The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-22
ONE MORE PULL.
VinewOOd Park Railway Fran
chise Still on Boards.
Preliminary Sections Adopted
By the Council.
MASK is TORN OFF.
Measure Now Stands Before
Council as II Is.
Adjourned Meeting Tonight to
Wind 1t Up.
MASK is TORN OFF.

council in its naked reality Kansas
City electric line. or a terminal for a
steam railway
l. f. Myers, the Chicago man hired to
promote the road says that the com
pany san sell to Kansas City line
whenever ii pleases and the city of To
peka can not prevent it.
And at the meeting last night. City
Attorney Spencer declared: II don
think this section of the proposed fran
chise amounts to anything You can
draw section which will prevent Jha
sale 10 anybody the company wants to
sell 10. The provision which the rail-
way company has drawn is as good as
any, because none of them are any
good"
The sentiment of the council is now
soidifying around this cardinal idea.
Councilman Nichols said last night:
You gentlemen know that 1 am IN
favor of granting a franchise. But II
this is to be a Kansas City propoSltlon-
j am in favor of voting for Kansas
City line, and not for NlneWood PARK
line which viii be a Kansas City line
within a year. am opposed to TINS
beating around the bush.
Councilman Neil said; This looks like
a Kansas City project and nothing else
I ann i'm favor OF charging 100000 roy
atty, and granting franchise to a
Kansas City road. It is sure to come.
and there are plenty of capitalists VINO
viii be glad to put up the money to
build such a road"
Councilman Weber, Councilman
SwendsOn, Councilman Bergundthat.
Councilman Snyder and others, voiced
the same sentiments The only mem
beers Of the council who seemed pre-
pared to swallow the proposition, kan
sas City line and all. we're Councilman
Grilcy Councilman Blossom and Coun-
Gilman Wolf
RESORT TO THREATS.
That the situation is desperate for the
passage Of the ordinance giving away
this valuable franchise is shown by the
new tactics of the friends of the meas
IRE Direct threats We're made to COun-
Gilman Snyder and others that unless
they would cease opposing the fran
chise. the Tabor organizations of the city
would unite to beat them for re-elec-
People are being deceived and misled bv
empty promises. The NinewOOd Park
railway has thrown out as bait for Ia
Tor support the prom Use that 100000
viii be spent in improving the road, and
this money viii supposedly go to the
labOring people of Topeka
There is nothing to guarantee that the
VInezvood Park railway Will spend $780,
GOO or as many cents in improving the
road. If they do, nine-tenths OF the
sum Will be spent outside of Topeka, IN
rolling stock. steel rails. ties and lum-
Der A few labOTing men may get a
few weeks employment, and the cost
viii be paid by them later on IN the
decentralization of the business inter
ests of Topeka by the Introduction of 4
Kansas City electric line over the tracks
which they have laid
MADE LITTLE PROGRESS.
owing to a large amount of other
business on hand it was past 10 O'Clock
before the council commenced the con
sideration of the VinewoOd park prob
lem.
1T was moved and carried unanimous
lv to adopt the report of the judiciary
committee, and proceed to the cOnsld-
Grafton Of the ordinance. The judiciary
committees report was simply that it
had been unable to reach an agreement
with the Vinewood park railway COM
Councilman Blossom introduced the
ordinance drawn up by the NineWoOd
mark attorneys, and had it substituted
for the ordinance introduced some time
ago The new ordinance. which was
summarized in Monday evenings Jour
nal. was read in full
A motion carried to suspend Rule
is and railroad the ordinance to q
second reading.
The proposed franchise was taken III
section by section. The preamble was
amended to refer to the VinewOod rail-
way as street railway instead OF
q railway" Section 1 was amended
to provide that the company shall have
the right to lay a single, instead of d
single or double, track. Section had
several slight amendments in the way
of phraseoIogy.
section. the much disputed kansas
City clause" and it was in the discus
sion of this section that the true nature
OF the alleged 'sNineWOOd park road
was effectively disclosed. After the en-
phatic statement of the city attorney
that fl didn't make any difference how
the section was drawn, 1t could no
prevent the sale of the road to a Kan
civ line the council adOnfnd f6e
section with a slight amendment which
was of no particular consequence. The
section as amended and adopted nov
reads as follows. THE rights and priv.
1leges hereby granted to the said To
peka. and NinewoOd Park Railway com
pany shall at no time be leased. solo
or assigned to any company, person o.
corporation owning or operating a line
of railway extending to Kansas City
Mo, or Kansas City. Kan. or extended
to or used by the Topeka and VinewOeC
Park Railway company in connection
with any other road extending to eithel
OF said places, without first obtaining
the consent Of the council of said city
Of Topeka"
The only change was iD the insertion
Of the clause or extending to or uses
by the Topeka and VinewoOd Parl
Railway company in connection will
any other road extending to either o
The addition does not improve the in
eligibility Of the section. nor does
add any important feature. But tina
did not seem to make any difference
The section as amended was adopted.
OPPOSITION DID NOT VOTE.
The vote on the adoption of these sec
tions was by reclamation, and Their
was practically no opposition. Usual.
two or three of the council voted on tn
adoption. and the rest were silent.
The real test of strength will no
come until the vote on the final passa g
Of the ordinance. and then seven vote
must be polled for it by roll call or /
is lost. Some Of the councilmen mus
radically change their views betweei
last night and tonight if the friend