The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-06
BUSINESS BASIS.
Top eka Wants a Civil Service
Measure.
Would Place All Departments
Above Politics.
TO FIX UP PAVING.
Mayor Calls Attention to Topeka
Streets.
Condition OF Asphalt Pavements
Is Very Bad.
May Require a Law Providing
for Repairs.
TO FIX UP PAVING.

|
Here are three things which the city
of Topeka will ask OF the coming ses-
sion of the legislature:
A law authorizing cities of the first
class to adopt a civil service system
for the management Of its departments.
A law providing for the management
and control of municipal waterworks
| by board of water commissioners, and
providing the powers and duties of such
board.
A law authorizing cities to compel
property owners to repave streets where
the pavement is worn out beyond re-
pair.
At the council meeting Monday night
Mayor Bergundthal was authorized to
appoint a lobby-politefy termed COM
mittee work for the passage of the
! first Of the proposed measures. 1t is
likely that committee will later on be
authorized to work for the other legis-
lation which Topeka needs.
| In Chicago, the city has recently
hired at a large salary an expert lob
byist, whose sole duty is to attend the
legislature and see to it that bills af-
fecting the welfare of Chicago are
properly taken care of. Perhaps Topeka
needs the same kind of an official
The proposed civil service reform
measure for municipalities was present.
Gilman Swendson, in the form of a reso-
luton, and adopted. Mr.. Swendson
says:
There should be no opposition to
such a law. Everyone realizes that
some sort of civil service rules should
apply to municipal governments. OF
course we would have to have a law
which could be literally construed, as
some of our departments, for example,
the street department, is constantly
changing it's men, and is often obliged
to pick up such men as it can get at
the wages paid
Mr.. SwendSon'S resolution follows:
Whereas, Neither the late city
charter act nor the statutes of the
state of Kansas make any provision
by which the principles of civil service
based on merit system may be applied
authoritatively to the various depart
ments of municipal service, and
Whereas, from a purely business
standpoint, the general welfare and in
terests of the city. demand that all
the departments of the municipal SER
vice be placed under a fixed definite
civil service regulation or system
based on merit only, therefore, be it
Resolved, by the mayor and coun-
ell of the city of Topeka that the
appoint such special committee as he
deems best for the purpose of securing
if possible the passage of such an act
by the coming legislature as will au-
applied to all the departments of
municipal service, that is, the city Of
fcers, the street department, the police
department the fire department, the
sanitary department, the electric
lighting department. etc, etc, to the
end that all departments Of municipal
affairs may be conducted on a sound
business basis, as far as possible from
a political basis and thus accomplish
as near as practicable the ideal
municipal service.
as. A. SwENDSON."
Mayor Bergundthal himself was the
man who suggested that action of the
legislature be secured to enable a city
to compel the property owners to re-
pave worn out street whenever in the
judgment of the council, such action
became necessary. At present, a
worn out pavement can not be re-
placed until the property owners petit
ton for requirement, the same as for
new pavement. Most states have it
fixed so that the city can go ahead
and repave a worn out street, and tax
it UP to the property holders on that
street. Mayor BergundthaPs COM
was referred to the streets
and walks committee. 1t was as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen of the Council:
cat a former meeting of the coun-
ell called your attention to the con-
and other streets. The situation is
such that some immediate action is
certainly necessary if we expect to
maintain our reputation as the best
paved city in the west.
kansas avenue should receive at
tention first, it being the principal
street of the city and the one which
most attracts the notice of strangers |
and visitors.
eff the law does not give the coun- |
Gil sufficient authority to properly !
handle an emergency of this kind |
some effort should be made for neces- F!
sary legislation at the coming meet
ing of the state legislature.
ST wish also to call your attention |
to the approach at the south end of
the Kansas avenue bridge.
THE immense amount of traffic and |
travel over the bridge keeps this ap-
preach ground into several inches of |
either mud or dust. I suggest that esti- |
mates be made of the cost of paving |
this approach either with brick or stone |
blocks and the contract let. The work |
to be done in the near future, the cost |
to be included in the paving contracts |
to be let by the city for 1905.
Respectfully,
wv S. BERGUNDTHAL."
The question of special legislation for |