The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-24
NIGHT OF KNOCKS
Men With Grievances Appear
Before City Fathers.
City Council Listens to Troubles
Without End.
MR.. WISE is BLAMED.
Held Responsible For the De-
layed Pavement.
Resolutions Adopted to Abridge
His Authority.
MIR. WISE is BLAMED.

Everybody seemed to have brought his
hammer with him to the council meeting
last night. There was knocking right
and left.
There was knocking on the Street
Fair, and knocking on roofing plant
at the foot of Polk street; the White
Wings knocked for bigger wages. and
Mayor Drew knocked on ''Sapho;" there
were knocks" because new sidewalks
are to be built, and knocks because new
paving IS not built. But the worst
knocks" of all were those received by
city Engineer Wise, because there it not
more paving done.
A L. Williams started the trouble. He
lives out on Fillmore street. which was
supposed to be paved last year but which
ting ready to knock for some time but
has delayed action in order to give the con-
tractor plenty of time, but when ne be-
gan to knock last night he knocked hard.
Last summer began Mr.. Williams,
there was a petition presented for paw
ing Fillmore street. It was to be done by
like to know what the matter is, because
at the present rate there is no telling
There should be a time limit to all
these contracts, and the provision should
that and you contractors know that lack
of labor or material constitutes de-
Tense It is one of the things you have
TO provide against But there is no lack
of material or labor this year. The brick
yard people tell me that they have
abundance of brick, and 1 have seen la
borers go to the paving contractors for
work and be turned away
There has been less than one block of
paving put down this year, and we have
had splendid weather for the work most
of the time The contractor has been four
weeks in getting that little piece done. At
this rate the paving which is contracted
for at present will take four years.
Il know the contractor and I want to
see him prosper, but the city should hurry
him along in this matter He told me the
gang of men at a time, because if he did
he would have to hire a. superintendent.
Did you ever hear anything more ridicu-
lousE Here this man claims the right to
take all the contracts he can get, but he
will only do one of them at a time.
Somebody is to blame for this delay
and would like to know who it is. Some
of US out there on Fillmore do not have
the ready money with which to pay our
| taxes Suppose some kind individual takes
in the property for US at a tax sale. We
are charged with the tax for this pave
ment which is not built, and which we
ought not to pay for until it is built. The
money is ours until we get our pavement,
but under this method we would have to
| pay 10 per cent upon our own money to
redeem our property
clause in these contracts, with damages
| assessed for time over that date Then
| the contractors bOndSmen will prod him
up. and the citizens will not have to do
Councilmen Belts backed up what Mr.
| Williams said The city engineer told
u.s." he said, that a certain pavement
| would be done in two or three days. The
! contractor has now been three weeks. We
| must push this matter
| Mayor Drew. BEFORE L went away a
week ago. was assured that 10000 or
| 1750O0 brick would be laid a day, but it
seems that that there has not been 175.-
| 600 laid during the entire week. I think
! the committee on streets and walks had
| better go out and crowd that contractor,
| and if the paving isn't done by our next
meeting we will get some one who will
| push it"
At this point Councilman Hughes open
| ed up on City Engineer Wise. I think
| there is no doubt but that the engineer
is, at fault in this matter" said, Coun-
| Gilman Hughes. He has been holding
| the contractors back on the pretext that
the streets are not in good condition for
| paving, and do not believe they could
be in better condition. firmly believe
| the engineer has been dilatory in this
| matter. He has been neglecting his work,
| and I have some resolutions to present
| along this line He didn't put in grade
| stakes on Willow avenue so that the
| graders could go to work, although the
| graders waited and waited for him. One
| of my resolutions is to take away some of
| his authority and let him work under the
| direction of the mayor and council"
Councilman Hughes held back that res
olution for a, time, but he introduced the
| following:
Resolved That the city engineer be
and he is hereby instructed and ordered
over from last year, with all possible
| speed
Councilman Elliott said that while he
believed the city engineer had been some
what to blame for the delay, he was also
| to be commended for going out and doing
also said that the reason the grade stakes
were gone on Willow avenue was because
the PotWin people had got hard up fol
kindling and had pulled them up.
Madison street, which has been torn VI