The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-25
FIX UP THE VlADUCT.
But Vote No Bonds Is Plea of Second
Ward Citizens.

That it will be futile to hold a bond
election for repairing the Sixth avenue
viaduct was clearly demonstrated at a
mass meeting held at the old Park
dale school house in the Second ward
last evening, when $50 residents of
that ward protested against a bond
election and showed themselves de-
cided1y opposed to it. This will settle
in advance the desirability of holding
a special election since the fate Of the
bond issue would depend upon the
votes cast in the Second ward. The
Second ward is the ward most inter-
ested in the repair Of the viaduot and
If the residents OF that ward refuse to
stand hitched to voting bonds the plan
may as we'll be given up.
Some of the members of the council
have been considering the adyisability
of holding off the repairs to the via
duct until the election this fall and
then put the voting of bonds up to the
people at that ime.
Mayor Davis has all along contend
ed that bonds for the repair of the
viaduct would not carry and his con-
tention seems to have been we'll
grounded.
Second ward people last evening in
sisted that the money must come from
the general improvement fund. How
ever, the money for making repairs Of
5000 is not in the general improve
ment fund. The fund Is close to the
line and to handicap 1t more some Of
the fund is tied up in the First Ma
tional bank failure.
The Topeka Bridge company offers
to accept warrants for doing the work
of repair contingent on sufficient money
accommodating in the Improvement
fund to pay the warrants within a rea-
sonable length of time.
That business has been seriously in
T,I-A
jured on East sixth avenue ana mat
residents have been seriously incon-
venienced in the closing up of the
viaduct are the principal complaints
The street cars run to either end of
the viaduct and the passengers have
to walk across. Often the street cars
leave the other end of the viaduct be
fore passengers can walk across the
long viaduct AS the service is only
every half hour the result is that those
who miss their car are forced to walk
To relieve this the street car COM
paTly agreed to run their cars up on
either approach of the bridge up to
the point where the weak spans exist
and the city agreed to allow this to be
done provided the street car company
maintained a watchman to keep teams
from crossing. The street car COM
pany considered the extra expense of
Waterman too much and refused.
Among those who addressed the
mass meeting last night were: Frank
Newland. George D. Butts, Q. Purdy,
Rev. F. E. Mallory and Councilmen
Swendson and Holiday.
Finally at the conclusion of the
meeting resolutions were introduced
and passed asking that the council
take action to repair the viaduct i'm
mediately. The resolutions passed
seWhereas. The closing OF the Sixth
avenue viaduet and the delay In re-
pairing the same Is working a hard
/ shin to the business men on East
| sixth avenue and a great incon-
venience to the general public; there
| fore be It
Resolved, That we, the citizens OF
| Fast Topeka in mass meeting assem-
| bled request the mayor and council to
! take Immediate steps to make such re-
/ pairs as will make 1t possible to open
| said viaduct for general traffic
JESSE SHAW,
90 PURDY.
'sWM. l. D0NNELLY.
SAM CUNNINGHAM.
"Committee. -"