The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-21
HOGS MUST GO.
Board Of Health Refuses to Re-
move Ban.
The Anti-Hog Pen Ordinance
Will Stand.
1T is TO BE ENFORCED.
Up to This Time Has Been q
Dead Letter.
Sanitary Policemen Will Secure
Location of Pens.

1t has been decided by the board of
health that the present anti-hog Or
dinance shall stand and what's more,
that it shall be enforced.
Tis means hat every hog pen in
town must be moved out. 1t also means
that the city may have a lawsuit on it's
hands to test the validity of the or
dinance. Henry Vesper, Otto Kuehne,
and several others who have large
herds of swine in the outskirts of town,
are very much opposed to the ordinance,
and have threatened to carry the case
into the courts rather than move their
pens out of the city limits. but it is
nevertheless patent that hogs should not
be kept inside the city.
The present hog ordinance was passed
about year ago, and the first effect
of it was to compel Mayor Hughes to
move the pig pen at his coal yard out
follows:
1T shall be unlawful for any person,
persons, company or corporation to rear
or keep any swine in the city of Topeka;
provided, however, that this ordinance
shall not apply to any person, persons,
company or corporation engaged in the
packing house business, or in the selling
or shipping of swine. insofar as it may
be necessary for said parties to bring
swine into the city for the legitimate
transaction and carrying on of their
business.
ANY person who shall violate any of
the provisions of this ordinance shall be
punished by a fine of not less than IS
nor more than $780,"
The fate of the hog ordinance was de-
cided this morning. For some time the
board of health has been wrang lg
about the ordinance and there has been
a strong sentiment in favor of changing
it in some way to permit hogs TO be kept
in town under certain sanitary condi-
tons. Such an ordinance was actually
drawn up, but for some reason was
never presented to the council. The
board lined up 8 against on the ques-
ton of enforcing the existing ordinance.
or passing a new one. DIR. Judd, DR..
Davis and George Tincher thought the
existing ordinance ought to be enforced.
DR.. Massey, Joseph Griley and H. s.
Nichols thought that it should be made
less severe.
Owing to this disagreement, the hog
ordinance was allowed to become dead
letter, and dozens of hogs which had
been sent back into the country were
returned to town to be stopped in
their owners back yards. The town is
now full of hog pens, and it will re-
quire a lot of hard work to eradicate
them, even if the lawsuit to test the
legality of the ordinance does not ma
terialize.
Just how the deadlock in the board
of health on the enforcement of the
ordinance was broken is not known.
Evidently there has been some sort of
an arrangement made by a majority of
the board, for Sanitary Sergeant Van
derpool this morning received notice
| that the present ordinance will stand,
and that it shall be enforced from now
on.
There are said to be- great many
hog pens in the First and Second wards.
and some in the east end off the Fifth
ward. A few pens are scattered around
in other parts of town. but the most of
| them are in the eastern half of the city.
Henry Vesper's pens are on 5-acre
tract just inside of the city limits at the
southeast corner of town. Otto Kuehne
keeps his pigs near his pickle factory
in North Topeka. Mr.. Vesper has in
vested a large sum of money in the
barns and sheds at his piggery, and it
would cost him considerable to move.
It is the plan to have the sanitary
policemen secure the location of all the
pig pens in their respective territories.
and report the same to the board of
| health. Notices will then be sent to the
| owners of the pens to move their pigs
| out of town, and II this is not done
within a certain definite time, prosecu-
I lions will follow.