The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-10
NO Time TO LOSE
Would Council Give Over Streets
to Freight Cars.
That Is What City Railway Now
Asks.
MR.. GREEN SPEAKS UP.
Says Company Thinks 1t Owns
the Council.
Business Men Protest Against
Greed Of Railway.
Topeka Streets Are Dangerous
Enough as 1t Is.
MIR. GREEN SPEAKS UP.

Whether freight traffic shall dominate
Kansas avenue and the other thorough
fares of the city traversed by the street
railway company is q matter which the
streets and walks committee OF the
council will endeavor to settle at
meeting this evening.
The business men of the city. those
whose interests should be safeguarded
by the councilmen, are plain spoken IN
their opinions.
If freight traffic is permitted in the
franchise they want it restricted to the
hours stated in the franchise and not
thrown open day and night to the
caprice of the management of the rail-
way company.
The hours specified now in the fran
chise for the hauling Of freight are from
u o'clock at midnight to . O'Clock II
the morning.
The amendment pending before the
streets and walks committee of the
council this evening calls for an annul-
ment of tn hours specified and leaves
no restrictiC whatever as to hours cor
hauling frs gnt
F. n. Nfsps. ch sfrman of the commit
tee does not himself favor tamperlng
with the franchise. He is from his posi-
tion leading factor in the commlttee's
decision, but there are certain members
in the council and the committee VINO
would grant any demand that cor
poration might make on the council II
is from these members Of the council
and committee that action favorable TO
the street railway company IS TO be ex-
peoted.
Mr. Nipps Is Outspoken.
sI think the less that the franchise IS
tinkered with the better, said Mr.
Nipps 4 think it is pretty safe to go
slow in changing any franchise. no mat
ter what it is NO, 1 am not IN favor
of throwing down the bars Though
think that in order to build the town
we have got to have some of these IN
c0nvenieuces, such as the hauling OF
freight by the street railway, there is
no reason for going too strong on it,,
What the People Say.
II think I can say what I think Of it
in very few words. It's ridiculous.
simply ridiculous. to permit freight to
be hauled up ard down Kansas avenue.
It should never be permitted L know
what the conditions are and I am not
In favor of the amendment one minute
This is the very decisive way in which
p. l. Bcnebrake, president of the Cen
tral National bank expressed himself.
''The streets of the city were given
over and dedicated for the purpose of
public use and travel but that dOesn
include turning them into freight
f q
Thompson Brothers furniture com
pany. s'The streets of the city were
never intended to be given over to
freight. 1 don't know why we should
be inclined to favor the street railway
company more than we would an in
dividuaL 1t doesn't pay as much tax
in proportion as the property owner.
1t gets the best part of the street, the
center. The company pays for the
pavement in between their tracks and
about eight inches beyond. Further
than that they don't pay anything for
paving. On the other hand, we who
own property have to pay for all the
pavement that is in front of US though
the company has really the choicest
position. They didn't pay anything
for their franchise and I don't see why
the council should want to give them
more than is coming to them The
spectacle of freight cars passing up
and down the streets at all times of
the day would be an absurd one to say
the least. No. I am dead against the
amendment
why should we grant the Topeka
street railway any favors2" queried A.
B. Quinton- You give them an inch
and they take loo yards. Take their
pavement at the intersection of kan
sas avenue and Sixth, it's rotten and
1uu OF hoIes. The company ought to
be made to put in new pavement when
the city is paving the intersection with
brick They should in every instance
be made TO pave with the material
which IS used on the streets that they
run on. But this is aside. Down
here on Jackson street the freight cars
stood for hours and then without get
ting permission or caring what thew
did they dumped off a whole lot of
stone and piled it up in the middle Of
the street 1t was dangerous They
leave their cars standing around all
over town The franchise was given
them Tor the purpose Of hauling mas
sengers this is not a freight railway
but passenger railway They ought
not 10 allow them to violate the fran
ehise much less pass an amendment -
j. G. Payne of b. N. PAYNE r 81
said; The streets are dangerous
enough as they are now with the street
railway running as it is without add
ing to It by running freight trains IN
and down.
If they get to hauling coal and
other stuff " Kansas avenue in the
daytime and any old time they want
We might as well move of Kansas
avenue and down on Jackson or
quincy and there is nothing to guar
9AsSe mat we Won get the same there
don know that it does much -oog
to say anything because these connect
men DO about what they wish an,-z,-ez
strictiOnS-"
Warren NJ Crosby said. at do,.t
think anyone likes to see a striner ~
eTnpt5es and filed cars standirr e,5s,5 - -
on the street railway tracks oz-ar. y, q
city know I don't don't ,.-.,t -
9n Kansas avenue. il affects business
am against ANYTHING that permits il )
lnilk lnc street Railway comnanz-
nat kind said J. W RrbineoI ~
Robinson & Marshall The franct,;eo
Is i IS now is very fair and I ,7r-,sf
nIak enat tnere should be any changes