The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-15
TO Rebuild HOMES.
The Two Kansas Citys May Ask
Kansas tosGive 100000.

Kansas City, July 15.-The people of
the state Of Kansas will probably be
asked tQ give 100000 to aid the flood
sufferersN-in Kansas City, Kan. This
additional amount will only make I'D
a fraction of the loss in ArmourdaIe
alone.
The joint committee of the two Kan
sas Cltys appointed recently a commit
tee OF practical men to investigate the
conditions in Armourdale and report the
estimated needs of the flood sufferers
there. This committee was composed
OF Fred Meyer Edward Allen and L. B.
Smith, practical hoase builders They
were instructed to go into the flooded
district and select fifty houses of five
classes and make an estimate of what
it would cost to make these fifty houses
Mt to live in, not counting the cost or
pOrches, painting or papering The
committee made its written report to-
day. which, in. substance. was as fol-
lows:
Class Houses in fair condition upon
their foundations: fourteen examined;
average cost to put in good condition,
$112.50.
Class 2-Houses in fair condition but
moved by the flood off foundations; ten
examined; average cost to rehabilitate,
S115.
Glass 3-Houses badly wrecked. but on
foundat tions; six examined; average cost
to rehabilitate. $2Ee,
Class Houses bSzly wrecked. but
off foundations ( thirteen examined;
average cost to reha hilitate, SITS.
Houses collapsed. or a total wreck;
eight examined: average cost to re-
habil1tate, $462.50
The average upon each of the fifty
house was $202. so.
The committee has information from
reliable source that 5000 houses in
ArmOurdale were damaged bv the flood
OF this number, the committee estimates
so per cent were owned by investors or
people with capital These the commit
tee Will not attempt to replace. The
other so per cent. or 1-500, were owned
by the people who lived in them These
1,500 houses, al an average cost of
S20250 to rehabilitate. would require
$303,75O
But the Joint committee does not ex-
pect to raise that much There has al
ready been spent in Armourdale of the
Kansas City, Kan. relief fund $3.50,
and the joint committee is spending
$4,000 more. The committee has 3,730
applications for aid 1t will give $25
apiece to the most deserving of these.
To give each of them $25 would require
$93.250. 1t has 100000, now being dis
tributed. To this will probably be ad-
ded $25,000 this afternoon, making $75,-
600 in all. But most of this will go in
furniture. Scarcely any of it will go TO
help to repair houses. So the Joint com
mittee viii probably ask the general
committees of the two Kansas Citys to
make a call upon Kansas for $10O, 600
more to help put the Armourdale people
in their houses before winter. The COM
mittee thinks it has right to ask Kan
sas to help out its stricken metropolis,
especially as the Kansas legislature
gave nothing, while Kansas City, Mo-,
alone has given to Kansas City, Kan,
as follows
To Argentine .....-.....-..........$ 81, COO
First gift to Kansas City, KAN. 10000
Second gift to Kansas City. Kan. $4,000
Total $49,UOO
The committee thinks that if the peo-
pie of Kansas City, Mo, could give $49,
600 to Kansas City, Kan, and is ready
to give almost as much more. surely the
state of Kansas ought to give 800, 900.
And all these amounts would only re-
pair a fraction not 25 per cent of the
damage done by the flood to Armour
dale people.