The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-19
Poses Before Council as Advo-
cate of Retrenchment.
Proposes an Investigation to
See About Cash.
A CAMPAIGN SPEECH.
Makes Bitter Attack on the Old
System.
School Board Wins Its Fight on
Health Question.

Councilman ]. w. F. Hughes, whose
meteoric career as mayor was one OF
the most expensive luxuries in which
the city of Topeka ever INDUCED, is
now engaged in a vigorous campaign
against himself for the Office to which
he is a perpetual aspirant. By every
means within his power, the military
gentleman from the Sixth ward is try
ing to establish a reputation as a
watchdog" of the treasury.
This is where Col. Hughes is obliged
to make his campaign against himself.
His record for extravaganza while he
held the reigns of city government
must be overcome. He must vigorous
ly prove to the people that he is really
a watchdog and not a siphon.
Consequently on every opportunity,
| Col. Hughes dashes to the front with a
| campaign speech against himselD on
| the subject of economy. A casual OBJ
| server of the council proceedings would
| conclude that Col. Hughes has really
reformed, and is trying to lead an econ
| omical official life. His campaign for
mayor, against himself, is really quite
| amusing.
Monday night he made a very telling
appeal on behalf of Col Hughes, the
new, as against his rival, Col. Hughes,
the old. 1t was in the form of the fol-
| lowing campaign document, which he
| introduced into the city council:
| Resolved. That the committee OF
ways and means be instructed to make
a careful and rigid examination of all
expenditures for the past year of all
departments of the city for the purpose
of ascertaining whether or not all the
expenditures of said department are
of the city and whether the expend1-
lures of any of the departments can be
reduced so the city may live within her
income as required by law, and the
W. committee
cred to employ an expert accountant.
The idea is a good one. The only trou-
BILE is that the city has several barrels
full of such Investigations stored away
in it's archives. 1t has more tabula-
tions of receipts and expenses that it
could possibly digest if it met every
night for a year. 1t has proved by ev-
cry known system of mathematics that
the city is in debt and it is going deep
ed and deeper all the time. 1t has alb
solutely demonstrated by careful COM
putations that the city must be econo-
mical The exact amount of the city's
deficit has been repeatedly figured out,
and the councilmen have taken straw
oath on a stack of illegal city printing
money. The only result is a new crop
of statistics, a new Batch OF proofs,
and a new lot of warrants unpaid for
want of funds
economy will result in a lot of nice
fresh statistics, which will be allowed
to ferment and mildew in the city
clerks vault or some co pm
ahead and sQuanders a few hundred
or a few thousand dollars now and
then on city printing or increased sal
aries or some sort of political graft
which it does not have the nerve to
check. But as a producer of cam
paign literature, it must be admitted
that Colonel Hughes is making very
good showing against himself.
School Board Wins.
An overwhelming victory for the |
last night. The city council gave the |
board exactly the amendments to the |
ordinance it wanted, in ex-
actly the form in which they were |
now go ahead and put in latrfne |
closets in every room in all the new
public school buildings if it sees fit.
Plumbing Inspector CLANCY had |
two forms of amendments to the
plumbing ordinance, which he pro- |
posed to the Council as substitutes to
the board of education amendments, |
but the council turned them down
with hardly a serious considera-
ton. The board had things all its
own way. 1t was represented by a
very strong delegation, or lobby, or
whatever it may be called The prin-
cipaI argument was made by Judge T.
F. Carver, but others contributed. |
The board had even sent to Chicago
r.
Louis, for the firm of Louis e. Kitch
en-, the people who make the system
of closets which the board wants to
use and which the plumbing ordi-
speech in behalf of his system of
closets.
Mr.. Louis said that he went into the
closet making business because the
plumbers trust would not sell him
supplies. The plumbers, on the other
hand. say that Mr.. Louis has trust
of his own, and that they are trying
to bust it and can't.
But the sentiment of the council
seemed to be that the board of educa-
ton was old enough to know what it
wants, and that the council should not
try to dictate to 1T. The plumbing
the vote being as follows
on the amendment: Ayes-Kutz, Girl
ley, Holiday, Neil, Rice, Howe, Swend-
son and Hughes. Noes-Ryder,
Green, Nellis and SINNER.
Fillmore Street Compromise.
After a year of wrangling, the pave
ment feud on Fillmore street has been
settled. The dispute over 2 u feet of
land which does not belong to any of
the parties, but which is in the street,
ence," and the council passed resolu-
ton to bind the bargain. The resolu-
ton follows:
Resolved. That the city engineer
De instructed 10 DTOCS0O at once Will
the paving of Fillmore street between
the south line of Thirteenth street and
the south line of Douthitt street and
that said pavement be located as fol-
lows:
1.-The center line of the pavement to
be in the center of the street at the
north line of Douthitt street; thence
to extend north in the center of Fill
more street a distance of 420 feet to
the south boundary line of Storrs adj
dition to the city of Topeka which is
312 feet south of the south line of
Thirteenth street; thence to a point
fifteen inches xxvaSf of the .oarfar of |