The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-06

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE.
City Council Gives 1t as 1t Re
moves Obstacles.
Temporary Right of Way on
Bridge Not Granted.

L. E. Myers secured from the city
council Monday night a resolution in
structing the city engineer to issue to
the city railway any permits which it
wants for excavating for new lines
This means that the company has
the consent of the city council to put
a double or single track on any 80 foot
street it desires to occupy 1t nullifies
the informal action of the council taken
few days ago in regard to a permit
to build on Thirteenth and the COM
pany could now get a permit for the
whole of Thirteenth if it should so de-
sire and as it's franchise permits it to
do.
The resolution carrying this very i'm
portant concession to the company was
passed nuder the guise of IAN express
sion of confidence" in the company
Half of the councilmen probably did
not realize the importance of their ac-
ton. So cleverly had Mr. Myers
Smoothed the path for the resolution
that it seemed entirely unnecessary to
listen to the reading of the document.
The council knew in a general way,
that Mr.. Myers had told them that the
reports of squabbIeS about right of
money to finance the road, and that
some sort of an expression of conf
dence" was wanted to reassure the
trust companies who are loaning
funds to spend here in Topeka. The
resolution started of with a long and
elaborate preamble, reciting the history
of the city railway franchise from its
inception down to date. The real meat
of the document was tucked away in
the last few lines which were as fol-
lows:
BE it resolved by the mayor and
council of the city of Topeka that it is
the sense of the council that said COM
pany should have all reasonable assist
ance and moral support and therefore
BE it further resolved, that the city
engineer be and he is hereby directed
to promptly issue to said company such
permits as it is entitled to under said
ordinance 2407 on proper application
therefor
S. A Swendson introduced this reso-
luton, and it passed without a dissent
ing vote.
One very good thing about it is that
it settles definitely the city's attitude
on the 30-foot street question. The
council virtually reaffirnS the permits
sion given in the company'S franchise,
and agrees to keep hands off and let the
city railway fight it out with the people
who live on 30-foot streets and do not
want car tracks on tlems 1t gives the
city engineer his cue for future action.
1t is questionable whether the city
would have the slightest right to inter-
fere with the railway building on a 30
foot street, under the new franchise,
anyway.
ALMOST ACROSS THE BRIDGE.
While the cCuncilmen were still I'M
der the sway of Mr.. Myers hypnotic
rod, they came very near to allowing
the city railway to lay a temporary
track across the Melan bridge. Coun-
Gilman Swendson seemed to be the only
one who was able to stand up and OPP
pose Mr.. Myers plan, but Swendson
made so much disturbance about 1T
that Myers threw up hi4hands and left
the room without waiting to pick the
plum which hung almost within reach
1t was splendid piece of engineer
ing that Mr. Myers did on the bridge
proposition. He told the council that
he wanted permission to simply lay fiat
rails on top of the pavement and bolt
them together so that the company
could send its ties and material for the
North Topeka line over on cars Two
weeks for such a track would be long
enough, and no passengers would be
hauled But Mr. Myers did not urge
this project. He simply suggested it.
1t made the councilmen feel as though
they We're really doing the whole
thing, and Mr. Myers was a disinter-
ested spectator Mr.. Myers said that
if the council wanted to grant the re-
quest, he was inclined to believe that
he could get the county commissioners
to also consent.
The resolution. which was presented