The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-08
Only Seventeen of the Members
Present Last Night.
THE ANNUAL BANQUET
Even That May Be Abandoned
by the Organization.
Visitors at Southwestern Cele-
bratiOn to Be Entertained.

rollment of about three hundred, and
| two newspaper men, attended the
regular monthly meeting of the Com
| mercial club which was held last night.
The second Friday night in each month
is the regular meeting night. but there
| is a concert of some sort in the city
tonight so the meeting of the CONNER
cial club was showed ahead twenty
four hours. c. x. Holiday, the presl-
dent of the club, was engaged with
meeting of committee of the city
council and could not be present MIR.
Merriam, the vice president, reported
an illness which would prevent him
from taking the presidents place at
the meeting. So when Major Andef-
son, the secretary of the club, explain
ed this situation, w. H. Davis, former
| mayor of the city and a former presi-
dent of the club, was chosen to preside
at the meeting.
From the interest, or lack of it. taken
by the rank and file of the members of
the Commercial club in the workings
of that organization which could do so
much for the betterment and growth
of the city, it is evident that If the
slogan of "Seventy-five thousand
population by 1911" is to be answered.
the answer will not be made because
of any efforts on the part of the rank
and file of the members of the Com
mercial club. Those few members who
were present at the meeting last night
might be called the regulars" of the
club. They are at every meeting, rain
or shine, and do everything within
reason or their power to boost things
along, but when any important Ques-
ton comes up they are lOath to take
definite action because of the slight at
tendance at the meetings. They think
/ that their action might not be repre-
sentative of the desires or opinions of
majority of the members of the club.
So the matter is referred to a commit
tee that rarely if ever does anything
ings of the club. 1t would be quits
natural to think that the great ma
jority of the members of the CONNER
cial club seem to think that their duty
to the club and the city is fulfilled if
they dig down in their pockets for some
change when subscription lists are
passed around. They ought to live for
month in Coffeyviile, Wichita and a
number of other places in the state and
see what the business men of those
cities do through their commercial or
ganizations for the benefit Of their
communities.
A step was suggested last night
which could hardly be called one of
progress. What about banquet on
Thursday, December 5, Topeka Day?"
was one of the topics on the calendar.
Major Anderson suggested that the
banquet be dispensed with this year
because it was impossible to get
suitable place in which it could be
impossible, said the major, for the
hotels to clear their dining rooms and
serve a banquet much before o'clock
and this was entirely too late to start
in on such an affair because things
had to be rushed through if the last
cars were to be caught for home. w.
L. Taylor and w. F. Jensen and c. H.
Trapp opposed this suggestion. saying
that it would be a backward step for
the club to take. There was consid-
erable discussion on the proposition
and it looked as though the suggestion
to do away with the banquet this year
would go through. Then suggestion
was made that instead of banquet an
elaborate cold lunch for the members
and their wives and friends be served
in the rooms of the club. This seemed
to meet with favor but a compromise
was effected. Major Anderson was in
structed to send out cards and find out
how many members of the club would
attend the banquet at $3.50 per plate
and at such an hour as it could be
served. If he received one hundred
pledges for plates for the banquet, the
entertainment committee is to go
ahead and arrange for the banquet.
In case less than one hundred pledges
are received for the banquet then the
entertainment committee is to arrange
for the luncheon at the club rooms. If
the banquet is held the general man
ayers of all the railroads, operating in
Kansas, are to be invited as the special
guests of the club.
Action was taken to provide suit
able entertainment for the visitors
from along the line of the Topeka
Southwestern Railway company who
will be in this city on Thursday of next
week to participate in the monies
incident to the first breaking of
ground in the beginning of the actual
construction of the road. w. L. Tay-
lor, the president of the company, said
that the people along the line were
enthusiastic over the new road and
that many of them would be on hand
Thursday He said the folks at Coun-
ell Grove were going so far as to talk
of chartering special train to bring
would probably be sixty or seventy
visitors who should be entertained by
the club.
After talking the matter over. the
seventeen members present decided to
entertain the visitors with an automo-
bile ride around thecity, provide them
with convevances to the ground
breaking ceremonies which will occur
between and O'Clock on Thursday
afternoon Then the Commercial club
will take the visitors to the Sousa
band concert at the Auditorium in the
evening and as the guests of the club.
Mr.. Taylor and Mr.. Shamleffer, the
right of way man for the Topeka
Southwestern, spoke briefly on the
work which is being accomplished |
and stated that they had received en-
phatic assurances from Lamprecht
brothers & Co. of New York city. who
are f1nanciering the project, that the
present financial furry would not in
terfere in any way with a vigorous
prosecution OF the work.
Expression was given by the seven