The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-31
Four Members Fight Request of
the Club to Control Hall.
ACTION is POSTPONED.
Club May Be Given an OppOr-
tunity to Pay For Seats.
City HalI-Auditorium is Form
ally Accepted.

the greater part of the three and one
half hours in which they were in session
was devoted to discussing who should
have the use of the Auditorium
There We're the usual number of appli-
cations for one night entertainments and
the conflicting applications of the coun-
ty central committee and the FNlambeau
club for the use of the Auditorium to
receive election returns on the night of
Nov. 6. In addition to these applications
the Commercial club, which has taken
on its hands the thanizless job of paying
for the seats in the Auditorium, wanted
the use of the building for all paid en-
tertainments until the seats were paid
for.
A committee from the Commercial club
appeared before the council and request
ed that the use of the Auditorium pc
granted to the Commercial club for all
purposes contemplating an admission
fee, until such time as sufficient runds
were secured to pay for the Auditorium
seats. They stated that the amount
still due on the seats was about $3,OUO-
They said that the favorable action by
the council of their request would not
be considered as a bar against the coun-
ell granting the use of the building for
any other purpose the council saw fit,
and that if the request was granted II
would be the aim of the committee TO
use the building for raising FUNDS WIN
vested rights of property owners. The
club has various kinds of Entertainments
under consideration, one of them being
a grand dress ball on the evening OF
Dec. g. and they asked the council for
the use of the Auditorium for that
night.
The council magnanimously granted
the club the use of the Auditorium Tor
the evening of Dec. 81, but refused to
grant the very sensible and reasonable
request that the club be alone allowed
to give paid Entertainments in the build
ing when an admission fee was charged
until the seats are paid for.
Mr.. Crane, one of the committee repre-
senting the Commercial club, explained
clearly the object of the request. ne
said that it was common talk that an
injunction would be brought against the
council if the Auditorium was permitted
by the council to be used for paid enter
tainments which confficted with the
business of the opera houses. and that
the intention of the club was if given the
exclusive use of the Auditorium for pay
entertainments, to put IN only Such
shows as would not conflict with the
business interests of the opera mouse
people He felt sure that sooner or later
the action would be brought enjoln1ng
the use of the city building tOr paid en-
tertainments and said that the council
wanted to get all they could out OF II
before that action was taken. The coun-
ell would not be interfered with IN any
way in granting its use to people who
desired it for free use such as it was
originally intended for, and that 1t
would take only such dates as the coun-
ell had not or did give to other parties.
The sole object of the club was to Keep
down conflict with the opera house peo-
pie until they had raised the $4,000 to
pay for the chairs.
Of the request into the heads of the
council. Councilman Warner explained
it as did Mr.. Crane, but Councilmen
Morgan. SWendson, Myers and Hughes
talked long and hard against the re-
Quest. They acted very much as a child
does when it fears that some one Will
take away its plaything
Mr.. Swendson said: 4 can not see
how we can grant this request. we
would simply be turning the bulldlng
over to the Commercial club and would
be obliged to ask them Tor permission
to use it,
MI. Hughes also looked at the ques-
ton with both eyes shut He said: we
do not want the Auditorium to go OUT
of our hands. We are elected by the
people and are their representatives ana
can not delegate our vested rights we
must look after the peoples interests
and we can not do so II we grant the
~onnnercial club this request" He also
said that if the club desired the use OF
the hall for any particular time ne
would be in favor of granting II 10 tne1n'
but that he considered it wrong TO give
them the absolute use for paid enter
Mr.. Morgan and Mr.. Myers seemed to
have something their S16GNSS LII LIZ
club and hacked away rnerr1ly with their
knives Mr. Myers said: L object TO
granting this request to the commercial
club because we are not sure OF the klnd
of entertainments they would give Ii
they have a clean entertainment they
can make application just as any one
else does and we will grant It, out they
may want to put on vile SHOWS sucn as
they gave during the street Ia1r Wn1cn
were a disgrace to the community
do not think the council is under any
obligations to the Commercial club.
This insult to the Commercial club IS IN
line with Mr.. Myers whole course IN the
council.
Mr.. Morgan followed in the remarks Of
Mr. Myers and said a few mean things
about the club. He also referred TO the
street fair shows and held that on &C
count of the low nature OF the SHOWS
given then the council should nrst pass
on every entertainment proposed by the
club in order to satisfy itself thar the
entertainments were decent
Mr.. SWendson killed the motion OF Mr..
Warner to grant the club their request
by making a substitute motion granting
the club use of the hall for December
81. The matter was again brought Tor
ward by Mr.. Warner and although II
was evident that a majority OF the coun-
Gil were in favor of it, the motion was
withdrawn and action was postponed
until the next meeting.
The fight was made by the
four councilmen in the face OF
the following communication Whlcn
was received from L. M.
Crawford. manager of the Amusement
Syndicate, relative to the use OF the Au-
ditoriIlrn The Amusement Syndicate
company Of Topeka, begs leave to pre-
sent to your honorable body some rea-
sons why the use of the Auditorium
should not be granted to persons OF as
sociations for the holding therein Of en-
tertainments of any kind for pay The
Auditorium is great credit to the city
and amply meets the long standing de-
modate state conventions and large pub
lie gatherings. Being public han, con
structed at the expense Of all the tax
Mayors of the city, its doors should De