The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-02
WILL SOON VOTE.
Fair Crowds Proposition to Be
Settled Tuesday.
County Commissioner in South
District to Be Elected.

The Importance of the proposition
which will be submitted to the voters
of Shawnee county on next Tuesday
for the permanent improvement of the
| fair grounds cannot be too strongly
impressed upon the voters of this city
and county
The fair grounds in their present con-
dition are of no use to either the citi-
zenS of Topeka or the farmers in the
country. They are used by a few horse
trainers and as a COW pasture. The
grounds should be used and made pre-
sentable for use or abandoned. The
proposition submitted by the county
commissioners on a petition of more
than 1000 taxpayers, if carried, will
raise $4,000 in 1902 and $4,000 in 1908.
The money so raised is to be used in
erecting permanent buildings to be
used for fair and exposition purposes,
and to lay out and ornament the
grounds, and in connection with the
buildings make a beautiful park. The
present exposition company contem-
plate giving an exposition each year
for ten years if the proposition is
carried.
If the buildings are planned by some
competent man, and they will be, they
will be an ornament to the grounds.
1t will cost each taxpayer who has tax
bic property to the amount of 800
just five cents each year for two years.
If he has taxable property to the ex-
tent of $1,000, it will cost him only so
cents each year
The proposition is a plain one, and
there can be no question as to the ben
eft of the state fairs and expositions
which are contemplated being held if
these grounds are permanently i'm
proved.
The time has again come when the
people of the state are bound to have
a state fair, and if Topeka and Shaw
have sufficient antQTnriSe
to secure it, some other live town Will
take hold and secure the plum The
question of taxes is great bugbear
to many people, who do not stop to
think that while our percentage of
taxes is large, the taxes are very
low. If the property of the city of To-
peka was returned for taxation for
what it is worth today in money and
what it would sell for, the percent of
taxation would not be over IL or 2 per
cent, and districts outside the city our
levy would not exceed III per cent.
We are taxed no higher for what we
have than any other community and
the people who are always figuring that
because it costs something that they
don't want it, are making the mistake
of their lives in this instance We do
not get anything nowadays for moth
ing.
Every man who wants to see Topeka
succeed and be a capital worthy of the
state should go to the polls next Tues
day and vote for the proposition. To-
peka is the best market in the state
today. Farmers and producers of Shaw
nee county get more for what they raise
than the farmers of any other county
in the state of Kansas, and their argu-
ment that because Topeka wants
state fair it should pay for it is not
good. What helps the city of Topeka
helps Shawnee county. and every man
who lives IN it. The business men of
the city stand ready to advance the
necessary funds to begin operations at
once for a state fair to be held here in
the fall of 1902 that will be a credit to
any state and do us world of good,
if the proposition is carried at the cleo
ton next Tuesday.
The commissioner district in which
the election is to be held includes only
the Fifth and Sixth wards and the
country south of the Kansas river.
The candidates are Frank Harrison, of
Auburn. and VIM. Ouayle. who lives
five miles south of Topeka.