The Topeka state journal., 1904-10-01
CITY CUTS THE WEEDS.
Street Commissioner Snyder Didn't Get
Time to Serve Notices.

Property owners in Topeka are get
ting their weeds moved for nothing
this year, in spite of the new ord1-
nance which requires every man to
get out his little scythe ana NOW the
vegetation, not only on his own land,
but on the parks, streets and alleys
abutting his land.
Don't tell anybody about it" said
Street Commissioner Snyder the other
day, 'but we have got to go ahead and
NOW all the weeds this year, in spite of
the new law. There isn't time to
serve notices on everybody, and the
work of cutting them is going right
ahead as fast as possible.
Hence if people will only be pa
tient, they will get their weeds cut,
perhaps. The street Commissioners
kept his purpose dark so that every
body who felt so disposed would go
ahead and do his moving. The street
commissioner is very klnd-hearted
man, and does not want to dlSappolnt
anybody who has been counting on
the pleasure of moving weeds.
Geo. T. Mattingly is running the weed
cutting department for Mr.. Snyder, and
says that the new moving machine
purchased by the city does the work OF
about seven or eight men with Scythes:
He thinks that the whole city can be
moved, with the moving machines as
sistance, in ten days. Formerly 1t mas
required three or four weeks to NOW
the whole town over once. When the
present cutting commenced, the weeds
were larger than they have been for a
long time. The city officials had been
waiting for the passage OF the new Or
dinance, and the council had been de-
laying it's passage. The weeds grew so
tall that they overshadowed the side
walks, and made it necessary out in
the suburbs for people to walk Indian
file to keep from getting their 1eel
tangled up in the vegetation.
Street Commissioner Snyder proposes
to start in next spring and enforce the
new ordinance. He says:
1T really was too late in the year TO
start in and attempt to enforce a new
ordinance of such sweeping provisions
as the one now in effect. By making
our start promptly next spring, tnlnk
that we can keep the weeds down with
our notices to cut weeds, and if they
are not obeyed the city Will cut them
with it's new moving machine, ana the
cost will be taxed up to the property
That is the beauty of this new ordin-
ance. If the property is owned by nom
residents, the city will cut the weeps,
and the owner will reimburse the c.ts
for the expense when he pays his
taxes
ordinance, No. 1928, which will be put
into active operation next spring, is
as follows:
'sIt shall be unlawful for any oc-
cupant owner or agent of any lot or
piece of land to suffer or permit any
noxious weeds to grow and remain
upon such lot or piece of land or IN
the street or alley in front OF or abut-
ting thereon, and any such occupant,
owner or agent who shall fail, refuse
or neglect to cut or destroy such nox-
ious weeds after five days written or
printed notice from some member OF
the health department, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and
upon conviction thereof shall be fined
in any sum not less than $5 nor more
than $50, and each time that said oc-
cupant, owner or agent shall fail, re-
fuse or neglect to cut or destroy such
noxious weeds after receiving the no.
tice above provided for shall be sep
arate and distinct offense.''