The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-12
FOR HlENEW ROAD
Proposition Will Be Submitted
to Voters.
Calls for Small Issue of
Bonds.
VOTES IN OPPOSITION.
Councilman Jordan Opposed to
Submitting Proposition.
City Electric Light Plant Pro-
position Is Postponed.

Voters at the next city election, April
2. will be given an opportunity of vot-
| ing $4,000 in bonds for the, Topeka and
Southwestern railway for the purchase
of depot and terminal facilities. A
proclamation calling the election was
issued today.
A petition signed by w. L. Taylor and
1900 others was presented to the coun-
Gil last evening and under a suspension
| of the rules the petition was considered
without referring it to committee for
| recommendation Under the law OF 1886
a petition of this nature requires the
petition of two-fifth of the taxpayers OF
| the city, personal or real. The only
| purpose to refer to a committee would
be to discover if the requisite two-hfths
existed. With the certiffcation of both
the county clerk and county treasurer
| that the necessary number or signatures
were attached offered as proof the coun-
ell waived any question and accepted
| the certifieation. In approving the call
ing of a bond election all of the council
men present, Councilmen Ryder, Holli-
day. Nipps, Montgomery, Howe ana
Swendson, with the exception OF Coun-
Gilman Jordan voted aye. An attempt
was made to get him to switch his vote
| but he refused.
The bonds if issued will be in the de-
nomination of $500 each and bearing D
per cent interest.
The conditions under which the bonds
are to be issued are stated to be as fol-
! lows: ''If a majority of the qualif1ed
electors shall vote for extending such
aid the mayor and council for and IN
behalf of said city shall cause the bonds
of said city to the amount above spec1-
| fled to be issued and delivered to SAID
| Topeka Southwestern Railway COM
pany when the railroad of said railway
company shall be built and completed
a. %1,0 set ne ut
Shawnee county to point within the
limits of said city and fully equipped
for handling all passenger and freight
traffic and shall have secured and paid
for lands for right of way, depot
grounds and constructed or acquired
terminal facilities in said city of
value equal to or exceeding the said
sum of $50. 000 provided that said rail
road shall be built and completed and
in operation by lease or otherwise and
said land for right of way. depot
grounds and terminal facilities secured
on or before April 1. 1909"
Each councilman as, he was called to
cast his vote explained his position;
when it came TO Councilman Jordan
the meber from, the First ward arose
and said that the city had already
bonds out against. it of over 81, 100000
and he was opposed to any further adj
dition. He thought the road should not
ask for support from the city.
THE increased taxes and valuation
will pay for these bonds. There is no
question about it." said F. E. Nipps in
reply
'.Check it right up to the voter and
let him say if he wants it. 1t doesn't
bind the council to anything" said
Swendson.
II am awful sorry that any one mem.
Der of the council should Sc fit to vote
against this measure said Councllman
Holiday. Il can't imagine why Mr..
Jordan should vote against his own in
terests 1 say North Topeka should join
haTas with us. When the road is ex-
tended on up to the north 1t means I'M
provement for North Topeka believe
If Mr.. Jordan fully understood the pro-
position he would not vote against it.
81 do hope Mr.. Jordan will change his
vote" said Councilman Ryder L am
confident that his constituents want
this bond issue"
Councilman Jordan however remains
ed obdurate. There are great many
institutions that have been built up In
this town from small beginnings with
out any bonuses" said he If it's
good proposition to build this road to
Topeka the road should pay for it with
out any help The city is loaded up
with bonds now.
ct think it's good proposition from
a business standpoint" said Mayor
w H. Davis. "The company will ex-
pend as much money in the way of
improvements here as the bond issue
amounts to and the increased valua-
ton will more than pay for the inter-
est on the bonds" The road expects
to build a depot of considerable size.
a small car repair plant and about
eight thousand feet of track in the
city The promoters claim that the
bond will carry.
Refusing to take snap judgment up
on estimates for the reconstruction of
the city electric light plant. the ways
and means committee of the council
voted to defer the recommendation of
a. bond issue to be voted on April 2,
for this purpose. The council later
accented this action of the committee.
The committee was confronted with
two estimates, one of the city engineer
and the superintendent of the city
electric light plant and the second
prepared by an electrical engineer
from Chicago The first called for an
Expenditure of $4,000 and the second
for an outlay of 5000. The COM
mittee failed to reconcile the two con-
hicting figures. There was too much
yariat ton. The lesson of the Fifth
ward sewer has sunk deeply into the
breasts of the councilmen. L. A. Ry-
der said: 1--WE don't want to go before
the people again as making another
mistake like we did on the sewer. that
the estimate was not big enough to
cover the work. 1 am in favor of