The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-10
Citizens May Put Their 0. X. ON
Plan to Conduct WaterwOrks.
Question to Be Submitted fer
Their Approval.
OPERATION OF LAW.
Provides for the appointment Of
Board of Control.
Effort Made to Divorce 1t From
Politics.

In order to get itself in shape to
take charge of the property Of the
Topeka Water company under the
provisions of the law passed at the re-
cent session of the legislature, the city
must, at the coming city election
vote on the adoption of the plan pro-
posed in the law.
There can be no water commission
er appointed until the law is formally
ratified by the people of the city
After the people vote to accept the
law, the city council must pass an
ordinance creating a board of COM
missioners, and fixing the salaries.
The board may be composed of three
or five persons as the council may
elect.
The mayor shall appoint the COM
missioners and the council has the
right to confirm the appointments.
The term of Office of the commission
ers shall be three years, and they shall
be so appointed that one member OF
the board shall change each year If
| there are five members on the board.
the term of Office shall be five years.
The members of the board must
give such bond as the council may re-
quire. The board shall recommend to
the council a schedule of water rates,
I ana SIdll also recommend GILEuSlQIS
or renewals of the plant as they may
deem necessary. The law then goes
on to say:
Upon the recommendation Of said
board of commissioners, the mayor
and council shall. by ordinance. fix
such rates for water, fuel power or
light are recommended by said
board, provide for such employees 3s
may be necessary to operate said
plant or plants, define their duties.
and fix their salaries, and when such
employees are once appointed they
cept for inefhciency or neglect OF
duty
The revenue derived from the ope-
ration OF the plant shall be placed in
the city treasury in separate fund,
and shall not be paid out except for
the purpose of operation, renewal or
extension Of the plant. Whenever
there is a surplus in the fund it shall
be quarterly placed in a sinking fund
for the purpose of redeeming bonds
issued for the purpose of purchasing
thereto. Whenever there is a surplus
more than needed for any of these
purposes, it may be turned into the
general revenue fund
In regard to extensions of the plant.
the law says:
mo extensions to said plant or plants
shall be made by any board of commits
sioners until there shall be application
made for and agreements signed by
Il persons along the proposed extension
in sufficient number so that the revenue
from said extension will, in the judg-
ment of said board, be ample to justify
making such extension; nor shall any
extensions. mains or lines be construct
ed by said board for political reasons
or on account of any combination be-
tween such board and any other city
official; and should such board extend
any mains or lines for political reasons,
or by entering into a combination with
any city official to do SO, or shall re-
fuse to extend said. mains or lines when
it is shown that the same will be profit
able to said plant or plants, for such
offense said board shall be removed
from office"
. The law contains a number of weak
spots. which under certain conditions
might result seriously, but under the
| circumstances, it is the best the city
| can do. When the board is honest, and
the council is disposed to do the right
thing,s the plant may be successfully
operated under the plan proposed
It has been reported that the Iegisla-
ture made no appropriation for the pay
ment of the salary of the new live stock
sanitary inspector. This is mistake.
The Appropriation for the salary of the
inspector at $500 a. year and for q
stenographer at $3.50 a year were pro-
vfded for in House Bill sS8, introduced
by Mr.. Stannard, the author of the in
spector bill. and the bill was passed by
both houses
Out of total of 1.OOs bills, introduced
in the house Of representatives during
the past session, 693 were killed.
An examination of the records shows
that a larger proportion of the bills in
troduced early in the session were
slaughtered than in the latter portion.
This goes to show that the theory that
a bill must be introduced early in order
to stand much show of passage is a
mistake. The reason more of the early
| bills were killed is because all Of the
! CARLY hills often 1IImnH0 the
committees. or at best considered very
/ hastily.
out of each 100 bills, the following
numbers were killed:
Bill No. Killed. bill No. Killed
I to co. 9.....-.... 70i500 to 500. ............7 70
100 to 199..........- rs 500 to 6e9..-.........62