The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-26

meeting held at the hall of the Demo-
cratic F1ambeau club on lower Kan
sas avenue last night met this morn
ing to arrange definite plans for
campaign against the proposed new
plan for Topeka The members of
the committee are.e Michael Heery,
chairman and treasurer; D. C. Tillot-
son. secretary; L. NJ. James, George
GleiSner, Geo. E. Barnaby and P H.
Coney.
The committee this morning de-
cided to arrange for a public mass
meeting to be held at the Auditorium
an Monday evening for an open dis
cussion of the question of commission
rule for Topeka. d. c. Tillotson will
be one of the speakers who will repre-
sent this committee. and others will
| be secured later. The committee will
be glad to have representatives pres
ent who favor the plan to present
their arguments. On Friday evening
I meeting will be held in Luken's
opera house on the North Side and it
! is possible that a half dozen smaller
| gatherings will be arranged.
The committee made a start last
night in the direction of securing
funds for carrying on the campaign.
and a further effort will be made in
| this direction. 1t was decided this
morning to have printed for distribu-
ton among the voters 5000 circulars
containing points against the COM
mission plan.
| The meeting last night was not a
political affair as has been stated,
| purely under Democratic auspices.
AS a matter of fact the speakers
against the new plan were Re-
publicans.
There were about hundred per-
sons present at the gathering 1nclud-
| ing a number of women. G. E. Barn
| aby who was enlisted as a member OF
| the committee to work against the
commission government for Topeka
| favors the proposed change, and was
drafted against his will. d. c. Tillot-
| son was the chief speaker of the even
| ing, although P. H Coney, j. B. Bill
lard. and Michael Heery also partici-
| pated in the meeting, the latter serv-
ing as chairman.
The main argument for contention
brought up by Mr.. Tillotson was in
| connection with the waterWorkS prop
| lem. He said:
1.-THE plan provides that the COM
| missioners in cities owning their own
| waterworks, shall, not may, fix water
| rates sufficient to pay salaries and
| wages of all officers and employees of
| the department.; cover all miscellan-
| eous expenses; pay all interest charges
/ upon Indebtedness of the city created
| to purchase, improve and extend the
| waterworkS; provide sinking fund OF
not less than per cent per annum to
| pay Indebtedness; cover cost OF re-
| pairs. renewals, betterments and ex-
tensions and material used; cover de-
probation: cover losses by accident;
recoup the city for loss of taxes due
to city ownership; give the city a fair
| margin of profit upon the capital in
| vested in such waterworks system.
/ 1.-The city now has water rate that
protects items one to seven inclusive,
but does not protect items eight and
nine. To protect items eight and nine,
would require an increase of 20 per
cent in our present water rates as
/, shown by the following:
THE present capital invested in
our waterworks system is $752,000
The amount necessary to recoup the
city for losses in taxes due to city
ownership at rate of one and one-hal1
per cent on the s752, 600 would be
$10,9SO. The legal rate of interest in
this state is 6 per cent. The interest
!, on the S752.000 would be $45,120. The
| additional amount required by the
5 commission plan would be $56.100
The annual amount now paid by rate
/ payers is $4,000. The total amour
5 required by the commission plan from
: the rate payers is $137,100 which Ii
an increase of 10 per cent over the
present amount"
II Answering the statements made b
8 the advocates of the commission pla
f i that the system would be more econom
4 zeal the speaker stated that there woul