The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-26
Men to Fight Raise in
Phone Rates.
Urge Chamber of Commerce to
Take Action.
ASK CITY To INVESTIGATE
Committee Appointed to Handle
the Battle.
Must Be Taken to Court
by Body.

Topeka business men are not in
clined to accept the increase in teIe-
phone rates granted this week by the
Court of Industrial relations. without
a fight. They have been calling the
secretary and president of the Cham
ber of Commerce today to urge that
body to do something" and the mat
ter was vigorously discussed at the
meeting of the board of directors to-
day.
The protestants, chiefly wholesalers
and jobbers. say they want to give the
phone company a fair deal. but that
the increase coming at a time when
all other costs are going down. seems
ill-timed at the least, and they believe
that once the rates are up they will
be very hard to bring back to normal.
Committee Is Appointed.
After discussion by the board of di-
rectors, a committee was appointed to
go to the city commissioners and urge
that the city administration investigate
very closely the rights of the raise,
and if it is found to be unjust, to ap-
peal against it, before the courts.
The matter, it was pointed out by
George McDermott, must be taken to
court, if it goes at all, by a body which
has legal standing there. The Cham
appeal. The city commissioners can.
The members of the committee, E.
A. Thrill, chairman, t. c. Whiteker
and S. E. LUX, Jr., are to assist the city
commission in making their investi-
cation and to stay on the job until the
matter has been threshed out.
Ask About Edison Company.
The industrial committee of the
Chamber of Commerce, charging that
the Edison company is not furnishing
power sufficient to meet either the
present or future needs of the city,
I 1~<,C =
and with the present plant. hope to
furnish enough power, want to know
what the Edison company is going to
do about it.
The committee, after a report sub
mitted to the directors at noon today,
confer with the Edison company and
| find what possibilities exist for hay-
ing the plant moved from its present
location to the logical situation on the
| river bank, and enlarged to a capacity
| sufficient for the needs of the city.
Points brought out in the discussion
of the report were that the Edison
company is using antiquated, high
| pressure steam. engines, and that its
{ exhaust steam. instead of being con-
densed, is being sold for heating pur-
! poses. The installation of modern
equipment and the removal of the
plant, mean that the revenue from it's
heating franchises will be lost.
The committee feels that the pres
{ ence of the company's plant on Jack
! son street reacts against the attrac-
] tiveness OF the business district, and
that no expansion should be permitted
/ in or near its present site.
To Expand on jackson.
| Ruanors were mentioned, to the ef-
feet that the company is planning to
| buy land now vacant on jackson
! street for its expansion.
/ A revision of the bylaws of the
! Chamber of Commerce to permit of
/ reclassification of the directors, was
started today when a committee of
directors was appointed to make the
/ necessary changes.
! There will be a meeting of the full
membership of the Gambler of Com
merce at noon Monday, to deal with
1 the revisions which this committee
will submit at that time
New Members of Chamber.
The following new members were
elected to membership in the Chamber
today: Guy L. Hursh, attorney; James
H. Mickey. insurance; Louis Wiss,
groceries; c. c. Brown, Peabody
ham, clothing company: w. S. Han
cock, city commissioner; Mertie Nc
Daniel, Security Benefit association
I Roy L. johnson, mortgages and real
estate; Western Tire & Rubber COM
pany; W. W. Rutter. furniture dealer:
/ r. c. Caldwell, assistant postmaster;
Hiram c. Root, attorney; r. B. Phil
lips, wholesale lumber: Zi1lah McDan-
iel, Santa Fe; c. L. Daley, Merry Opti-
cal company: w. L. Dean. Lawyer S
Guaranty Title & Trust company; j.
A. Fleming, Bankers Mortgage com
pany; A. K Longren and ". K. Wal
lace of the Longren Aircraft corpora