The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-01
TO DECIDE 1T FRIDAY.
Council Will Meet and Con ider
Street Railway Controversies.

Inere VIII likely be q special meeting
OF the city council Friday night for the
purpose of considering the various ques-
tions relating to the reconstruction of
the Topeka City railway.
One of the principal things to be con-
sldered IS whether the council will sus-
tain the action of six counciImen taken
a few days ago in regard to the West
thirteenth right of way. Petitions to
the council asking that the permit TO
excavate on Thirteenth be denied to the
company are being circulated and there
VIII be a strenuous effort made to pre-
vent the construction of the double track
railway on this street.
This fight is being very cleverly com
batted by the railway company. The
company's officials say that if not AL
lowed to use Thirteenth street, they will
abandon the West Tenth avenue line
Such possibility. it is calculated, will
arouse enough counter-opposition to
snow the city council that the people of
the city are divided on the advisab bility
of having a line on Thirteenth street
The position of the railway officials is
that by building line on Thirteenth
new territory will be opened up, and
the company can afford to continue to
operate the Tenth avenue line, while if
the company is forbidden to occupy the
new territory, some of the present lines
to the west part of town must be sac
rif1ced to economy of operation
The question which is really before
the council is not the advisability of
allowing the company to build on Thir-
teenth, but the right of the council to
interfere. The company's franchise
gives it the right to build a double
track on Thirteenth, and whether or
not the track damages property on that
street seems to be a question for the
property holders to take up with the
street car company. This is the way it
looks to some of the members of the
council, who will therefore be in favor
of issuing the company a permit to eX-
cavate for the Thirteenth street line.
City Engineer James F. McCabe
served notice on the company today
that the cedar block paving on West
Sixth avenue will have to be replaced
in as good condition as it was before
being removed, or there would be trou
BILE from his office.
This action viii serve to protect West
Sixth people from a slip-shod job of
work. So far the company has not
started in on the removal of the ma
cadam and sand on West iSxth prepar-
Fatory to replacing the cedar blocks.
1t is possible that the council will
take some action with reference to the
appointment of an inspector for the
work which is in progress
TRACK NOT PROPERLY LAID.
Except on some of the streets where
track was first laid. the street car COM
pany has not been following out care
fully the requirements of the franchise,
and the city engineer has conferred with
some of the councilmen and will hence
forth require that the roadbed be more
carefully prepared. The franchise re-
quires that the ties be laid on four
inches in crushed stone, and of late
this provision has been neglected.
In some places on West Sixth, the ties
have been laid on the ground. and no
crushed stone whatever placed under
meath except what. can be ramned un-
der with rods. This does not make as
solid a roadbed as was laid on Kansas
avenue and other business streets, and
neither does it come up to the require
ments of the franchise. The city will
work.