The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-26
Committee Appointed to Invest
igate Kansas City Line.
Report VIII Be Made at a Flu
ture Meeting.
YINEWOOD ENDORSED
Mayor Requested to Sign thu
Franchise.
Friends of the Project Evident
ly Control Heeting.

Almost forgetting the purpose for
which the meeting was called, the MEM
bers Of the Commercial club last night
passed a resolution endorsing the action
Of the city council in passing the Vine
wood ordinance and asking the mayor
to sign the franchise. The resolution was
prepared by d. j. GTeenwald and was
presented to the club by Herbert Hack
ney. who moved its adoption The reso-
luton was passed without a discussion
and a few of the members unburdened
themselves afterward-
II am violently opposed to giving free
franchises for this kind Of enterprise
said r. S. Brigham When you give
a company the right to use certain
streets where they viii not come into
competition with any other company do
ng the same kind of business, then it
is worth something and the city should
receive something in return What mer-
chant is there but would give a nanu-
some price to secure the exclusive right
to operate a store in a city to the eN-
clusion of all Others2 Gentlemen, 1 think
in granting free franchises to TINS klno
OF enterprise we are doing our mer-
chants and business men great IN
justice"
The resolution which was passed is as
follows.
Resolved That this club endorse the
action of the city council in granting
franchise to the Topeka and NIneWoqd
park railway and that we respectfully
request our honorable mayor to sign the
same so that work on the road may
commence without delay"
Instead of discussing the effects
Kansas City railway line would have on
the business interests of Topeka, the
purpose for which the meeting was
called in the language Of G. g. Blakely,
who announced he came to hear an in
tellfgent discussion of the matter with
the end in view of securing light on the
question, it "degenerated into horse
play"
AS soon as the meeting was called to
order. Charles Holiday rose to ask for
an adjournment Of the meeting stating
as his reason that he did not know
there was a company planning to build
between Kansas City and Topeka and
consequently there could be no use in
discussing the proposition.
E. H. Crosby. one OF the signerS of
the petition for the special meeting, an
swered Mr. Holiday He cited the at
tempt made last fall to secure from the
county commissioners a right Of way
over the highways Of the county for
street railway. THE building Of a Kan
sas City electric line would be the worst
blow that could ever come to Topeka -
he said. and particularly so because
this would be tue terminal The fur
centers the faster the growth. If the
railway fare between here and Kansas
City was IS instead of "a for the round
trip our growth as city would be
Mr.. Holiday at this juncture rose to
say that in his opinion the meeting was
not called in good faith; that in his
opinion it was called for the purpose of
trying to head off a little railway in the
southeast part of town that we all
want. Il would like to see a commit
tee appointed to make an investiga ton
of the proposed Kansas City project, so
that they can present some data to the
club in order that We may vote intelli-
gently" ne said.
Herbert Hackney explained how the
electric railway line between MflWau-
kee and Chicago did not work detrf-
mentally TO the interests of Milwaukee.
the smaller city of the two. but failed
10 tell the distance between the two
cities to show that people in Milwaukee
would not hop onto the street car every
little while to run down to Chicago to
do a bit Of shopping. The distance is
so great between the two towns that
only regular travel is induced. and the
trade is brought into the cities from
the territory adjacent to both ends of
the line.
7 would like to see the Kansas City
project investigated, whether or not
there is a proposed line in cOntempla-
rion," said Mr.. Brigham. we need all
the information we can get on the
that an electric line would act detri-
mentally to our interests. We have
made Kansas City what it is today. and
we should not help Kansas City any
more"
W. H Whittekind, who sat with e
group Of Ninewood railway supporters
made the ridiculous motion in the form
OF resolution that the Comm ercial
club favor any old kind Of a railroad
that wanted TO come to Topeka from
any old part of the globe
The matter was about to be voted
upon when c. G. Blakely urged that il
the meeting was to degenerate into
horseplay 1t would be better to adjourn
end SO home
D. j. Greenwald moved to table tbs
Whittekind resolution as being toe
aweeping. A division was called for ane
the motion to table was lost. President
Frost asked thSt the members of the
club take action to have the matter re-
ferred to a committee for investiga tor
In order to prevent the club from tax
ing an unwise position. Il depreca t,
hasty action" he said.
Charles Holiday offered to amend the
Whittekind resolution so as to authoriz.
the president of the club to appoint {
committee of five disinterested person.
TO make the investigation and report t,
the Commercial club at some later date
Mr.. WhitteSind accepted the amend.
nnent and q motion to adjourn was mex
passed
A noticeable fact at the meeting wa.
the position taken by the attorneys anc
supporters for the VinewOOd railway
Apparently they all favored Kansa.
City electric railroad and did every
thing in their power to block the eff
forts OF the members of the club VIII,
were opposed to a Kansas City line ant
who were endeavoring to secure an ex
preston of the representative bushes
men on the question.
FEDERAL PTTTDTNnC