The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-26
MEANS A FIGHT.
Proposed Increase of Pay of Po-
licemen Will Make Trouble.
Mayor Hughes is in Favor of the
Measure.
WOULD KILL SEWER.
Wards Which Opposed Him
Favor 1t.
Both Questions Liable to Hinge
ON fractional Strength.

It is believed that even if the proposed
scheme to raise the pay of policemen in
the city of Topeka from $50 to $65 gets
out of the ways and means committee
alive, 1t will meet such stubborn OPP
position In the council meeting that it
will fail to carry.
With it is likely to also fall the pro-
posed city park sewer. which the coun-
ell thought it had authorized at the
last meeting The friends of the pro-
posed sewer made a mistake in drawing
up the resolution which the council
passed week ago, and the battle will
have to be fought over again.
The supporters OF the police pay bill
are mostly opposed to the city park
sewer resolution, and vice versa Each
side Is lining up and Whettlng their
knives preparatory to the conflict, and
if the police pay measure is defeated,
the city park sewer will likely be chop
ped down without mercy.
Some of the councilrnen are trying to
patch up a treaty of peace, and have
both plans adopted. There may be a
sufficient number of votes traded back
and forth to give both factions what
they want.
This contingency would be exactly
what Mayor Hughes does not want He
is trying to make record for economy,
in so far as economy can be effected by
heading off the plans of those council
men who oppose his administration.
Mr.. Hughes is in favor of the police pay
bill, because his friends are backing 1t,
but he is opposing the city park sewer,
which Is a Second and Fourth ward
measure. The proposed increase in the
pay of patrOlmen from $50 to 500 a.
month would involve the city in an ex-
ira expense of at least $500 a month, or
So, 800 year. The proposed city sewer
will cost $1,000. complete.
Mayor Hughes scheme Is to create
benefit district, taking in about 100 city
blocks adjoining the city park. He
wants the district to extend as far south
as Tenth street, on the ground that it
is the water which runs down hill from
Tenth street which makes the proposed
sewer necessity. BY creating a benefit
district of this size. Mayor Hughes fig
ureS that the city can get out of the
drain on it's general improvement fund
which the construction of the sewer
would involve. The residents in the
benefit district would have to stand the
expense, instead of the general city
funds.
A meeting of the ways and means
committee to consider the proposed in
crease in pay of the policemen will be
held next Saturday night. The members
of the committee are S. c. Miller, James
A. Troutman. D. s. Meyers, J. s. War
ner, w. $. CLANCY and Geo. Neil How
the committee will divide the plan
is not known. One member said today:
Il believe the plan win be beaten in
the committee Not because the COM
mittee is opposed to raising the pay of
its employees, but simply because we
have not money enough to justify the
action. The council made a precedent
when it raised the pay of the employees
at the electric light plant, and it might
have known that all the city employees
would demand a similar raise
8. c. Miller, chairman of the ways
and means committee. is strongly in
favor of the increase. He says: IF
we have money enough to build the city
park sewer, and spend $1,000 a year on
parks, we have money enough to pay
our employees. 1 believe that our en-
ployes are honest and want to pay their
bills, but they simply have not money
enough. We should place the policemen
on the same footing with the firemen.
The policemen are at larger expense
than fremen, and are exposed to as
much danger
At the last council meeting the vote
on the resolution authorizing the con-
struction of the city park sewer was
for and A against. Councilman Ber-
gundthal was excused from voting, and
Councilman Griley was absent. 1t is
claimed that Councilman Bergundthal
will oppose the sewer at the next meet
ing. Councilman GriIey is said to be in
favor Of it. The opponents of the sewer
Der who voted for the sewer at the last
meeting. This would make the vote
tie which would mean that the PROPOSE
ton was lost.
The trouble with the resolution which
was fought over at the last council
meeting is that it does not authorize
anybody to go ahead and advertise for
bids and do the work It is indefinite
in its terms, and action can be
taken under it. It simply authorized
that the sewer be built.