The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-14
WANT TO KNOW.
Commercial Club TO Investigate
Gas Situation.
Also Start Something About En-
tertainments at Auditorium.

The members of the Commercial
club want to know whether the gas
company is pumping air into the
mains for the purpose of sendlng the
little wheels in the meters afouno
faster than they should go under the
present low pressure, and lncloehtally
exacting from the user an oVercharSe
for the gas furnished. rms anxiety
was the cause of the appointment OF
a committee at the meeting last nlght
which should be able to throw some
light on the subject The -cornnl1llee
consists of we'll known Topeka pusl-
ness men and their report should set
tie the matter. The following Is ms
committee named by President Holll-
day: W. H Davis, w. A L. IhonP,
SON, J. T Huntington, John Purcell
and Arthur Mills.
President Holiday said: Il have
spent considerable thought In select
ing a committee to investigate the
atories of air being pumped into the
gas mains for the purpose OF keeping
up the pressure while repairs are pc
ing made on the line, and L THINK lhdI
I have named a committee OF repre-
sentative business men OF the CITY.
Their report should settle the matter
for all time I think that the Woro
of any man on this committee is as
good as his bond and hope that tney
will give the matter thorougn n IN n
to some expense to do So.
The free use of the Auditorium for
entertainments was brought up Dy
statement made by l. M. fen"eu-
1.-The way that the Auditorium is man
aged is a disgrace to the city. was
Mr. Penwelrs introduction OF the SUP
ject, IAN outrage to common decency
and a robbery .perpetrated on every
taxDayer in Topeka. The manage
mert of the building the night OF the
Howe lecture calls for some actioh
from this club.
/ use that word advisedly. and dis
grace. For half an hour the commit
tee in charge of the affair argued with
the negro janitor il charge before ne
could be prevailed upon to lower the
lights so that the lantern slides could
be used; .h,. +,ns the sneaker and
audience were compelled to await the
pleasure of this lone janitor who
seems to have full charge of the
building. The place is poorly lighted
for entertainments where light Is
needed and for months complaints
have been made after every entertain
ment to the city council and they have
been pigeon holed, or at any rate
nothing has ever come of them.
tits time that something was done
to change this condition. 1t was the
money of the taxpayers that was used
in erecting the building but to get any
benefit from it a fee of $25 is exacted
for the use of the auditorium and If
few notes are to be released from the
pipe organ this calls for further ex-
penditure of SIS. It's an outrage and
If the council will not do anything l
think that this Commercial CLUB
should take hand in the matter and
see If something can not be done to
change the present conditions.
"a few days ago a corn groW1ns
contest in which the boys of Shawnee
county participated was held in To-
peka and because cthe fee of $25 was
not forthcoming in advance the COM
mittee was compelled to hold the con-
test in the city court room which was
not large enough to accommodate half
the crowd"
President Holiday Immediately
called upon Councilman Kutz. the
only member of the city council ex-
cepting himself who was present to
defense OF the councilman was practi-
cally a confession of the righteousness
of the charges and in turn President
Holiday made the same confession.
Councilmen Holiday and Kutz stated
that they took the same view of the
matter as that held by Mr.. Penwe1l
and the matter was dropped after
brief discussion by other mem bers of
the club who took p kick at the mem
bers of the city cornell who have
charge of the auditorium
w. L. Taylor, president of the rail-
road committee, reported that the per-
Southwestern railroad has been COM
pIeted and that the last center stake
has been driven Work is dragging just
at the present time on account of the
fact that Contractor Denton has not
reached the city with his outfit. This
is laid at the door, or heels, of the mules
of the grading outfit as 1t was found
necessary to drive them 60 miles across
the country on account of the Inability
of the railroad to furnish cars for their
transportation.
ct consider that the engineering corps
has done excellent work. said Mr..
Taylor for we have stake set in the
middle of the right of way from Topeka
to Council Grove every one hundred
feet. This work has cost US $4,000 and
this sum has nearly all been collected
and paid. Mr.. Denton has wired me
that he will be in Topeka the first of
the week and I expect that the outfit
will be at work not later than Tues
day"
President Holiday announced the
following nominating committee which
will select n board of directors for next
year. They will report at the meeting
which is to be held on the 10th of jan
uary: A. NJ. Patten. a. c. Klingaman,
A. B. Poole. F. w. Freeman. J. c.
Chambers. ]. A. Cole, William Schick
NJ. c. Holman and T. F. Doran. Nine
directors will be selected by this COM
mittee.
w. F. Jensen of the Continental
Creamery company presented the fol-
lowing resolution which was adopted
Resolved. BY the Commercial club
of Topeka, Kan, that We believe there
is a decided weakness in the present
Interstate commerce law. whereby
railroads can advance rates without
first gaining the consent Of the inter
state commerce commission. Recent
ly we have had before us two attempts
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