The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-03
One Hundred Members Com
mereial Club Opposed Bonds.
WORD FROM OTHER CITIES
A Number of kilograms APP
proving New Plans.
From Cities Where Automatic
Is in Successful Operation.

AuLOIudllC IclcPIOllC 6y SSCAAA AfA AORN~>~-
as proposed by Harold F. Stroud, rep
fresentative Of the Automatic Electric
company Of Chicago. a resolution
against the plan offered by H. o. Gar
vey, was carried by a large majority
vote of the one hundred persons at the
meeting Of the Commercial club held
Thursday night.
The vote was overwhelming and
voiced a present feeling in the CONNER
cial club against the automatic tele-
phone as well Is against the proposed
bond proposition.
There were some who felt that the
proposition was not one which should
be voted upon by the commercial body.
C. H. Matthew's, and H. B. Howard
and four or five others started to rise to
vote against the resolution. but when
they saw that others were not standing
they made haste to take their seats.
The Bell company was represented by
A. ]. Mackey, manager; s. ]. Bear. tax
commissioner; Fred Howe and ]. L.
Hunt. attorney.
Stroud in Own Behalf.
Mr.. Stroud was given the floor at the
opening of the meeting. He spoke at
length, explaining the proposition which
President Haskell, in his Introductory
remarks. explained that the directors of
the Commercial club passed a resolution
last Saturday against the proposed bond
issue Of $500, 900, but that decision was
made at a meeting of the board Tues
day noon to get an expression from the
membership at a special meeting.
e. w. RanAin was the only speaker
aside from Mr.. Stroud. who favored
the plan presented by Mr.. Stroud.
John r. Mulvane, James A.. Trout
man, A. A. GODDARD, p. ]. Monaghan,
Oscar Swayze, and w. H. Kemper
spoke against the proposition
Fifteen Hundred Signed.
Mr.. Stroud stated that fifteen hun
dred persons had signed the petition
asking that the question of voting
plant be checked up to the people.
A counter petition was started
Thursday. and is being circulated to-
day. Following is the petition and
signers: ITO the voters of Topeka:
An attempt is being made to establish
a municipal automatic telephone ex-
change to be owned and operated by
to this are that it Involves: II Z
L. "A first issue OF 100000 OF
bonds to be issued by the city, the
interest and principal of which must
be paid by the people of Topeka. This
bonds will have to be issued.
2. Duplicate telephone systems
sires telephone connections with all
other telephone users in the city to
have two telephones, thus doubling
their telephone expense.
3. The experiment of the city at
tempting to operate at an expense of
ficult kind Of a plant to operate. A
telephone plant is always difficult to
operate-an automatic telephone
plant, because Of the great amount
of intricate equipment used, is doubly
difficult. No city in this country has
municipal telephone plant.
We are opposed to this movement.
Signed:
w. w. Mills, w. B. Kirkpatrick, P.
]. Monaghan, 0. H. Forbes, r. T.
kreipe. P. I. Bonebrake. E. L. Cope
Reid. Morns & Myers, Charles Wolff,
jr., ]. w. F. Hughes. r. F. Hodgins.
T. A. Borman, Crosby Bros. Co., E. H.
Crosby. Aaron Sheetz, Alex. A. Sharp,
j. r. Mulvane, Luther C. Bailey, David
Bowie, ]. F. Haskell. C. B. Merriam,
Southwick, Horace L. Hall. Samuel E.
LUX, S. G. Stewart. A. Fassler, H. o.
Garvey, Scott Hopkins. Horace Hum
phries. w. c. Stephenson, E. E. Ames,
r. w. freeman, II. Z. MCKINNEY, "A. M.
Mills and F. M. Spencer.
Ideal Plant in Topeka.
In the course OF his remarks Mr..
Stroud said:
II have been studying the municipal
since last August have been trying to
find city where conditions were
ideal for the establishment of an
automatic plant without central and
under municipal ownership.
when the mayor and city COM
missioners of Topeka go to San Fran
cisco they will be able to tell of three
things which Topeka is proud-the
waterworks plant, the electric. light
plant and the automatic telephone
plant, all under municipal operation.
1t can't fail 1 am for the monopoly
of the telephone but 1 am for this
monopoly by the people only. They
give the franchise They pay the
bills.
THE efficiency of the automatic il
unquestioned. The average time of
making connections in Topeka would
be five seconds. The nearest compar-
ison to Topeka is Grand Rapids, where
there is an automatic system. In
that city where they have SO bust
ness rate and a So party rate. the COM
pany paid $2.620.0O0 total dividends
in nineteen years. after paying all of
it's operating expenses.
Now about the bond proposition.
The automatic is self supporting in
stitution and will pay a profit. There
is not another city in the United
States that is more righteous in its
city government than Topeka VIII
should the city be afraid to take hol
Of such a proposition?
IT will say the battle is won tonight.
I have a sufficient number Of signers
to the petitfons-both business and Ia
boring men. Your club should get in
line. not oppose the inevitable"
Word From Other Cities.
Mr. Stroud read many letters and
kilograms from cities where there are
automatic telephones In use from bust
ness men who preferred the service to
that given by the manual plants. He