The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-16
General Manager Hurley Gives
Topeka Advice.
Santa Fe Shops Won't Be Taken
Away.
HE NEVER SAID so.
Neither Is Assistance From Com
mercial Club Needed.
President Holiday Says There's
Been Too Much Talk.

II guess the people of Topeka need
not worry very much about any OF the
shops being moved away from here or
the new car repair shop not being built
here" said James f. Hurley, general
manager of the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe Railway company, today when
he was asked concerning the situation
which has developed over the purchase
Of nine acres Of land for those new re-
pair shops.
81 have never given any intimation,
continued Mr.. Hurley, that the remov-
al Of any Of the shops from here has
been contemplated. I have been away
for the last 20 days and have not been
giving the matter any attention, but
have an idea which viii probably work
out a solution of the difficulty and Will
{. get around to it in a few days.
zone thing is certain. The Santa Fe
does not need the help Of the CONNER
cial club or anyone else to buy any
land it needs. OF course the company
appreciates the prompt response made
by the business men to the call Of the
Commercial club for the funds 10 help
purchase property. but the company
never asked the Commercial club Tor
any assistance in the matter and does
not need any"
the officers of the Commercial club 90
with the fund of s.. $50 which was rails
ed to go towards the purchase or tne
nine acres of land from w w WEBB,
which the Santa F'e has been dickering
for for the erection of the new car re-
pair shops and which sum represents
the difference in the price asked by ME-
Webb and the price which w. b. STOREY
Jr. chief engineer of the Santa Fe
who has charge of the purchase OF the
land for the company, was willing to
pay. A suggestion has been made that
II the Santa Fe and Mr.. Webb cannot
get together that the Commercial club
purchase the land from Mr.. Webb at
his figure and resell it to the Santa Re
at the price it is willing to pay. This
would be a rather diplomatic way OF
settling the difficulty
Mr.. Webb, who all along has stated
that he cannot consistently accept the
difference between himself and the
Santa Fe from the Commercial club
because his dealings in the matter are
with the Santa F'e, was asked THIS
morning what he thought of this pro-
position. He replied that it had not
been presented to him and therefore
he had not considered it. He was I'M
able to state what he would do if such
a proposition was made to him.
AS pointed out by Mr.. Webb the
question is now just as it has been all
along-a difference in price between
him and the Santa Fe. The Santa Fe
QQSS AOL llltllk the idIu IS MOLku WlldA
he asks for 1T but MI Webb believes
that when the officials of the road look
into the situation and see that his price
is fair one the deal will be closed
speedily.
That the price asked by Mr. Webb.
$500 an acre for the nine acres, is a
fair one was the unanimous opinion ex-
pressed by real estate men at the meet
ing of the Commercial club two weeks
ago when the committee was appoint
ed to take up the subscription of So
$50. All of the members of the club,
who attended the meeting, seemed to
be of the same opinion or they would
not have gone ahead to raise the
money They would have tried to get
Mr. Webb to recede from his position
and accept the offer OF $3.50 an acre
which Mr.. Storey told Mr. Holiday
the company would pay for the land.
This they did not try to do.
Since this meeting of the CONNER
cial club Mr. Webb has closed four
deals for the sale of property in the
vicinity of the tract wanted by the
Santa Fe. In each of these deals he
has received from 5000 to 1925 a lot.
which is at the rate of over $4,000 an
acre Under these circumstances he
IS satisfied that the price he named to
the Santa Fe Of $500 an acre is an
eminently fair one.
In view of the statement made IN,
MI Hurley this morning there is small
chance of any of the shops being re-
moved from here or of the new car re-
pair shops not being built here and IL
IS probable that a solution of the diff
nculty over getting the land for these
particular shops viii be made within
the next few days
There was no statement forthcoming
from the Commercial club concernirS
the matter today. Mr. Holiday re-