $420 over the old salary.
The following is a list of the salaries
, paid to some of the principal office
t holders of the city:
t Mayor .......... ..................S15 500
! Councilmen, each -......-..-...... 200
CITY attorney -..-.-..... 1,sOO
Deputy city attorney for police