The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-05

WHeie rock was not found at the depth
claimed. The committee covers this IN
the following manner:
report oil Investigating Committee.
ON account of the character OF the
charges made, the committee believe
there should be full, complete and ex-
naust1ve investigation so that the truth
| might be known, and with this end in
view entered upon the discharge of
their duties. The committee held a
number OF meetings at the council
chamber, at which time we procured
the attendance of all persons whom we
thought would be able to give any in
lorna ton concerning the matters under
consideration. The testimony of the
witnesses examined was under oath,
taken by a stenographer, has been
transcribed, and is herewith returned
as part of this report. We gave the
widest latitude to the investigation by
notifying all persons interested, fnclud-
ing the residents of the sewer district
No. "a, and inviting all persons to ap-
pear before the committee and give any
information they might have regarding
the construction of the sewer, or its
present condition. number of the
resident taxpayers of the district ap-
peared and gave the committee such in
formation as they could. In addition
to the information thus acquired the
members of the committee made every
effort to bring to light in every possible
way evidence which would throw any
Gilmore
"In addition to the public hearings
that have been held during the IN
vestigation, the members of the com
mittee have made much private IN
quiry in the hope of obtaining further
light upon the matters under 1nvestl-
CATION There being some difference
of opinion among the members OF the
committee regarding the construction
of the sewer. it was deemed advisable
to procure a nonresident expert en-
gineer on sewer construction TO make
an inspection of the sewer Tor the
benefit and information of the COM
mittee. Your committee then CORE
sponded with civil engineers residing
in a number of different cities, ana
finally procured the services OF ). r:
Ellis, civil engineer. who came Wen
recommended. Mr.. Ellis was furnish
ed by the committee a detailed state
ment of the charges preferred, and the
city provided him with all necessary
help to carry on his lnVestlgatlon.
After making a careful Inspection OF
all the necessary papers, books, draw
ings, ETC.. in the office of the engineer
ing department of the city, and after
making a personal inspection or the
sewer, Mr.. Ellis prepared a written re-
port which is herewith returned as
part of the committees report.
Your committee will here refer 10,
and make recommendation, concern
ing the only defect or inefficiency of
sewer district No. "a, as developed py
this investigation
1.-The members of the committee
signing this report are of the opinion
at this time that greater raise was
made in the flow line of the sewer at
the manhole at the alley between Ty-
Ter and Polk streets on Huntington
avenue account of striking rock, than
the conditions will justify-the expert
engineers report shows that rock was
found at a depth of 81 feet above the
of ma nh n1n-th1IS
sewer so shallow that it will not drain
the cellars of a considerable number
of houses in this locality, and taxing
these people for something they did
not get. Your committee therefore
recommends that this be made a mat
ter for further investigation by the
sewer committee of the council, to
ascertain, by boring through this sec
have made it in1prac ticable to have
excavated sewer to the depth as orig
finally planned, and to ascertain, by an
opinion from the legal department of
the city, if the Reconstruction of this
portion of the sewer can be had by
suing on the bond of the contra ctors.
or the bond of the city engineer and
to submit to this council, in any event,
a plan for the reconstruction of this
shallow part that the taxpayers may
have the sewer they paid for and are
entitled to.
Under the contract for the con-
struction of the sewer, if rock was en-
countered, and the contractors We're
required to excayate through it they
were to receive extra pay of three dol
lars and fifty cents per cubic yard for
rock excavated, which would have en-
tailed an additional expense upon eth
er the city or the residents of the sew
er district The city engineer claimed
and testified that in raising the flow
line in certain parts of the system he
was only seeking to avoid this extra
expense of excavating through rock
encountered.
while the conclusions that have
been reached by the committee as
hereinbefore set forth. after an honest
and earnest effort to bring to light the
true facts involved in this disagreed BILE |
are based upon the evil
dence that it has been possible to OBJ
tain during the investigation, there is
yet a wide difference in some particu-
lars between the allegations of Gill |
more and the denials of McCabe and |
King. and believing that a good pub |
lie policy demands that nothing should |
be left undone that can be done to |
establish beyond Question of a doubt |
The guilt o rinnocence of the parties |
this committee returns |
herewith a. resolution. as a part of this |
report. which it recommends be
adopted, looking to a further investi- |
CATION of the matter in the district |
court of Shawnee county,
Good Bill at Novelty.
The bill this week at the Novelty /
maintains the record of Manager Wells