The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-11

II the CITY means TO vote on LIlS pro- |
position at their regular election in |
April, the council will have to act not |
later than next Monday evening, as it |
is simply matter of instructing the |
mayor to order an election providing |
for maximum of say $4,000 in bonds.
This proclamation will have to be is
sued not later than next Tuesday, |
March II.
Meanwhile Electrician Stewart can
make his estimates and the mayor and
council can gather all the additional
information they wish which can be
turned over to this electric light COM
mission which will also act for itself
and give the city the best it can Sc
cure for the least possible amount.
Friends who are interested should
urge the mayor and councilmen to
take prompt action and let the city
take advantage of this opportune time
for purchasing material and equipping
a new plant
On February 1s. a month ago, the
State Journal printed the following
which is still timely:
What the State Journal hopes the
ways and means committee of the council
will see fit to do is that it will recon-
mend that the council at once put the
! city electric light department in the hands
those men and that commission which are
now so successfully operating the Topeka
waterworks- Let the suoerintendent of
the electric light plant work under this
commission of three just as Superinten-
dent Shaw Of the waterworks acts under
that commission, all doing splendid work
Then let the committee advise that the
mayor put before the people at the reg
ular election soon to be held, a PROPOSE
ton to vote $4,000 in bonds, so much
thereof may be necessary to be ex-
pended by this commission upon its thor
ough satisfaction of the requirements in
! the way of new machinery and equipment
| to put the citys plant up to date and in
shape to supply I5 five hundred Lights The
spend thousands of dollars in needed ex-
tensions and improvements; Now let the
on the same basis. The city has this pow
er through law pushed through by Rep
resentative Bird at the last regular ses-
| ting the council by simple ordinance to
put the lighting system in the hands of
| commission.
Stewart Will Come Friday
| w. C. Stewart, the city electrician of
| St. Joseph, Mo-, who has been engaged
| by the city council to make an inyeSti-
| cation of the needs of the city with re-
spect to the enlargement of the NUM-
cipal electric light plant and prepare
| plans and estimates, will arrive in To-
peka on Friday for that purpose.
Mr.. Stewart will probably remain
| here in the city for several days to
secure an understanding Of the local
| situation.
This arrangement was made as the
result of a conference which Mayor
William Green held with Mr.. Stewart
| over the telephone.
| On February 18th the council com
mittee on ways and means decided to
engage the services of an expert cleo
| trical engineer and authorized the
| mayor to make the appointment. On the
| following day the mayor began cores
| pondence. At a council meeting, a few
| days later. on the 18th Councilman
! Montgomery introduced a resolution
| which instructed the mayor to make
tsGch an appointment, and which defined
| the engineer. This resolution follows:
Resolved That the mayor be and is
hereby authorized and instructed to en-
ploy thoroughly competent and expert
whose duty it shall be to visit Topeka,
make a close personal investiga ton and
poles, lines, lamps and wires, and submit
to this council at the earliest practical
date a complete report the following
First: The condition and value in de-
tail of the city's plant. poles, lines, lamps
| Second: A complete detailed list of the
machinery, poles, lamps, wires and APP
lpurtenances necessary to build a thor
street lighting with a minimum capacity
of five hundred lamps, and the cost there
of installed complete.
Third: A complete detailed estimate of
the cost per lamp for operating such a
plant, including all operating expenses
sinking fund sufficient to retire at ma
turity issue of twenty year bonds to
an amount sufficient to provide the funds
necessary to pay for such plant.
On the 18th of February members Of
the city council and Mayor Green went
to st. Joseph where visit was made
to the municipal electric light plant
Mr.. Stewart was met on this trip and
| as a result it was decided that MI
Stewart was the man that Topeka was
searching for. Mayor VIM Green talk
ed to Mr.. Stewart at that time and also
| to Mayor -Spratt who assured the To-
peka executive that Mr.. Stewards ser
vices could be engaged by the city. Mr..
Stewart then stated that he would in
form Mayor Green later whether he
would be able to make the investigation
desired. No reply was ELECTED from Mr..
Stewart and on the second Of March
Mayor Green wrote a letter to him, an
answer to which was received on the
7th of March. In this letter Mr.. Stew
art stated that he would undertake to
prepare the plans and estimates de-
sired.
The regular city election falls on
| Tuesday April 7. In order to vote for a
bond issue for the enlargement of the
municipal electric light plant at the
| same time, the notice calling Speclal
election for that purpose must be pub
lished at least twenty days prior to the
time of holding the regular election.
This would mean that the city council
would have to authorize the issuance of
| a call which would have to be publish
ed commencing with March II, week
hence.
"I was in favor of voting for $751; ,000
worth of bonds or SO much thereof as
might be necessary when the first COM
mittee meeting was held" said the
mayor But the committee ruled
against me and decided that detailed
plans must be had so that the people
might know exactly how the money
was to be expended. When that resolu-
= ton was passed l knew 1t was a
physical impossibility to vote for the
bonds at the time of the regular elec-
= ton. For I don't believe a man car
prepare the plans in 80 days. judging
L =. Of iraaa tool