The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-05
NO O.k.FOR Them
Council Refuses TO Approve
Acts of Water Board.
Bitter Debate Precedes Vote on
the Question.
TRY TO HAMPER TT.
Mr. Holiday Still Keeps Up
Fight on Municipal o Ownership.
Council Decides Not to Ring
CUrfeW.
iRY TO HAMPER IT.

dorse the rental rates for water pro-
posed by the board of waterworks
trustees by a vote of six to six Ayes
Councilmen Green, Nipps, Howe,
Sinner, Swendson- and Hughes; noes
-Couneilmen Ryder, Griley. sin1ms,
Rice, Horn and Holiday.
Finally at the wind up of a pro-
longed discussion a compromise was
struck and the rates are to be sub
mitted at a meeting of the board and
the council, acting as a committee Of
the whole, next Monday.
The fight against the adoption of the
ordinance was based upon the pro-
posed raise in the minimum monthly
meter rate from IS cents to 40 cents
and a slight Increase to certain con-
sumo in the $4,000 gallon class.
Mixed in with the opposition was
certain element of<the council who
have always been pronounced in their
opposition to the municipal ownership
of the waterworks plant, and whose
evident intention it is to embarrass any
attempt towards an easy and friction
less management. A considerable por-
ton of the evening was spent in dis
cussion over the advisa bility of adop-
ting the proposed schedule
The compromise was offered by
Councilman Nipps after it seemed
everything had been lost by the board.
In lighting this attempt Council
/ man Horn made q foolish remark
charging an attempt to buy a vote,
| whats the use" said he, lin doing
1 this? We have voted upon it once.
/ The only hope must be that they ex-
/ pect to change a vote To buy a vote
Councilman Horn made the opening
speech against the adoption of the
schedule.
Councilman Horn: ut is robbery.
| But let them rob US. It is outrageous,
but let it go. This is the only city
which seems to hold down the manu-
faeturers and does not encourage
them to come here. Under the new
rate [ am raised a cent and one-half.' .
1.-THE ordinance says that we shall
accept the rates recommended by the
board of trustees. It doesn't look as
if we could do anything but accept the
rates. said Councilman Hughes.
l. L. A. Ryder: Il am staggered by
/ that action which says that we snail
legisIate what they recommend. Ihey
are the legislative body. We cannot
delegate our legislative powers and
this section in my judgment is clearly
ILLEGAL. I believe this council should
| vote bonds to give the people OF THIS
town water Every citizen or this town
I is entitled to pure water and every
person should have it, and when we
voted for this we took the stand that
rates should not be raised, ana yet the
first thing we do is to raise them. Let
! US stay with the old rate for while
I at least, and see how it goes.
'sThere should be no faVOrites. All
should pay alike But there should be
/ no raise of rates aside from these We
should change the shall to may in that
endurance or take away the power OF Inc
council to legisla1e.
Councilman Green; 81 say that there
has been no raise in the rates except in
the minimum. Th7re has been no in
crease in the revenue of the department.
The rates as established are more equit-
able than the old. The board has not
wanted to raise the rates, they simply
wanted to arrive at equitable rates.
"sI don't think that we want to make
any special rate to manufacturers. we
don't want to jeOpardlZe our WaterWofks
plant for the purpose of nouFishing
manufacturers.
s.There has been a raise and yet you
say that there is not said Councilman
Simms.
nal I was against the ownership of the
! waterworks by the city. But as city
official I was bound to carry out the
i wishes of the citizens L appointed a
board, as good board as l could nhd.
I think that we should let the board go
/ ahead and not discourage them. Ihey
have studied this matter great deal
more than we have
Councilman VIM. Green: "These men
on the board are devoting their pest
time to this matter and I think we
should grant them an opportunity to try
these rates and if they are wrong
am sure the board viii adjust theln-
9 f Jewell a member of the board,
said: LAS near as We can nguIe tne NJ
| come will not be changed We hXed upon
what seemed to be the fairest rates
Calls 1t a Gold Brick
= L uolliday.who has always fought
civ o1srnersbir, of the plant, said; Tine
simple fact is that the city oougHt d
gold brick .r az, in
~ 11srr,ittine the board to go
head 7 think it is right and just that
zz-a soo,1ld have some special rate loi
,,,o,,71fac t11rers think it is TOO eafiy
~ Nv ANYTHING about gold brick al
'h Ms 'i Green: Il don't think that it is
. s-oid brick and [ think we have Gone
right in buying the plant. we woal aI
80 ,,eveT had any extensions uhdeI
the old company. The IRE pressure l., W.
so low that our properly
up before our eyes
N-o curfev for Them.
. What is curfew without oLIls,l
/, hell? This is the duesIlon "a lie tl7f
Councilman S. A SWends9In $50 4iSeSl Oh.
,,,oI,,lsrs of the council when tney Oh
inltn5 10 the ringing of the bell When
zen JSSsss strike ri e out that section you re-
move nov one of the most important .. sec
tons protested swendsQ 9Ila, as iag
go :, ,lsesaee of the ordinance, de-
. sired that the bell be rung- -.
'sWeI don't know about that sac
the noavor "I have heard a great
many members of the federated , CIV p
-, a1-nresS themselves in favor Of
the ringing of the bells
sHThere are many instances Wnens
the ringing Of the bell is a positive
nuisance It won't help the enforce
ment of the law any, said Coufeii-
man L. A. Ryder
] The council hnally decided that
'scurfew shall not ring, though the