The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-06
EDISON LOSES IT.
Council Decides Against the
Minimum Rate.
b. G. Fowler Wins His Point
About Motor Charge.
is NOT ROOM ENOUGH.
WaterWOTks Board Asks for
Larger Quarters.
Busy Session of City Fathers at
Monthly Meeting.
is NOT ROOM ENOUGH.

The gas and electric lights committee
of the city council hold i'm a report
submitted last night that the Edison
company has no right to charge
minimum rate for power. The report
was brought about through the COM
plant of El. c. Fowler, small power
user. who claimed that the company
was charging him 81 per horse power
for motor installation of from one to
20 horse power. Fowler c0ntended
the company had no right under its
franchise to make such a rate and the
council committee referred to above
upheld him and recommended that the
overcharge be rectihed. The Edison
company still assert that they are
right. Their contention viii be thrash
ed out at a later council meeting.
The board of waterworks commits
sioners have asked the city council TO
provide for suitable office building.
AT present the offices Of the depart
ment are on the second floor Of the
city building. The board claims that
the Offices are inadequate for the rap
idly increasing business and also OBJ
lection is made to the fact to the sit
uatiOn of the offices on the second
floor The board asks that provision
FOR placing the water Office on the
ground floor. AT present there is no
accommodation for offices on the first
floor and alterations viii have TO be
made.
The city council last evening finish
ed it's work Of extending the city's
boundaries by the absorption of sur
rounding tracts of land. According to
the state laws action of this kind can
only take place every two years. since
the first ordinance of this character in
troduced this year the council has
taken in something like . u miles
square of territory and added a pOpu-
latiQn of upwards of 5000 to the popu-
latiOn of Topeka. Certain tracts lying
east and south of the city were taken
i'm last evening. They consist OF IL
unplatted tracts and IS plated. They
are as follows: Lots 74-lOS Boswell
avenue; Western Land and Lot COM
pany's addition j. C. Baughman tract;
Jesse =. Baughman tract; John M
Baughman tract; Ellsworth Baughman
tract: Kate Baughman tract; F. G.
and VI. b. Ritchie tract; c. W. and NJ.
@. Hayne tract; Caroline Ehrhart
tract; John Helm tract; d. Fink tract;
j. Malone tract; j. n. Starrhel tract;
III. Fl. Spidel tract, and the John Nc
Leish tract.
no judge romethe-reperts Of the ex-
peuditures and receipts filed with the
city council by the gas company the
operation of the plant must play
strongly into the line of charitable
institution According to the report it
has earned S216, 956.40 and has ex-
pended $214.544.01 in betterments to
the plant, leaving something ike
$500 as a dividend on the capital of
oue-half million invested. The COM
pany is obliged to make semiannual
report to the council under its fran
cnise renewal in 1904.
The report for the six months pre-
ceding January L. 1906, is as follows:
Improvement
At works ..,..-...--.s. 3 63, 4-4.0
street mains ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~ lg5.2g
services -<-..-.- observation-disclosures. g, z47-4
Meters -.-.--..-....-.....-.-..s ll,4ee-95
Total 49,. ......................s1 s7. 7.o7
Cubic feet
Amount Of gas manufactured. 80. 248. 900
Amount of gas sold ..-.......-...- g.. 630,900
Amount of natural gas sold ...,.,- 9,539 100
THE amount and cost Of fuel. .-...S II, 4Sl 90
Receipts from sale Of hydrauts.- 1.o42.lS
Total capital and interest from
time of investment -----........ 5.4S6,3 IS
Receipts for said period. .-.---.... So, $3.50
Cash advanced by stockholders. 100, Q0009
Totals receipts ..-.............. .s316.95s. 10
Total expenditures ............ .s214.544.01
The opposition to the city deposit
tory ordinance which was passed at
the last meeting of the council de-
veloped in sufficient force last evening
TO call for reconsideration of the
vote by which it was passed. 1T was
then referred to the ways and means
committee for consideration.
The ordinance provides that the
city funds must be equally distributed
between the city repositories. The
opposition wish to leave the amounts
deposited at the discretion of the city
treasurer.
The report of the city clerk upon
the city's finances for the ten months
ending December 81. 1905. shows that
the city is saving something like S.