The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-16
To Enable Wyandotte County to
Restore Bridges.
NEED OF SPECIAL ACT.
10 Other Way for the Issuance
of Bonds.
viii Limit Legislature to These
Bridge Measures.
Wednesday, June "a, Probably
Date of Meeting.

The legislature will, in all probability,
be called together in special session 10
cope with the bridge proposition which
confronts some of the hood-stricken
counties. more especially Wyandoste.
The Official call will probably be issued
tomorrow. and the date for the session
viii be on Wednesday of next week.
June "A.
This is the only way out OF the diff
hculty which presents itself to the
governor, as a result of his trip to kan
sas City last night. at which time he
conferred with leading citizens OF kan
sas City. Kansas, relative to the mat
Ter, and after every other suggestion to
relieve the situation without a special
session has been exhausted.
It is the governors desire that the
session shall be short and to the point
His only reason for calling it is to en-
able Wyandotte county to rebuild the
bridges across the Kaw. without which
business between the two Kansas C7tys
and between different portions Of kan
sas City itself can scarcely be trans
acted. The governor wishes the Iegisia-
ture to attend strictly to the bridge
business and do nothing else at all. un-
less. it may be TO enable boards or
county commissioners to readjust the
taxes of the food sufferers.
There is no doubt that Kansas City,
Kan, is facing tremendously serious
proposition. Wyandotte county lost
eight bridges, one at Bonner Springs.
one at Turner, and the other six in
Kansas City. Kas. 1t is believed thar
the present emergency can be met by
rebuilding five of these bridges. but the
hve will cost upwards of $500 900.
The people in Kansas City. Kan. are
afraid that they will lose a good share
of their population and enterprises II
these bridges are not rebuilt within the
near future Many of the residents Of
Kansas City, Kan, are employed on the
other side Of the river, and with the
bridges gone they find it almost impos-
sible to go back and forth between their
homes and their employment. Unless
the bridges are restored many viii have
to move 10 Kansas City. Mo.
Then, too, there is danger that some
of the big industries which are located
on the Kansas side Will move into Mis-
souri, unless transportation facilities are
afforded across the Kaw- A single pack
ing house recently paid out 1920 in a
single day for transporting its employees
acToss the Kaw.
This is the desperate situation which
was presented to Governor Bailey at
conference with about twenty-five rep
resentatiVe citizens of Kansas City "a
the Midland hotel there last night Th=
governor was accompanied from To-
peka by State Treasurer Kelly, the only
other member of the executive council
in the city. The governor had also
Informally requested ex-Attorney Gen.
eral GODDARD and another member Of the
Topeka relief committee to go with
him.
Governor Bailey suggested that the
county commissloners issue bonds to
rebuild the bridges. with the under
standing that the state school fund
commissioners might take part of them
Which would guarantee that the next
legislature would legalize the issue
His idea was that Kansas City capi-
talists would be willing to take the re-
mainder of the issue A canvass of
Kansas City banking institutions on
Monday, however, showed that they
would buy no bonds if there was any
doubt of their legality whatever. It was
also pointed out that the issue would
surely be en1Oined- Another objection
urged was that it would be criminal on
the part of the county commissioners to
issue bonds illegally, and while such ac-
tion would doubtless not be brought
against the officers, 1t would not be ad-
visable even in the great emergency.
It is impossible, too in Wyandotte
county to hold a bond election for
bridges until the general election next
year The law provides that such bond
elections may not be held except at gen
eral elections in counties having more
than 10000 population
The Kansas City people say their
bridges cannot be replaced for their or
iginal cost, and the law covering repairs
does not thus apply. The Kaw has con
siderably widened its channel SO that it
will be necessary to widen the bridges
Then traffic has so largely increased be
tween the two Kansas Citys that the
bridges must be enlarged to meet mod
ern conditions. The bridges are pracri-
cally wiped out. There is little OF no
salvage The abutment remains are
where piers should be.
In view of this situation there seems
to be no way to help Kansas City's des-
perate situation except % call a special
session of the legislature % legalize the
bond issue. Governor Bailey it is un-
derstood. viii insist that It shall be for
no other purpose than to able the
counties to rebuild their bridges which
have been destroyed by the floods. ana
such other limited action as may be
incidental and necessary as result
of the flood and which his call viii
specify.