Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-10-04

-Four Aldermen of the Lower House ana
one Upper House member, accompanied pS
eX-Mayor Rieger of Westport, yesterday
drove over the territory south ana east
of the city limits which it is proposed to
annex with Westport The Aldermen were
Lynch. Beroth Pendergast and Speaker
Smith of the Lower House and Wyne OF
the Upper House.
After a trip lasting several hours, In
which time the party traversed all the ter
ritory from the city limits to the Blue ana
south to Brush creek as far as the east
ern boundary line of Westport. the ex-
cursionists returned to the city, satisfied
that the limits set down in the proposed
gerrymander of Mayor Jones shouio hot
be established.
1.-The majority of the party" said AL
derman Lynch last night, favored taking
in all that territory to the Blue river as
far south as Eighteenth street. An ordi-
nance may be introduced in the Lower
House with the limits decided upon de-
fined, and if not the measure proposed by
the Mayor will be amended, should it pass
the Upper House and reach us in time.
"All in the party were of the opinion
that the State line to Brush creek Should
be followed on the west and thence east
Thirty-ffth street the line should be drawn,
thence east to Fairvew avenue and north
to Eighteenth street From Eighteenth
Cleveland avenue, the present limits. we
would go in a straight line to the blue
This would give us most OF the OLD Four-
teenth ward and the unncorporated towns
of Sheffield. Manchester and CentropoiIIs.
In these towns there are about ,VVo people;
six saloons, nut and boit WORKS, ra.ir . s'a
roundhouses and machine shops There are
many thicklv settled portions OF country
between those towns and Falrvlew ave-
nue.. and these should be included
Should Go to Brush Creek.
cone good reason for going east on Brush
creek to Prospect avenue is that the coun-
ty court has decided to grade that Avenue ,.
eighty feet in width to Brush creek. creek Ihirtyo "
fifth street from Prospect Will also De
graded in the same manner.
1t is already a certainty that the anneXa-
to1 ordnanee to to he be at h
quest of Mayor Jones can not pass both
! houses. even should it get through the
proposed gerrymander will be indorsed by
even the Upper House men. The principal
reason for this belief is that the Mayor
| consulted none of the Aldermen in locating
the city's new boundaries. He did it all
| himself. Next. he will ask the Council to
| indorse such usurpation Of it's powers
the ground last Thursday afternoon there
was not one Alderman. There was City
Counselor Middlebrook. who does whatever
his honor asks him to do. having been ap-
| pointed for that purpose. Chief Deputy
| City Clerk Sloan. who has run for mar
| shal few times and could give the Mayor
| tips on how the people vote in the country
| districts: Second Assistant Counselor Winn
and City Engineer Wise.
Wants to Be the Whole Thing.
That's Jones every. time" said an Up
per House member in speaking of the
Mayors attempted dictation to the law
making body of the city. He wants to be
the whole thing. He, thinks because were
| all Republicans in the Upper House. we
ought to do Just as he wishes. We have
ideas of our own on this annexation propo-
| sition, however. I don't believe there's
| more than one man in the House that will
vote as. Jones wishes unless it actually
meets his own opinion The Mayors ac-
| ton is unheard of and is certain to meet
with almost unanimous dsapproval."
The general opinion among the Aldermen
| seems to be that as an extension of the
limits occurs but once in ten to fifteen
| years. enough territory should be taken in
| at a time to meet all requirements of the
cty's growth for that many years to come.
| The first extension after the city was iii-
| corporated in 1858 was twenty years later.
| The next was in 1855