Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-30
ATLANTIC WELL MANAGED
City is Waking Money On Its Electric
Light and Watsr Works PlantL
LAW VIOLATED, But CITY PROFITS BY IT
Attorney General and United states
District Attorney Examining the
Evidence COncerninH the
Elevator trust.
lErom a star correspondentl

" rom a 6laH correspondent
DIES MONIES, oct 29.-Cspeciall-Th
city fathers OF Atlantic, Ia, have been dis
obeying the law in some regards. but have
given the city good. honest. business
administration, according to the report OF
the inspection by the inspectors from the
state auditors ONCE. They have trans
ferred money from other funds to the
water works fund in order TO pay for the
purchase Of the plant but have been MAX
ing money on the water works and also
the electric plant for the benefit Of the
pockets Of the taxpayers OF the city, The
report OF inspectors George Pencil and
5. G. Moore is now on file with the auditor
Of state and also on tile with the city on
GERS OF Atlantic and IL boost for municl-
pal ownership. Atlantic has for some time
owned its electric light plant. In 1901 il
wanted to buy the water works plant. Il
had leased the plant and operated II for
some time and thought II business sagnc-
ity TO buy st. II lacked funds and so cir
cumvented the law by releasing the plant
and agreeing to pay the interest on the
bonds and taxes and $4,000 a year, the
latter sum to apply on the purchase OF
the plant. Not content 20 pay but $4,000
a year on the purchase price, the city
council transferred money from otheL
funds 90 the water works fund, putting
the profits of the electric light plant into
the water works purchase, and at this time
S47,5O0 has been paid on the water works
plant and there remains but $225OO to pay.
The inspectors, however report: This IL
a splendid proposition for the city. The
income from the plant, without counting
the income from the tax levy. is sufficient
to pay all operating expenses, includ ns
the Interest on the outstanding bonds and
stock, and without the city contributing
ore penny on account Of its large number
of fire hydrants." The report as to the
electric light fund shows that, notwlth-
standing a transfer of 5000 from the cleo
trio light fund to the water works fund,
the cash balance in the electric light fund
has been steadily increasing till on April
To- 1906, the cash balance in the electric
light fund amounted to $1l,67.s5. double
what it was on April 10, 1901 The in
spectors also discovered that the aldermen
are drawing $50 a year and $3.50 for each
meeting they attend while the law limits
them to 81 a meeting, not 10 exceed $50 a
year but the inspectors add-that the city
has value received for all its money in the
business administration 1t has received.
May Go After Trusts.
Attorney GeueTdl Nuileh ana United
States District Attorney Lewis Miles Of
/ Corydon are each looking over the news-
/ paper reports OF the testimony taken before
the Interstate Commerce commission IN this
/ city last week to ascertain whether or not
there is room for proceedings against the
Grain trust in this state under the anti
! trust laws. They will probably take no
action till they have secured the printed re-
| port OF the proceedings in order to have
| all the evidence.
Mrs. Ketchum Dead.
| Mrs n S. Ketchum. wife of Railroad
Commissioner n. s. Ketchum, died this
morning at their home in Marshalltown OF
heart failure, dropping dead at her home.
! Mr.. Ketchum was at Pocahontas, Ia. at
the time OF her death in the discharge OF
Ibis duties as railroad commissioner and
was unable to get train connections to get
back home before tonight. Mrs. Ketchum
has been in i'll health for some time and
during the last summer was III for quite a
\ period.
Binder Suit settled.
Injunction proceedings brought by ]. O.
Staley of this city in the interests Of the
Trades and Labor Assembly to stop the
state from paying for the binding Of sew
eral thousand copies of the Official Regis
ter were dropped today The injunction
proceedings we're started on the claim that
the binding was being done outside the
state in opposition to a law forbidding IT,
In the settlement of the case State Binder
Tedford Of Mt. Ayr agrees to have no more
work done outside the state and the exec
utive council Of the state IL to act as a
board OF arbitration II any further ques.
ton Of the kind arises in the state bindery
work between this and the close OF Ihis
term Of ONCE. January 1.
Eaton Sees Big Vote.
w. L. Eaton of Usage, Ia, a candidate
for state railroad commissioner on the re-
publican ticket, is in Des Moines today. Mr.
Eaton has been down in Wayne county and
declares 1t his belief that the republican
vote there will be of the usual strength
In all other sections Of the state where h,
has been conditions are good and he prophe
cies the usual republican majority.
Automobile Hits Car.
w. L. Kinds. president OF the Merchants
Transfer company, ran his automobile int,
| a street car and smashed the machine and
the car and quite badly injured Mr.. ant
Mrs. Kinds and Mr. and Mrs. F. o. John
son, occupants Of the automobile.
Bryan Entertained at Dinner.
! william j. Bryan was entertainer at olh
ner at $50 today at the Central Presby
, terrain church by the Mems club of tina
church and made a ten minutes talk. H
arrived in the city at 4:l0 from Grtnnell
where he spoke this afternoon.
, John MacVicar, ex-mayor Of Des Moines
was before the Polk county grand jurl
today in a star chamber session. Recent.I
Judge w. NJ. spurrier, attorney for Georg
B. Hippee, the indicted general manage
OF the street railway, was before the gran,
, Jury in star chamber session TO presen
his clients side Of the case. It II sus
pected John MacVicar presented to tn
grand jury facts in favor of the indict
ment.