The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-22
CITY GETS A GIFT.
Street Railway Company Makes
a Contribution.
viii Help Build the Sixth Az
enue Yiaduct.
CONTRACT Is AWARDED
LeaVenwOrth Bridge Company
Will DO the Work.
Councilman Nipps New Presi-
dent of the Council.
CONTRACT Is AWARDED


until the 25th Of December to get it:
Christmas gift-it found a very accept,
able present in the toe of its stocking
at the session of the council last even.
ing when T. F. Doran, attorney for tht
Topeka Street Railway company an
nounced that his company stood ready
to donate 5000 toward the reconstruc-
ton of the Sixth avenue viaduct in adj
dition to repairing its right of way
across the viaduct at a cost of $4,000, ano
the construction of a stairway for the
1 convenience of people desiring to take
I the Sixth street car a the Santa F'e de-
! pot. AS a Christmas gift, II was lit
tie premature, but as somebody said in
| a play the other night, If you are not
premature nowadays, you are antici-
pated''
4 When Mr.. Doran came to the part of
/ his little speech which alluded to the In
tention Of the State Railway company, a
/ wide grin of ticlxled delight spread across
the face Of Mayor Davis and was in
fectious enough to cause several of the
councilmen to voice themselves in boy
ish cheers.
The total cost of construction of the
viaduct as let in the bid to the Topeka
/ Bridge company amounted to Sl3,95f-5o-
Z The offer of the Street Railway company
/ to pay 81. 10 in cash and repair its own
right of way at the engineers estimated
cost of $1,000 is equivalent to a sroscrip-
ton of 81 600. This leaves balance OF
/ 50 300 still to be raised with the Missouri
Pacific and the Santa Fe Railway COM
panies to hear from. It is expected that
these two companies will put about
So 600 between them in the work, leaving
the city to assume the balance
Mr.. Doran stated that the Street Rail
way conpany's proposition was entlrely
divorced from the question Of Issuing
new franchise, to the Edison company
He trusted, he said, that the Edison
franchise would come up later before
the council on it's own merits and that
a friendly reception would be accord
ed it.
I've know as we'll as you do that in
order that we may prosper we must
he the friends of Topeka" said Mr..
Doran. There has never been time
when we have not been liberal donors
when called upon to subscribe ne
Topeka street railway will give $2,4OO
out OF its own pocket to rebuild the
viaduct. In addition we Will reDuild
our own right of way and floor 1t with
as good lumber IS you do the rest OF
the viaduct at a further cost of -, 800
We will make the first contribution on
these terms, that the payment be made
5000 a month for a period or twelve
months I don't think that the bridge
company will object to receiving their
paw at this rate and / think the city
can arrange with them satisfactorily.
The council is certainly pleased at
this news and I know if they are not
that am" said the mayor Ihere
has nothing been said of late that gives
me more satisfaction
After a prolonged squabble the
council agreed that the Topeka Bridge
company was the lowest bidder for the
reconstruction of the viaduct and voted
to accept the report of the committee
of tellers to that effect
The difference of opinion was
brought down by the fact that the
Leavenworth Bridge company, the
lowest bidder had not filed q properly
certified check with their bid Tho
word Certified. had been written
across the check, but not by an officer
Of the bank on which the check was
drawn. The law provides that every
check must be properly certified in or
der for the council to consider the ac-
companying bid
The fact that the Leavenworth
bridge company was about $500 lower
and this question of certification in
duced some of the council to ask for
reimbursement of the bids This was
voted down after prolonged discussion
Councilman Montgomery moved
that all of the bids be rejected and re-
advertised for
MT Montgomery stated that there
was in reality about $1,000 difference
in the two bids and that he considered
it worth the while of the city to re-
advertise and ask for a new set of
bids He stated that he believed that |
a lower set of bids would be received. |
but it is going to mean delay and I
don't think we should delay" said |
Councilman Griley-
Il am not opposed to any home in |
dustry." said Council Montgomery I
am as much in favor of home industry |
as any other man but we should treat |
foreign bidders with as much consid-
Grafton as those at home There is /
over $1,000 difference between the two
bids"
1.-The lowest bidder is the home con-
Germ. We said we would let this to the |
lowest bidder and the best and we
have got it and it's the home COM
pany," said Councilman Hughes.
Il say it's time that this sort of
thing should stop" said Councilman c. |
K. Holiday heatedly. "Stand as 1 do !
now as president of the Topeka Com
club stand as I do as council |
man from the Second ward. I won't
stand for any action like that pro-
poosed for one minute. I want to say
to Mr.. Montgomery that the time is
past when this council is going to |
build up Leavenworth, Kansas City or
any other city at the expense of To-
pelxa."
"Our duty is plain enough regard
less of home industry it seems To me
said Councilman Nipps. The Topeka
Bridge company is the lowest bidder.
Time and again we have thrown out |
bids when the check was not certified
to and the bid of these other gentle
men should never have been consid-
ered.'
The council then unanimously voted
to award the bid to the Topeka Bridge
at $13,957.5O- The bid Of
the Leavenworth bridge company was
S13.557.85.
The increase in the salaries Of mem
bers of the fire department was put Off
last evening and will be made a special
order of business for council meeting
to be held next week Friday. The sub
ject was dipped into enough however
to get a diversity of opinion
Councilman Horne proposed that the
city sanitary department be treated to