The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-25

Commercial club is responsible for me
being called repudiator. tried to do
what you instructed me to do in your
resolutions"
| Geo. NJ. Noble: II don't believe this
resolution would have any weight with
/ the council even if we should pass it /
move that we postpone it to some future
meeting to be called by the president"
This motion was lost by vote of %
| to 10.
Mr.Cowgill stated that there could be
no considerable obstruction of mud in
the pies.
City Attorney Spencer said: Someone
has intimated here that 1 was talking in
favor of city ownership. I have simply
been stating the facts, without preju
dice. / say that it is now too late to
back up on the line of action we have
been following for the past three years.
For three years we have been working
on the theory that the city would own
the plant. In all this discussion tonight
l have not heard anybody say we ought
to renew the franchise. Some say we
ought to build a new plant. Even if
we did this, the question of the valid
ity of the existing franchise would be
unsettled, and we would have to con-
tinue to pay SIS 900 a year to the old
company, while owning our own works.
one thing is absolutely sure, and that
is that the present water company will
night you If you try to run it out. We
have come dangerously near extending
the present franchise by operation of
law. and every delay increases the dan
GER
T. F. Carver moved that it be the
sense of the Commercial club that an
expert examination of the plant be
made, and that If no substantial deter
foration be found, the plant be pur-
chased provided the title is found to be
good. This motion was not seconded.
Councilman Hughes: "The members
of the council did what they thought
was right. The action of the Commercial
club influenced some of US, but that was
not all. The insurance men said. the
plant was inadequate. Our motives
can't be questioned. The Doodle is all
on the other side of the question"
Immediately at the close of General
Hughes speech Frank P. MacLennan
was on his feet and demanded to
know what the councilman meant by
saying that 1.-The Doodle was all on the
other side" Several gentlemen, in
Guiding General Hughes, desired to
speak, but the chair recognized the
first to address him. Mr.. MacLennan
said, in substance:
Il regard the speech of Councilman
Hughes as an insult to every news
paper in Topeka which is supporting
the city's agreement to buy the water
works plant. / regard it as an insult
to some of the best business men in
this city who believe that councilmen
should carry out the wishes of the
people as expressed at the election,
and as voiced by the sentiment in all
merchants and manufacturers on the
subject. Mr.. Hughes should withdraw
his remarks and apologize for what
he said. The word Doodle has not
been mentioned in all this discussion
until Councilman Hughes mentioned
it.. I believe the city of Topeka has
in the main as good city council as
any city of its size in the country. I
believe that the cOuncilmen as a
whole desire to carry out the wishes of
their constituents, the citizens. I do
not believe any money has been used
for or against this proposition.
81 think the large representation of
the city council is here to gather in
formation and instruction if we can
give it. 1 never could understand be-
fore why the council in the face of the
very wide sentiment of the. people for
the purchase and municipal control of
the waterworks plant should by a
vote of eight to four refuse to carry
out the city s desire and agreement. 1
understand now, tonight. why the
council has taken this action.
A half dozen resolutions read by
Councilman Holiday explain the mat
ter. These resolutions possibly passed
on rainy night by a handful of peo-
pie, or passed by the directors not by
the members, have been conveyed to
the council as expressing the public
feeling. Under the circumstances. fol-
lowing out the expressed wishes of the
Commercial club in the past, is it a
wonder that the council is not unani-
nous in refusing to buy the plant?
Our resolutions need repairs and re-
vision more than the plant
"Mr. Foster. who introduces a reso-
luton tonight urging the council to
complete the agreement to take over
the plant, admits that in his haste
some months or years ago he drew up
and favored one of those resolutions
read by Councilman Holiday. The
sentiment of this meeting is surely for
the proposition. Some of the strongest
advocates for the purchase of the
plant have remained in their seats
while the discussion has been going
on. Let US vote for the resolution and
aid the council in a desire to secure,
so far as possible, almost unanimous
approval.
"Mr. Troutman announced here that
there had been a great deal of free
legal advice on the waterworks bust
ness and he thought that advice was
worth about what it cost. The city
has been paying large sums of money
to lawyers. They have been doing this
for years and years. The city tried to
avoid the payment for the South To-