The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-20
BUY THE PLANT!
Voice Of Citizens Is Raised I'm
Protest.
Council Action on WaterWOrks
Starts a Storm.
North Side Citizens Say Council
Made Mistake.
WHATMILLS FOUND OUT
President of Commercial Club
Tells of Investigation.
F. NJ. Newland Replies to Asser-
tiOn of Councilman Griley.

At meeting of the Topeka Retail
! Grocers' association held Wednesday
night, strong speeches were made con-
demning the city council for its repudi-
! alton of the purchase of the waterworks.
Not a single member of the association
endorsed the refusal of the council to
buy the plant. This shows in some
measure the unanimous manner in
which the city council is being rebuked
| by the business interests of Topeka for
its stupendouS blunder.
| Speeches endorsing the purchase of
the waterworks plant for the agreed
price, and condemning the council for
| refusing to carry out the will of the
people. were made by Frank M. New
land, president of the association; W.
! e Montgomery, H. r. Whittlesey, D.
| ID. Knox, VIM. Green and a number of
other grocers.
| President Newland said today: THE
grocers of this town want the council
to buy that plant. There's no room for
fdoubt on that proposition. At our
meeting Wednesday night. there did not
the action of the council. 1t was un-
animous in favor of city ownership,
and the purchase of the waterworks.'
Councilman Joseph Griley, of your
ward, says there is not a person in the
ward who faVorS the purchase of the
waterworks. Is that true?" was asked
OF Mr. Newland by the State Journal
reporter.
That's all nonsense" said Mr.. New
land emphatically. at is absurd to talk
that way. 1 know something about how
people in the Second ward feel, because
they are coming into my store all the
time, and many Of them express them
selves. People down here are strongly
| in favor of buying the plant. If the
proposition for city ownership should
| be resubmitted, 1t would be again car
all T
can not understand how the council
could vote the way it did after the en-
phatic declaration of the people of To-
| peka that we want to buy the plant"
| Another grocer, W. F. Weber. ex-
member of the council from the Fourth
ward, and heretofore a radical oppon-
ent of city ownership of waterworks
under the terms agreed upon by the
city, has also COME. out with a strong
statement conden1ning the council for
its foolish action. He said:
1T is absurd for the council to take
the action it did The city must buy
| the plant, and that's all there is to it.
| We are under a definite contract and
agreement with the company to buy,
and the agreement has been ratified by
vote of the people. 1t seems ridiculous
to me that the couneilmen would think
for a minute that they could get away
from this agreement. The question of
how much shall be paid for the plant,
and whether it shall be paid a t all has
! been settled by the people of Topeka.
The company could force the city to
buy the plant if it wanted to do so but
it is no doubt willing to let things go
right along as they are, and do busi-
ness for so years under it's old fran
chise.''
It is likely that the union men of
| Topeka will be heard from on the
proposition. The labor unions are
practically unanimous in favor of city
ownership of waterworks, and they
have studied the situation carefully
/ on 70 lrro oh :
some of the members of the city
council.
One member of the council who
voted against buying the plant has al
ready announced that he is ready to
change his vote. This councilman
said: 81 voted against buying the
plant on the supposition that it would
| increase our taxes very largely. That
is what some member of the council
told me. 1 have looked into the mat
ter, and find that it will not increase
our taxes. and so 1 would like to see
the city own the plant. What I was
taxes"
Practically all the prominent busi-
ness men and leading taxpayers who
have been seen in the matter. express
themselves strongly in favor of buy
ing the waterworks. Many of them
express their condemnation of the city
council in strong language. few say
that they want to be sure that the
plant mas not d6IeTlOTdIeQ Slice l10
: foor-a matter which could be easily
determined, and in which President
Street has offered his fullest co-opera-
, ton.
Of course there are some of the old
original opponents of city ownership
who are pleased at the turn affairs
have taken. They are doing their best
now to keep things stirred up The
sentiment of Topeka has not changed,
however. The city wants the water
works, and it demands of its city coun-
Gil that they reconsider their unW1se
action, and buy the plant.
President Mills Firm.
w W. Mills, president of the To-
peka Commercial club, gave the State
Journal strong interview on the sub
ject today. He said:
zone week ago I was as much OPP
posed to the purchase of the water
works at S620.000 as any man in To-
peka I thought it was paying an
enormous price for something of very
little value. Since then, want to say
that / have completely changed my
views on the question, and the change
has been brought about by careful
investigation made by certain
hydraulic engineer who happened to
be in Topeka, and who took interest
enough in this matter to go over the
Toilette and Cole reports, examine the
plant, and give some of us his idea OF
the situation from a purely unbiased
and business standpoint. He told us
that the property is we'll worth S62O,-
600: that the city is getting a great
bargain at that price, and should not
hesitate q minute about closing the