The Topeka state journal., 1905-03-14
O'NEILL IS OUT.
Receiver of Topeka Water Plant
Formally Discharged.
Closes the Books of the Topeka
Water Company.
BELONGS TO PEOPLE.
Voters viii Say How 1t Shall
Be Managed.
Council to Submit Proposition
at Coming Election.
BELONGS TO PEOPLE.

BY order OF Judge POLLOCK IN the Onl-
ted States circuit court, J. W. O'Neill
has been discharged as receiver for the
Topeka Water company. This is the
closing chapter. 1t is the last act in
the long legal drama which has been
going on for the past decade, with M
O'Neill in the part of Romeo and. Presi
dent Charles F. Street, the winsome
Juliet.
Even after the foreclosure of the vari-
Gus mortgages, and the transfer Of all
the property of the company to Charles
r. Street, the receiver, was allowed to
continue in possession of his shadowy
position. He was a receiver, but there
was nothing of value in his hands The
last decree of the court closes the book
1t is probable that Mr.. O'Neill was re-
tanned as a technical receiver to the
very last minute for fear some cog in
the machinery might slip, and the COM
pany might want to throw its property
back into Mr.. O'Neill's hands. Alto
gether, the way in which the attorneys
for the water company have handled a
delicate piece of legal engineering has
been admira BILE. They have shown
themselves masters of federal court
procedure.
From now until the city authorized
the mayor to appoint a board OF water
commissioners, the waterWorkS propc-
sition will run itself The current re-
ceipts will pay the salaries, and current
bills for fuel, repairs, etc. No heavy
expenses will come VI until the new
mayor has time to appoint his board or
commissioners.
1T really takes very little money to
care for the every day needs of the
plant" said Jesse Shaw, the superin-
| tendent, who is likely to be retained in
his position under the new regime.
Under the arrangement between the
water company and the city, the water
company turned over to the city its
check for abOut 81. 900 in full settlement
of all liabilities We then went to the
cash drawer and took out every cent OF
money. which was paid over to the wa
ter company officials. The daily receipts
from now on will be banked by me as
fast as they come in When the city
took charge, 1T did not have a cent IN
cash for the running expenses. 5..1 B!iI
money is coming in every day, and viii
be banked just as have been banking
it in the past.
Il will keep enough money out of the
bank to pay the wages at the end or the
week, and to pay other current blllS as
they come due. There are not likely to
be any heavy expenses, however.
This is the way we handled the
finances of the plant under the COM
pany's management. kept enough
money on hand for current needs. but
whenever there was a heavy bill to
meet for new machinery, repairs. etc,
the money to pay this Dill was sent on
from New York
Mayor Bergundthal and City Attor-
ney Spencer, in a conference with
superintendent Shaw, agreed that Mr..
Shaw shall continue to oDera-N 49,
plant lust as he has been operating it
in the past. None of the olu eLup.~ -
will be turned off, and things will grind
along without anybodys interference
until the new mayor is elected. and
takes charge of the city government.
ipn
is the great money making feature of
the waterworks proposition. A little
coal and dozen employees can 90
business which yields an enormous net
revenue.
May Include Light Plant.
At the next meeting of the council,
Thursday night, it will have to be de-
cided what sort of a proposition the city
shall submit to the people in regard to
the proposed board of commissioners to
control the waterwOrks. The new op-
tional law, passed by the legislature,
provides that the board may be ap
pointed to control not only the water
works, but the city electric light plant.
Now is a splendid opportunity for the
city to put the city electric light plant
on a business basis, and remove it from
political influence. 1t is a step in the
right direction, and the city council
should not hesitate to take the step. The
new law says:
''The mayor and council of any city
of the first or second class that owns
a waterworks. fuel, power or lighting
plant may provide by ordinance for
the creation of a board of commission
ers. and fix their salaries, which board
shall operate said waterworks, fuel,
power or light plant, or either, under
such rules and regulations as the
mayor and council may by ordinance
prescribe"
Under this law, it is evident that it
rests with the council to submit to
the people a proposition to vote to
place'the waterworks under the charge
of the commissioners, or to place the
electric light plant under the commits
sioners, or both. If it is a good thing
to have the waterworks plant re-
moved from politics. and placed under
a board of commissioners, it is a good
thing for the electric light plant to be
managed in the same manner
The law rrnNidas that nr,,n1nr-orI