The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-11
AT THE CAPITAL.
Public But dings Bill Is a
Future Probability.
1t Will Help Out Six Kansas
Towns.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Representative Campbell Faces
an Embarrassing Problem.
COffeyyille VIII Probably Get
Third District Plum.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

/ Washington, Nov. 11.-There is E
persistent rumor around Washington
where congressional doings are always
forecasted, that there will be public
buildings bill during the coming ses-
sion; that Uncle Joe" has promised
it; and if this be true. it will be good
news to about five or six Kansas
| towns.
The towns which will probably be
successful in the contest are:
Independence or Coffeyville. Par
sons, ottawa, Wellington, Concordia
or Abilene.
Representative Campbell is placed
in an embarrassing position. He has
just secured, in the last congress, a
public building for his home town of
Pittsburg, the largest town in his dis
trict. But Pittsburg is nearly equaled
in population, and fully equaled IL
commercial Importance, probably, by
three other towns in the Third dis
trict: Coffeyville, Parsons, Independ-
ence; and all are clamoring. Also
when size, Importance, volume of
business transacted, postal receipts,
and other qualifications are consld-
cred, these three Third district towns
are, by every rule, more entitled to
public buildings than any other towns
in Kansas now without such build
ings.
Recently at a big dinner given by
the Independence club, a commercial
social ORGANIZATION of Independence,
with 200 bright, keen business ana
professional and industrial men pres
ent, Representative Campbell and Sen
ator Long, who were speakers, were
besieged to get a public building. Ex-
actly the same thing had happened
previously at Coffeyville, in the same
county.
1t is probable that Mr.. Campbell
will leave it to the merits of the three
towns, so nearly equal in all respects.
There are certain requirements the
postoffice and treasury departments
like to have met in estimates and fav-
orable recommendations on pros
pective public buildings; and 1t Is a
fair guess that Mr.. Campbell will let
the three towns compete, introducing
bills for all of them, and then get an
item in the omnibus bill for the town
making the best showing.
Representative Murdoch and SEN
ator Long are interested in building
for WeIIington, a town which made
much progress in the last year, winch
is a division point and an important
one on the Atchison, Topeka & santa
Fe road, and drawing many business
institutions With Wichita and New
ton already provided for, Wellington
is the only worthy applicant from the
Eighth district.
Senator Long has been appealed to
by two towns in the Fifth district
with the possibility of another. 1t is
that Representative Cald-
erhead has also been approached by
these towns. They are: Abilene,
Junction City OF these
three. Junction City is the largest in
though not necessarily
the largest in volume of business, re-
GENTS etc: but inaSmuch as junction
CITY has the largest military post in
the United States, and one shortly to
become a. brigade post at Its elpow; W.T. II
patience a little longer before asking
a public building.
both Concordia and Abilene are i'm
portant cities in the Fifth district, nave
large postal receipts, industrial houses
which bring in good revenue to the gov
eminent annually, and this is what the
postoffice department looks at; and 1t Is
probable that one of them may secure
the public building. Senator Long was
at both towns during the past summer
and fall, and was approached at both
nlaces by citizens and representatives
of commercial bodies.
Representa- tive Charles F. Scott mas
promised Ottawa he would secure An
tenn for it in the omnibus bill, if there
was one, The Second district has Jared
we'll in respect of public buildings In
past there being one at Kansas CITY,
lawrence, Fort Scott, and at lola in
process of erection. So it was Ottawa's
turn.
Kansas now has IA public buildings
erected or authorized. This is exactly |
double the number five or six years ago. |
At that time about 1900, Kansas mem |
oers of congress set to work to get
some buildings, and succeeded admir- |
ABLY. The list of IA in the state in
eludes:
Topeka, Kansas City, Kan, Wichita, !
Leavenworth, Atchison, Fort Scott, Sa- !
ina, Lawrence Emporia, Hutchinson, |
lola. Pittsburg Newton, and Manhat- |
an. The last named four were in the |
omnibus bill in the last congress, and |
work will begin on these buildings with |
n a year.
So kansas has a good chance of adj |
ling to it's already respectable list of |