The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-14
POWER PROPOSITION.
city Council Has Now Blocked II
Indefinitely.

As result of Tuesday nights action
by the city council. the Edison fran
chise is now regarded at the city hall as
dead beyond hope of resurrection by the
present city council. When the con-
sideration of the franchise is again ia
ken up, it viii be after the next city
election. and all the work which has
been done on the franchise ordinance
during the past three months Will be
utterly wasted.
This is the situation unless the coun-
Gil should reconsider its action Thurs
day of next week.
Joab Mulvane, president of the Edison
company, will leave town in a few days
to be gone all winter. OF course no eff
fort will be made to obtain franchise
during his absence.
1t was the ostensible purpose of the
council to place the franchise in the
pigeon hole until after the legislature
has chance to make some changes in
the city charter act. If any changes
are made in the charter act-which is
doubtful-they will probably not be
made until the closing days of the SeS-
sion, and that will be about March 10.
March 10 brings it right up into the
heat OF what promises to be hard
fought and exciting municipal cam
paign, with the Republican primaries at
hand and election day only month
distant If anybody thinks for a minute
that the present city council is going TO
take up such a question as the Edison
franchise while a political campaign Is
on, they are badly fooled. No council
man who is possessed of any future po-
litical ambitions, or who is a candidate
for reelection. would be willing TO go
through a franchise fight right on the
eve of an election
Hence it can be set down for keeps
that unless it is resurrected next week
the Edison franchise is done for, so far
as the present city council is concerned
Joab Mulvane, president OF the Ed
son company, is not doing much talk
Of he. fob &c
said that Mr.. Mulvane was confident
up to the last that the franchise would
pass. He probably regarded it as doubt
full whether it could be carried over the
mayors veto, but he thought that he
could count on seven and probably
eight votes. Kutz and Sinner both
went back on him. and these, with Gri-
ley absent, caused the downfall of his
expectations
When asked for a statement this
morning concerning the defeat of the
franchise, Mr.. Mulvane said:
Mr.. Mulvane's Statement.
ct don't care to make any state !
ment. The newspapers have treated
me very kindly and ask that De
excused from making any statement
I did all my talking before the council,
and what 1 might say now would pos
sibIy be misconstrued.'
While refusing to make any definite
statements concerning his future ac-
lions concerning the franchise, Mr..
MuIvane went on to say:
II expect to have to go away from
town to a milder climate as soon as it
gets cold. as my wife is in delicate
health. Consequently I will not be
here to look after any matters before
the council. Neither will Mr.. Wilder
be here, for he is out in Arizona for
the winter. 1 have worked hard on
this franchise for the past three
months, and feel that 1 have done my
part to present the matter fairly to
the council. II spite of my efforts,
do not believe the business men and
the members of the council realize the
Importance of this matter; the great
importance of giving power to the
small factories which-desire to locate
in the city.
likes the looks of the town, and be- /
gins to figure on bringing some manu-
featuring industry here He has not
the necessary capital to buy boilers
and engines and establish his own
power house; he is long on ability and
energy and ideas, but is short on
money. He inquiries whether he can
get any cheap power here in the city.
He finds that he can't, because the
Edison company, which is the only
company furnishing power, is already
loaded to the limit of its capacity. No
sensible business man can expect us
to put in money charging and i'm
proving our plant so long as
our future relations with the city
council are uncertain, and so
long as we are una Die TO get
a satisfactory franchise. The re-
suit is that factories are driven away
from town; and all the mercantile and
commercial interests suffer in proper
ton.
81 do not criticise the members of
the city council, nor do 1 impugn the
motives which led the members to
vote as they did. They are elected to
look after the cfty's- interests, and I
believe that they thought they were
doing their duty. But of course 1 re-
gret the action which was taken.''
NORTH TOPEKA.