The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-04
PAVE ANY Time.
City Council Makes Concession
to Street Railway.
May Do It's Share Of Paving
When PIeases.
STREET FORCE ROW.
High Handed Methods in Dis
charging Men Discussed.
STREET FORCE ROW
Fight Over CurbstOne Results
in Favor of Original Plan.

out a single dissenting vote, passed a
resolution allowing the railway company
to take its own time to paving its right
of way The paving win be laid on both
sides of the track, where petitiOned for,
~ Tie company can III N Us rack, =
with c1nders, dirt, or anything else All
that is required is that it's tracks be in
such shape that vehicles can cross.
The effects Of this ordinance will be
great Street Commissioner Snyder says
that it will be almost impossible to keep
the streets cleaned where the middle of
the street is not paved The general ten
dency will be to discourage further
pavement laying in the city.
The resolution passed by the council is
as follows:
Whereas, The Topeka Railway corn
pany has expended $34 900 for paving its
right-of- way in the years 1899 and 1860,
and is called upon to expend from SIS, 600
to $4,000 for the same purpose during
the year 1901, either which amount said
company has shown to members OF the
city council it will be impossible for it
to raise for this purpose between now
and the time when the contracts for
paving streets already let or to pc let,
viii expire, and,
Whereas, The said Topeka Railway
company by the written acceptance of
the terms of this resolution, agrees to do
its utmost to complete all of the paving
in the shortest possible time, and espe-
cially that it will conform to the require
ments of the ordinance regulating pave
ment of its r1ght-Of-Way in SO far that
it will pave all intersections of paved
streets which it may be required to
pave under petitions granted by the
council, and that it will further
keep filed such portions of its track
as remain unpaved temporarily, so that
vehicles may readily cross its tracks
and right-of-way, it being understood
that honest and earnest effort shall be
made to complete the paving as soon as
possible, therefore, in consideration of
such acceptance in writing, be it
Resolved, That the terms of said
which may in any way affect said
ordinance or the rights Of the city in
connection with paving to be done by
said The Topeka Railway company, are
hereby modified, in 50 far as they MAY
be by resolution of this character, so
that said The Topeka Railway company
is relieved from its obligation to pave
such portions of it's right of-way strict
~ to the requirements of said ordinances,
as hereby limited, and said The Topeka
Railway company is hereby granted
such reasonable time to pave said right
of-way as may be necessary on account
Of its financial condition
STREET COMMISSIONER CASE
City Attorney Spencer gave an inn
of J. D. Reeder and Jack Briggs, the
two men discharged from the street
force by Street Commissioner Snyder.
Mr.. Spencer held, in substance, that
the question of whether the street com
missioner has the right to employ men
is not one of law, but of custom. IF
it has been customary for members of
the council to cooperate with the
street commissioner in hiring men, I
would say that the street commissioner
had no authority to discharge Reeder
and Briggs without the consent of the
councilman who recommended them. If.
on the other hand, the street commits
sioner has acted Independently of the
eouncilmen, then the councilmen can
not object when the street commissioner
let's out a mar"
CO.. - h. 4
Briggs case came up on the allowance
of two vouchers, to pay these men for
the month of May. Reeder's voucher
was for $36 and Briggs for $27. Council
man Swendson started the trouble by
asking the committee on claims and ac-
counts to explain the vouchers. Mr..
Warner said:
I'VE have been having a good deal of
trouble in the city of Topeka recently.
and we hardly know who is in author
ity. These gentlemen were told by the
street commissioner that their services
were not needed. At that time it was
a question of who was actually street
commissioner. The case involving that
question was pending in the supreme
court. These two men had bought their
street outfits under a promise that they
should have a job for two years When
the supreme court decided the case the
men quit. These are good men, they
worked hard they earned their money,
and they ought 10 be paid"
J. D. Reeder, one of the discharged
m en-, made a short statement to the
council, in which he said that he had
been promised a job for two years by
Street Commissioner Snyder, on the
condition that he would buy himself a
good horse and wagon, which he had
done.
It has long been the custom of the
street commissioner to send men to
work on the street force on the rec
ornmendation of the councillnen from
the various wards. If man applied
for work to the street commissioner, 4
he was told to get q recommendation
from his councilman. He was kept on
the force as long as his services were
needed. In view of this situation, Which
is not disputed by anyone, it sees that
Mr.. Reeder and Mr. Briggs are entitled
to their pay. The ruling of the city
attorney sustains this position.
Mr.. SWendson wanted to strike the
two vouchers from the list, but Mr..
Snattinger, Mr.. Clancy and others in
sisted on a more moderate course. The
vouchers were referred to the judiciary
committee.
BITTER FIGHT OVER CURBSTONES
There was considerable feeling dis
played in the matter of Fort Scott
curbstones, which have been petitioned
for on several blocks in the city.
The fight occurred in regard to the
block on Jefferson street between Fifth
and Sixth. The contract for this block
was let to Col. J. n. Harrison. repre-
senting the Capital Iron works, for
Fort Scott stone, at 40 cents Colonel /
Harrison also had in a bid Of So cents
for iron curbing for this block
The council allowed the original petit
ton for stone. Now the property hold
ers have decided they want iron. The
first thing which happened at the meet
ing last night was an attempt on the
part of Councilman Myers to amend the /
minutes of the last meeting, and sub
stitute iron curbing for stone curbing-
This motion was lost. Just as the meet
ing of the council was about to close,
an effort was made to reconsider this
vote.
Col. Harrison claims that there has