The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-07
Santa Fe May Expend Money
Elsewhere.
Property Owners Initiate Prices
of Proposed Site.
COMPANY REFUSES.
Win Not Build Here On That
Basis.
Commercial Club Should Take
the Matter Up at Once.

The $107 ,000 authorized by the Santa
Fe management for shop Improvements
in Topeka, will be expended elsewhere
unless the company can secure the
property Immediately east of the big
car sheds at a reasonable figure.
The State Journal makes this an
nouncement on absolute authority. 1t
is matter which the Commercial club
should take up at once.
The property wanted as a site for the
new buildings lies between the Santa Fe
tracks and Seward avenue just east
of the car sheds. A number of small
dwelling houses are now located there.
Representatives of the company have
discovered that the land can not be
purchased from the present owners for
less than good residence property prices.
The management refuses to pay such
prices for the property. and unless it
can be secured at what it is worth
without the present improvements the
new buildings will be located at point
as central to the Santa Fe lines as To-
peka, and where considerable land is
now owned by the company.
An additional machine shop, a black
smith shop and a frog and axle foundry
are contemplated in the expenditure OF
the $1O7,000, which the State Journal an
nounced several days ago had been au-
thorized. If built here the new shops
300 additional men. That means several
times as many people viii be included
in the families located here for the
work.
When the company found that the
desired land could not be purchased at
a reasonable figure, the property along
Adams street west of the present shop
plant was considered as location
However, it has been decided that this
location is not sufficiently convenient.
The new shops will be built on the land
east OF the car sheds or not at all.
This is a matter which demands the
prompt attention of the Commercial
club, and a special meeting should be
called. Topeka can not afford to let
the new shops go to some other point.
The loss to the city of the 800 additional
worlxmen is not the only consideration
If the Santa Fe expends as much as
100000 in a shop plant elsewhere, 1t is
only reasonable that future shop i'm
provements should be made at the same
place. Inside of ten years me number
of workmen lost to Topeka would be
greatly increased.
This is one of the most important
commercial questions that has come up.
in Topeka in many years. While the
present shop plant will never be moved
from this city, Topeka can not afford
to lose any opportunity, such as this,
for growth The next few years will
see many additions made to the Santa
F7e shop facilities. a big locomotive
erecting shop is certain to be built by
the company, and If the shop buildings
now contemplated are built at another
point, the erecting plant might be built
there also.
The Santa Fe management is not
worrying about the location OF the new
shops because of the fact that their
construction at other points now con-
sidered would not cripple the facilities
of the company in any way. The COM
mercial interests of Topeka are alone
in danger.
The sooner a special meeting of the
Commercial club is called and the mat
ter taken up the better. The new Santa
F'e shops should be built here. 1t is
the duty of the Commercial club to
afford the Santa Fe company every
availa BILE assistance in the power of this
organization.