The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-21
| and Mr.. Myers transcription thereon
are not tangible or authentic.
EXHIBIT 81.


The State Journal answered this In
part February 13. We will say further
that Mr.. Myers figures show that 1t
cost the city of Topeka in 1895 for one
Year .974 for operating expenses alone
to operate 1874 lights, while the operat-
ing expenses of the year 1907, according
to Mr. Myers figures. were $14.251 for
334 lights. Topeka put in some new
machinery in 1896, extended its plant,
and 1t only cost in 1897 to operate 264
With new modern machinery we can
reduce expenses as before, and we can
operate even cheaper than st. Joseph
and Detroit because we will have =
smaller investment and will be content
without stenographer and a suite OF
rooms for our superintendent, and
without tile floors and porcelain lined
bathtubs, and we can be more econom-
ical In other directions which the larger
cities of Detroit and ST. Joseph would
not consider consistent with their
methods of life.
EXHIBIT ssK."
Here Mr.. Myers again displays his
tremendous interest in the taxpayer.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
In this discussion the writer realizes
that he is handicapped in handling .
subject with Mr.. Myers who has spent
his lifetime in the lighting and electrical
iAAouotiAcS. ne pcSdn dS d DOy IN ouo
OF the Edison plants and knows the
business from the ground up and should
! be above juggling interest figures.
In talking with people upon this sub
tect and trying to get at the facts the
writer has observed that there are
! knockers on Mr.. Goodrich, the super
intendent Of our municipal plant A
number Of these knockers" we find
have not visited the plant or do not
| take the trouble to go down there, even
occasionally. They say Mr.. Goodrich
| is too old. Well, we are not intimately
acquainted with Mr.. Goodrich. but have
observed him very closely recently, and
| without saying whether or not he is the
best man for the place we are sure he
has been maligned to a more or less
extent by those who have thought the
| municipal plant we have has not been
/ even the success it really has been in
| Topeka.
| Mr.: Goodrich's reports to the city
monthly are in detail and neat and
apparently accurate.
| Mr.. Stewart the superintendent Of
the st. Joseph plant is grey-haired
George Wilmarth of the Topeka fire
department is grey-haired but we
would like to see the color of the hair
of the mayor who would attempt to
remove him. Mr.. Goodrich is a
| fighter and we admire him for that
quality. He is al Gettysburg hero He
are not saying the most competent.
one way or the other, but he was
formerly superintendent of the Edi-
son plant in this city. He is a vigor-
Gus. able-bo died, bright minded gen.
tleman and he has proven that he is
worth more to the city, than the city
| Is to him. He has some good IDEAS.
If he should be fired in the future,
his salary ought to be raised first
One mayor tried to remove Mr..
Goodrich and the supreme court back
ed up the law and no mayor has at
| tempted to dislodge him since. Mr..
Goodrich is handicapped by the city's
refusal to give him decent material
| with which to work and yet he is to-
day producing light cheaper than the
| model st. Joseph plant Is producing
| it.. And we defy successful contra-
diction of this fact, and we don't care
| tradict 1t thinks Mr.. Goodrich Is the
right man for the place or not. We
lare simply stating conditions as we
e6nd them. And, furthermore, Mr..
Goodrich is producing the lights which
the city is burning from its own
| lamps at $1,000 less than the city is
paying the Edison company today.
Mr.. Goodrich keeps his machinery and
the building in neat and good working
condition and he has an engine today
that is almost as good as the ST. Joe
| engine. He Is q droll man and re-
marked to the writer who said that
the machinery seemed to be in first
class condition, considering the cir
| cumstances. YES" said he, 'the only
real cheap thing about the plant Is the
superintendent" He gets $1,000 per
1 annum.
| rur ~unADrNc uorrcr