The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-04
RAISING MONEY.
Necessary to Have $4,000
For Soldiers Reception.
Committee and City Council
Discussing the Details.
A GUARANTY FUND.
Proposed to Indemnify the
Members Against Loss.
Bank Offers to Make the Neces-
sary Loan.
| GUARANTY FUND.

The citizens of Topeka viii not only
put up $4,000 in cash out of their pock-
I cts for the entertainment of the Twen-
| tieth Kansas boys. but the business
| men will give their personal guaranty
Tor double the same amount to indem-
| nlty the mayor and city cOuncilmen
against any personal loss they might
De called upon to bear on account Of
| appropriating an additional $1,000 for
| the same purpose.
| At a meeting OF the ways and means
| committee of the city council and the
finance reception committee last even
/ ing, the Merchants. National bank,
! through its cashier F. G. Willard who
| is also d member of the council offered
I TO loan the city the necessary amount
/ at a low rate of interest, provided the
/ payment of the money is guaranteed by
| responsible citizens in case there should
| be any trouble about it.
! There are two difficulties which stand
/ IN the way of the council apprOpriating
/ the money direct. One is that there is
! not enough money in the treasury to do
/ II, and the other is that the council has
/ no legal authority to make such an ap-
| preparation, even if the city vaults were
| overhowing with funds.
! The first OF these difficulties will be
/ overcome by the city council borrowing
| the money from the Merchants ma
] tIOnal, and 1t is not probable that the
| second difficulty will amount to any
/ thing, because there will be no citizen
| in Topeka who Will have the temerity
I
money for the benefit of the Twentieth
| Kansas boys But in order to provide
| against any such contingency the guar
anty viii be made. and the legislature
| next winter will be asked to pass a
/ general bill in such a form as to legal
| ize the expenditure.
| The meeting last evening was attend
/ ed by Mayor Drew, Councilmen Bur
CESS, Elliott, Morgan, Blossom Willard
( and Warner, and r H. Crosby. JOab
| Mulvane, Frank p. MacLennan and J.
# nlar-
| nittee.
| Colonel Burgess, as chairman Of the
| ways and means committee, explained
that the council went into executive
/ session at its meeting Monday evening
| to consider how it could make the ap-
/ preparation for the reception, and had
! found that there was no legal way in
| winch 1t could be done even if it had
/ the money. and the committee had met
/ with the finance committee to receive
| suggestions in the matter
| There isn't a member of the coun-
/ cil,' declared Colonel Burgess, but
! what is willing to vote this appropria-
/ ton If We had the money in the treas
| ury and could do it. Our levy has been
! about exhausted and we have lust
| enough to get through the year with
| out making this appropriation"
h H Crosby was the first member of
/ the hnance committee to express him
! self. I am not posted on this matter
| from legal standpoint" he said, but
/ L understand that there is no law
I
| stand further that one member of the
/ council offered to loan the city the nee
! essary amount of money at low ra te
/ or interest You gentlemen are person
! ally liable for any amount of Iul11Iu
/ ally liable for any money you may ex-
| pend without authority, but the rest of
| US pay the taxes, and if any plan can
! be devised whereby We business men
/ can back you up in this matter so the
| burden will not fan on you. am ready
| to go in for it"
! C0nUri1r11V 10,
! the offer of the loan on behalf of the
/ Merchants National. said: The first
| thing to be considered is the legal phase
/ OF the matter The supreme court has
/ decided that a city council has no right
/ to appropriate any money for purposes
/ of this kind Therefore, IL we should
| appropriate $1,000, or any other sum, It
| would be Illegal and the note Of the city
/ would be worthless. So I proposed to
/ loan this money to the CitE council if
| it can be done in a legal manner NY
/ institution viii take the risk of ad-
! vancing this money. providing the
! business men will back the mayor and
| council in the guaranty, so that if any
/ body should be mean and bring an in
/ junction proceeding. we would have
| something to fall back on. We are
| willing to wait for our money. but we
| want to know that We viii get it some
time such guaranty would need to
run until the statute of limitations
/ should expire The guaranty would
| provide for individual obligations
Mr.. CrOsby-If 20 men should agree
to put up $3.50 as a guaranty, would you
/ accept it?
| Mr. Wfllard-NO. What is everybody's
/ business is nObody's business. Some of
I the men might die or leave the city
/ and then their guaranty would be
| worthless
/ Councilman Warner-What kind of a
! guaranty would you want?
Mr.. Willard would want it e-11aran-
| teed by this city
| This was not very explicit and Mr..
| Crosby asked:
Would You accept the note of the
CITY endorsed by 20 responsible men,
Mr.. Willard-CertainIy We would be
/ glad to.
/ Mr.. Crosby-I guess you would That
would obligate each man for the fun
/ $4,000 and don't believe you could
/ find a man in Topeka who would be
| willing to do a thing of that kind
/ 1t did not appear that much progress
| was being made along that line and Mr.
| Crosby asked Joab NIulvane for his
| views MI Mulvane said:
/ The twentieth Kansas has dis
| t1nguiShed itself in a unique wav that
| never happened before and Droba blv
/ will not again in generations. The regf-
l ment stands out cOuspfcuOl1SIv on ao
| count of its splendid achievements n
/ IS our duty to welcome our soldiers
| home. and to DO it in no small wav-
| and am in favor of doing it in a wa
| they deserve
Coming to the practical part of this
I project the council has neither the an
| thor1ty nor the money to make this ap-
| preparation It's will is probably a.
| good as ours in backing them bur tba
| question IS, how to do it There is no
question in my mind but the legfs-
| lature can legaIize this expenditure
Members Of the legislature feel the