The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-02-11
EMPoRIA asa CITY.

A number of our citizens met ut the ONCE of
Crawford & Steele, on Friday night last, to con-
slider the propriety Of making our town city
Of the second class. Ex-Governor Crawford
was chosen President, and E. =. Bancroft Sec
Rotary. Alter the discussion Of the subject, it
was proposed to appoint a committee OF three
to circulate petitien, with the view Of getting
general expression Of the people upon the
subject, and +. p. Bancroft, s. B. Riggs and
II. C. Cross were appointed the committee.
This is u step in the right direction. The
town, ne doubt, contains q population Of more
than two thousand, the number required to
entitle II to become q city of the second class,
and our people should effect this organization
this spring. The first Monday in April, the
time fixed for helding elections for city officers
is not far distant, and all the preliminaries to
that end should be discussed, all necessary ar
rangements made, and the candidates for the
various Offices be publicly named in time to
secure general and thorough understanding
Of the interests involved and the benefits to
accrue from city form Of government.
And perhaps it may be as well to consider
just here what advantage We will have with q
city organization over the present form. In
the first place, it is evident that we have moth
ing to Expect from the present form of govern
ment in the way OF public improvements. Our
sidewalks are disgraeefnlly shabby; the street
crossings, In most cases, are worse than none;
the cutters do not fulfil the ebjectsof their erea-
ton; there are no public cisterns to supply
water In case Of fire; the macadamizing Of the
streets rests with patch of one hundred and
seventeen square feet more or less, OF broken
| stone, on Commercial street; and the worst Of
all Is, we have not the money in the treasury,
and no way to get It, with which to make public
improvements. And II We could raise money
| TO improve our streets and sidewalks in one
| section OF town to the exclusion Of another,
when they all stand I'm equal need OF improve
ment.to use IL so would give rise to grumblings
and complaints, which would have the effect to
discourage the town board in the expenditure
OF any money at all for such purposes. Hence
we may call for spe, ial improvements until we
are weary, and we will only be laughed ut for
| our pains. What people are liable TO charge
to inefficiency in the board of town authorities,
| Is simply n want OF authority ON their part to
provide the means for making public works.
We have heard newcomers ridieuling our foot
paths and sidewalks, our streets and cutters,
the lack Of public wells and cisterns, &c.. but
we are sure all these things have been looked
after as earnestly and well as in any town in
Kansas, and that the Board OF Trustees have
been anxious TO do much more, hut have not
had the means or authority, to do more than
they have done.
We need to divide the town into wards, and
elect town council OF pen who will represent
their respective sections OF the town, and feel
I a personal interest in the improvement OF their
wards. The town council will represent par.
ticular sections Of the city, and their local In.
terests will prompt them to active efforts to
improve and protect the same. We Will secure
officers who will feel under more than moral
obligations to execute the city ordinances and
the laws providing for the weIl-being Of the
| town.
We understand that very few persons have
declined to vote for the change in the form Of
government, and that a large number have
signed the petition. Let everybody who feell
an interest inthis matter call upon either oft the
members OF. the committee, at their offices, and
sign the petition without delay. Let us have
as full an expression as possible from the cit.
| liens.