The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-04
NEED OF BELT LINE
TOpeka's Growing Factory In
terests Create the Necessity.
Almost Daily Requests Received
From Manufacturers.
EXCELLENT LOCATION.
Better Transportation Facilities
Must BE Secured.
President Holiday Of Com
mercial Club Talks.

Nothing would prove a greater boon
to the development of the growth OF
Topeka. particularly as a manu1actur-
ing center and in fact along all lines,
than the construction of belt line rail-
road cireling the outskirts of the city
and opening up territory contiguous to
1T, as we'll as making connections with
all OF the big trunk lines that operate
through this city," said Charles K. Hol-
lfday. the president of the Commercial
| club, during a talk today on the belt
line project which has been suggested
by w L Taylor, the promoter of the
Topeka Southwestern, the line which is
| going to be built from this city to Esk-
ridge and Council Grove.
! Hardly a day passes" continued Mr..
Holiday, that the Commercial club
does not receive a letter from some
manufacturing concern that wishes to
| locate a plant in this city or near it..
Manufacturers desire to locate here be-
| cause of the undisputed fact that few
cities in this part of the country have
the facilities for distribution to all parts
OF the country that Topeka has. OF
course good many of these manufac-
turers are trifle unreasonable in the
demands they make for aid from the
| city in the establishment Of their plants,
such as asking for big bonuses, big sub
scriptions Of their stock to be taken by
local capitalists, as well as a site for
their plants.
only reasonable demands, such as site
being furnished them for their plant
either as a gift from the city or at
reasonable figure. 1t has always SEEM
ed to me that a demand for a site for
live manufacturing concern was a
reasonabl BILE one and one that the people
OF the city should acquiesce to. That is
the way big ma 1ufacturing centers have
been built up by many municipalities
throughout the country.
And there is disposition On the
y af he old
through the Commercial club to pro-
vide sites, but in getting them under
the existing conditions in the city
well. there comes the rub. Adequate
factory sites within the city limits and
within touch Of the railroad lines are
few and far between, and the few that
do exist are held at prices that are
practically prohibitive.
Now If We could open UP some of the
territory contiguous to the city
through the construction of a belt line,
where the land is at a reasonable fig
ure. this question of providing sites for
factories would practically be solved. i
ITO my mind there is no better fac
tory location through which ele belt
line could run than to the west of the
city, where most desirable factory sites
could be laid out, and what is better
yet within striking distance of these
factory sites are most suitable locations
for home sites for the people who would
have employment in the factories BY
all means the construction of this belt
line should be pushed to a conclusion.
1t would do more than any one thing to
help the growth - the city along sub
stantiaI lines" i
Inc tentative suggestions of Mr..
Taylor about his belt line is that it
should run from a point on the main
line of the Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific railway near the city water
works plant which is about three and
one-nalf miles west of the Rock Island
line from its station in the city. This
line would then circle south curving out
to the west and back easterly until 1t
struck Twenty-f1rst street at about the
southwest corner of the Seabrook sub
division. According to the plans of the |
Topeka Southwestern its line is to en- |
ter Topeka at about this point and run
east along the line of Twenty-f1rst |
street, and then cut north where 1t |
would make connections with the Santa |
Fe and the Missouri Pacific. When the |
Missouri Pacific builds its bridge |
across the Kaw, this belt line could |
probably make traffic arrangements
with that company. and also probably |
with the Santa Fe so that belt line |
trains could be run from their initial
point on the Rock Island line clear
around the city and over into the man
centers in North Topeka.
This belt line, 1t is seen at a glance,
would open up great territory to the
west of the city where all kinds OF
COuiu De IOCdt-
ed. 1t would also have tendency to
build up this section of the country as
a suburban residential place. 1t
would practically put the beautiful
Gage park within the reach of the
people. 1t would draw a good passen-
ger traffic to the city from existing /
suburban places. circling as 1T would
Arlington Heights, West End Sub
division. Knowles Second subdivision;
addition, Lenox Place adj
dition, and then coming into the city
to the east on Twenty-nrst street with
Seabrook's subdivision, Waverly place,
College Hill addition and the Martin
& Dennis subdivision, to the north of
is line; and Knowles subdivision;
Gavitt's Central park addition; Hath
away place, Higgins park, Moore
parks and Quinton Heights to the
south of its line.
But best of all it would give manu-
featuring plants, the sites for which
could be obtained at reasonable fig
lres, easy communication for freight
facilities with all of the big railroads
into and through the city. It
s likely that before long plans for the
of the belt line will take
on definite shape. 1t is the opinion of
4 good many business men that the
people of the city who are interested
n its growth and development should
club together and build this line if
t can not be built with financial aid
rom the outside.