The Topeka state journal., 1921-10-31
Report to Directors a Slap at
Edison Company.
Suggestion That Municipal
Power Be Developed.
IMPROVEMENT is REQUESTED
Belief That Edison Plant
Should Be Better Equipped.
Injustice to Commercial Inter.
ests Is Charged Today.


Declaring that the Edison plant -
obsolete and that it cannot be mod
ernized to care for the increased pow
er and lighting needs of Topeka, the
industrial committee of the Chamber
of Commerce today submitted to the
board of directors a report suggesting
action toward establishment here of a
municipal power and lighting plant.
The observations of the committee
were made as a result of an assertion
by r. r. Baer that the Edison COM
pany had refused to furnish him
power.
A. II. Purdy, manager of the Edi-
son company, today declared his COM
pany had not refused to furnish the
power but had taken the matter un-
der consideration in order to make an
investigation from what line to draw
the power. Baer was notified today
that the power requested would be
available when wanted. March 1.
| Outgrowing from this incident the
industrial committee went into dis
cussion of the general power and light
question, declaring repeatedly that the
Edison company has continuously
been at fault in rendering service. AMI
! that sit shows no disposition to I'M
prove the service"
| The board took no action on this
matter other than to accept the re-
port of the committee. Action on the
report probably will be taken In a
short time. Before action is taken the
board evinced a desire for confer
ence with A NJ Patten and A. II
Purdy, in which the Edison men will
be given chance to present their side
: of the story
The committee report follows:
I Tho Resolutions.
Your committee would venture to
remind the board that its appointment
lcame about thru the statement of n
member of the board, r. r. Baer,
that his company had been notified by
I Mr. Purdy of the Edison company
that they could not supply an addi-
tional 80 or 40 horsepoW needed for
the operation of a refrigerator plant
which Mr.. Baer's company desires to
install.
You should know that this commit
tee has not approached anybody
directly connected with the Edison
company. This is only because we
have felt that sufficient information
| is at hand to justify report to you
and that you should and would wish to
direct the further course, If any, to be
| pursued.
! Broadly speaking. we ard convinced
THAT the Chamber of Commerce faces a
real problem, and should take i'm
mediate very definite and somewhat
radical steps if we are to adequately
I hn oil needs
the city.
We are certain that the Edison
plant may very fairly be character
lied as obsolete. incapable Of being
modernized in any. way that could
| be considered practical: and in con-
sequence of the fact there is no sat
! !isfactory or permanent solution of our
| light and power problems either as to
quantity Of power or reasonabiene3s
J of cost short of an almost entirely
new and modern source of electric
power supply.
! Municipal Power.
We are convinced that the happiest
solution when considered alone from
the standpoint of the best interests OF
! the city as a whole would result from
| increasing the capacity of the city
plant to a point when all, or at least
J a conssd era bic portion of the power
and lighting needs could be supplied
/ by it. In this connection it may be OF
| interest to the board to know that the
] cana CITY of the present city plant 10
greatly in excess of present or any
! nearby prospective future needs for
street lighting and that the equipment
! IS new and strictly modern.
! Further. we have reason to believe
. that a very considerable sum OF mon
ey will remain unexpended from the
/ issue Of bonds for the new water ana
light plant. which sum would go far
/ toward enabling the city to increase
its capacity to a point that would
make it adequate.
! It seems reasonable to assume In
! this connection that with a CONNER
/ ciaI power demand that justifies oper-
alton of modern plant of big ca pac-
4 ity very much lower rates than now
in effect. both for lighting and power.
might be depended upon. And ie
would therefore follow that the street
/ lighting would also be at less cost. In
4 thinking along this line the facts con-
cerned, the municipal power plant az
Kansas City. Kan. will doubtless Be
/ interesting to this board.
Need for City Plant.
While we are inclined to the opinion
that the needs for the development Of
more apparent as the matter is gone
into still further and would not be in
ciined to recommend any steps in that
direction at this time. we are certain
that it is the sincere desire OF this
Chamber that nothing shall be done
at any time which will justify the Edts
lson company in any feeling that they
have been dealt with in any other than
absolute fairness or even generosity
to commercial interests Of the city
4