The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-13
Mayor BergundthaPs Sensible
Words About NaterWorks.
City Could Afford to Buy and
Then Sell at Auction.
CHANCE FOR FORTUNE.
Mr.. BergundthaI Says HeWouId
Take Plant.
Talk Of Having One More
Election.

81 wish the council would let me buy
that water plant for 100000. would
be glad to resign my position as mayor
and undertake to run the thing"
This is the proposition which Mayor
| Bergundthal makes to the city council.
II haven't got much money" con-
| tinued the mayor, land I haven't much
acquaintance among financial people.
but I believe 1 would not have much
trouble in getting a company together
to handle this deal and 1 believe that
1 would make my fortune at it. That's
what 1 think about the desirabiHty
of the purchase of the city water
works for 100000.
Il say that the city should buy this
plant for 100000 even if it does not
want to continue to own and operate
it 1 say that if the city should buy
it for $4,000, and then advertise it
for sale in connection with a new
franchise for 80 years, we would make
u big pile of money on the deal. This
| talk of it not being worth 100000
to the city is all wrong 1t is worth
100000 to anybody The only trouble
with this plant is that it is overloaded.
1t is doing too much business. 1t
strikes me that this is a pretty good
fault for a business proposition to
this business is to enlarge the plant
to fit the growth of the town.
Mayor BergundthaI was asked
whether in his opinion the council
would vote to repudiate the agree
ment so buy the plant for 100000.
Il don't know whether they will
all stand by that proposition or not, -
was the mayors reply.
There are some members of the
council who talk about having another
election to decide whether the people
| still want the plant Councilman
Howe is one of these. He said today
Of ha
Il don't see why it would not be
feasible to hold this special election in
connection with the regular fall cleo
ton, and let the people say whether
or not they want us to go ahead and
buy this plant. 1 don't believe people
want US to buy it, and yet am pub
Hcly pledged to support city owner
ship
vents US submitting this matter to an
other vote of the people. 1 would allow
ballots printed and counted at the expense
OF the city, nave regular poll books kept,
ton, the question being whether the city
snail consummate the deal for the pur-
chase of the waterworks for $500. 900.
Ihere are other members of the council
who scott at the feasibility of this idea
and say that it can't be done legally; that
tions of that kind.
The only way it could be done would be
SIMPLY to make it sort of an informal af-
fair the result being purely as a sug-
gestion to the members of the council
Even If such a vote was taken it would
not settle the question of whether the
people of Topeka want city ownership as
conclusively did the former election
when the great majority voted in favor of
issuing 600 in bonds to buy the plant
The only reason in the world why the
city council should not carry out the will
of the people would be because of de-
terioration in the plant since the city
voted to buy it. Such deterioration can
not be shown to exist. The record of the
water pressure now being automatically
kept by the fire department gauge shows
that the average domestic pressure is
from 40 to so pounds, while the fire pres
sure is from 100 to 100 This is as high
as the pressure was before the fiood-even
higher at times.
If the water plant is giving as good
pressure now as it ever did that ought to
settle the question of deteriora ton No
body claims now or ever has claimed that
the plant was big enough for Topeka, but
that is another question.
An opportunity for the people of To-
peka to vote again on the purchase of
the waterworkS would not bring nearly a.
large a vote it did before, because the
women are not entitled to vote at the
ranged for, it would be impossible to get
the public fully informed as to the nature
of the proposition, and many votes would
be cast under misunderstanding and mis-
apprehension The plan for a second cleo
ton to settle matter already settled
seems absurd. The people of Topeka
want city ownership and the only way
the council can give city ownership is to
buy the plant.