The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-12

if they sold. for which they could buy
better property
D. n. Scott: 'eThere are a large num-
Der of lots a little further east which
can be had for from $50 to 800. have
40 lots down there myself that I will
sell for that
Jonathan Thomas: ST believe houses
just as good as those could be built
with all the other improvements, ex-
cept the trees of course, for S35, 600 less
than the price they put on the inn
provements I think $500 would dupli-
cate the average of the houses and i'm
provements. At this price 107 houses
would cost S53, 500, while they want
SIS, 600 for their improvements. This, Of
course, would not include the trees.
''It looks to me-" continued Mr..
Thomas. 'taS though we will have to
raise S111, 900. The Santa F'e offers to
give $500 an acre for % acres. This
makes $11 eco, and the property owners
ask $122 600, and we win have to make
up the difference. The way to do it is
to go ahead and act Every property
owner in Topeka can well afford to
give per cent. OF what his property
is worth rather than see Topeka lose
these shops. It is not only for the pur-
pose of securing the new shops, but it
| is to keep our present shops from dis
| integrating, as we'll.
A general discussion followed in
| which a bond proposition was suggest
ed, but this is Illegal at present. A gift
! enterprise, SQCn as Kansas CITY uS6G
| to build her convention hall, was an
| other suggestion, but there is no time
/ to work one up. Others eounSeled de-
| lay until more definite proposition can
| be secured from the Santa Fe company.
| ". w. Webb said he believed $4,000
| could be secured from the sale of the
| Improvements on the property, and Mr..
| Roof said that the property owners
! themselves would give $4,000 towards
securing the new shops, although they
would not come down on the price of
! their property. This would provide for
| $25, GOO of the $111, 600, and leave $86, 900 to
| be raised in other ways.
| F. P. MacLennan: TT does not make
very much difference just now whether
| the railroad company comes down a lit
| tie or the property owners come up a lit
| tle-we will have to raise from $50, 600 to
| $50 G00 And we can raise it, too. There
is no use in saying that we can not.
| We can not afford to let these shops go
somewhere else. The fact that the Santa
Fe people had a man canvass that terri
| tory to begin with shows that they
mean business. Santa Fe pay day is a
hig day in Topeka, so big that many
| people wait until then to pay bills.
| This proposition means that 300 skilled
! WoFkmen will be employed at once. If
| they do not receive more than $50 a
| month, that means $500 a year for each
| one. or $3.50 600 all told We will get our
s9O 900 back in six months from the in
| creased pay roll alone. / will be one Of
! 100 men to guarantee $1,000 each, or as
| much of it as is necessary, to secure
| these shops. They will be followed by
| the locomotive erecting works and may
| mean an addition of one-sixth to the
| city within three or four years, and will
greatly increase the amount of our tax
| able property.
Mr.. Nudge told US a few days ago
| that the company wants % acres of land.
They will not use all of it this year,
but the locomotive works are to follow,
and the company does not wish to find
| itself hedged in when it gets ready to
build them. There is an appropria-
tion of 100000 now in Mr.. Mudges
hands for immense Blacksmith shops,
and the frog and switch shops,
but the company does not propose to
spend all of it for a site. Next ap-
preparation will be made for other nee
essary additions, and next for the
locomotive erecting shops. We must
get to work right away rather than
keep on appointing committees and
making delays, for the company means
to begin work on the new shops as soor
as possible
Joab Mulvane moved that a commit
| tee of three attorneys be appointed tC
| look after the legal phases of the var
iOus propositions, and the motion was
adopted. President Holman today ap-
pointed as this committee Judge T. F
Carver, James A. Troutman and Q. J.
Evans
After considerable other miscellaneous
discussion. the entire matter was re-
ferred to the executive, finance and lega
committees, with power to proceed II
the matter as they see fit.
MAJOR ANDERSON ON DECK.
Secretary Anderson will continue tC
look after the interests of the CONNER
cial club. instead of devoting all of hi:
time to raising corn for the starving
IdindOOs. He reported the action of the
board to the meeting of the club las
evening, in which the board gave hin
two months time, without pay, to de
, vote to the corn project.
A1,f AVA
Major Anderson remarked parenthetical
ly Il went up to the state house ant
got the India famine business started
but we discovered that there were too
! many things of Importance down her
: to be looked after, so now that othe
arrang ngement will about run itself, Will
, the help I've got up there, I will Civ
, my time to the work of the club