The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-20
PEOPLE MAY SAY.
Question of Branner Street
Viaduct to Be Submitted.
City Asked to Bear One-third
of Cost.
is FIXED AT $4,000.
Would Give a New Outlet into
Oakland.
Also Avoid Danger from Santa
Fe Crossing.
is FIXED AT $4,000.

| Notice is hereby given that there
will be a special meeting of the city
ening at o'clock to consider the can
! collation. of the twenty thousand dol
lar bond of the Topeka Railway COM
pany, also to consider the building CT
a viaduct over Branner street by the
city Jointly with the Topeka Railway
company and the Santa Fe Railway
company and also to consider the
building of steel railway bridge over
the Kansas river by the Topeka Rail-
way company.
wv. S. BERGUNDTHAL,
Mayor"
Pursuant to the above call circulated
Monday afternoon, the special council
meeting Monday night decided to hold
a special election some time between
now and the regular fall election, at
the expense of the Topeka City rail-
way, for the purpose of voting on the
question of Issuing $4,000 in bonds to
pay one-third the expense of building
a viaduct over the Santa Fe railway
tracks on Branner street.
The ways and means committee of
the council will meet Thursday night
city attorney about the terms of the
ordinance regulating the construction
of the proposed viaduct.
The council also voted unanimously
to release the city railway from the
$40, 900 bond which has bound it to
spend $400 900 in rebuilding the city
railway system in Topeka. The coun-
the $40O, 900 had been spent.
Under the law, it does not seem to be
necessary that a petition. asking for
the bond election be circulated. The
new city charter act seems to give the
council the right to call such an cleo
tion. Sec. 163 and 164 of the city char
ter act are as follows:
Amy city may construct any
bridge or viaduct for its own use;
or may in conjunction with any cor
poration or corporations construct any
bridge or vfadu6t for the joint use of
such city and corporation or corpora
tions on such terms and conditions as
may be agreed upon by and between
such city and corporation or corpora
tions as to the construction, mainten-
ance and use of the same; provided,
that no such bridge or viaduct, the cost
of which may exceed $1,000, shall be
constructed unless the same is author
lied by a majority of the votes cast at
an election held for that purpose; and
provided further, that any bridge or
viaduct constructed for the joint use
of a city and a corporation or corpora
tions, whether the same shall have
been constructed wholly by corpora
ton or corpora tions or jointly by the
city and a corporation or corporations,
in no case shall exclusive rights there
on be maintained by such contributing
corporation, but the mayor and coun-
Gil of such city may permit any other
corporation to use, and if necessary,
widen or strengthen such bridge or vi
aduct upon the payment by it of such
sum of money as may be just and equ1-
fn
tions for the use of the same, or such
sum of money as may be necessary TO
properly widen or strengthen such
bridge or viaduct so as to render 1t
which it may be used.
For the purpose of paying
for any bridge, viaduct, public build
ing including the land necessary there
for. for land for public parks and de-
veIoping the same, within or without
the city or for any other Improvement
or works not otherwise herein proVloeo
for: and for the purpose of rebuilding,
adding to or extending the same from
time to time as the necessities OF the
city require, the city may borrow money
and issue it's bonds for the same Dut no
bonds shall be issued for sucn purposes
unless the same are authorized by
majority of the votes cast at an election
held for that purpose. The bonds mere
by authorized shall be payable in rot
less than ten years and not more than
fifty years, and shall bear interest not
to exceed five per cent payable annual
ly or semi-annually. The city shall
levy taxes each year sufficient to pay
the interest on all Sucn bonds and
make provision for the redemption of
of the same at their maturity.
Il have not examined the matter
said City Attorney Spencer,
"but so far 1 have found nothing in
the law as it now stands which requires
the circulation of a petition. 1t seems
to rest with the mayor and council to
call the election.
The following councilmen were pres
ent at the special meeting Monday
night: Kutz, Ryder, Holiday, Neil.
Rice, Sinner, Howe, Swendson- and
Hughes. Griley, Green and Nellis were
the abSentees.
After reading the call, L. E. Myers,
general manager of the city railway,
made statement of the purposes of
the company. substantially as outlined
in Monday afternoons State Journal
I'VE have since we built that pile
bridge across the river said Mr.. Myers,
spent about $4,000 in repairs. And we
are not real sure we have got the thing |
now so it will stand. We have decided |
to go ahead with the permanent North |
Topeka bridge, regardless of what you |
gentlemen do about the viaduct pro- |
position. The bridge will be of Steel |
with "a foot roadway, one more span |
than the present melan bridge, the piers |
each being in line with the piers of |
the melan bridge. so that anything |
which will go under the melan bridge
will go under our BRIDE
Mr.. Myers then went ahead and made |
IN important proposition concerning the |
proposed viaduct.
I'VE are willing to have it specified in |
the ordinance" said he, that the city |
the Santa Fe and the city shall |
ca ch bear one-third of the cost of mainte |
nance. Not only that, but we recognize |
that the city does not give US the exclu- |
sive right to use this viaduct. 1t can let
any other company on there on payment |
Of a suitable sum of money, as provided |
by the statutes
When the question of voting the bonds |
came UP Mr.. Myers said: I'VE prefer that |