The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-24
ON THE QUIET.
City Councilman Now Holding
Secret Meetings.
Includes These Who Voted
Against City Ownership.
WON'T TALK ABOUT IT.
MIR. Ryder Says He Isn't Ready
to Tell.
Part Of the Campaign Against
City Ownership.
WON'T TALK ABOUT 1T,

Secret meetings are now being held
daily. and sometimes several times
daily, by the coterie of councilmen
who voted against city ownership of
waterworks. One of these meetings
took place this morning in Dr. L. A.
Ryder's office, and Dr. Ryder stated
that there had been SO many of them
that he couldn't remember how many
there had been.
I'VE are not ready to tell what we
are doing; no one knows outside of the
members of the council who have at
tended the meetings, and none of them
will leak. Whatever is printed about
our plans is purely conjecture. For my
part, 1 must absolutely refuse to even
enter into a discussion of my views.
Something will be done, and done
SOON
"WiH something be done at the
council meeting Tuesday night?"
Il don't know
1t is known that some persons out
side of the charmed circle OF council
men have been invited to attend tn csc
meetings. Some business men who are
fighting city ownership have been en-
listed in 1.-The cause
One person who has attended some
of the meetings of the star chamber
conspirators said today:
ut should not be assumed that the
councilmen who voted against buying
the plant are opposed to city owner
ship. / have not heard any talk from
any of them which indicated that they
were considering giving the company
new franchise. 1 think they hope to
get a proposition to present upon
which all the members of the council
can agree. Perhaps they can do this;
who knows? I am not at liberty to
say what plans are under discussion.
There are some very queer things
about this situation. The motives
=. -,
favor of buying the plant are being
Investigated. 1t will all come out in
due time. I suppose
The secret meeting" campaign
which the opponents of city ownership
are carrying on is not likely to prove
very popular. People will naturally
argue that there must be some trickery
about things which have to be done in
the dark 1t is a trust method of
doing business.
Business Men Meet Tonight.
Here are a few facts from the report
of the United States department of
commerce on cities of the United States
of over 10000 population; they should
be considered by the meeting of bust
ness men to be held at the Commercial
club this evening:
There are 1877 towns of over 10000 in
this country which have waterworks
and operated by the municipal govern
ment. Does that look as though
municipal ownership was a failure?
The city of the United States next
larger than Topeka is Maiden. Mass.
1t has city ownership. Its plant was
built by the city and cost $1.093,SS1-
Newton, Mass. is the next smaller
city! 1t has city ownership. Its plant
was built by the city and cost 81, 0S9, $50. |
This does not seem to prove that 1920
600 is such a very eXorbitant price to
pay, even without considering the
amount of litigation and fighting which
the city will escape by making the pur-
chase.
Farmer. will present to the meeting this
evening some figures on the cost of i'm
proving the plant.
More Election Talk.
Some of the members of the council |
are reported to have said that the next |
move of the opponents of city owner |
chip would be to have the council pass |
an ordinance calling a special election |
for the purpose of voting bonds to build !
a new plant.
The city might just as well talk about |
voting bonds to build a railroad to the /
moon.
In the first place, the city could not |
vote such bonds because the law does |
not authorize cities to build their own
waterworks system. There would have |
TO be a special act of the legislature au- /
thorizing such a measure. Judging from |
the way the last legislature nlutilated |
the public utilities section of the city |
charter act, there would be mighty lit |
tie show for special bill to give To- |
peka the right to build its own water /
works.
The people of Topeka would probably
not vote any such bonds, even if. the /
legislature authorized such an election, !
because there would be real danger o |
the city in such an issue. 1t would be !
building a plant and entering a ruinous /
competition with the private corpora !