The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-12
WHY NOT Get IT?
Woodmen Of World Headquar-
ters May Come to Topeka.
Purpose Is to Erect a Fine
Sl5O,OOO Building.
WILL TAKE IT UP NOW.
Commercial Club Committee
Considers the Question.
j. w. Kaiser, State Deputy,
TI-- MI rtsL
WILL TAKE 1T UP NOW.
j. w. Kaiser, State Deputy,
FaTOrs This City.

The Woodmen Of the World wish to
erect a $4,000 building in some city
in the west for their main Offices. and
the Topeka Commercial club, through
its entertainment committee, this
morning took the first step in its eff
fort to get the plum.
The home of this lodge is now in
/ Omaha Neb., where it owns an inn
mense five story structure. But last
winter the legislature of the Corn
husker state passed a law taxing all
fraternaI organizations and after the
assessment had been made, the Wood
men found out that they would an
nually have to pay $50, 600 into the
treasury of the state of Nebraska, and
that this sum would increase gradual
ly each year with the growth of the
order.
So when the supreme council met at
Chattanooga recently it was agreed to
remove the home Office from Omaha
to some other city in some other state
where the funds of fraternal Organlza-
lions would not be taxed. This order
of removal was made conditional upon
the opinion of the attorney general OF
Nebraska as to whether the law was
constitutional or not He decided
few days ago in favor of the law, and
now the WOodmen are looking for
new city for their home.
Last week the Kansas City Journal
announced that Kansas City would
get it. But that was merely the opin-
ion of a member Of the order who is
interested in the Missouri town. Cleve-
land, o., is making a, determined bid
for the building.
state Deputy J. W. Kaiser, formerly
of Fort Scott but now of. Topeka, who
is one of the sovereign officers, ap-
peared before the entertainment com
mittee of the Comm ercial club this
morning and asked then to at once
put forth an effort to bring the build
ing here. His cue was taken and a
letter Immediately dispatched to the
order at Omaha inviting it to come to
this city.
The sovereign officers, of which
there are eighty have the power to
settle upon the next location of the
home Three of these officers will be
here on Saturday, one of whom will
be Mr.. Kaiser. The other two are W.
A. Fraser of Dallas, Texas, ans ]. E.
Fitzgerald Of Kansas City.
These men will be here on Friday
and Saturday to attend the big rally
which the Woodmen will have here in
the Auditorium, at which time 100
men will be initiated, and more than
1000 visitors come to the city. Ex-
cursions are to come in from several
outside points.
Mr.. Kaiser talked at length before the
committee, and said in part: I'VE have
almost 4S0, 900 members and a reserve
fund of two and one-half million dol
lars We viii leave Omaha That has
been decided upon. I live in Topeka
now and I believe that this is the best
place to be found for the home offices.
| Our building in Omaha is worth about
/ $3.50 600. We can sell it now at net
/ gain of $4,000, and it viii be sold short
/ ~ and a $780, 900 structure erected in
] some other city. Kansas City announc-
/ ed sometime ago through the Kansas
/ City Journal that it had received the
] building, but that was not the case.
/ Cleveland, O., is making a hard fight
I for it. Now there is no reason why this
! city should not get it, if it makes the
right kind of fight. I am sure that
! we can swing Texas, Missouri, NebraS-
/ ka and Oklahoma right into line for US,
/ and it is in these states that we have
/ our greatest membership.
The building is to be five stories
/ high and fire proof One hundred and
/ tWenty-eight people are employed in it.
/ If it comes here, it brings with it all
Of the main executive officers, in which
there would be at least so families.
Il think that the best inducement
which you could offer would be a site.
| That naturally catches the eye of pros
/ pectiVe builders. I was looking about
| town this morning and the place lust
across the street from the Copeland
| hotel caught my eye. OF course I do
| not know whether you could get that,
but it would be a good one"
After Mr.. Kaiser's talk, Secretary An
| dersOn was instructed to at once write
a letter to Sovereign Clerk John T.
Gates at Omaha, Neb., formally invit-
ing the lodge to build here Major An
derson will fully embrace in his letter
the advantages which will be found in
this city and why it is a good place to
locate.