The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-26
c1rY AFFA1Rs-REMARKs.

| strenuous effOrtS are DelnB Hldoe To-
| d&r by the supporters of the Finewood
| park railway to get the councilmen OF
| the city to pledge themselves to support
| the proposed vineweod park ordinances
at the council meeting this evening
1t seems likely that the question will
not be finally settled at the meeting to-
night 1t is likely to be either post
poned or sent to some committee for
| further consideration. AS yet the judi
| ciary committee has not reported on
| the two ordinances which were intro
| duced at the last meeting by Council
man. Myers-nOt the Myers of the Sec
| ond ward, but the Chicago man who is
/ the contractor and head diplomat for
the VinewOod park railway. Contractor
| Myers is probably the first man out
side of the councilmen who was ever
allowed to introduce ordinances and get
them referred to committee
The sentiment against granting the
Vinewood park franchises is growing. A
few weeks ago there was only a nomi-
nal opposition to the granting of the
franchises. Now there are many who
do not hesitate to condemn the scheme
in the strongest terms.
Councilman Bergundthal, of the First
ward. who until today has refused to
commit himself on the proposition, said
this morning: 1.-The franchises will not
be granted tonight They will either.
be laid over TO some future meeting, or
something worse will happen to them"
There are several members of the
council who say that they are in favor
of granting the franchises, provided it
can be fixed so that the company can
not sell it's franchise to some outside
corporation. OF course there is no way
that this thing can be secured. There
will be some way to SELL They also
make it a proviso of their Endorsement
of the scheme that the company shall
cancel the $1,000 judgment against the
city and pay the costs of the litigation.
This amounts to nothing as the judg-
ment is of little real value and the COM
pany knows it.
None of the councilnen are willing to
admit that it is a reasonable suppose
ton that the Vinewood company will
actually spend $4,000 in improving
their line. They say:
Yes, it does look a little queer. /
don't see how the company can expect
to make anything. But after all, if they
want to be foolish and sink their money
in the scheme. it can't hurt the town
for them to go ahead, can it?" But it
can hurt the town just as a bonded
violin factory or feather mill could hurt
it.
The fact probably is that the men who
are promising to spend the money are
long ways from being foolish. Either
they will not spend the money, or else
they have some Interior plan for getting
it back, with good interest. What the
Vinewood company wants is some sort
of a new franchise and recognition of
lost privileges. 1t is not particular what
streets it is allowed to run on
AS yet no definite propositions for a
settlement OF the pending litigation
have been formally placed before the
judiciary committee or before the coun-
ell. 1t is well known, however, that the
company has offered to cancel the $1,000
provided it is granted the
kind of a franchise it wants. It viii
propose several different routes to the
council but will be glad in the end to
take any old route-rather than be de-
feated in getting franchise.
Tonight's meeting of the council is
thus likely to be a lively one. Two inn
portant subjects are sure to come up.
the Vinewood Park railway franchise
and the waterworks question. Concern
ing the privilege asked by the Vinewood
Park company to equip with electricity
and secure live franchise with the city
little remains to be said. The promise
upon the part of the company to spend
one hundred thousand dollars or one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars upon
a summer entertainment enterprise, of
course, nobody seriously entertains.
The scheme is simply one to obtain
a franchise for practically nothing and
dispose of it at a profit or assist Kan |
sas City electric line into Topeka.
We do not think it makes any par |
ticular difference to the promoters |
they secure any particular |
streets B not, any further than to Sc
cure the franchise itself, and permits |
sion to run say to some street as far |
as or near to Kansas avenue. We think |
at this time, but, of course, they would |
like as much as they can get.
Certain eastern bond holders who in |
vested in the old east side circle and /
the west side circle roads, to the extent 4
of many thousands of dollars, which |
all went to waste, have given Topeka |
bad name so far as they could. Any |
or questionable enterprise
which will load up any transportation
lines in this community with bonds like
ly to be proven practically worthless in |
the future is something certainly not to |
be invited. The town has had it's share |
of experience in that direction and it |
ought to encourage the interests that |
are here, if they show a proper spirit TO
progress with the town, rather than
take new chances with strangers.