The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-21

presenting its side of the controversy
as to mislead its readers, perhaps I'M
Intentionally, but none the less effec-
lively. I beg of you to so word what
you may hereafter publish as not to
permit of wrong conclusions For in
stance, how much nicer it would have
been If you had added to the foregoing
quotation something like this =. but
Mr.. Myers figures were based upon
what it has cost Topeka and are not
what he claims will be the future cost
lFor State Journals reply see Exhibit
A below.l
In fact. anything of that sort that will
make you better understood. I have
every confidence in your promise to be
fair. and to be perfectly frank with
you, do not believe you wrote this
article and I also doubt whether you
saw it before 1t was printed. You see
am absolutely, frank in discussing this
matter with you because I am sure we
are going to work along agreeably,
and to make this result certain we have
got to be honest with each other.
Sincerely yours,
L. E. MYERS.
The Topeka State Journal. having
generously granted me the use of its
columns in which to reply to it's vol
luminous editorial in defense of the
principles of municipal ownership gen.
orally, and the failure of Topeka g
electric light plant in particular.
gratefully avail myself of that
courtesy.
fFor reply see Exhibit 81
First, desire to submit some of my
reasons for not believing in the mu-
nictpaI ownership of electric lighting
plants and will also show why they
inevitably prove to be failures. A city
having once established a plant with
certain machinery is practically bound
to operate that machinery as best it
can until II is no longer disable, be-
cause city officers can not deviate from
their prescribed legal duties either in
the way of providing improved ma
chinery or in the operation Of the
plant, as can the officers and operators
of privately owned plants. Most peo-
PIE do not realize what a tremendous
difference this makes. The manage
ment of private corporation is at
liberty to from time to time adopt any
policy. experiment or new device that
will result in improvement or econ
omy, it can establish rules best adapt
ed to meet particular requirements
and change such rules at will. 1t can
make merit and efficiency the corner
stone of its whole structure. In its
practical operation 1t has no politics.
1t Is bound by no Interchangeable laws.
needs only to employ those that are
competent and responsible, and, as
profit is absolutely necessary to its very
existence, all sentiment is put aside
and everything made to yield to that
one object-success.
On the other hand the officers OF a
corporation must adapt
themselves to the laws provided for
their government. These laws stipu-
late how thing can or can not be
done, who shall and who shall not do
it. There can be no deviation There
are occasions constantly arising when
some way other than the one provided
by law could be advantageously en-
p1oyed; but 1t can not be so used, as
to do so would lay the offending off,
GER liable to charges Of misfeasance or
It may seem that this
is wholly bad, but 1t is far from being
SO. Laws are enacted and enforced
not only for the general good. but also
to guard against unlimited power be-
ing placed in the hands of public
servants.
system whereby every scrap of in
formation regarding the operation of
its business is secured, assembled,
scrutinized and recorded. 1t Is then
considered as whole. as an inde-
pendent factor and in combination
with other factors. If it appears that
a single element can be made more
profitable or less expensive by in
crease, reduction, combination or
every force in the business
is set to work at that problem until it
Is successfully solved. Can the Jour-
nal conceive Of anything of this sort
being planned, much less undertaken,
by a municipality? I think not
The records of any ordinarily we'll
managed electric property will dis
close the cost of performing every de-
tail essential to the operation of the
property as a whole The Topeka
Edison company can tell at a glance
just how much electric current 1t has
obtained from each pound of coal it
has used since it started in business.
Its records disclose the quantities of
water evaporated per pound of coal
consumed, the loss in transmission of
each class of current 1t manufactures,
the efficiency of each unit in its plant
and the entire plant under different
conditions of load, and innumerable
other records of like character. What
record has the city of what it's plant
has done during the past 20 years?
Absolutely none. Instead of being
able to show the cost of any operating
charge in detail, it could not even
produce the true total cost, and it re-
manned for the trained minds of a.
corporation to accomplish that which
the city itself either thought unneces-
sary or was unable to produce. In
this connection it is amusing to note
that until the officers of the Edison
spect to the cost of operating the
city's plant. nobody knew, in fact no.
body seemed to care what 1t had been
doing, nor is Topeka's experience in
this particular essentially different
from that of other cities. A COM
petent and honest man operating
municipal lighting plant, whose rec
ords would be so complete as to be
beyond successful contradiction,
would be a recognized authority.
lFor reply see Exhibit CT
Tt is for these and many other rea-
sons I could cite that 1t is utterly i'm
possible to apply true business meth
DDS to municipal industries. A "busi-
ness administration" sounds well but
it can only be carried out as for as
the law will permit, and is always
subject to our political system. For
instance, one superintendent of the
city light plant secured his position
through on order of court, notwith-
ST. -