The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-18
UP TO PEOPLE.
viii Decide What 10 Do With
Lighting Plant.
Few Who n eula Turn Contract
Over to Corporation.
NOW OUT OF DATE.
Proposition Is to Reconstruct
Old Plant.
Much Cheaper Than to Build
One Entire.


The electric light plant situation
Will be. put up to the people of To-
pelSa direct.
The ways and means committee at
a session last evening finally IN
tangled the sparl into which the mat
ter has fallen by adopting a resolution
recomm ending to the council that a
special election be called and the ques-
ton Of voting bonds be put up to the
people The city engineer and the su-
perintendent of the city electric light
plant are to furnish estimates as to
the cost of rebuilding the present
plant, using as much of the present
machinery and equipment as is posi-
4 Bile, for a capacity of 500 lamps. The
i enclosed type of arc lamp is preferred
| because of the economy in its opera
ton and maintenance.
Upon the estimate it is expected
that the city council can arrive at the
necessary amount of the bond issue to
4 be voted. 1t is probable that the
council will decide to give the citizens
the right to vote their choice on one
of three different plans: to vote for an
entire reconstruction at an expense of
about 100000; partial reconstruction
using as much as possible of the old
machinery, based on an estimate; or
vote to give the city lighting by con-
tract to a private corporation
A proposition to lease the plant to
a corporation, giving them a franchise
and the plant to revert back to the
city after the expiration of the fran
chise, is the novel suggestion which
Councilman Montgomery proposed to
the councilman last evening.
I'VE could put in the plant at what
it is worth now, get out of all this ex-
ira bond issue, and when the time of
the franchise is up have the plant re-
vert back to the city and pay the diff
ference between the first value and
the appraised value at the time of re-
version to the city, - said Montgomery
I'VE don't want to increase our
bond issue; we have got a big heavy
bonded Indebtedness on the city now"
Il doubt whether we would have
the right under the law to make a
l9aase Of the city plant said Council
There is no getting around two
facts" said Councilman Swendson.
1.-The city plant is iE bad shape and
we viii have to rebuild it. OF that
there can't be any question. The sec
ord Fact is. we will shave to ask the
people TO vote bonds to do this. These
tive things we. can't get around.
think yofi al. agree with me on that.
II think therefore that We should
kproccod to act at once aH1sfet the peo-
fpfe decide for thenlsaEzsSs if(they want
mate exactly as to what it will cost
anu then ask for bond issue of that
size
A. resolution asking the city en-
gineer and the superintendent OF the
/ city electric light plant to prepare an
estimate together on. the cost of re-
construction of the plant with a ca
pacity of 500 lamps using the present
machinery as far as possible was in
7 troduced by Swendson and adopted.
II feel sure that we can get it con-
structed for $50 a lamp and prob
/ ably cheaper than that" said Mayor
| Davis.
Councilmen Green, Swendson,
Simms, Howe and Griley did not ex-
press themselves positively, while
Montgomery stated that he believed
that lamps were eostinr the city
great big price under the city manage
ment of light plant.
The cost of producing electricity if
being cut down so fast that few
years difference in time figures heavily.
new municipal plant just COM
pleted at Columbus. Ohio, according to
the Municipal Journal, will be prepared
to furnish street lamps at $40 per year
including per cent interest and per
cent depreciation. Newark, n. J., has
lust completed plans for new mu-
nicipal electric plight plant, st. Louis
will increase the size of its plant, Chi
caEo Detroit and New York each oper-
ate their own electric light plants.
A contract made at this time with
a corporation to light the city is going
to bind the city to pay a contract price
for years to come, which ten years
from now may be exorbitant under
changed conditions of cheaper produce
ton. With its own plant managed By
board and away from councilmanic
influence the city can axe advantage
CT these changed conditions, reduce
the cost of operation and place the
difference in its own pocket.