The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-04
ONE MORE CUT.
The Water Rates Will Again Be
Reduced.
Aggregate Is About Thirty
Thousand Dollars.
METER USERS ONLY.
Does Not Apply to the Flat Rate
Consumers.
City Council Takes the Neces-
.sary Steps.
METER USERS ONLY.

Another reduction in water rates Will
be made to the consumers of city wa
ter. The cut will apply to meter users
only. Those who are on fiat rate
can secure the reduction by going over
to the meter service. AS about two
thirds, rapidly increasing. are now on
meter the reduction will affect the
great majority of users of city water.
The cut in price will amount to about
$50 900 a year and will be apportioned
among the consumers and based upon
the amount of revenue secured from
each class. The reduction Will become
effective about January l.
The board has just announced a cut
averaging 10 per cent which was placed
into effect on July l. This other cut
comes as an additional largess and is
based upon a raise in the tax levy for
fire hydant rental which the council
last evening approved of. The only
tax that the city pays as whole tow
ards supporting the waterworks de-
partment is through the nre hydrant
rental which is supposedly 10 cover the
cost of the water furnished at fires and
the cost of the installation or large
high pressure mains and fire Migrants
The tax in the past has been right
around $4,000 and has remained uni
formly at this figure for years. Inc
the waterworks department is SAID 10
largely exceed these figures and conse-
auently the deficit must be met by the
consumers of city water VINO pay
higher rate than they would II the rem
tai were higher. This is inequltaDle
declares the board of waterworks trus-
tees and so last evening petitioned the
council for an increased levy. They
want one mill which will bring IN I'M
der the new valuation about $4o,ooo-
hoard by Mayor Green and was readily
accepted for it has been under conslo-
Grafton for some time.
1t was expected that the council
would meet the proposed change with
considerable opposition. but 1t passed
without the culver of an eyelash.
This is the way the board explained
$40 the Honorable Mayor and Coun-
Gentlemen: In 1905 when the city
became owner of the water plant your
honorable body believing that the city
at large should pay Tor water useu
nv the city and it's several departments,
made levy sufficient to pay INTO tlle
city treasury for the use or the water
department an amount equal TO the
sum which the city had been paying
the Topeka water company for rental
of 800 fire hydrants. Since 1870, 30
additional hydrants have been added,
which with other improvements, has
largely increased to property holders
protection against loss by fire.
MANY of said property owners are
not consumers of water, and there
fore pay nothing for the protection
afforded except by general tax. we
think that it is safe to estimate that
only about so per cent of the buildings
fronting upon streets in which water
mains are laid are consumers or have
connections with the mains.
"In view of the fact that extensions
have been made on which 9S addition
al hydrants have been placed, that
flush tanks have been constructed.
whereby the city is guaranteed addi-
tional fire protection and becomes a
larger consumer of water, we believe
the levy for the benefit of the water
fund should be increased. We there
fore respectfully request that the levy
for the year 1908 be made one mill.
while such a levy will create larger
fund than has heretofore been paid
by general taxation, 1t will also enable
the waterworks trustees to make a re-
duction in rates to consumers equal
TO said increase. which will be done as
soon as the proposed levy is avail
able"
After demurring somewhat over the
inspection fee named of 81 in the new
milk inspection ordinance which pro-
vides for the appointment of a veter-
marian Dy the city make d physical
examination of all dairy cows furnish
ing milk to the city and a chemical
test of the milk, the council agreed to
pass the ordinance which is to take
effect on October /. State Dairy Com
missioner Wilson stated that the fee
was not large, for it covered an ex-
haustive inspection of both a physical
and chemical nature and there was no
revenue in it to the city.
The tuberculosis in cows which is
fertile source of that disease
through the communication establish
ed by drinking impure milk will be
guarded against and all cows so suf-
fering will be condemned. Water in
milk will also be under the ban and
none can be sold either in restaurants
or by milk dealers. A certain percent
age of butter fat must be contained
as well a good coating of cream,
SKINNED milk receives a cold look A
fine of ten to one hundred dollars and
Imprisonment not to exceed one hun
dred days will follow a violation. The
inspector will receive $1,000 a wear
and must pass an examination, both
written and oral, in addition he must
furnish his own equipment for in
spection.
A new IL inch main costing S9343 os
will be laid on West Sixth avenue from
West street to Topeka avenue and viii
replace the inch and inch mair
which now serves the city down thai