The Topeka state journal., 1908-05-26
CAN'T GET COAL.
Water Plant Faces q Serious
Proposition Right Now.
Board Has to Go Into the Open
Market.
CONTRACTOR QUITS.
Strike Makes 1t Almost I'm.
possible to Secure Fuel.
Unless 1t Ends Soon Serious
Trouble Will Result.

A big fire with no water-this is
the danger which Topeka has been
facing for the past several days. Plen-
ty of water in the river, but no way
of getting it from the river to the city
this has been the trouble which
threatens.
Because the Topeka Coal company
jumped it's contract and failed to sup
ply the waterworks department with
its daily supply of coal the board Of
waterworks trustees have been facing
a famine of fuel. Coal has been
bought for a few days supply from
time to time, wherever it could be pur-
| chased in the open market. The only
thing that gives some encouragement
that the plant will be able to continue
the usual supply of water needed In
| the city is the probability that the coal
strike will be terminated and that the
market will be again flooded with coal.
A thirty days supply Of coal was
| stored at the plant, west Of the asy-
| lum, but this was exhausted several
days ago and since then the trustees
nave bought whatever they could get.
a rev car loads at a time and mostly
lump coal which costs So per ton and
Is not nearly so economical as the
slack which has been in use. I'VE
can't get any slack" said c. E. Jewell.
AS result Of a failure to live up
TO his contract II. L. Peppmyer, pro-
prietor of the Topeka Coal company.
| may be sued by the waterworks de-
partment. This is the statement made
by Mr.. Jewell. who is thoroughly
| aroused. "These contractors think
that they are only to make a con-
tract and live up to it when there is
money in it for them and when they
commence to lose they throw it up and
quit said Jewell The contract called
for slack coal to be delivered at the
plant at the price Of $1.95 per ton and
was entered into last year. When the
coal strike came along and it was hard
to get slack without paying a fancy
price for it the Topeka Coal company
stopped delivering to the waterworks
department. THE worst part is that
they haven't even tried to give us any
other COAL" said Jewell. "a contract
should be lived up to whether money
is being made or lost. We are now
paying around three dollars a ton for
coal. but it isn't the money that we
begrudge, we have to keep that plant
running no matter how much it COSTS
but the men aren't used to handling
this lump coal. they have been using
slack and I can't say exactly what
would happen if we had a big fire on
and had to have high pressure for sew
eral hours. I don't know whether we
could get a high pressure UP in a
short time or not with the coal we
have to use. : r.
Last year we had about the same
sort Of trouble, with the other con-
tractor, but he finally stayed with his
contract and kept us supplied right
straigh through the strike. I don't
believe that the city should make any
more contracts for coal, think the
board can do better by taking its
chances in the open market"
The city council failed to demand a
bond from the Topeka Coal company
as surety that 1t would remain by its
contract, in fact it seems to have been
the custom on the part Of the city to
let these contracts every year without
asking for bond. If bond had been
provided this year 1t is very probable
that the Topeka Coal company would
have continued to supply coal at what
ever cost to itself.