The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-22
YES, IT PAYS!
Topeka WaterwOrks System
Proving a Success.
Net Receipts Show Ten ThOus-
and Dollar Increase.
INTO IMPROVEMENTS.
Money Is Being Expended to
Improve Service.
Kansas City, Kansas, Asking
Legislature for Relief.

The WaterWorks department mace
$4,000 more during the past year
than the preceding twelve months.
This is the interesting statement
which will be shown in the annual re-
port which will be made soon by the
trustees of the department. The past
wear has been an exceedingly prosper
Gus one and astonishes even the con-
servative members of the board-some
of whom were dubious of the probable
success of municipal ownership OF
waterworks.
THE past year has been a most sue
cessful one," said c. E. Jewell of the
board yesterday eve are getting
some figures together for our annual
report of the finances of the depart
ment for the year just closed. The re-
port is going to be a fine one. our
running expenses have not increased
in fact they are little less than they
were the year before and the receipts
have increased by 100000 s~z =
This surplus will almost provide fef
one-half of the estimated cost of con-
structing another big main from the
plant to the city. This is need which
is becoming more apparent with every
increase in the number of consumers
with AGO additional services added in
1906 the one big service main winch
runs from the plant to the city, is taXeG
almost to it's utmost capacity. In order
to furnish pressure of 40 to 90 POUNDS
up in the heart of the city a pressure
of us pounds must be reached at the
plant. Another increase in the numper
of customers by 400 would make II I'M
peratiVe to construct an additional Dig
service main at once. The b0ard OIL
waterworks trustees are figuring IN ad-
vance on this improvement right now
The cost would amount on an estlrnate
at about $27, 600 The present market
price for mains is $38 a ton. last year
the department contracted for THIS ma
teriaI at $31.50. The board does not want
to pay for the mains at the increased
cost and believes that If they wait
while longer the market Will show a
slump and make it possible to contract
at a reduced price.
pressed by the board that the big SER
vice main will not be built until late
this year and not this spring as at
first anticipated.
The construction of this service
would only be in line with other ex-
tensive improvements carried on by
the trustees since they took charge of
the plant a year and a half ago. I'm
provements paid for entirely out or
the surplus earnings of the plant, after
taking care of the running expenses,
interest charges and per cent for re-
funding purposes. The introduction OF
slack coal at the pumping plant for
use in generating steam has proven
great success. Previous to this Win
ter at an increased cost nut coal and
steam coal has been used. The slack
coal gets the pressure up in consider
ably quicker time than the use Of the
other coal-in fact just about one
third of the time
Kansas City, Kansas, wants to take
over the waterworks plant at that place
and run it under municipal manage
ment. A bill for this purpose is about
to be introduced into the Legislature.
The success that has attended the man
agement of the plant here in Topeka
gives encouragement to Kansas City.
Kansas. sI- --s
]. M Schoenheit, an attorney from
that city, said today: Il have Just got
through talking with some of the
members of your board here. Why
YOUR plant is returning a greater in
terest on the investment than any
other municipal plant in the United
States It's great. We want a law
that will permit cities of population
greater than $4,000 to purchase
waterworks and run them. We want
to manage it so that it will be free
from politics. We want it managed
by a commission and introduce civil
service" ,.ssE.-
Topeka is confident that municipal
rnanagement is a goodsthing where it is
separated from political dominance and
interference and left IN the charge OF
business men. - sgNs4F.yYyzrT