The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-13
COMBINE PLANTS?
NeWIand Would Have Water
and Light Under One Roof.
Move Light Plant to Water
WOrks-SeH Electric Current?

/ Frank M Newland, city com mission
er at the head of the light and water
department of the city, this morning
/ expressed the opinion that the city S
| light plant and water plant should be
| combined under one roof and operated
! jointly.
At present the citys lighting plant
| is located at Second and Jefferson
station is west of the city and two
miles from the lighting plant. BY
moving the lighting plant out and
| placing it under the same roof with
the pumping station, it is believed that
great economy would result IN the use
/ of machinery, fuel and the number or
employees necessary. Light and water
plants are operated Jointly in many
cities and with great economy over
the individual plant system and there
| is no reason why the same economy
could not be practiced in Topeka.
After the regular meeting OF the
city commission this morning, Com
missioner Newland brought up the
proposition. In discussing 1t he said
he was in favor of taking the good
machinery of the lighting plant which
is now at Second and Adams street
and moving it out to the light plant,
do away with a lot of worn out ma
chinery now at the light plant, get
what new machinery would be needed
and at the same time put in some I'M
provements which are NEEDED at the
water plant, and operate the two
plants together.
Il believe that with this arrange
ment we could reduce the cost of cleo
tric current to five cents a kilowatt
and could go into the business of sup
plying commercial current, and still
have enough profit out of the bust
ness to enable us to light the city,"
said Mr.. Newland.
Commissioner Porter called atten-
ton to the fact that to have the cleo
trio current patrons pay for the cost
of lighting the city would be unfair
to them. Mr.. Newland readily conced-
ed the point and explained that he
was merely stating what he believed
the city would be able to do rather
than what it would or should do I'M
der the economical arrangement pro-
posed.
Should the proposal of Commission
er Newland be adopted and light cur
rent reduced in price to cents l<ilo-
watt, it would mean a cut of practical
ly so per cent. in the light bills of the
ordinary consumer.
But at the present time the Edison
company is doing the lighting busl-
ness. Should the city go into tho
business of supplying electric Hght
current for general use, it would I'M
doubtedly meet with opposition from
the Edison company and there may be
legal difficulty, too. At present the
city's light plant supplies current fo1
municipal use only, such as the corner
street lights and the illumination OF
the white ways"
The proposition of retailing current
was only touched upon in the con-
nection with the plan to combine
the light and water plants with the
object of cutting down running ex-
penseS ID
Commissioner Porter expressed him
Salf as favorably inclined to the COM
bination PLAN while Commissioner
Tandy was n-committal. Mayor
Cofran and Commissioner Bone were
absent.
Some changes and improvements
are under consideration at the water
plant now. Commissioner Newland
suggested that before going ahead
with these plans for the water plant
that it might be we'll to get advice of
an expert Possibly, if an expert is
employed his opinion may also be Sc
cured on the scheme to combine the
two plants.