The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-01
LIGHT ..lEETlNG.
Commercial Club Committee
Begs Edison for New Bid.
! little DiscussiOn-The Matter
= SaeIEed ATsin.
WAITING ON ERs.
Who Has to Be Conferred With
Generally.
Commissioner COfran Believes
Only Part Bond IssueN Necessary.

y
day afternoon for the purpose OF
hearing the report of the committee
appointed by President Jensen of that
body to investigate the electric light
tng proposition as it affects Topeka
TIL committee consisted of Robert
Pierce, 6. H. Mathews and George
Moeser and their report, which is
lengthy, was published in last night S
Topeka State Journal.
After reading the'report Mr.. Pierce,
chairman of the committee, asked that
q committee be appointed to confer
with the representatives of the Edison
company for the purpose of allowing
them to make another proposition to
the committee. President Jensen an
nounced that general discussion of the
report would be postponed till a spec
ial meeting to be held Friday evening.
at variance on a number of points
. concerned in the report rendered; G.
H Mathews insisting on a deprecia-
ton of per cent per annum which
was considered and SO stated in the
rAiort as too low by the majority of
: ths committee.
=. It. Doran, attorney for the To-
~ Edison company, argued that
J s@ per cent allowed Tor depreciation
pr The plant was not enough.
III <Let me ask" said NJ. A. Low.
upon what this five per cent de-
probation is based ?"
1T is giN as the minimum for
such...' replie -dr. Pierce, land is con-
sidered very low
Il shoult say, replied Mr.. Low,
that the probation of the Topeka
plant has been much greater than the
figure five per cent would represent,
ar J think that the figure is too low"
- a men Der of the committee I
g We ;ftisssubject much thought, said
M. Mathews, land am satisfied that
tA"ei I've per cent allowed for deprecia-
uo.' is ample"
about sanla gKl from storms. accidents
and IKE expenditures likely in the
speration Af a plant of this kind.
WI 'ere~laye you made an allowance
f. snea expenses"
Il ct. 80 ~repiied Mr.. Mathews ''is
4akeI care of by the expense account
as i understand it, and as for the
r da images 1 do not think that the COM
mittee, considered that proposition"
You will remember said Mr..
sDoran, that the city recently paid
damages for death caused by the
electric wires and this is one import
, ant Hem that the committee seems to
have overlooked. possibly because it
WAS charged to the city and not to
tfie lighting plant"
or four years ago when a colored man
was electrocuted in Potwin and the
Judgment was rendered against the
city for 5000. This is believed to be
the only case of damages in the
twenty years of operation.
"Our committee has tried to get at
the actual cost of furnishing the city
with electric lights said Mr.. Pierce
land now that we have completed our
work move that committee be ap-
pointed to confer with the representa-
tives of the Edison company and see
If they have any new proposition to
make"
81 move that the same committee
be appointed for this purpose" said
w. H. Dasis, "as they are now in the
harness and have the matter well in
hand
The motion carried after an amend
ment had been attached asking the
committee to report at a meeting
Friday evening to carry out Mr..
Pierce's idea Of receiving some new
proposition from the Edison company.
Il do not feel that 1 should discuss
the matter of the issuance of bonds
at this time said w. w. Mills today,
one of the members of the commission
appointed by Mayor VI m Green,
ION account of M appointment as a
member of the commission. However
# seems to me that the argument ad-
should not vote bonds falls to the
ground of its own weight.
Granting the fact that there is an
outstanding Indebtedness at this time
of s., ,000. 900, Topeka has a waterworks
system worth at least half of this sum
There is not city in the country that
owns as complete a plant at a cost of
less than a million of dollars and this
investment has proven a good one for
the taxpayers of Topeka.
I'VE will get value received for every
dollars worth of bonds issued for the
rebuilding of the lighting plant and the
plant will stand as an asset. The city
waterworks proposition has proven a
good investment and l see no reason
why the city ownership of an electric
lighting plant would not prove a like
advantage to the taxpayers of this
community"
II believe" said G. H. Mathews. one
of the committee of three appointed by
President Jensen of the Commercial
club to investigate the city lighting
proposition, that our report is as COM
plete and thorough could have been
made under the circumstances. 1t is
true that the largest item, that of cleo
trio equipment, is not itemized but that
I Is not the fault of the committee as we
asked for such an estimate.
THE General Electric company of
which we asked an estimate seems to
be about the only concern of the kind
IN the country in position to give us
t;le desired information and while we
sked for estimates of dynamos. etc,
& were furnished with an estimate as
q total. As far as the item of manag-
Ing ~ plant for the past eighteen
year concerned and the cost of op-
erat 1 think that our figures are
as ,clAate as it is possible to get
~ all lk they show that the cost of
N, ntena.lce per lamp during this
! p .iod has been a little in excess of