The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-01

| city ownership of the waterWorks, and
although they were bought at nearly
/ double their actual value, in order to
get rid of the corporation manage
ment, the people would not be willing
to turn them back to a private cor
/ poration.
Our city is rapidly. growing in pop
ulation and taxable value, and it is a
good thing to divide the burdens and
let the future growth pay part of the
cost of establishing such plants. And
the. only way in which that can be
done is by issuing bonds. And hence
a growing city. like this, need not have
any fear of the bugaboo of a small is
sue of bonds for such public necessi-
ties as water and light. There is no
use in referring to the past Indebted
ness. We have got to pay that any
way 1t was considered by the people
as good investment at the time, and
undoubtedly was so. The old plant has
served its day and done its work WELL
No private corporation would have
used the old plant as long as the city
has. and no private corporation would
have got the same service out of it at
as low cost as the city has
If farmers team and machinery
get old and worn out. he does not
throw away his farm nor abandon it
to weeds and thistles. but he sborrows
some money. if necessary, and buys a
new team and modern machinery, and
buckles down to work again. And yet
this city is being asked to do just what
no farmer would think of doing.
1t is easy to make figures and many
have been made and published. Well,
here are some: The S27,5 a year
would. pay the $65,000 of bonds and
the interest thereon in less than three
years. The operating expenses of the
old plant for the last seven years
have averaged about $4,000 per year,
with an average of $50 lights. The
renewed plant. with modern machin-
cry and modern lights. and natural
- -
any more per annum for 500 lights.
The interest on the bonds would be
about $4,000 a year. say as a maxi
mum, 100000 for operating expenses
plus of $500 year for a sinking
fund that would pay the bonds in less
than ten years, and surely the renew
ed plant would not be worn out in ten
years
If councilmen. like jurymen, could
be compelled to take the Office and
serve then we might select our coun-
cilmen from that list of prominent
taxpayers. who have signed the petit
ton asking that the contract be made
with the private corporation. on the
theory that the corporation can do the
lighting and make a profit and pay
taxes and do il cheaper than the city
can. when the city makes no profit
and pays no taxes. They ought to be
perfectly willing to serve on the coun-
ell, and give to the city, which pro-
tects their homes and property, the
benefit of that business sagacity. which |
they say by their petition, the private
possesses and is not found
in the administration Of the city |
affairs.
The principle of municipal manage
ment of public necessities is at stake.
If the city makes that contract with
the private corporation. it will be her
aided from one end of the country to
the other that Topeka. the model city,
after trying it for eighteen years, has
made a failure of municipal owner
ship. and in disgust. has hired prf-
vate corporation to take the business
Of lighting the city off its hands Ana
hen a crusade would soon be COM
nenced to weaken and discourage the
,ity management of the waterworks,
md to eventually turn that enterprise
over to some private corporation.
T. w. HARRISON.