The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-24
No Revenue From Company Un-
der Franchise Now.
POLE LINES IN 1T, TOO
Fifty Cents a Pole to Corpora
tiOns in This City.
Ordinance Will Come Before
Commission Soon.

The taxing of street cars and all
pole lines in Topeka is embodied IN
an ordinance now being drawn up by
the CITY commissioners to be present.
ed for passage to this body some time
next week.
1t is planned to tax every street car
in the city at s25 each. The poles
owned by the telephone, telegraph
and electric light companies will be
taxed at about so cents each. These
figures have not been settled but they
seem to be the figures now chosen by
city officials.
The revenue from the street rail-
way is proposed in order that the
city might receive some sort OF q TAX
from this company. The orlgl1aI
franchise gives the city Oh paI%aa I0peaa
company for the operation of their
lines in this city.
1t is figured by some of the COM
missioners that a tax of $25 car
will be a means of gaining a revenue;
The law provides that tne ciIy ln snan,
receive a certain per cent of the gross
earnings but nothing has been turned
over to the treasury since the iran
chise was accepted many years ago.
The new street car tax was suggest
ed first by Commissioner Miller a
red the matter to Mayor Billiard and
Commissioner Bone for investigation.
These officials have made no report.
although the ordinance has been nelo
in readiness for year. Commission
er Miller, therefore, has arranged the
tax in an ordinance to be presented
soon.
The tax of the pole lines is in the
hands of Commissioner Bone, who is
preparing an ordinance that Will be a
complete change in the entire city IL
cenSe ordinances. -.
ordinance and it is expected that every
flaw will be repaired.
The Bell Telephone company of To-
peka has declared themselves ready TO
pay their pole tax as soon as the ord1 :
nance is passed. They say they pay
this tax in every other city in the
country and they would just as soon
pay it in Topeka
In fixing a tax on all poles, including
the Bell Telephone company, the 1nde-
pendent Telephone company, the Eo1-
son company, the Western Union Tele-
graph company, the Postal Telegraph
company and the other pole lines, tho
city commissioners believe they VIII
strike the first blow to down the poles
and have an underground system in
Topeka altogether.
In other cities the poles are not al
have made everything underground.
This tax is the first sign of an ordt-
nance of this kind in Topeka.
The street car tax win raise a dis
turbance in Topeka. When the ordl-
nance was up before the officials of the
Topeka railway complained bitterly
against such a revenue. They will re-
peat the complaint this year. Commis-
sioner Miller has investigated the mat
ter and he finds that in Kansas City,
taxed $25 each. In some cities they
are $40 and in others $50.
Another change in the license ordi-
nance will be a blow to circuses COM
ing to Topeka. 1t is planned to tax
them not for their rings-as it is
charged they shift these around ac-
cording to the cities visited-but for
the number of cars they bring to the
city. And the tax will have to be paid
as soon as the cars are unloaded.