The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-14
Edison Company Still Trying to
Got Light Contract.
Tell Council Would Do Work
for Only 5000 More.
FIGURES DON'T TALLY
Real Facts Are That 1t Would
Be Over $4,000.
Mayor Green Says City Is in No
Position to Change.

The path that they must travel was
pointed out in emphatic language by
Mayor William Green to the council
committee on ways and means last ev-
ening- The city must run the present
electric light plant without remodeling
it or letting a contract to the Edison
company.
The COMMITTEES took up the question
OF the city electric light plant last ev-
ening again
Il think we ought to have light and
all night too." said the mayor. Its
rot a question of what we want to do
but what we can do. The city ran
$500 behind last year with one Of the
most economical administrations in the
history of the city. How is the city
&c get around this. While I am mayor
OF this city 1 shall never be in favor
:. of something that we can't pay for.
This new proposition from the Edison
company is very nice on the face of
1t, but it won't be a year until the
council gives additional lights over the
344 already in It's only a question of
degree until the new proposition be-
comes the first proposition
I. f. DOran, attorney for the Edison
company, attempted to dissuade Mayor
Green THE money you may put in
the city plant will be thrown away"
said he We concede that we want
the best proposition that has ever been
made in the United States. It's an
utter impossibility for you to manufac
ture the light at that price,
That's all right. but how are we
going to pay for it?" said the mayor.
There is only $500 a year difference.
Where is your reason?" returned
Doran.
well, YOU must have a different way
of figuring it from what I have said
the mayor.
The Edison company submitted a
new proposition based on a smaller
number of lights-344 instead of 500
The first named number is equivalent
TO the number of lamps now in ser
vice over the city. The Edison COM
pany stated that they were actuated in
offering the new proposition by the
Statements of the city that 1t could not
afford to assume the yearly expense
resent an outlay of $27. 900 annually for
electric lighting bills and an amount
in excess of the presenting running ex-
penses of the city plant of s13,50O.
Figures Are Twisted.
The Edison company states that its
additional yearly outlay of $91S04. but
this doesn't tally with the estimates
for the running expenses returned by |
the superintendent of the city electric |
in the hands of the ways and means |
committee.
The city is now paying out sos a |
year per lamp for % arc lights each |
on Kansas avenue to the Edison COM
pany at a total of $2,0S0 annually H. |
X Goodrich, superintendent of the city |
plant, estimates running expenses next |
year at $13,565-S6 and adds to this ST. |
$50 for repairs to take care of the 81 |
lights on Kansas avenue. The total |
expenditure for next year would then |
be S15.421.96. The Edison company CT !
fers to purchase the poles and wires of |
the city for $4,000. The interest that !
the city would lose on this amount OF |
money if retaining possession would be |
$500 each year.
According to these figures the cost |
to the city If it retains possession next |
year would be 1921. &c. The difference J
between this figure and the cost of the |
contract with the Edison company at |
$1S,920 would be for next year 81, ,99S. .04. |
However, the superintendent of the |
city electric light plant will not have |
to make repairs costing $1.S56 each year |
so that in reality the difference be-
tween the cost of operating the city |
plant and the Edison contract would he |
greater than S2.99S04 each year de-
pendent upon the length of time to the |
period when further repairs would be
made.
The actual running expense OF the
city plant for the past eight years has
been $14,063.42
The committee deferred action on the
matter last evening until the EeNt
of the council which comes on
June 20. The indications point towards
the continuance of the plant upon the
present basis.
One of the factors contributing
to this is the feeling that the
commission plan of government will go
into effect within the next eight
months and that the solution of the
question can be showed off and upon
the commissioners.
A number of interested citizens were
present last evening.
Hall Saws It's Sentimental
willard Hall urged the committee
to accept the Edison contract and said
that the municipal ownership was
sentimental and that the Edison con-
tract appealed to him from the stand
point of dollars and cents
Another petition with a large num-
Der of signers including business men
was presented last evening remonstrat-
ing against doing away with the city
plant Harry Whittelsey said: ''The
feeling of the Topeka taxpayers is for
he retention of the city electric light ,
plant. We could have got thousands
Of signers to the petition If we had
.ried to and wanted to. No special !
ID and asked to place their names on !
I wherever it happend to be lying
around on a desk.
Councilman Jordan and Councilman
Horne endorsed the Edison contract. I
Councilman Horne stated that he was I
against voting bonds or spending any
arge sums of money to repair the city I
plant.
w. F. Jensen followed in the same
-ein and disparaged the petition rel,
and intimated that the !
petition which endorsed the Edison
.ontract represented heavier interests /
md those better acquainted with the