The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-19
FIRST OF APRIL.
That Is the Day City Becomes
Owner of Water Plant.
Conditional Upon Settlement of
Pending Lawsuits.
MIR. STREET TO COUNCIL
President of Company Shows
Usual Fair Disposition.
An Examination of the System
Is Being Made.

Anril I was agreed upon last night by
the citv council in conference with
President Street of the TOPEKA Water
company as the date upon which the
control If the. waterworks shall become
vested in the city, the receipts and tx
Denditures of the business shall pass
from thu control of the private corpo-
ration end be assumed by the munich
palily Of Topeka.
Transfer of legal ownership of the
nlant upon that date. however, Is pro-
visie nal upon the completion of pend
in. lawsuits which will clear the title
of the water plant, and enable the com
pany to make a legal transfer OF own
ership. But it was practically agreed
1Inon without official action, that after
ApriI l the city shall control the plant
and receive all moneys. The present
management will continue to operate
IT for the city until the full transfer
of ownership can be made.
When the $350,000 worth Of per cent
bonds are issued, they will be dated to
bear interest from April L. If the com
pany is not able to give title 10 the
plant on that date. the bonds Will be
placed in escrow. and the interest Will
he Maid to the Topeka Water company
until such time as the transfer of own
ershiD is completed.
L believe" said President Street to
the council last night. that we viii be
in position to transfer the ownership
about the middle of February or the
first of March, but in order to give US
a little more time, ] would suggest
April l as the date. The 3lst of March
closes our fiscal quarter, and therefore
April 1 is a very good time for the city
to take charge. While we will be get
ting the interest on your bonds after
that date. you will be getting the in
come from the plant, which is consider
ably more than the interest on the
bonds"
This afternoon, the city council is
making an examination of the water
plant. Together with President Street,
Superintendent Shaw and several local
experts in machinery, engine and boiler
work, the members of the council start
ed for the plant at O'Clock, and will
make such examination of conditions as
they can. Such an examination will
necessarily be somewhat cursory, but
the object Of the council is to ascertain
il possible whether the plant is in as
good condition as it was before the June
flood.
viii you guarantee to put the plant
in first class condition by the time we
take charge April II" asked Council
man Weber of President Street.
I'VE are perfectly willing to turn the
plan over in first class condition. said
Mr.. Street Il don't mean to say that
we Will make ali the changes lNtl dIy
body might suggest, because We might
be asked to put in new boilers, new en-
gines, new pumps and a new power
house, but we will put everything in
first class condition. believe that the
plant is, right now, with a few minor
repairs, in better condition than it was
before the flood
The council put Mr.. Street through a
rather rigid DISCRIMINATION, which
he stood with his usual equanimity and
+,,.1
council, with the aid of Superintendent
Jesse Shaw that the reconstruction OF
the water main washed out by the flood
has been satisfactorily done, and that
it is really about as well to have il
perched up on an oak treStle eight feet
high as to have it buried in the ground
as it was before the flood.
Mr.. Streets first question to the
councilmen assembled in the informal
conference, which was all that last
nights meeting protested to be. was
this: DO you still want the water
works %
Councilman Howe said that he
thought that question had been settled
by the people at the election, and the
only business of the council was to see
to it that the wishes of the people were
carried out with all the equity and dis
patch possible. Councilman Swendsor
thought so too, and several other coun-
cilmen said they were in accord with
this view of the case.
DO you people mean to say" asked
Councilman Wolf that you are in IA
vor of taking the plant in the condi-
ton it now is?''
THAT is a point to b. discussed" said
Councilman Swendson.
"As to that" said Mr.. Street, f'yoJ
understand. of course. that the deliv-
cry of the plant in the condition it was
before the flood is impossible. About
1000 worth of damage was done by
the flood, and we have already repaired
most of this, so that it is in really bet
ter condition now than it was before
We expect to replace the six-inch MAR
across the bridge with an eight-incE
main. and We now have in progress
some slight repairs on the pumps
which is only a small item, and will be
completed within a few weeks We
have improved our open we'll by ex.
tending the walls 18 inches higher. anc
building new roof. The only other
point is our line along the Rock Island
tracks which was washed out Our en-
gineers decided that it was best to put
this line on a trestle. 1t would be &
small matter to cover it with earth, but
If we were to continue operating the
plant, we would not want it covered
The Rock Island might increase the
number of its tracks. and want t.