The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-13
Sidewalk Outrages Are Unearth-
ed by Council.
Brick Contractors Are Held to
Be Responsible.
ONLY TWO ALLOWED.
Petitions for Walks Fronting
Vacant Lots.
Charges of Padded Petitions
Verified By Committee.

The hand of the contractor and the
promoter of sidewalk petitions was
forced in splendid fashion by the
streets and walks committee in tour
of Investigation yesterday afternoon of
the localities where sidewalks were
petitioned for.
People who did not live within
three blocks of proposed Sidewalks
We're down on the petitions. Many of
the sidewalks were petitioned for in
front of vacant lots. In other cases
the sidewalks, if laid would lead to no
where. In many instances the side
walks could only be laid at consider
able expense to the city, for heavy
grading would be necessitated.
The committee finally decided to
recommend but two out of a total Of
eleven petitions which had as high as
thirty signatures on them, and the
average number of signatures of tax
payers on the block petitioned for be-
ing about three, while all of the rest
of the tWenty-seVen would be from one
to four blocks east, west. north and
south of the proposed walk The sig
natures were secured so palpably
through the influence of the promoter
who was ma king something out of 1t
that the members of the committee
could not help but remark at it.
The system of getting up the petit
tons seems to have been to name two
blocks. one of which would be without
a house on it and the other block
containing probably three or four on
the strength of having the three or
four houses in the one block the plan
was to ring in the other vacant block.
About the worst piece of work was
that in connection with a petition for
a sidewalk on the west side of Clay
street between Euclid avenue and Six
2 L. II.
the block on that side of the street and
about half dozen houses are on the
east side. A sidewalk exists on the
east side. but il is used so seldom that
grass. grows over it. The sidewalk on
the west side would run blind If 1t
were built into the south end of Cen
trail park. and on this account If any
one wanted to get any place on the
street they would have to cross over
to the east side of the street and use
that sidewalk There was so little
apparent need of the walk even to
people who lived in the next block
that the committee voted unanimously
that the petition be turned down.
on West between Nineteenth and
Twentieth streets and between 'IFen-
tieth and Twenty first streets the petit
ton for a sidewalk was dumped. The
last block has no evident use or a side
walk There are four houses on the
east side of the street in the latter
block and the street runs out INTO atite
prairie. Sententiously the mayor said.
''I suppose that they wanted that side
walk so they could get to the Shunga-
nunga and go fishing"
On Pine street the same sort of a
petition had been promoted One
block between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets is without a house on it, and
there are about four houses between
Tenth and Eleventh streets.
In Tennesseetown three sidewalk Pc
/ titions had been promoted and in each
instance the committee decided that it
would be placing too heavy a burden
on the cclored property owners to
make them put down the sidewalks
asked for
.'Tf these people really want a side
walk let them come in fer it without
putting down a block extra where there
are no houses, said Councilman F. z.
! Nipps, chairman of the streets and
walks committee. 4 don't believe in
increasing the taxes on anybody just
! to please some contractors who are
/ promoting petitions for sidewalks. And
don't think it is right to put side
walks down in front of these vacant
/ blocks unless there is a really good
reason why such a walk should be
! down and unless an actual demand
exists"
/ The council has taken action that all
! sidewalk petitions for sidewalks to be