The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-30
Question Of Guaranty for New
Electrical Company.
Council Committee Disbands Be
fore Reaching Agreement.
ACTION IS FAVORABLE
Recommend That the Franchise
Be Granted.
Will Come Before Council Mon
day Evening.

Without coming to a decision over
the amount of guaranty which the To-
pelxa Electric company should put up
the streets and walks committee of the
council last evening recommended the
passage Of the franchise ordinance.
The franchise will come before the
council next Monday for consideration
and probably its final passage.
In lieu of the defeated Jordan
amendment which called upon the
company to pay to the city. 2 per cent
of the gross annual receipts the
Topeka Electrical company is re-
quired to furnish electricity for thirty
arc lights on Kansas avenue. The
Edison company is now furnishing
electricity to these same lights on a
claim that 1t can furnish them more
cheaply than the city electric light
plant but as yet it has not presented
it's bill. The Edison company has been
making a trial test.
Councilman C. K. Holiday intro
duced the amendment to the franchise
providing for the furnishing of the
electricity to the thirty arc lights. All
the members of the committee with
the exception of Councilman Jordan
voted for the Holiday amendment.
A funny turn came when the ques-
ton OF the guaranty came up. Coun-
Gilman Hughes asked to be excused
anc left the meeting. By so doing the
members of the committee who were
holding out for a $4,000 guaranty lost
the necessary vote which kept them
from going into the hole as the mi
nority. With Councilman Hughes
gone, Councilmen Horn and Jordan
saw that their hopes of a $40, 600 de-
posit had gone glfmmering and left the
committee room in disgust Council
man Jordan turned back after he had
action returned. But when Holiday
made a motion that the guaranty be
placed at $4,000, Jordan left before It
could come to a vote, and the COM
mittee was left without a quorum
Unable to take any action with but
three members of the committee the
amount of the guaranty was left open
to be decided by the council.
The guaranty is demanded to insure
that work will commence within three
months after it goes into effect. MI
OyerInyer in behalf of the new COM
pany offers to put up a $1,000 cash
deposit that the work will commence
within three months and guaranty
Of $4,000 that the company would ex-
pend 100000 within one year.
The trusteeship of 1870 shares, con-
trolling interest in the company, which
has been vested in c. r. Maunsen and
which it is claimed meant that the
controlling interest would be transferred
DaILiGS
toned by the committee. The agree
ment finally arrived at was that c. r.
Maunsell should be prohibited from
actin@ as trustee in the terms of the
franchise This suggestion was made
on the part Of some of the directors OF
the proposed company.
Appearing in behalf Of the Topeka
Electrical company were Warren NJ.
E. B. Guild, and J. ". Robinson, all
of whom addressed the members Of
the committee and asked that the fran
chise be passed.
The rates proposed under the iran
chise of the new company are: Resi-
denee lights, 8 cents per thousand watt
hours; commercial lighting, 6 cents per
thousand watt hours, power, cents
per thousand watt hours except IN the
case of electric elevators where it is
cents. For current furnished to all
municipal buildings and school houses
the rate for lighting is cents.
The Edison rates are now the same
as the above though the maximum
rates specified in their franchise are as
follows: For residence lighting, II cents
per thousand watt hours; for CONNER
cial lighting, 10 cents per thousand watt
hours for the first hour, and s cents per
thousand watt hours for all current
used in excess of the first hour S con-
sumption; for power, cents per thou
sand watt hours, except for electric
elevators where 1t shall be cents; for
all electric current for nghting munich
pal buildings and school houses, cents
per thousand watt hours.
To light the suburbs of the city with
natural gas at an annual cost of $21
per year unpaved streets and $21.50 on
paved, is the proposition which r. w.
bingham of the Welsbach Street Light
ing company rendered to the ways and
means committee of the council last
evening. This Is on i've year con-
tract.
on ten year contract with the
fear that natural gas might give out
the prices are slightly higher, $22 on
unpaved streets and S23 on paved. I'm
less the city electric light plant is en-
larged It Will be impossible for it to
take care of all the suburbs and light
the more central portion Of the city in
the manner for which there is a de-
mand.
It is proposed to put in 300 of the
lights in the suburbs. The Welsbach
company is to put the lamps up, take
care of them and furnish the light for
the price above named. If the ten year
contract is entered into the company
will place the street names on the lights
free OF charge: on the five year con-
tract the names will be put on at cost.
The committee will go over the propo-
sition at its next meeting