The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-25
ONE THING AT A TIME.
Commercial Club Decides That
the First Step
To Secure the Auditorium is to
Vote the $4,000.
Other Details Will Not Be Agltated
Until TIL at Important Object is
First Attained

Auditorium, auditorium, auditori-
UNI" saws Edward Wilder. This is the
keynote to the situation which now con-
fronts the Commercial club. The audi
turium will be built, and the club will
see to it that everything is done to in
sure its construction. They will see
that voters at the polls are spoken to
about the question.
The club met last night to consider
the auditorium question, and they de-
cided to work only for the passage of
the proposition at the city election on
April at the present.
They considered this the main thing.
The question of size, construction ana
site they decided to leave entirely alone
until after the election.
THE way / see it," said Edward Will
der lit seems to me that this question
OF site is not now open for discussion. 1t
is simply whether we vote for that $lO,-
GOO for the auditorium, or whether we
lose the auditorium altogether. There
seems to be a misapprehenSiOn about
this matter The site has not fully been
decided upon except that it will be in
the city park unless someone donates
site for the auditorium, which Will be
accepted by the council. Now, the prop
osition before the people at the polls is
not question of site. 1t is question
of auditorium
AS to the city park for a site, think
1t Will do very well. When the new
bridge is completed the south bank of
the river will be filled in 100 feet and
probably an ornamental stone ambank-
ment Will be built west from it. This
will make the place attractive. Then,
the city owns two lots across the street
which, when the bank is filled in. will
make six lots, and these will be turned
into small park.
I think there is a prejudice against
the city park on account of its past con-
dition. 1 once thought that the state
house grounds would never be fixed up,
but they have been, and [ believe the
city park Will be made beautiful. There
has been some talk about Smoky Row.
But when we get the auditorium, the
council will do away with Smoky ROW.
Hal w. NeisWanger, although enthu-
siastc for the auditorium still insists
that it should be located up town. He
said:
I do not think we should go before
the people and urge them to vote for
this proposition, for I believe it will be
defeated on account of the site. People
who favor an up town site. if urged.
will vote against it on account of the
location"
Dr. o. F. Menninger-The more you
talk about site the more opposition
you win encounter. The more you talk
about the auditorium he more surely
you viii get the auditorium.
Frank Merriam-I think we should
each resolve ourselves into committee
of one to work for this auditorium.
DR.. Menninger-T think the CONNER
cial club should be nOn-committal as to
H.
Edward Wilder-Auditorium AuditO-
riumi Auditorium When the people
talk to you about a site, talk auditorium
to them
RS Brfgham@There is one thing the
Commercial club must do. It must do
some good, hard work for this $4,000 to
''cinch' it. To do this we must carry
the election for if we don't, we will be
seriously crippled. 1 think the PROPOSE
ton will carry, but I want to see all
the voters out at the election. 1 do not
40 i
about raising money to build the audi
tOrium with. That should come for
ward. The main thing is to carry the
election. 1 believe the Commercial club
can make a name for itself in this mat
ter.
A motion was made that a special
committee be appointed to see that the
votes were gotten at the election.
All the Commercial club members will
assist in carrying the proposition, but
this committee will have direct charge
OF the campaign: It is a sort of cen
trail committee, if you please. Its mem
bers, all representative business men.
are; r. S Brigham, chairman; Charles
Elliott, VIM. Green, Charles Wolff and
Charles p. Adams.
After this business was settled the
club INDUCED in an informal discussion
as to the best ways of raising money to
build the auditorium after the PROPOSE
ton is carried.
D. ]. Greenwald had an original idea
which seemed to meet the approval of
lll6 CluD- ne proposed the holding OF a
big fair in Topeka in which all the
clubs Of the city should take part He
said that large sum of money could
easily be raised in this way. Architect
l. NJ Wood suggested that a musical
festival be arranged in which all the
musical organizations of the city might
take part He cited instances of Pin
afore" at which S1.70O was taken in in
enc day at ten cents admission.
Hal Neiswanger said that a society
young man had told him that if they
tthe society people, were given a
chance and could give the opening bail
IN the auditorium they could raise 81
OO0- This suggestion was also we'll re
celVed. Edward Wilder proposed that
the receipts from the auditorium when
completed be turned over to a commit
lee OF trustees for the first six months
and then musical festivals fairs and
the ike could be held while the struc-
lure was new, and it would serve the
double purpose of raising a large sum
OF money and also properly dedica ting
Inc auditorium. There were MANY good
suggestions made which shows that il
VIII be but matter of detail to ar
range Tor the raising of the money If
this could be done it would be ever 81
much better than raising the money bv
private subscription. This was the
sentiment of the Commercial club
members. Never before have the pros.
poets for the new auditorium beer
brighter. The proposition which will be
submitted to the people of Topeka or
April has been eliminated of all con.
1uslng stipulations, and the question
comes plainly before the people Wheth.
er the coal hole money shall be used fo1
an auditorium for the city or not. II
as question of auditorium, not a site
for an auditorium
FLAMBEAU CLUB TO HELP
me Republican Flambeau club held