The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-03
SHOPS AND SHOP S
Commercial Club Will SO After
More Of Them.
Danger of Losing Santa Fe I'm
prOvements.
PITTANCE IN THE WAY.
For Paltry So, 800, Car Shops
May BE Lost.
Definite Action Will Be Taken
at TOnight's Meeting.

ciai club has been called for tonight
by its president, c. K. Holiday TO, as
is stated in the call, consider the ques-
ton of retaining all OF the Santa Fe
shops in this city" There is small
chance Of any Of them being moved
from here.
This meeting has been brought about
by the fact that there is a hitch be-
tween the officials of the Atohison. To-
pelSa & Santa Fe Railway company and
W. ". Webb over the purchase price
of nine acres of land to the east of the
shops which is wanted by the company
/ for the enlargement of the recent shops
and the building of new ones. Mr.. Hol-
liday has gained the impression that
If this deal is not closed the Santa F'e
viii decide not to increase the shop IA
cilities here but in fact diminish them
by removing the car repairing plant in
the present shops TO Argentine where
new car repair shops will be built and
where the company has land.
For a year the Santa Fe has been
acquiring property on all sides of It's
shops with the idea chiefly Of getting
control OF it so that it would be avail
able in the future for the extension of
the shops here. For a long while there
has been a plan forming among the Of
hcialS OF the road for an enlargement
of the local shops and no one has done
more to help the plan along than James
E Hurley, the general manager Mr.
Hurley believes that Topeka. with its
unequalled schools and Its many ad-
vantageS, together with its high moral
tone, is an ideal place for shopmen and
their families to make their homes and
has used with success arguments for
the esta blishment Of more shop facili-
ties here. The Santa Fe needs much
more shop facilities for the proper
operation of its road in keeping up the
equipment and Mr.. Hurley has convinc-
ed the executives of the road that To-
peka was the place to put in the new
shops and plans have been drawn for
some new shops to be erected here and
for the enlargement of some of the ex-
listing shops. All Of these plans have
not been finally approved bF the exec
utives of the roads and Mr.. Hurley has
been reluctant to announce their de-
tails or the extent of the Improvements
until they are approved.
Since the company began buying
land around the shops it has already
purchased over $100,0 600 worth and
paid for 1t and has options on much
more. He desired the nine acres to
the east of the shops which is con-
trolled by Mr.. Webb and who fixed
price on it of $1,000 an acre. W. B.
Storey, jr., chief engineer of the Santa
FTe, who has been conducting the nego-
tiations for the company for the pur-
chase of this land, has offered Mr..
Webb personally $1,000. Negotiations
have been going on for six weeks, and
when the Commercial club heard
about it its officers volunteered to act
as Intermediates to see if the COM
pany and Mr.. Webb could not be
brought together. They suggested to
Mr.. Hurley that the Commercial club
would be willing to make up the diff
ference between the price asked by
Mr.. Webb and the price that the Santa
Fe was willing to pay This PROPOSE
ton did not appeal to Mr.. Hurley very
strongly. He thought that the COM
pany was we'll able to deal directly
with the property owner.
Mr.. Holiday had conference with
Mr. Storey yesterday and the latter
told him that he would increase his
offer from $1,000 to $125O an acre,
and delivered an ultimatum to the
effect that If the deal was not closed
up by Friday it would be off and that
instead of building new car repair
shops here the company would put
them up at Argentine, where they have
plenty of land, and would remove GER
tain car repair shops which are al
ready here to that point.
This increased offer of Mr.. Storey's
was carried to Mr.. Webb by Mr.. HOl-
liday and Mr.. Webb said that he still
would hold to the original price he
had set, as it is slightly lower than
there the matter stands. Mr. Storey
left town last night for the west to
meet Mr.. Hurley, who Is on a tour Of
inspection Of the ,company's lines.
The chances are that whatever may
be done in regard to this land there
viii be nc reduction of the shop force
here, whether or not new car shops
are built here. On the contrary, the
force viii be increased for good
many of the existing shops are to be
on Ia f4e,4-
employment of many more men.
1t is probable. however, that at the
meeting of the Commercial club to-
night a solution of the difficulty will
be developed and there is little doubt
but that the Santa Fe and Mr. Webb
will get together for with the feeling
Of the officials OF the company as to
the facilities Of Topeka for larger
shops it is not likely that they VIII let
q mere matter of some s2.500 stand
in the way when they have expended
over 100000 for land around the
shops and have plans already drawn
for the enlargement of the existing
shops and the erection or new ones
here However. unless the company
and the owner of the nine acres get
together it seems likely Topeka will
not get the additional repair shops
Al any rate the city Of Topeka will
not see the loss of any of her Santa
F'e shops or failure to secure big adj
ditions thereto for the sum of Sz250.
Sfr. Webb's Statement.
This transaction is matter that
seems to me to be wholly between the
Santa Fe and myself" said W W
Webb this morning. and our dealings
in the matter, especially between Mr.
storey and myself. have been most
amicable and as a matter of fact we are
pretty close together
Tt Is a ridiculous proposition to sug-
gest that am acting the part of a
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