The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-12
CITY'S WELFARE
Dependent Upon the Santa Fe
Bond Proposition.
The Most Important Issue at
Coming City Election.
FAITH WAS PLEDGED.
Failure of Topeka to Garry Out
Its Agreement
Means Loss of the Great Loco
motive Shops.
Every Friend of the City Should
Register at Once.
FAITH WAS PLEDGED.

The most important issue before the
people of Topeka at the forthcoming
city election, Tuesday, April Ind. is the
proposition to vote $4,000 in bonds
toward the new Santa Fe shops Only
ten days for registration remains
So important is it to the city's growth
and welfare that many can conceive of
no opposition. It is hard to believe that
there really can be any considerable
number of votes in opposition.
The committees from the Commercial
club in charge of the furtherance of this
great project have been greatly surprised
to learn that there are many who de-
clare they will vote against the bords.
Growth and progress have always, for
some reason engendered opposition in
this city Why it is. is almost incon-
ceivable The, construction of the pave
ments, which are now the pride Of the
city the building of the handsome Kan
sas river bridge, the erection of the
Auditorium, of which we are all now SO
proud, are few of the improvements
which have been made in this city des-
pite the most bitter opposition encoun-
tered before success was assured and
results accomplished.
Opposition to the voting of the bonds
for the Santa Fe shops is more difficult
to understand, for many reasons. Other
cities in Kansas were ready to contrib
ute in land and money much more lib
orally than was asked of Topeka. In
view Of the magnitude of the PROPOSE
tion, the $4,000, which is necessary.to Sc
cure the site, over and above what the
railway company was willing to pay, is
an amount which is a mere bagatel
compared with the benefits.
After many enthusiastic meetings of
ftifi
der the auspices OF the Commercial cldb,
the city pledged itself to provide the
twelve-acre site and to raise the amount
of money Immediately required pendlnS
necessary action of the legislature to
enable the bonds to be voted. over 5000
written pledges were obtained from VOt-
ers who promised to vote for the prop
osition when the legislature took the
legal steps.
1t was absolutely necessary that the
site be secured long before The 1egisla-
ten pledges of the voters, the sentiment
of the city and the enthusiasm of our
people for the project, a number OF en-
terprising citizens advanced thousands
of dollars to secure the four acres for
the beginning of the work, pledging that
the other eight acres would be forth
coming this year when the company was
ready.
The Santa F'e company, relying upon
the solemn pledges of Topeka through
its Commercial club and prominent cit
liens, and the written pledges of over
5000 voters. has gone ahead with its
part in good faith.
A vote against these bonds now is \
vote against the city Of Topeka. The
opposition exists. and the people who
have the good of the city at heart must
face it. Were there no material opposI-
fion the work would be going on today.
As it is, it was suspended a short time
ago solely on account of this strange
situation
7f47a oI r-ofd far \ We
ago: we have tons of material for
these shops already upon the ground
and other tons upon the cars. It would
be a matter of but a few hundred dol
lars to be spent to reload and resl1ip the
material If Topeka does not carry out
its promise ard vote these bonds the
new shops will certainly not be built
here"
It would be a breaking of faith Of the
grossest kind on the part of Topeka if
the bonds fail; not only does the repu-
tation of Topeka for carrying out its
agreements hinge upon this proposition,
but the welfare of the city the addition
of thousands of people and the location
of what will probably be the greatest
railroad shops in the world all depend
upon our action. Since these pledges
were made the Santa Fe company has
expanded its plans far more than We're
thought of at the beginning.
The construction of the building fer
which the material has already been or
dered will give a capacity of at least two
now been arranged to provide for ca
pacity far greater than this. It may be
safely said that $500 600 will not cover the
improvements which will be made by the
Santa F'e company in this city. providingf
the bonds fail the citizens who have adj
Vanced over $40. 900 to secure these shops
will lose their monev. as the $4,000 bond
proposition covers the refunding of the
amounts advanced BY individual citizens.
Only ten days more remain for regis
tration the books for which will be
closed March D. Let every friend of the /
city who has not already registered since
January ]. do so at once = you are not
registered you can not vote