The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-17
VOTE BY MACHINE
Contract With Kansas Company
Ratified by Council.
Will Be Ready for Use in One
Year.
FOR FIRE ESCAPES.
Chief Wilmarth Is Looking
Over the School Houses.
Cement Cross Walks Will Be
Used on West Sixth.

Topeka will vote by machine. The
city completed its contract with the
Kansas Voting Machine Co., last
night, Tor the delivery of fifteen or
more machines for use at the spring
election in 1909 at cost of $4,000.
me voting machine company is a
topeka corporation backed by John
y. Royce, Charles W. Hull, M. c. Hol-
man and Frank Crane. The inventor
OF the machine is j. c. Paynter The
contract was entered into last August
on the understanding that the ma
chine. should prove satisfactory and
comply with the law A fight Develop
ed last evening on the claim that it
did not meet all of the requirements
or the new primary election law, in
that the machine was not large
enough to hold the names of all of
the possible candidates at a state pri-
mary election. The voting machine
company admitted that this was true,
but stated that the machine could be
used at the city and general election
and at the city primary and that the
machine could be enlarged to provide
for the state wide primary, but as
the law was subject to the probabili-
ties of change that it would be foolish
to enlarge the machine at increased
cost to the city. The company offered
to exchange new and larger machines
for the old at any time In the future
that the council might decide that it
wanted them plus the added cost of
$1.35 for each additional button
Councilman Montgomery thought
the city should make a contract for
one of the larger machines and Coun-
cilmen Jordan. Hughes and Tandy
were against the present contract be-
cause the primary law was still an
experiment and thought the city
should wait until some future time
before making a contract.
Councilman Blakely, Holiday, Horn.
Howard. Kutz, Lannan, Stanley and
Van Ness, however, favored the pres
ent contract and voted for it. The
factory for the manufacture of the
machines will be located in Topeka
and the company expects to manufac-
ture and enter into active competition
with the other machines which are
sold over the United States
The claim is made that the new
machines will pay for themselves In
seven years by the saving that they
effect in the expenses attendant on
holding an election such as printing
ballots which is done away with.
A report on the condition of the
school and public as well as office
buildings with regard to their fire.
escapes and fire safety was made G.
o. Wilmarth, fire marshal.
He says:
William Green, Mayor.
Dear Sir:-In compliance with your
request for information as to precau-
tons that are being taken in the case of
school and other public buildings for
the general safety of the children and
others within such buildings, will say,
that every school building and other
important buildings within the city is
examined frequently as possible; and
in all of the 81 school buildings every
detail is now being examined thorough
ly-the outside exit doors; the stair
ways; outside fire escapes upon the
larger buildings, where found to be
necessary; the condition Of the base
ments and heating appliances; whether
any accumulation of rubbish and litter
exists; the condition Of the windows
in the lower story as to whether they
are in condition to be opened readily
etc. And in every case where defects
are found existing the chairman of the
building committee Of the board of ed
ucation is notified at once and directed
to have the same changed or removed
without delay. In the majority Of cases
the outside exit doors in the schoo
buildings open outward, but where
found otherwise I direct that they be
changed at once and I will see that il
Is done. The board of education are
now having plans drawn for balcony
and stair fire escapes upon the higf
school and Lincoln school buildings
and shall insist that these be placed
in position without unnecessary delay
Under the provisions Of the city ordin.
| ance which gives me authority to ordel
outside fire escapes upon the large,
buildings, where I find them to be nee
essary, I will say that iron fire es
capes are already upon the larger no
| tells, upon all of the hospitals that ar,
above two stories in height. except on
and this one is being provided for.
&c. o. WILMARTH,
Fire Marshal"
| Monroe street from Tenth avenue t
| Twelfth street will be paved notwith
standing all the remonstrances. A live
| 1y fight was waged both for and agains
| the paving and it took the figures of tn
| city engineer showing the majority o
square feet of abuttfng property to b