The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-22

meter of which any such test is to be
made shall be given due notice in
writing, of the time and place of max
ing such test. and such party shall
have the privilege of being present IN
person or by a representative when the
test is made.
IF any meter thus tested cannot be
adjusted by the meter inspector it shall
be returned to the owner and repaired,
or replaced by a correct meter.
May Adjust Bits.
IF any electric steam heat, gas or
water meter is found on test to be fast
or slow in excess of three per cent. the
bill for services for the preceding thirty
days shall be adjusted by adding to or
subtracting from such bill the percent
age. fast or slow as the case may be,
and the difference thus determined shall
be paid to the consumer by the party
furnishing service, to the party fur
nishing service. by the consumer. as the
case may be.
1T shall be the duty of the meter in
speotor to prepare meter reading charts,
showing the meter dial face with a
sample meter reading thereon, and a
full explanation of the process of arriv-
ing at the amount of the customers bill,
together with such other instructions as
will enable the consumer to read his
own meter.
"An testing instruments used by the
meter inspector shall be tested and
made to conform to the standard meas
urementS al least once q month, or as
often as may be necessary to secure &C
curate and reliable tests"
THE idea is to let this department
grow up. Later on we will be able to
purchase complete and expensive ap-
paratus to do the testing" said Coun-
Gilman F. E. Nipps, chairman of the
committee.
Mayor Davis Reforms.
Primarily above everything else
Mayor W. H. Davis is q business man
When he went into office some of the
system with which he came into contact
with did not please him. One of the
things that he did away with was the
loose system in vogue of purchasing de-
partmental supplies.
He instructed the head of each de-
partment to secure a requisition which
must be signed by the mayor and ac-
companied by bids on the supplies de-
sired. 1t took some of the heads of the
department several months to learn
that bids must be secured If they fail
ed to present bids the mayor Scurrted
around and got them.
A reporter was sitting in his office
one morning. The mayor was kept busy
for about a half hour securing some
bids on supplies for one of the large
departments.
The result of that half hours work
was a saving of $16 to the city. Maybe
that was small sum but six days in
the week and 50 weeks in the year
mount upward when multiplied by six
teen dollars. Some times it wasn't is
much as this, probably a great deal
smaller. then again it was larger.
AS the result of this the ways and
means committee have embodied the
above plan into an ordinance and rec
commended it to the council last evening
that it be passed. 1t provides that the
ma shall all rQnlliSifiOnS of
supplies for the departments of the city,
the acquisitions to be filled out each
month in advance for the supplies to be
used during that time The mayor shall
in turn secure bids on the above sup
plies In connection with this an ordi
nance compelling the city clerk to fur
nish monthly comparative statements
to the council of the expense connected
with running each department was also
recommended.
The voting machine has bobbed up
again. A proposition of the Abbott
Voting Machine company for the sale
of fourteen machines to the city for
$1,000 payable in yearly inStallmentS
of $500, with interest at per cent on
the deferred payments. This offer was
made to the ways and means commit
tee of the council last evening, and as
a result the committee has requested
the manufacturers of the several Vot-
ing machines made to appear at the
next council meeting and show their
makes to the council At present there
are twenty-three precincts in the city,
with probable further additions. The
cost of paying for election boards and
clerks is something that means a heavy
expense to the city. 1t costs at reg
ular election about $500, and it comes
out of the city's pockets The ma
chimes, it is claimed, will do the work
much more quickly, accurately and,
in addition will be CheaDer.
One Of the professors of the electro
cal engineering department of Kansas
has been chosen by the COM
mates of the superintendent of the city
electric light department and the ex-
pert electrical engineer for the recon-
struction of the city plant. The first
was submitted later, following that of
the experts report. There is a differ
ence in the matter of cost as estimated
of about 100000. The committee was
unable to reconcile the figures and
whether it should ask for
bond issue on the first estimate or on
the second. The expert from the uni
versity will be asked to make some
The ordinance calling for the redis-
tricting of the city into new wards and
that calling for the creation of the Of
fee of city auditor were both placed
on file.
The city has checked up all the paw
ing petitions to the next council. The
adopted a very wise plan
of limiting the amount of new paving
to just that of the amount paid off of
the paving bond issue for 1906, and il
the n4w council committee which steps
in next month follows it they will be
no mistake. The city engi-
has beRr going over the
petitions to see If the signers of the
petitions already filed are legitimate
property owners.