The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-14
City's Automobile Good Thing
for Water Superintendent.
Dir. Shaw Runs 1t to EmpOria
to VISIT
HE BUYS GASOLINE
But the City Pays the Repair
Bills.
Complaint Is Made That Car Is
Used for Personal Use.
HE BUYS GASOLINE

Z Does the city OF Topeka buy an au-
/ tOmobile Tor business purposes and al
I low its officers TO take Joy rides on
Sundays and in the evenings?
That is d question that is worrying
number of taxpayers who have been
watching lately he actions of Jesse
Shaw. superintendent of the city water
works.
A few weeks ego the city laid aside
81 $50 for the purchase OF a motor car
for the use of The Waterworlxs super
intendent 1t was stated in the resolu-
ton that came before the board of
commissioners. presented by Commits
sioner Miller. that this machine should
be FOR city purposes"
Since The purchase OF the car Super
intendent Shaw, MS friends. ueighbOrs
and others nave been enjoying the time
of their lives. Sunday they went Is
miles 10 Esmporia and return-anOther
IS miIes-with a few jaunts between
times.
The average motor car owner admits
candidIy that II costs from 3 to cents
a mile to run an automobile It is ad
mitted also by the car owners-not by
the agents-that machine viii de-
preciate in value nearly so per cent the
first year-accordine to the usage
Now the city commissioners were
slow in deciding 70 buy motor car for
the water superintendent. They ad-
mitted that Mr.. Shaw needed a mean
Oh tgAtNEs ellCt ~ the water " VI d IL
in the minds of some-sO did Commits
sioneF Tandy need a way to keep watch
on his street and paving wOrk-and Nj.
Tandy purchased his own automobile.
And Commissioner Stotts needed a con-
veyance to care for his parks-and Mr.
St1tts bought his motor car
But the car was purchased-and no
one objected audihly to the expenditure
of the S1,150.
But since Superintendent Shaw has
been detected burning up the pave
ments with his city tires. eating in the
cool evening breezes while the other
city officers patched their screens with
string. there has been more or less dis
content
And the taxpayers have noticed it.
Several Topeka people have complained
TO the State Journal OF the action O.
the city in buying motor car that could
be used by the superintendent as -
pleasure vehicle in the evenings
superintendent Shaw admitted today
that he went to Emporia in his car
4 went down 10 make a visit with
friends he said Had q nice trip
made the 20 miles in six hOurs-but I
understand others make IL in better
time than that But / have not learned
To run the m chine very smoothly yet
and I didn't try to make the distance
in quick time"
The reporter limited on the gasoline
expense
''Oh. buy all the gasoline when
go out for pleasure" assured the SUI
perintendent. At other times the city
furnishes il. The city maintains the
car-keeps it in repair and all that"
The city waterwOFks machine is a
I five passenger car fully equipped. 1t
cost the city s1,150-good money
that was paid by people who have
water meters buzzing in their base
ments It was specified that the ma
chine should be used for city pur-
/ poses.
/ It was wondered at first why the
wateFworks department wanted nice
4 five passenger car-When business
men are glad to have a two-passeRger
| runabout for their work. Commits
sioner Miller thought a five passenger
car would be nice for the conveyance
/ of employees and visitors to the wat
/ erworks- So the commissioners agreed
| that it would be terribly nice" to Of
fer these mmodations-and a
five passenger machine was pur-
chased.
In other cities the city cars arc all
/ marked in large letters to indicate
they are in the city service and this
makes their use for personal use i'm
I practical and easy of detection, but
the water company automobile has
M