The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-24

struct one of its own whichever the
voters may decide upon.
The bill requires that all income
from the municipal telephone system
snail be paid into the city treasury to
pay for operating expenses and extern
slons and after the system has become
seIf-sustaining the income above ex-
penses is to be put into a special funo
TO be kept until the system is made abb
solutely satisfactory to the people of the
city when the money may be diverted
TO the general fund account. One of
the chief features of the bill is that the
city may install telephones in various
places over the city where the public
may use them free of charge. The bill
also provides that neighbors may have
phone installed in some central point
Tor the use of all at the same charge
a single line phone would be installed
Tor one person.
Control of Public Utilities.
The Wichita Municipal league has
prepared another law which is intend
ed to give cities of the first and second
class the authority to compel public
service corporations to comply with
the terms of franchises granted by
the city and giving the city the power
TO regulate the service rendered I'm
der the present law the cities have no
power to regulate the quality or guam
tity of gas furnished or to regulate the
charges for gas and to regulate the
power furnished by electric light COM
panies.
The bill provides that whenever
petition of the citizens of any city OF
the first or second class is presented
to a city council complaining that the
service furnished by any street rail-
way company, electric light, gas, heat
ing, water or other public service cor
poration operating under city fran
chise is not satisfactory the city attor-
ney is required to begin actions in the
district courts to compel the company
to comply with the terms of its fran
a1, ,fcA 1@ fnrs hn
courts to take up cases of this nature
at once, such cases taking precedence
Of all other civil suits in the courts.
If the court finds the company is not
fulfilling its contract receiver for the
company may be appointed to take
charge of the system and operate it,
Stop a Real Estate Swindle.
A law intended to stop a very COM
mon practice in Kansas of real estate
agents filing receipts for part payments
of lands purchased when the deal is not
consummated will be introduced in the
legislature by Senator Stewart and c.
L. Davidson of Sedgwick county.
This filing of receipts for part pay
ments for property when the deal does
not go through acts as cloud on The
title to the property in question and
suit has to be brought in the district
courts to remove the cloud. Some real
estate agents when they find pur-
chaser for some lands ask the buyer to
put up a small amount in part pay
ment. Then when the terms are stated
TO the owner and he refuses to sell un-
der these terms for some reason the
real estate agent in order to force the
owner to pay his commission files the
receipt which he gave to the buyer
Most property owners in order to avoid
suit to have the title to their property
cleared will pay up the commission and
have the receipt released. The bill soon
to be presented to the legislature pro-
Vides that no instrument for the sale,
transfer or conveyance of any real
property of which purports to set up
any claim or interest to such property
shall be recorded by any register OF
deeds unless this instrument is az
knowIedged. The bill provides that
anyone who induces or causes to induce
a register of deeds to record such in
strument shall forfeit to the owner of
the property one hundred dollars rs
Iquida ted damages in addition to a
reasonable attorneys fee. The register
of deeds is prohibited from recording
such instruments but no penalty is at
taehed if he does so.