The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-04
Remonstrance Is Filed Against
Proposed CrematOry Site.
They DON'T Want That Sort Of
an Industry.
COAL CONTRACTS LET.
Prices Cut Because of Natural
Gas Competition.
The City viii Save $3.50 on Its
1867 Coal Bill.

The city Of Oakland is already tax
ing a hand in precipitating row over
an effort which is being made to IN
tangIe the garbage question by letting
new contracts and removing the site
Of the crematory further up the river.
A protest against the location pur-
chased and selected by the Topeka
Desiccating company, one Of the bid
ders for disposing of the city's garbage,
was filed with the city council last
evening by IS residents of Oakland to-
gether with the members OF the coun-
ell Of that municipality
The protest has been held IN abey-
ance until the council decides to whom
It will award the contract. Three bids
were received last evening from as
many different companies. From the
Topeka Desiccating company, Engle
Crematory company of Des Moines
and H. Hill and son.
The committee of teuers recon-
mended that all bids be referred to the
committee on health and sanitation to-
gether with the board of health
The Topeka Desiccating company
entered a bid which conforms with the
present rates now in force with the
exception that it makes a charge Of
, y q lnOHln LOT correcting LnE kdLDdSG
and manure from the city buildings
and hauling dead animals where no
ownership exists. The price for this
has been $25 a month.
The Engle CrematOry company
agrees to handle all of this free Of
charge to the city if in return it is
given a license from the city council.
H. Hill & Son. the former connected
now with the city sanitary department,
makes a charge Of $50 to the city for
handling r. a.
from the city buildings and the dis
pOsal of dead animals. They also in
troduce other charges.
Old King Coal was a merry old soul
until natural gas struck the city when
the corners of his mouth were turned
downward. Two years ago the city
council almost had to go out on the
byways and beg the coal dealers to
come in and bid on the city contracts.
The coal dealers were making q good
thing off of their private trade and
they did not look with any particular
anxiety for city contracts where COM
petition entered and where profits
were shaved down. Then natural gas
came in as an entering wedge last fall
ana anticipating this a few more bids
came into the city council with a con-
sequent lowering in prices.
= This year natural gas has come into
larger inheritance of customers and
the coal dealers took a hitch in their
galluses and all of them fiocked to the
city building with bids. Last evening
the city council had six bids entered
and the prices were all close
The saving effected by the city in 1905
was $4iO. The cut in the coal bills in
1906 viii be more. The city gets free
service for natural gas at the city build
ing. rms saves $500 a year. Ten cents
FeducIion in the slack coal used at the
electric light plant means saving 500
hnis year over last Twelve cents a ton
on the slack used at the waterworks
station cuts down in the expenditures
there Of $3.50. The total saved to the
city's pocketbook over 1905 Will be $3.50
Natural gas saves the city in two wears
from 1905 over 1904 Of 81 220. No wonder
oIo King Coal Is feeling a little tired and
weary
The bids We're entered upon a differ
ent system this year. The bids were
divided as to departments. waterworks.
electric light plant and city depart
1nents, including fire and police stations.
Inc prices varied as to the department
depending upon the haul Last year the
9ios We're simply Jumped. so much each
lot me various grades Of coal.
The city uses approximately a hol1t
1900 tons year, a large proportion of
this being slack. The waterworks sta
tlon uses $500 and the coal can he
placed there on a siding by paying for
q small switching charge. Twelve hun-
dred tons are used at the electric lfeht
plant for which the charges for delivery
are nothing since the plant is located
glsnt at the Santa Fe freight yards The
coal to the police and fire stations has
70 be hauled by teams and this increases
the charges
Webster & Tulloch got the big end Of
the city contract furnishing slack coal
70 the WaterworISs statiou Tes+ ,-es,-
about two-thirds Of the coal used tbera
was slack and this year it will be more
cue to the installation of two boilers
Wnlch use slack Topeka Coal Storage
& Fuel company got second honore ~
NnE award of the FCv-
slack Tor the electric light plant
1owss i0'-
Waterworks= Weir City slack 81 60
Webster & Tulloeh: Weir civ sc s1ss,
nut. $3.50, Topeka Cold Storage Fuel
Electric light plant-Weir CITY slack
Sl.65 Topeka Cold Storage & Fuel com
pany; Weir City screened mt 20 On
JacksOn-WallZ company.
City OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES CITY screened
nut, SZ.85, Jackson Walker cononar,y-
wen City screened lump s347, Topeka
Prices last year were: Weir civ
sack waterworlSs s1.75, 1914. Usage
City SHAFT; $500 steam mill coal. a a.
slack; $3.50, nut V-'''
The laborers employed by the CITY
are TO have their pay boosted if the
resolution Introduced by c. K. HoIIt-
day passes. Holiday wants to have
the pay made s1.75 for eight hours
labor. The present wage is 81 en- eor
eight hours.
The resolution was referred to the
committee on ways and means.
lively scrap seems pending over
IN North Topeka between the Nichols
Family and Councilman Jordan. It
comes up over a sidewalk in front ~
Rollin Nichols store building on North
Kansas avenue. The sidewalk is above
grade several inches and it is claimed
is menace to pedestrians and viii
probably bring down a damage suit
upon the city in case OF an accident
Rollin Nichols has been f7ghting
against reducing the sidewalk to grade
because other sidewalks it is said are
the