The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-16

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| when it Is personally interested in a
| contract beyond that of a mere tax
payer and projects itself SO actively
| into the committees discussions un-
| hidden, it transcends it's rights.
| If you rush this through Monday
night you will probably regret il"
| said Mr.. Doran to the committee. IT
think that the $500 or $500 saved by
not holding special election at
| later date is poor economy.
Wouldn't it be worth the special
election rather than to submit this at
this time, the people not knowing
| what they are going to vote for. 1t
will get it into a bad muddle and it's
in enough muddle now
Our only position is that we can
sell light to the city at a better price
| than the city can manufacture it,"
said Huntington. "Of course we
know lot of people are against U.S."
Is this definite enough7" inquired
Mr.. Lannan as the figures of Stewart
were submitted. 'I think we should
wait awhile"
Il think it would be a good idea to
postpone this until the mayor comes
back" suggested Councilman Mont
gomery. The mayor went to Excel
| over Sunday
IF the people want to vote L be-
lieve in letting them have chance
and let them decide for themselves"
said Howard
Hughes seconded this idea.
| Il don't know whether we should
| thrust this on the people or not" said
Councilman Kutz. "They will certainly
| vote it down if we put it at $4,000,
and $4,000 is not enough
Il am afraid 1t won't carry if it's
put more than s5O,ooO," said Lannan.
! Il think $4,000 is enough
Five thousand is too narrow
margin. I think it should be $4,000
or $75,000," said Howard.
Put this under a commission and
give them a chance like the water
works trustees. The only proposition
that the commission should be tied to
is to furnish 800 lights with a s75, 900
bank account"
Let's defer until Monday" suggest
ed Montgomery.
It's a question entirely with the
( council. I don't think that this lays
with the mayor" said Hughes. There
Is no use in waiting until Monday. I
don't propose to be dictated to by any
mayor 1 have right to my own
opinion"
II don't believe that the mayor in
tends to dictate" said Howard
Well I don't either admitted
Hughes. But 1 think that we should
| act on this without waiting to secure
the mayors opinion
When the vote was put, two voted
aye, and two voted no. Councilman
Montgomery had the deciding vote
and after considering a few moments
voted aye.
Mr.. Huntington then dug out a re-
port on the municipal light plant of
Detroit and quoted from it at length.
| He attempted to show that Detroit
was not making a pronounced success
of It's plant and that another and a
larger bond issue was going to be ask
ed for and that Topeka with a much
smaller plant could not expect to prac-
tice the economies which were prac-
ticed in the Detroit plant and that
deal more to run it's plant here than
in Detroit proportionately to the num-
Der of lamps Installed.
Mr.. Huntington also suggested that
the $1,000 which Stewart had figured
for repairs to existing pole lines was
not sufficient. Isn't It a fact that you
have to keep your lines very clean OF
| limbs and keep them trimmed up un-
| der this new system. Have you pro-
vided for that in your estimate here?''
Yes, it's true but I have included
that in my estimate said Stewart.
Il shouldn't think that you would
have enough to include that" contin-
ued Huntington. 'I had figured that
it would cost about $4,000 to make the
| repairs on the present lines"
Mr.. Stewart stated that he thought
81, 200 was ample for the absolutely
necessary repairs, such as putting on
new insulation where needed and trim
ming up.
| Mr.. Huntington suggested that the
! city electric light plant employees would
probably encounter considerable diff
Guilty with citizens when it came tc
trimming trees along the electric light
| lines.
Both Mr.. Doran and Mr.. Hunting
ton endeavored by various line of ar
| gument to have the COM
| aho
voted to recommend the bond ordin-
ance They suggested that the estt-
| mate of Stewart was too low.
| Mr.. Stewart said it might be possi-
creased to $4,000 If the plant was to
be rebuilt for a period Of 20 years to
| come.
| Mr Stewart told members of the
| council that they should not attempt
| to install 500 lamps right away DC
| as we are doing up at ST. Joseph. Add
on from one year to the next as you
| have calls for light. Four hundred
would be plenty for Topeka to begin
| with and you can put on several each
year This would cheaper the cost to
| begin with considerably. You will have
the dynamos and the power for up tc
| 700 lamps and all you will have to dc
| is buy a few lamps from time to time
| You have quite number of lamps now
| that notice that are hung in places
| that are not doing anybody any good
over on the east side you have lamps
| lighting up fields. You ought to have
| a commission and then let them de-
| eide where the lamps are to go. you
| will find you can get along with g
| great many less and still have a vel
| lighted city. Politics comes in now and
influences where lamps are to be put
| 1t would be practically the same way
| If you contracted with the Edison com
pany You would have lights hung
where you would have no need fol
| them An alderman would ask for E
| lamp for this place or that and you
| will find that you have an extra mum
ber of lamps being hung each year
and the cost increasing. That's beer
the experience of other cities under g
contract system and 1t would be the
experience of Topeka know now what