The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-04

pay over the $4,000 which is due on
the court costs in the litigation which
was disposed of when the gas COM
pany got its franchise.
The following resolution was pre-
sented by City Attorney Spencer and
passed:
Gil that the city attorney be directed
to take no further action in defense
of the suit of the Excelsior Coke and
Gas company VS.. the city of Topeka.
Resolved, further, that the Excel
sior Coke and Gas company be direct
ed to pay over to the clerk of said
court the sum of $4,000 to apply on
the costs as provided for in ordinance
No 2525 granting said company new
franchise
Fix Up City Hall.
The council was feeling very gem
erous last night. Possibly it was be-
cause it was its last meeting. and that
all the money it voted away would not
be expended until the new adIninistra-
ton comes in.
1t voted to have the ofices in the
city hall papered and the council
chamber frescoed. It will cost about
500 to have the council chamber
fixed up, and probably $50 more for
the rest of the building, There is no
doubt that the building needs it.
Some of the members of the coun-
ell thought that it would be Just as
well to paper the council chamber. foo
1
of the members thought that this
room, where so many public meetings
are held, should be fixed up as good
as possible.
The following improvements were
decided upon, and the city clerk in
/ structed to advertise for bids:
Council chamber. fresco
Offices of city clerk, mayors private
! Office, city treasurer city attorney.
sanitary sergeant, city engineer, street
| commissioner, food inspector fire
marshal, corridors, second and third
! floors, elevator shaft, paper with z u
! cent paper.
Toilet rooms on third floors, two
coats of paint
Fire department sleeping room and
! sitting room, papered with Z Y cent
paper.
| The Mayors Last Veto.
Mayor Bergundthal has made quite a
record during his term of Office for We
/ tOing ordinances Last night he took a
! final 'swipe" and put the harpoon into
] the BarneS-M Nick eeVer waste paper box
ordinance. Barnes and MeKeever, two
! young Topeka men, wanted a franchise
to put waste paper boxes on the street
corners, to be used as sort of adveFtis-
ing sign boards.
Mayor Bergundthal held that there Is
a city ordinance prohibiting the placing
of advertising signs or boxes on the
streets and that so long as that ordin-
ance remains on the books, the council
should not grant a franchise giving
anybody the right to violate the ordin-
ance. He also held that the business
men of the city are opposed to the
plan. They think it is another adver-
Using graft.
Spencer CIinches the Contract.
Although Charles F. Spencer will
sever his official connection with the
city within few days, he will still be
engaged in an important piece OF city
work. The council last night instruct
ed the mayor to enter into a contract
with Spencer to revise the ordinances,
a job for which Mt Spencer will get
$500.
Councilman Swendson took occasion
to try a shot at Spencer. He said that
since Spencer had takeiT the cftys time
while in Office to fix UP notatiOns on
the city ordinances which he now pro-
poses to sell to the city, that the nota-
| lions, as nearly as he could figure QUE
/ belonged to the city without any add
tiOnal compensation.
4 deny that" said Mr.. Spencer. 1T
is absurd to say that these notations be-
long to the city They are my personal
property. I was not supposed to be the
custodian of the city ordinances; the
notations which I fixed up were merely
for my own personal assistance. Every
city attorney that has ever held the OF
fee has taken away with him his own
personal memoranda That is all am
doing but I have offered to give the
city the benefit of these memoranda
without cost. I charge only for the al
ditional work expect to do"
The council seemed to think that 1t
would be a good thing to have Spencer
fix up the ordinances. It will cost
a bout $500 to have the ordinances pup
lished in book form after they are re-
vised. The vote on the adoption OF the
Recommendations of the committee on
WAYS and means was to 8, Sinner,
Swendson and Hughes being in the neg
alive.
T. J. Coughlin's Plea.
T. J. Coughlin, of the Coughlin Hard
ware company, came before the council
/ last night and made winning plea
against the passage of Hughes anu
Fourth of July ordinance. Hughes or
/ dinance prohibits the use of pretty near
/ ly every kind of frecracker ana torpedo
which has ever been invented.
! Mr. Coughlin said My firm is try
/ ing to build up a wholesale fireworks
1 business in Topeka We are the only
/ firm handling fireworks in a wholesale
way in this part OF the country we
already have orders in to manufacturers
and importers for $4,000 worth OF nre-
works, two whole carloads. These ro-
( ders can not be countermanded. If you
1 people had intended to pass an ordi-
/ nance of this kind, you should have
done so earlier in the season l sug-
gest that you postpone this matter until
after the Fourth. and then take It up
| promptly and pass a reasonable ordi-
nance restricting the use of dangerous
forms of explosives
Hughes tried to get the council tosus-
pend the rules and pass his ordinance
at once. The motion was lost by a vote
of to s.
! The ordinance was then referred to
the streets and walks committee where
it will probably rest for some time.
WaterworIxs Ordinance Up.
There is still a possibility that the
! people will be asked to vote on the ae-
/ centance or rejection of the plan for
/ control of the waterworks embodied in
the state law. The council last night
/ laid over the consideration of the pro-
posed now waterworks ordinance, and
/ VIM Green stated that he believed that
! # ,loio5,f he a GOOD plan to consider the
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