The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-11
hike WATER Rates
"Pete" Miller Urges so Per Cent
Increase If Necessary.
Former City Councilman De-
nOunces Proposed Bond Issue.
EAST SIDERS BEFORE CITY DADS
Protest Suggested Abandonment
of Fire Station No. 6.
FIay Poor Street Car Service
and Viaducts.
EAST SIDERS BEFORE CITY DADS

A so per cent increase in city water
rates. and more il need be, was advo-
Gated by Pete" Miller. former city
councilman, in a talk this morning be-
fore the city commissioners at their
regular meeting. Miller was one of
delegation OF east side citizens which
called on the commissioners to protest
against the suggested abandonment OF
Fire station No. 6, on Seward avenue.
The poor street car service on the
Oakland line and the condition of the
viaduct came in for a share of COM
ment by the delegation.
The proposed bond issue TO finance
the contemplated improvements in the
city water system was denounced by
Miller. 1t merely would be saddiinS
the burden on future generations. he
declared He asserted that the work.
ing people understand the proposition
and would gladly pay more for city
water. 1t is the man with the most
money who kicks the most on the
water rates, Miller insisted. The inter-
est on the proposed bonds, he said.
would amount to a great deal.
''Rest Went Up, Why Not Water"
Increase the rates." urged the for
mer councilman, "The cost of living
has doubled and trebled. but the
| water rates have not gone up. The
cost of operating the water Depart
ment has increased 100 per cent. In
four years you will have enough
money to make the improvements
without floating a bond ISSUE"
But what will we do for water in
the meantime?" asked Wilbur Stan
field, water commissioner III we
| float bond issue we can make the
| improvements at once. We can't wait
four years"
Isn't there enough water to run
that length OF time?"
Not Enough Water-Stanfield.
There positively is not The citi-
zens of Topeka don't want to go thru
many more winters like last winter"
Then make the rates higher.
That's business,
But we couldn't accumulate enough
money in less than two years, and in,
the meantime we would be putting in
new wells to tide us over. Everyone
knows that in the end this thing must
come to filtration system. The
underground water flow is practically
| exhausted. It's true the rates are low.
We are getting out our annual water
report now and it shows that we are
LOSING money on minimum customers"
| The delegation was headed by
| James Mullin, a member of the board
| of education. He rendered the COM
missioners a petition signed by 257
East side residents. asking for a motor
truck at No. fire station and pro-
testing against the abandonment OF the
station as proposed recently by Fire
Chief Joseph Hanlon.
| Would Be in Fire Trap
| TT is hard for fire trucks to get 10
| the east side from uptown" said Null
| lin. There are two railroad tracks
to cross and frequently the way is
fblocked by trains. A house could
burn down before a fire company
could get out there. We. as citizens.
are paying the same taxes as other
/, citizens and feel that we deserve fire
protection. II No. is removed we
will be left in a trap, for IL frequently
| happens that, when the river is high.
the river road is under water"
! Commissioner W. Fl. Wasson pre-
| siding in the absence OF Mayor II. ].
Corwine. assured the delegates that
the matter had never come before the
| commission and, as far as he knew,
was not being considered.
Urges Street Car Spur.
Miller declared that the citizens liv-
ling between the business district and
Oakland have to walk whenever there
is anything special going on in town.
The cars are already crowded before
they leave Oakland. he said. and by
the time they get down on Seward
avenue there is no more room for
passengers. He advocated that the
street railway company place a spur
on Seward avenue or at Reno and Di-
vision sweets. Extra cars might run
this far. he said, and accommodate
the people living on the Topeka side
The condition OF the Branner street
lviaduct likewise was flayed by the
former councilman.
Some time ago. he said. "a street
car left the track on the top of this
viaduct and ran to within four feet
of the edge. There Is drop of about
forty feet. Had the ca$ gone over. ~
| would have been sthe worst disaster
that ever happened in the city. for
that little car The rear end of the
car was so heavily loaded that when
the car bounced. as they do. the front
trucks were lifted entirely off the rails
at the corner and II went straight
ahead instead OF turning. MY two
daughters happened to be on that car
Had that car gone over. II would be
hard TO say what 7. and other men in
my position. would have done"
Miller also advocated removing one
Of the steel support columns which
stands snuareiv in the middle of Bran
ner street. and supporting the viaduct
in some Other manner In order 20
minimize the doneer Of the sharp turn
on the railroad tracks. The floor OF
the via duct IS not iii condition to travel
over. Miller added.
MANY of the pianks are loose" he
asserted Nails gtfck UP here and
there. spelling death to automobile
tires and the incline is so steep that
team could not pull it with a heavy
, load"