The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-28
Mayor Green Predicts Success
Of Municipal Ownership.
No Open Fight Being Made on
the Proposition.
WORKED TILL LATE.
Carriages Secured Fourth Ward
Hunting for Voters.
Registration Unusually Heavy
for Off Year Election.

Il am positive that the city electric
hight proposition will carry by a good
majority" said Mayor William Green
today.
L mad one man talk to me, the only
one who made that sort of a talk. and
ne was pess1mistic as to whether it
would carry. The man was for the
municipal ownership of the plant but
ne was afraid that the voters would
not turn out in sufficient numbers. I
asked him what he had to make him
think that way and he admitted that
ne mad nothing, he had not heard of
any night being waged but just i'm
aglned that it would be hard to carry
it at the polls.
Il can find no fight being made in
any district of the city, if there is it
is being carried on most secretly. This
man that I was talking about said he
presumed that all the corporations
would fight the city electric light cues
ton, but l think with the exception of
the street railway company and the
Edison company, which of course are
practically one and the same thing,
none of the corporations are taking a
hand.
Il received letter this morning from
be, who states that he is the part own
er of the McCook Electric Light COM
pany of that city and who states that
Denver is engaged in controversy
over the municipal ownership of both
the electric light plant and water
works and that an attempt is being
made to force the McCook company
out of the control of the present pri-
vate corporation and into the hands
OF the city. Hale says that he has
heard that the Topeka municipal plant
IS being offered for sale to private
company and wants to know if Topeka
people are dissatisfied with municipal
ownership.
There seems to be an attempt to
circulate stories on the part of some
one which state that the city, plant
here has proven to be-a failure"
Right UP to the last minute car
r1ages and workers were making the
rounds last evening in the Fourth
ward gathering up the stray voters
who had not registered. The car
riages were those of Councilman
Montgomery, the Republican nomi-
nee, who was particularly active yes
terday. Mr.. Montgomery feels con-
hdent of the outcome provided the
same conditions exist on the election
day as they do now.
The registration closed at 10 o'clock
last night and the greatest one days
business was concluded since the first
of the year, about 1000 men and
women registering in addition to as
many more who made inquiry as to
their standing. About. three-fourths
of those who registered were mec.
Last year we registered from LOO
to 1900 on the last day said c. H
Titus, commissioner of elections. but
we were kept rushing all. day yester-
day. The quarters here are entirely
too small. It's wonder to me that
my clerks do as well as they do
The total number who are eligible
to vote, those who are properly regis
tered, will run between 1900 and
$4,000, leaving about $500 who are
disqualified by reason of their failure
| to register. The interest taken has
astonished everyone connected with
the municipal election. 1t is the ''off
year" in municipal politics. six coun-
cilmen and as many members of the
board of education being the only
candidates up for election. On this
account seldom much interest is dis
played. But those who have sought
for an explanation this year lay it to
| the city electric light question.