The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-08
NO JUSTICE in IT.
Councilman Green Discusses
Kansas Avenue Paving.
Says Property Owners Position
Is Wrong.
FOR THEIR OWN USE.
Pavement Worn Because of Bust
ness Interests.
Makes Comparison With the
Cost of Fire Protection.
FOR THEIR OWN USE.

There is no right equity or justice
in their position" said Councilman
VIM. Green, emphatically, of the re-
fusaI of the Kansas avenue property
owners to petition for resurfacing that
avenue ITS wrong I don't want to
say anything stronger than that, but
it's wrong, mauifestly So
What has worn out the pavement
on Kansas avenue? Business. It's
business that wears out that pavement
and it's business that pays for those
buildings on Kansas avenue, and it's
business that pays the rental of those
store rooms.
If it wasn't for the business which
is brought daily down town those store
rooms on Kansas avenue would be
empty and the landlords would not re-
ceive the rentals they are receiving to-
day.
"I think that you viii find that the
owners of store buildings who are Oc-
cupying them with some sort of BUSH
ness are not Directing to a petition, it's
the landlords who are renting out the
business to others who are standing
back and refusing. They have been so
accustomed to holding back and re-
fusing to make repairs on their store
buildings that they have become cal
loused to any requests which are made
along that line.
"They say that they paid for the
pavement in the first instance, that the
people have worn it out and the city
should now take care of it and either
repair or repave.
''They forget the fact that a business
street Is not on the same basis as a
residence street. Such an attitude on
the part of q property owner would be
all right But there is no equity or
justice in the contention of the prop
erty owners on Kansas avenue. I'M
prOvements are made in the store
as a raffr To
as possible, to attract customers, to
attract people down town in that par
ttcular district and to attract business
They pave the business streets for that
purpose. Is there any justice in their
contention that the city should re-
pave. The business men who occupy
their own store buildings on Kansas
avenue realize that there isn't it is
without almost an exception the land
lords who simply come around to col
lect the rentals who are lined up
against a petition.
They must have forgotten that the
city as a whole taxed itself to pur-
chase an aerial truck a new fire en-
CINE and other equipment of close to
$4,000 just to protect the business in
terests in the city. We didn't purchase
that equipment because we We're sadly
in need of more and better protection in
the residence districts. There was no
call for an aerial truck or a new fire
engine. Tt was done to reduce the fire
the city and today its service is almost
entirely limited to this area of down
town. You didn't hear any objections
though ON the part of all of the tax
payers who didn't own any business
property against making this purchase
or standing for the additional taxation
And to top this off the board of trus-
tees of the WaterWorks department is
goiug to eXpend close to another 500
600 on removing the choke in the main
on West street, i'm buying new boilers
and in other ways making the pressure
for fire purposes considerably better
and thereby still further reducing the
IRE insurance rate. Is this being done
to benefit the residence part of the
town. Not at all. We have adequate
protection there. No one is clamOring
that we haven't got enough pressure
or from the business streets. Because
Of the expense which has been attached
TO increase the pressure FOR emergency
purposes to high point extension in
the dry district can not be brought
along as rapidly as would be possible
otherwise.
The pressure which we have now
would be sufficient E0r fire fighting in
the protection of dwellings.
1.-THE pressure which we now have is
ample enough for the service in the resi-
dence section. The money which we are
spending for new boilers and sinking
new well points could have been spent
On buying new mains and putting out