The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-01

and ready for signature. There are
certain other items which are present.
ed by this Commercial club commit
tee which show that it's figures are
unworthy for estimates and no more
to be depended upon than the figures.
which they secured from the General
Electric company, by and with the
consent of the Topeka Edison COM
pany. As for example, and we print
the figures again herewith covering
the two plans suggested by the COM
mittee SO that they may be referred
to herewith. The particular reference
here made is to the item of five hum
bred poles to replace the old ones,
$780," That is $500 per pole. In
the first place 1t is estimated not to
exceed one hundred new poles are
necessary. Nearly all Of the old poles
are good for ten years yet. Some OF
them 1t may be necessary to saw on
a few feet at the bottom and reset;
but poles do not cost $500 each. They
| only cost $2.75 and they only cost
$1.OO for setting; making total cost
of $3.75 against the Commercial
clubs estimate of 800. These pole
| figures and the electrical equipment
indefinite figures are sufficient to
show that the Commercial club COM
mittee has not given the public def
mite assurance that it will require so
much money as It estimates; namely.
$4,000 to put the plant in shape.
| All of this shows that the mayor
and council were wise in placing the
whole matter in the hands of COM
mission which can take its time to Sc
| cure figures, not dictated by the To-
| peka Edison company, and can dis
cuss and decide upon the whole ques-
ton regardless of politics and undue
| influences. We believe the public is
satisfied to trust the commission and
believe that 1t will spend only so
much of the bonds voted as may be
necessary Commissioner Cofran is
| definitely quoted on this point in this
paper today.
| The statement in the Commercial
club committees report that it is In
clined to believe that the cost per
lamp. per year, in ST. Joseph, is $62.Ss
per lamp, per year, are the right
| figures, instead of $53.37. given by the
| superintendent, is rather remarkable
in view of the fact that in the $4,000
item was included an estimate Of $685.
600 as the value of the franchise and
| other items that had nothing to do
with street lighting, including the cost
of electrical inspection, all charged
into the lighting system at st. Joseph.
It is little strange that the Com
mercial club committee refers to the
plant being in operation eighteen
years and two months. This is the
| way Mr.. Myers refers to it, when as a
matter of fact the plant was built just
| twenty years ago and will have been in
operation exactly twenty years on the
first of July next. That the estimate
of per cent for depreciation is large
| should be clear from the fact that
twenty. years ago the city invested
| $4,000 in the plant and charging off
5 per cent depreciation for the twen-
ty years it would have wiped out the
entire value Of the original investment.
whereas the city has today of that
original investment twenty years ago
| the building, the land, two boilers, a
great number of poles and a large
quantity of wire and the wire is worth
bought.
Is it good thing for the city to give
| so many of it's franchises to one con-
1 CCTH. LIE EulSOn company and the
| Topeka Railway company are under
the same management. Our light, DOW
er, heat and transportation thus come
through one source. Why not be a
little Independent and continue to light
! our streets, particularly when we can
do it at less figure and save taxes
| by doing 1t ourselves? The only way
we can pay for the light is through
taxes and the big taxpayers must re-
| alize that they will save taxes by vot-
ing bonds to put our plant into mod
| ern shape.
A new phase upon the attack upon
| the municipal light proposition was
brought out in long article in this
! mornings Capital signed by James A.
failure in the government of cities in
the United States" and presents a
long array of figures that are intended
to be appalling, and beseeches that no
more bonds be voted, saying NOW is
| a good time to call a halt. Vote
| against the bonds. The thing to do is
| to make repairs and extensions from
year to year and pay for them as we
go. If Mayor Green and his officers
| can't add fifty or sixty thousand dol
lars to the value of this plant dur
ing the next three or four years and
pay it out of current revenues, their
| sagacity as business men has been
| overrated."
] Now the writer is just as anxious
| to reduce taxes as Mr.. Troutman. We
ma that Mr. Troutman paid in taxes
last year in this county $165.SO. but
the greater part of his holdings are
understood to be in Franklin county.
The writer does not like to be boast
iul OF the amount OF taxes he pays,
put Will make the qualified statement
by saying that he paid last year
twenty times more taxes on Topeka
and shawnee county property than
did Mr.. Troutman.