The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-10
ONLY Ten THERE.
Commercial Club Meeting an In
surance Mems Gathering.
They Try to Justify Increase of
Rates in Topeka.
ABOUT FIRE ENGINE.
Mr. Paxton's Innocent ResOIu-
Mr.. Paxton's Innocent ResOlu-
tion Started the Talk.
Mr.. Weber Makes an Attack on
Chief W1Imartb.

regular monthly meeting last night with
about ten members present. OF those
present not over one-half had been in
attendance at the club meetings more
than once or twice since it's organiza-
ton. Most of them were fire insurance
men. AS soon as a few matters which
came up regularly for attention, had
been disposed of, the fire insurance men
proceeded to conduct a pyrotechnic dis
play calculated to reconcile the business
man to the situation of having his fire
insurance rates put up 20 per cent
NJ. W. Van Valkenburg, an insurance
agent. opened the artillery upon an in
nocent little resolution, introduced by
d. p. Paxton of the Model Supply store,
thanking the city council for its action
in ordering the construction of a new
fire engine and fixing up the engine now
in service, and urging the acceptance
of the offer of the Cincinnati company
which proposes to lend a good fire en-
CINE for use here until new one is
ready.
When the resolution had been read
Mr.. Van Valkenburg announced that he
questioned if the council had done all it
could do to protect the property of the
citizens of Topeka. Then he went into
q discussion of the water supply of the
town, the inability of the water plant
to pump water fast enough to supply
three pump engine, and the need of
more cisterns on Kansas avenue. Mr..
Van Valkenburg held up Jesse Shaw as
horrible example of duplicity because
he has not come out openly and assured
the citizens of Topeka that the water
works was absolutely worthless. He
also characterized the city council as
dilatoTy in its action on the fire pro-
lection situation. Especially did he
criticise Fire Marshal Wilmarth for fail
ing to call the city's attention to the
need of added fire fighting equipment
before the bad Parkhurst-Davis fire.
Although a great deal of eloquence was
used last night no new facts regard
ing the fire situation, nor any new Sug-
gestions for relief were brought out
Recurring to the subject of the pump
ing capacity of the water plant, he said
that he had made inquiries among by
draulic engineers and had aScertained
that the main leading from the pumping
station west of town was too small to
conduct the necessary amount of water
to supply a big demand for fire fight
ing and that its arrangement was such
as to impair its possible efficiency. He
assured the eleven other members of the
Commercial club that if the city pur-
chased the water plant it would have to
rebuild the whole thing. Having can
vassed the entire situation and proven
it entirely hopeless for the future as
well as for the present, Mr.. Van Walk
enburg produced a type written sheet
of paper and read a list of insurance
AcACo III OluSI GILES showing To-
peka's rates were a great deal lower
than those anywhere else and that the
town ought. to be contented if it had
nothing worse than a 20 per cent in
crease of rates at this time.
Following Mr.. Van Valkenburg's ex-
position of the situation confronting
Topeka, in which he offered no solu-
ton for the trouble. w. w Webb.
local agent for the company by which
Mr.. Van Valkenburg is employed,
arose a:sd said:
Il had been given to understand that
the fire protection situation was to be
given liberal attention at tonight's
meeting, and 1 am surprised that there
is not a larger attendance here. 1
have had several personal interviews
with Chief Wilmarth and he has told
me that in the event of a fire gaining
strong Roadway in any of the blocks on
Kansas avenue at the present time his
| department will be practically power
1 less to check it,
Mr.. Webb's conversation was very
much in the same direction as that of
Mr. Van Valkenburg's He was fol-
lowed by Charles S. Elliott, who said:
I don't see that all this criticism of
| the city officials is going to accomp-
fish any good. The city seems to be
acting about as rapidly as it can, and
as rapidly as a private individual would
who had to count the cost. After the
bad Seymour building fire a year ago
1t was thought necessary to purchase
an aerial ladder. which the city did.
The Waterworks were considered mad
equate for our needs. and it was de-
cided to be best to make it city prop
erty. Steps are being taken in that
direction as rapidly as may be. The
Parkhurst-Davis fire has shown need
OF fire engines, and the city has set
about supplying them. 1t has been
recommended by the fire chief that we
/ need more cisterns on Kansas avenue,
and have no doubt that if it is shown
tN,ra liz
set about having them built expedi-
tiously- By sitting up here and abusing
the council and the fire marshal 1 don t
believe we can help matters much''
This did not close the discussion, be-
cause Councilman Weber desired to rise
to take whack at Fire Chief Will
marth and to clear his own skirts as
a member of the city council of the
charge of negligence or dilatoriness.
He also contradicted one of Mr.. Van
Valkenburg's statements about the in
surance rates in Topeka. Mr. Van
Valkenburg did not offer to explain
away the contradiction Although none
of the members had been speaking on
the resolution which was properly the
thing to talk about, ne attempt was
made to keep them on the subject
When everybody had finished it was
fished out and adopted.
A meeting of the Commercial club
has been called for next Monday night
It WI be held to discuss a recommen-
dation regarding the application of the
Edison Illuminating company for a city
permit to Law mains in the streets for
a private water supply system The
mains will be laid from the Edison
plant near Eighth and Van Buren, tc
the river. This application is now be-
fore the city council, but because
Councilman w. F. Weber felt that his
committee in the council was not able
to decide so momentouS a problem he
laid it before the Commercial club last
night.
The fore part of last nights meeting
of the club was consumed in disposing
OF applications for membership and
one or two communications The new
members are: