The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-05
Senator Stillings' Road Will
Cost Kansas 100000.
Will Take Ten Million Brick to
Build 1t.
NOT THE RIGHT KIND.
All Right for Building Poor
for Paving.
An Explanation in the Leaven-
worth Times.

A Leavenworth man. who is in a posi-
ton to know some of the inside history
of the Vint Stillings brick road deal,
which the directors of the state peniten-
| tiary are trying to put through for Mr..
| Stillings said today:
People of the state don't realize the
Importance of this action which has
been taken by the penitentiary directors
and they do not understand that it will.
if carried through, cost the state vast
sum of money, probably no less than
| $1,000
1T means that the state will probably
| have to furnish free of charge about
| 100000 brick to build a road for Still
| fngs. Stillings' land extends alongside
| that proposed brick road for about a
mile; in some places the road goes right
| through the land owned by Stillings
The prison directors will have to lay a
double course pavement; single course
wouldn't stand up under the traffic for
six months.
AS a matter of fact, I think it is
almost certain that the road can not
be satisfactorily constructed out of
prison brick. The prison brick are all
right for building, but they are entire
ly too soft for paving. They can't be
made hard enough. The shale which
they mine there at Lansing is not suited
ed by paving brick experts. If the
state allows its brick to be used for the
Stillings road, it will not only donate
the 100000 brick, but it will have little
to show for it when the pavement is
completed. The pavement will disin-
| tegrate and go to pieces within short
time.
1T. c. Ballinger voted against this
road graft when it came before the di-
rectors, and / understand that it is
he fn IN w
politics. If that2 is the effect of his
kind of politics, we should have more of
that kind. John Seaton had to vote for
the scheme because half a million
prison brick had been given to Atchison
for the partial construction of the road
out to the orphans home. Atchison had
gotten into the same sort of a deal, and
couldn't offer any objection to the
Leavenworth affair. Biddle of course
was using every energy to help Stillings
get the thing through
S. H. Brandon of Butler county, one
of the members of the legislature who
was opposed to the passage of the law
at the last session which allowed the
prison authorities to trade brick for
cement sand and a road roller to be
used in building the Stillings road,
said while in Topeka a few days ago:
THAT Sttllings road bill was the
most fragrant piece of graft that has
gone through the legislature for years
1 told Stillfngs couldn't stand for his
bill. Some of the senators came to me
and told me that If / had anything I
wanted nut through the senate. they
would see it was done provided I
would not fight the Stillings road bill
in the house. I declined the offer.
Meantime the Leavenworth delegation
had been working necessarily to get
votes pledged for the Stillings bill.
They were ready to vote for any meas
ure that came up provided they could
trade their support for votes for the
RafOra w
situation. and before the members
fully understood the nature of the
Stillings bill, they had enough votes
pledged to carry it through the house.
was sick in bed at the time the
measure came before the house. and
couldn't fight it. w. l.. Cunningham,
who had been opposed to the bill, had
been persuaded by some means to
make no fight L suppose he had
some things that he wanted to get
through the senate. and had to quit his
fight on Stillings to carry his point
That was the way the thing was work
ed all along the line. Stillings had the
senate lodge solid behind him, and
used his power there to sandbag the
bills of the house members who
wouldn't line up for his road bill
The Leavenworth Daily TIMES,
which of course thinks it would be very
nice to have the road built at public
expense for the benefit of Leavenworth
and Vint Stillings, says in its editorial
columns:
'Leavenworth has been watching the
developments in the Lansing road
squabble, particularly those introduced
by the state board of control with a
good deal Of CONSERVATION. Just how
can body Of men occupying places on
a board of such prominence, and men
who it is assumed have the judgment
and good sense to qualify them for such
an honor. nave SO little official integrf-
ty as to seek to have a great state vio-
late a contract into which it has en-
tered with so evident good faith as it
did into the Lansing road agreement!
1.-TWO successive legislatures have
passed upon the plan of paving the
Lansing road and in one form or an
other have endorsed 1t. ApProprlat lons
have been made and expended for GER
tain road supplies needed by the state
for the enterprise; Governor Hoch gave
his word in speech previous 10 the
election, a Turner hall, In this city, to |
the effect that the work would be done |
Session laws specifically authorize the |
and it is just now begin !
ming to get under way.
"'The topeka State Journal has been
outspoken against the |
Lansing road paving, and 1T seizes Gag |
erly upon any expression by members |
of the state board of control as an ex-
ruse to discourage or at least delay TIE |
project Why doesn't the State Jour |
nal be fair about this matter? If it |
will take the trouble to send a repre-
sentative here, he will find that by paw |
ing South Fourth street.-The connecting |
paving, and the city's share of the |
e ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS made an ex- |
penditure which would not have beer |
made If it had rot had the promise of |
the Lansing road; that while the paw
ing is a splendid bit of public improve
nent, it would not have been warrant |
ed except under the conditions made |
by the Kansas legislatures.
1.-The South Fourth street paving cost |
many thousands of dollars, public work |
from which practically no benefit would |
accrue to the city except that the prom |
Use Of the paving of the Lansing road be |
carried out.
1.-THE state board of control protests |