The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-18
MAYOR SAYS mo"
COfran Calls Halt on Water
works Refunding.
Declares That an Appropriation
Must Be Made.
SWEAR IN YOUR CLAIMS
Regulation Vouchers Must Be
Filed at City Hall.
Scores of Disappointed Holders
of Deposit Slips.

Scores of disappointed holders of de-
post slips of the City Water company
were turned away this morning at the
city water office through an erroneous
report that the department was ready
to pay off all such deposits, printed in
a Topeka paper this morning. Pay
ment of more than a limited number
with the money on hand, was impossi-
BILE, and was stopped in hurry when
the crowd began to pour in
For several days deposit slips have
been taken up at the water office in
payment of accounts. The office had
little more than $4,000 received from
deposits this year, and has paid out
more than $1,000 of that amount in
refunds. But nothing like a wholesale
return of deposits was possible. Even
at that returns would have been made
until the money ran out had not Mayor
Cofran taken a hand in the game, and
ordered the payments stopped.
Everything is as straight as a
string" the mayor said this morning,
but those payments can't be made
without an appropriation by the COM
mission and then he explained the
yards of red tape it will be necessary
to unwind to get back that 81 deposit.
Money paid to the city. according to
the mayor and city attorney, cannot
be paid out without an appropriation.
Claims on regular vouchers of the in
dividual depoSitorS Will have to be
sworn to and filed, and subsequently
acted on by the commission before the
money can be paid. Then it will be
paid on regular city warrants. If you
want your money, go to the city water
office and make a claim for it, swear
ing to the voucher and taking your
deposit slip with YOU. The voucher
will go in with the other bills against
the city and will be allowed in the
t1o
a regular payday at the city hall your
warrant will be paid with the Others
Commissioner Newiand ILL.,
Commissioner F. NJ. Newland of the
waterworks department is seriously
sick at his home this morning, and no
further action was taken in the refund
of deposits matter. A number of de-
post slips were taken up yesterday aft
ernoon, and just few We're redeemed
this morning. But number were taxi
en- up before yeSterday-haVe been tax
en- up for several days. 1t has been the
intention of Commissioner Newland to
make the returns of deposits, but he
did not expect to do it all at once, it is
said.
Early this mornin gTsfMayor Cofran
took chips in the game. -
You can't return any of those de-
posits legally without an appropria-
ton" he said And the refunding
1t is interesting to note that the city
has approxima tely $4,000 of deposits
on hand. 1t is the intention of the de-
partment to return all of this money,
it is claimed, barring no one. In fact,
it is renters in most instances who
give the least trouble to the water de-
partment. according to the officials,
and at one time it was thought that
renters would be compelled to pay the
deposits that were not demanded from
property owners. AS a municipal con-
Germ the water company could not
make such distinction it is said.
why certainly. the claims of those
who have deposits with the water COM
pany will be allowed declared Mayor
Cofran this morning when asked about
the matter. They will be allowed
when they come before the board in the
regular manner"
In the near future. as has been re-
ported heretofore in the State Journal,
what is of more Importance to the
users of water than the refunding of
deposits will be taken up. A radical
reduction in the price of water to do
nestle consumers is promised. perhaps
from As cents thousand gallons to 35
cents a thousand gallons. The reduc-
ton at least will be to. 40 cents. it is
asserted.
Commissioner Newland's health is
not considered dangerous but he is SER
iously sick for the time being. No
further effort to straighten out the re-
funding of deposits tangle will be TAX
en- until he returns to the office.