The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-18
President of Water Company
Talks of Situation.
Has No Disposition to Delay
Transfer TO the City
REPAIR FLOOD DAMAGE
Says That the Company Has
Spent 100000.
Will Be Discussed at Informal
Conference Tonight.

nave 1lO O1SpOollfOl1 " dCldy Al eli1S
way the completion of the waterworks
DEAL and the transfer of the plant TO
the city; but even if I had, certainly
would not oppose the transfer of the
property after what I have told the
city council
Charles F. Street, president of the
Topeka Water company. made the
above remark this morning as he sal
in the office of City Attorney Spencer,
after having had a somewhat extend
ed conference with Mr.. Spencer over
the present status of the negotiations
with the water company.
This evening at 1880 o'clock there will
be an informal meeting of the city
council, at which Mr. Street will tell
the council what the water company is
doing, and the council will tell Mr.
Street what the city wants.
President Street arrived in Topeka
Sunday night, and will probably be
here all day Tuesday and possibly
Wednesday.
When it was suggested to Mr. Street
that some of the members of the city
council were inclined to object to the
acceptance of the water plant until the
damage done by the flood there is en-
t1rely made good, Mr.. Street said.
Il think we are the ones to object
to the condition the plant was IeII by
the flood, not the city. We have spent
$4,000 out there repairing damage, and
we believe that the plant is in better
condition now than it was before the
flood. 1 would suggest that if the city
council wants to get at the facts in the
case, it do some investigating ON its
own account, and see the condition of
things.
Mr.. Street stated that he had not
visited the plant since the food, but
that he expects to go out there and
make a thorough inspection before his
return to New York
How long will it be before the COM
pany is in position to give the city a
clear title to the plant?'
II can't say" replied Mr.. Street, 'tbe-
cause l have not talked with our attor-
neys since I came, and do not know
exactly the condition of the pending
suits. 1t is merely a question of the
laws delay, however. / think the suits
are all filed, and will come before the
court in their turn. 1t is merely a
formal matter but it takes a certain
amount of time. I do not think it will
be very long, but neither do I think
that the plant can be turned over to
the city Immediately.
| "Will you have a conference with the
city council?" was asked by the repor-
Il don't know; that depends upon
circumstances. What do you think
about it, Mr.. Spencer said. Mr.
Street turning to the city attorney.
'I believe that the matters which are
now to be discussed should come be-
fore the mayor and council replied
Mr.. Spencer. 81 think it would be a
good plan to have meeting tonight;
not necessarily formal meeting. but a
sort of informal conference. Then II
there is anything which the council
should ratify officially, it can do so at
its meeting called for Wednesday
night
Spencer thereupon called up Mayor
Bergundthal and arranged the meeting
/ by phone
AN INVESTIGATION LIKELY.
Tt seems very probable that about the
next thing the city council will do viii
be to select some competent authori-
ties to make thorough inspection OF
the water plant. from top to bottom
and from one end to the other, for the
purpose Of seeing if it is in good con-
dition-
Such an investigation would have tc
be made before the deal is closed, and
it could probably be made now as vel
as later.
Since Porter Mitchell, superintendent
of the city electric light plant. stated
to the ways and means committee {
few days ago that in his opinion the
boilers at the waterworks plant were
not what they should be- there has beer
e~DN-~@-
toward a very thorough examination O.
the waterworks plant. When the state
ment was made by Porter Mitchell il
regard to the waterworks boilers
Councilman Griley said:
That's what 1 have thought al
along. I have always said we wer'
paying 100000 too much for that OLE
plact.
Another purpose of the investigation
will be to determine whether or not tn
flood repairs made by the water com
pany are sufficient to put the plant int
as good shape as it was before tn
flood. Some claim that this has not beel
done. Several hundred feet of the biz
. main leading to town has been laid on
sort of trest1e over a gulch from whicl
it was washed by the flood. Some 0
the councilmen think that this gulcl
should be filled in and the water mai
, covered with dirt as it was before tn
flood, instead of leaving it perched u
on q trestle to be menaced by fptuI
floods, perhaps.
At any rate, it seems that the council
, will adopt President Streets own sug
gestion and arrange to have the plan
I thoroughly overhauled by. experts be
) fore the money is paid over.