The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-03

ASK MANY CONCESSIONS

The Topeka Edison company wiz
ask for new franchise from the city
council this evening.
In return for assuming two-thirds OF
the cost of rebuilding the East Sixth
avenue viaduct the Missouri Pacific.
Santa Fe railroad and the Topeka
street railway join in demanding that
the franchise of the Topeka Edison
company be drafted anew and several
objectionable features eliminated.
Two-thirds of thc cost of the recon-
struction of the viaduct would amount
according to the engineers estimate al
$4,000. The estimate, less the sale of
iron and other salvage, is given as
$11, 1,862.S6. This would entirely re-
construct the viaduct, put in new floor
ing and provide for repainting the
whole.
The interest that the two railroads
have in the grant of a new franchise
to the Topeka Edison company is in or
der that the street railway conn pany,
which is practically identical in its in
terests with the Edison company. may
be enabled to change the routing Of
it's cars to Oakland over the viaduct
instead of under the railroad bridge
over the Kansas river, so that this land
intervening between the river bank and
the present railroad yards may be used
for an extension of the yards.
In addition the railroads ask that the
CITY affirm anew to them under con-
tract that hereafter no attempt viii be
made to make them pay for repairs to
the viaduct. Under the first construc-
ton of the viaduct such an agreement
was entered into by the city and the
Missouri Pacific and the Santa Fe- This
agreement is what has kept the city
from securing the railroads proportion
of the cost of maintenance of the struc-
ture.
The members of the council and the
mayor were unable to secure any prom
ise Of aid from the two railroads and as
a resort the mayor called in l.. E
Myers of the TopeiSa Edison company
and the street railway company to acs
as diplomatic agent
Mr. Myers has had several confer
ences with J. F. Hurley, general man
ager of the Santa Fe, who is acting in
the present instance for both the
Missouri Pacific and the Santa Fe. The
conference first held was unsatisfac-
tory but continual hammering away
has brought some order out of the
chaos.
The Topeka Edison company had
some favors it wished to ask from the
council it was in a position to grant
some to the railroads in addition to
occupying the same ground with rela-
ticn to the city council. Therefore all
three made common cause.
Some ssUnOfficiar' Council Business.
Two informal sessions of the coun-
nave DGGn
Wednesday evening and another on
the following Thursday. At these two
sessions mem berS of the council were
made acquainted with the terms on
which the railroads and the street rail-
way company would assume portion
of the cost of the reconstruction of the
viaduct.
The terms called for a number Of
amendments to the Topeka Edison
franchise. It will practically Be re-
x-ar1ned
The council IS at loggerheads over
the suggestion of a change in the
franchise-it doesn't know what It will
do.
At this evenings session of th1
council L. E. Myers viii make the Of |
fer of the railroads and Will state the +
changes and amen 1ments which he !
wishes embodied IN he franchise.
Il want the unfriendly tone of the |
franchise changed" - the genera. eX. /
PLANTATION of the dissa tisfaction whicl |
Mr. Myers expresses for the franchise. |
THE franchise, you will remember. |
was granted when things were At a |
fever heat There was considerable !
feeling existing at the time and i; /
crept into the language Of the fran.
chise.
der the franchise as it now is worded /
1t you happen to stub your toe any |
where in it you fall down. When we
take this franchise and try to borrow !
heads and say, No, sir. Goodby-
There are a whole lot of little things
which don't amount to much but which |
indicate hostility and it is this that we
want eliminated. For instance in the /
conditions surrounding forfeiture Of the |
franchise it provides that if We violate !
any of the provisions the rights and /
privileges of this franchise 1t shall ipso [
facto cease Now 1t is just a little thing (
like that word 'ipso facto' that are /
obtecting to- We want to be given a /
reasonable notice of the violation and |
have time to comply"
Want to Make Secret Rates.
Important changes which are asked
follow:
That special rates may be made to
large consumers according to the /
amount of electricity consumed and 7
that the rates be not published.
The section relating to the Wright I
maximum demand system of charging |
be eliminated entirely.
That the section which provides that /
the franchise may not be an exclusive |
grant be stricken out because the city |
charter act already provides for this |
feature
That the section relating to meter in !
spectfon be amended to provide that /
due notice OF when an inspection is to I
be made by a city inspector should be
given to the company in order that the /
Edison company may have a represen-
tative present.
The section covering the right of the
city to demand cables and wires be
placed under ground is to suffer amend /
ment but to what extent there is a re- /
luctance to state.
In return for these changes the To-
peka Edison company is to offer a re-
duction Of rates amounting to rs per