The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-22
GO RIGHT AHEAD.
City Hall Project Is by No
Means Dead.
Commercial Club Makes a Re-
view of Situation.
THE WAYS AND MEANS
Committee Should Recommend
an Immediate Election.
Discussion of History OF OBJ
struction In Topeka.


the city hall matter will be decided
upon by a committee composed of
Mayor Drew as chairman. Major An
derson as secretary. and five attorneys
to be named by President Brigham
The power of deciding upon a course OF
action was placed in the hands of this
committee at the meeting of the club
last night after a fun discussion of the
situation.
Every chair in the club rooms was
filled and several members were sitting
around in the windows. Among those
who arrived just before the meeting
was called to order was J. B. Billiard.
Although the night was very sultry
Mr. Billiard met with an exceedingly
cool reception from nearly all of the
club members. Whenever there was
lun in the proceedings of the club there
would be cries of Billiard, Billiard
from various parts of the room, but MI
Billiard did not venture any remarks on
the situation.
After the meeting was called to order
by President Brigham, City Attorney
Bird was called for and stated briefly
the situation, saying that he had filed
a motion for a new hearing in the city
hall injunction matter as preliminary
step to carrying it to the supreme
court He expects the motion to be
heard by Judge Hazen next Monday
MR. CRANE RECITES HISTORY.
George w. Crane opened the discus
sion of the situation by saying: This IS
an old trouble We had the same thing
to contend with when we wanted to
vote bonds for the Midland railroad. 1t
came up again when we wanted to 10
cate the Santa F'e shops We have al
ways had the knockers to contend
with, and we have always doWned
them, as we will do this time. I sup
pose the question involved in this mat
ter is a question of law. If we can go
ahead and vote bonds legally 1 think
we had better do it, but If there is any
probability Of a reversal of the injunc-
ton decision by the supreme court 1t
might be better to wait for that We
want to do this the quickest way pos
sible."
President Brigham called attention
to the fact that the building would not
be an auditorium but city building,
and that it ought to be called that in
the future.
Judgde T. F. Carver, who is one of
the new members of the club, was called
on for his views, and he largely affirm
ed his interview in the State Journal on
"Wednesday.
JUDGE GARVER'S VIEWS.
'I do not think it makes much differ
ence what the building is Called he
said. If the matter gets into the
courts they will quickly get behind any
names that may be given the building.
I believe the general law is amply suffi-
cient to build a city hall, and good
one The only difference will be in the
L
special law, as 1 understand it, the
hall could be the principal feature and
the city offices and fire department
could be made incidental. But under
the general law the municipal offices
must be first and the hall must be the
incidental part. If the question is
brought into the courts it will be nee
essary to show that the city is erecting
the building in good faith for municipal
purposes. OF course we can look ahead
to the future and make our plans lib
eral and the courts will recognize them
as all right.
THE two laws are very similar in
effect Bonds can be voted for the
building under either, the only differ
building. The voting of bonds under
the general law would not interfere
with prosecuting the appeal to the su-
preme court. If the supreme court
stands by past decisions 1 am inclined
to think it will reverse Judge Hazen.
though think in principle Judge Hazen
is right"
Ex-Mayor Fellows was called on but
said he did not quite understand the
object of the meeting.
President Brigham-The idea is to de-
wise ways and means to proceed.
ATTITUDE OF CITY COUNCIL
Mr.. Fellows: Il understand that GER
tain members of the council do not take
kindly to suggestions from this club,
although SO far, as chairman of the
auditorium committee. I am sure our
suggestions have been kindly received.
But I have just been told that some
members of the council claim that they
don't want advice from this club, so L
don't see the use of our considering the
matter. I should say that a. committee
of lawyers would be the most compe-
tent to pass on the subject and devise a
plan of procedure"
Secretary Anderson: IT think from
the statement of ex-Mayor Fellows,
there is some misapprehe nsion which
ought to be corrected. This club was
not formed to advise the city council es-
pecialIy. It was formed several years
ago to advance the interests of the city
to get manufacturers to come here. to
improve the city, and to make it bet
ter location for doing business and for
those seeking homes. We have at times
discouraged outside retailers coming in
here because we thought we had
enough in that line and we wanted
the sale of the old city building and the
erection of a building containing con-
vention hall only after careful consid-
GRAFTON and after every other method
had failed. We worked hard to build an
auditorium in the city park in order to
favor the people who are now knock
ing on this project I took the chair
manship of that auditorium board with
a good deal of hesitation, but when we
went at it we worked our best to get
subscriptions for an auditorium down
there To show how uphill it was
one man offered to subscribe $500 if it
would be located up town. We told him
that wasn't the question-we were tax
ing subscriptions to build it in the city
park. After we had stayed with him
for half an hour, he subscribed IS to get
rid of Us When we had raised all the
money we could, we found we could not
build as large a building as we wanted
to, so we cut down our plans to meet
our money, and Immediately some of
the largest subscribers warned US that
they would withdraw their subscriptions
if we tried that, and that killed the city
park project.
HOW WE GOT THE ASYLUM
1.-THE history of these knockers goes