The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-19
TO TAKE IN ALL.
Municipal League VIII Include
All Kansas Cities.
Bar 8 Are Let Down at Meeting
Today.
BIG BANQUET TONIGHT
Governor HOch a Guest of Honor
at the ThrOop.
Meetings of League VIII Close
Tomorrow.
BIG BANQUET TONIGHT

The tenth annual convention of the
Kansas Municipal league was called to
order by Mayor W. S. Bergundthal, the
president, at o'clock this morning.
The session of the convention lasting
over today and tomorrow is being held
in the council chamber at the city
building. The attendance is not up to
expectations. Though all of the dele
gates in attendance were not present at
this mornings session the representa-
ton will not be more than a compara-
tive handful. Those who were in at
tendance this morning are as follows:
Mayor John Halloren, Ottawa; L. A. H.
Street, city attorney of Fort Scott;
Councilmen G. S. Newberry, J. A. Tite,
Fort Scott; Mayor W. 0. johnson, Win
field; City Engineer c. NJ Bradley
Winfield; Councilman ]. G. Penny,
Chanute; Fire Marshal G. ]. Ausman,
Fort Scott; Chief of Police w. /. Men
denhall, Fort Scott; Earl Blake. city
attorney, Wichita; L. H. Webb, city
attorney, Winfield. From Topeka:
Mayor Bergundthal, City Attorney
Spencer, Councilmen Howe, Griley,
Green, Holiday, Hughes. Kutz and
Neil, City License Collector Ward Page
and City Plumbing Inspector Clancy.
The whole of the morning was prac-
Thus far the league has been maintain
ing an existence without a constitution.
great wrangle ensued and some ex-
tended flights of oratory over the pro-
position to bring into membership
cities of the third class Hitherto the
membership by consent has been limit
ed to cities of the first and second
class only. When the constitution was
presented for adoption this morning
however the provision mas made to make
eligible any city in the state of Kan
sas. This Immediately created a great
deal of discussion. 1t was argued that
by enlarging the membership. the body
would become unwieldy and not SO
much effective work accomplished. 1t
was further stated that the cities of |
the first and second class had not in
terests in common with cities of the
third class.
In refutatfon of this it was claimed
that favorable legislation could be
more quickly assured where a commun- !
ity of interests was established, the
smaller cities extending aid in securing /
legislation for the larger cities, who /
would in turn reciprocate. This idea
finally prevailed and the league will
now take into membership all the cities
Of Kansas. Prior to this the cities hav-
ing membership have been Topeka,
sas City, Kan, Arkansas City, Fort
Scott, Great Bend, Parsons, Chanute
and Ottawa Under the constitution
the membership will be extended to 118
C1Il6S on Ine payment LQG LOuOWluS
entrance fees: S25 for cities of the first
class; $40 for cities of the second class; |
IS for cities of the third class. In addi-
ton annual dues are payable under the
following rate, So for each 5000 of pop |
ulation or fraction thereof in excess.
This afternoon a number of papers
were presented Those on the pro-
gramme are:
A Strong Municipal Governmental |
W. Dana, city counselor, Kansas City. |
Municipal License-H. Ward Page, IL |
cense collector, Topeka.
Water Courses-Earl Blake, city at
Street Paving-s. G. McLeon, city en-
gineer, Kansas City.
Municipar Ownership of Public Utili- |
ties-A. L. Fl. Street, city attorney, Fort
Scott.
The social feature of the convention
will come this evening with a banquet
at the Throop hotel One hundred and
fifty plates will be laid for the members
of the league, Governor Hoch, Lieuten- |
ant Governor Hanna. Speaker Stubbs, |
members Of the house and senate COM |
mittees on civic legislation and num-
Der of the more prominent legislators.
c. K. Holiday, president of the To- |
peka Commercial club and councilman /
from the Second ward, has been select |
ed TO act as toastmaster.
The adjournment of the convention /
will not take place until some time to- |
morrow. Discussion on questions of |
legislation affecting municipal affairs
Will TAKE OldCS SL lI6JL IlIAlG. Gflt1S /
which have already come before the /
two branches of the legislature will be 1
placed on file with the Secretary Bird /
this afternoon and the league will be |
enabled to go over in some detail |
these bills. The most important of
these as affecting Topeka are the ones |
relating to the management, control /
and extension of waterworks plants |
by municipalities and another relat- |
ing to municipal bookkeeping fathered |
by Councilman Howe. The main idea /
involved in this latter is to place the |
end of the fiscal year for cities on the |
31st of December instead of the 31st |
of March as is now provided. Along |
this line of legislation the league |
meetings as fixed by the new consti- /
tuition are the second Tuesday in De- |
cember. This was fixed at such a |
time in order that sufficient time |
might elapse between the considera- |
ton of bills and the meeting of the |
legislature to secure favorable consid- |
Grafton.
On Friday the visitors will be given /
ride about the city over the lines of
the street railway system This
courtesy has been extended by Vice /
President Myers of the Topeka Rail- |
way company.