The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-11
ILLEGAL for Cities of First Glass
to Own Plant.
MUST WAIT FOR LEGISLATURE
No Action Can Be Taken Until
Next Session at Least.
HI. ID. Stroud Says Corporations
Are to Blame for 1t.

The telephone war In Topeka Is end
eA-at least until the 1915 legislature
can repair the existing law ana ehaoie
Topeka to own a telephone system anu
vote bonds for municipal ownership OF
its public utilities. This afternoon mar
old d. Stroud Of the Automatic COM
nanv rave up the fight when ne
learned that chapter 123 Of the session
law. of 1913 made it illegal for CITY
of the first class to own either teie-
nhone or street railway systems.
In a statement this afternoon, strouo
literally charged that the 1913 act was
passed in the interests OF the puu,i p.s'
aervice corporations after poln
hrs nches of the state legislature nao
enacted house bill No. 664 That meas
ure became q law February ~. IL was
repealed March 13 under a provision IN
senate bill 164. which made lliesai tne
ownership by a city OF the nrst ciass
of either a street railway system "a
municipal telephone plant.
with the law in its present conoi-
ton IL would be entirely Impossible ior
Topeka to take over or own any teie-
phone plant.
House Bill q Law.
House bill 664 went into the hopper
January 20. 1t was introduced py r:
A. Hines Of Scott county ana tenoeo
to enlarge the powers of cities of the
first, second and third class relative 10
the ownership of public utilities.
Under the terms of that bill, CITY
of the first class might own teie-
phone plant or street railway system
or other public utility. Inc Hlnes
bill passed both houses and on Febru-
ary 90, was published and became a
law.
In the meantime the bill now on the
statute books was introduced In the
senate by Wilson of Jefferson county.
That bill made illegal the ownership
by a city of the first class of either
street railway or telephone plant. The
Wilson bill became law March 10,
and the Hines act was repealed by
the provisions OF the Wilson bill
That 10 the plain. simple story OF
the ending Of the telephone war wnicn
has been waged in Topeka for several
weeks. Topeka cannot own tele-
phone plant. The state statutes say
30 and the promoters of the Automatic
system admit their defeat.
1--WE Are Whipped''@Stroud.
There Is nothing to do but quit. 30
long as the law Is in Its present con-
1--WE are whipped SO far as the fight
right now Is concerned.
1.-THE lobby record Of the 1913 legis-
lative session shows that s. ]. Baer
of the Bell company called at the state
capitol January 27 and registered as a
lobbiest. The records show that be-
tween the date Of the committee re-
port on the Hines bill and the intro
duction OF the Wilson bill, Baer was
registered. I do not make this as a
charge, but merely mention these facts
in support Of my theory that the Will
son bill is a JOKER"
Wait Until 1915.
No P,,rfhar off0rfa will no made AZ
this time TO put across the proposition
to vote 100000 in bonds for an auto
matte municipal telephone plant in
fop.xa. When the 1915 legislature
com ss to Topeka, 1t will be asked to
repeal he Wilson act and to give the
stat. a way that will permit municipal
Ow nc:snip by first class cite Of all
public utilities.