The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-17
STREET IS READY.
Will Ask Council to Complete
WaterWorks Deal.
Question Up for Final Adjust
ment Tonight.
NO MORE OBSTACLES.
Have Title to the Plant Cleared
Up.
Will OF the People Should Be
Carried.
10 MORE OBSTACLES.

I'VE absolutely will not consider a
proposition for a new franchise and a
reduction in rates. We have no auth
GRITTY to consider such matters. It is
| simply a question of whether the city
Will carry out its agreement and the
Will OF the people, and buy the plant
This is the ultimatum which Presi-
dent Charles F. Street of the Topeka
Water company will present to a meet
ing or a committee of the whole coun-
Gil this evening.
Those members of the council who
nave taken the position that the city
should repudiate its agreement to buy
the plant, and then issue the water
company a new franchise under severe
restrictions. win now have to come out
from cover and declare themselves
either in favor of city ownership, or
they viii have to vote to give the pres
ent company a renewal OF it's existing
franchise. There can be no compro-
mise.
One of the councilmen who is in ia
vor or Reputation of the deal provided
the city can get the right kind of a
franchise is George Neil, of the Third
ward. He said this morning.
I feel that L ought to vote against
buying the plant, and will do SO, pro-
vided the company will grant us re-
duction in rates and take a new fran
chise. If The company will not take
new franchise, then I will have to
vote 10 Duy the plant.
Mr.. Neil was one Of the councilmen
who expressed himself against buying
the plant at the secret meeting of
the council.
It seems likely that the vote on the
Hughes, Holiday, Griley and Rice are
said to be dead set against buying
the plant. Hughes and Griley were
both supposed to be pledged to city
ownership of waterworks. 1t is likely
that Green. Swendson, Howe and Neil
will be in favor of purchasing the
plant. The attitudes of Kutz, Nellis,
Ryder and Sinner are somewhat in
President Street said today: 1.-The
meeting this evening is just for the
purpose of talking the thing over as 1
understand it. 1 hope we can get to-
gether and close the thing up. 1 have
made no effort to round up the mem
berS of the council 1 have not asked
a single man how he expects to vote. l
realize that there are some excellent
men in the council; men who are able
to think for themselves about this, and
/ can not understand how any of them
would be in favor of repudiating a dis
tinct agreement made in good faith be-
tween the city and the water company,
or how they can vote to call off this
deal when that is exactly what the peo-
pie voted for
The members of the council do not
seem to realize that they are repudiat-
ing the will of the people of Topeka in
turning down the proposition to buy the
plant. One supposedly well posted mem
Der of the council this morning con-
fessed that he did not know that the
people of Topeka voted to issue $500, 900
in bonds to buy the plant He did not
know that any specific sum was agreed
upon; thought it was merely an agree
ment to buy the plant, and that the
council had right to kick on the price.
Such dense ignorance as this perhaps
explains why the present city council
T. L.,
There are a number of excellent
men in the council, but they seem to al
low themselves to be led astray. They
have probably surpassed all records for
generosity with city franchises and the
tremendous influence of the corporations
is something people do not like to see in
city affairs.
In addition to the waterworks discus
sion the council will this evening talk
some more about the Edison franchise.
The subcommittee appointed to consider
various sections of the franchise will
make their report.