The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-28
HAD ALlTTLE TILT
Mayor Green and Mr.. Dreaming
Do Not Agree.
The City Attorney Carries His
Point, However.
LOOK AFTER SEWER.
Sixth Ward Scandal Will Now
Be PrObed.
Dreaming Says $500 Was De-
manded of Contractors.

| ney got the council to believe that the
Sixth ward sewer needed investiga-
| ton and persuaded them to take i'm
| mediate action. Just a handful of the
| property owners of the Sixth ward
were present and they reiterated the
| complaints that have already been
mentioned concerning change in the
| construction of the sewer from Blu
| chanan street to Lincoln. They urged
| that immediate attention be given and
that the probe should be exercised.
! Realizing the temper of the public
mind Councilman Montgomery moved
| that a committee be appointed to in
vestigate the construction of the Sixth
| ward sewer. The council adopted the
| motion. The sewer committee will
probably be named for this work as
sisted by the city engineer and such
other engineers as the city may en-
gage.
The second action taken was on a
motion of Councilman Kutz for the
selection of an expert engineer by the
mayor to check over the findings
made by the present city. engineers
force on the Fifth ward sewer. The
city wants to bolster up its suit to re-
cover on the Fifth ward sewer as
much as possible and secure con-
f1rmatory figures from more than one
engineer.
The clash of opinion arose after the
reading Of a letter from the city at
torney to the council which called the
attention of the council to the charges
of the Sixth ward sewer. The letter
was accompanied by certain figures
showing raises of the sewer over the
original plans
This letter follows:
"Gentlemen-Mr. John F. Rogers
and myself have conducted a partial
examination of the construction or
misconstruction of the newly built
Sixth ward sewer, and find conditions
even worse than in the Fifth ward. In
! the alley between Arch street and
Garfield avenue, and Eleventh street
and Munson avenue, more than 500
feet of eight inch pipe has been sub
stituted where the plans called for 8
inch pipe. This change will compel
the rebuilding of this part of the
sewer in the future to accommodate
the land in the Metsker tract when it
comes into the city. We believe that
an investigation will reveal the fact
that the constructors saved more than
$4,000 by leaving undone work con-
tracted TO be done. Attached hereto
is a partial list of changes made in
the sewer. This list was gotten out by
Mr.. Rogers with my help and shows
the amount of raise made in the diff
ferent parts of the sewer. / believe
that an immediate investigation is
necessary and imperative if we intend
to perform our duty as public servants
and it should take place at once"
Immediately after the reading of the
letter Dreaming made one of his
typical addresses to the council and
urged the council to commence action
right away and not delay securing evil
dence and filing suit The mayor did
not agree with Dreaming on the ques-
ton of filing Immediate suit. He
thought the city should find out first
how it would come out on its Fifth
ward sewer suit. since both suits
would be identical in the main before
jeopardizing the issues in the Sixth
ward sewer matter.
Drening insisted that he had suffi-
cient facts to show that crookedness
existed in the Sixth ward sewer con-
struction and that he possessed one
fact which clearly indicated it.
What is that?" asked the mayor of
Dreaming.
I'VE are not revealing that now. We |
don't want to reveal it until the proper
time
TT seems to me that the council |
should know what you have while the |
council has this matter under consid- |
Grafton
well, all right then" agreed Dren-
ming. ut comes from a reliable source
that McCabe demanded $500 from
Ritchie while the Sixth ward sewer
was being built. Ritchie refused and
a big row occurred and King told him
that he ought to pay the $500 because
they had saved the contractors $4,000
on the sewer"
''Well. wouldn't it be better to find
out where you are first on the case
anything else" suggested the mayor
to Dreaming.
yes. but it may. take two years be-
fore this first case is decided"
1--WE had better wait two years
then"
ct would like to inquire as matter
of fact if it wasn't impossible to con-
struct the sewer as first planned
asked Councilman Montgomery.
'I can't say as to that until levels
have been run over the sewer" re-
sponded John Rogers. city engineer.
THE reason that ask Is because
there is not so much difference In
some places as others. 1t looks as II
the first plans were not to be used at
ALL" said Montgomery.
1.-The contractors MADE S4'GOO OUT OF
Mr. Richie says he lost $1,000,
Eyes. that's the same thing that was
said in the Fifth ward. said Dreaming
The residents in the two blocks bound
ed by Tenth avenue and Eighth avenue,
Lincoln and Buchanan streets seem to
he the property owners who suffered
more than anyone else, in changing the
plans for the Sixth ward sewer.
The sewer was planned originally to
run down Buchanan street in the park
ing. Later this was changed to Lincoln
street because of complaints against
building the sewer in the parking on
Buchanan The sewer could not be laid
down in the center of the block because
no alley extends through them two
blocks, it having been laid out with the
lots running clear through from one
street to another. Lots however were
sold extending only one-half of this dis
lance Most of the residents living
in the two blocks were already con-
nected by private sewers to older sewer
districts so that with the exception of
probably but two residents in the entire
two blocks none had any need for q
sewer which was built on Lincoln street