The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-07
THEY DON'TLIKEIT
City Council Exercised Over
State Journal Article.
Resent Criticism of Acton on
Yiaduct Contract.
LED BY MIR. HOWARD.
The Third Ward Councilman
Vents His Wrath.
Committee Will Be Appointed
to Investigate.

several of the members of the council
TOOK exceptions to the story published
by the State Journal on last Friday in
winch the council was criticised for
changing the specifications under which
the Iopeka Bridge and Iron company
IS laying the flooring on the East Sixth
avenue Viaduct. The viaduct is being
repaired.
Councilmen Holiday and Howard
challenged the correctness of the report
OF the meeting and preceding resolu-
ton which Councilman Holiday intro
duced asking for an investigation by
committee of the council Mr. Howard
said in opening up:
After the scandalous way in which
these proceedings were written I'D in
the State Journal, in which it was said
the council acted against the advice of
the city attorney and city engineer I
think we should give the matter some
attention tonight. This coming. too
from our official city paper it seems
to me it would be a good plan to take
tnlS CITY printing away from 1t and
give it to some one else People called
me over the telephone and asked if
was crazy and what I meant by yot-
ing that way. 1 don't think that any
OF these proceedings should go by I'M
passed"
Councilman Holiday declared that
the newspaper article complained of
grossly misrepresented the facts He
said it wasn't the kind of reporting the
council wanted
L have been pounded by the news
papers in season and out of season and
I have got somewhat used to it, But
bald headed truths and facts should be
stated as they are" said Holiday. 1.-THE
article referred to says that the coun-
ell changed the contract against the
advice of the city engineer and that we
lost what chance we had to get the
penalty of s25 per day. The facts are
that the city engineer and the city at
torney practically drew up that reSolu-
ton. The city engineer it seemed
didn't think that the contract was
weakened: He told me in a private
conversation that it would not make
any difference. What we need is more
cooperation and less jumping on
Il don't know why this write up is
so very wrong" said Councilman Horn
There were three votes opposed to
that resolution to change the contract
so that we did not ali think alike: I
don't know that the State Journal went
very much out of the way. The story
you complain about said that you
weakened. You did weaken and you
know you weakened. You allowed the
bridge company to violate the terms of
its contract. You changed the specifi-
cations so that it wouldn't be an act
ual violation. And you had fuss over
the matter. If the paper jumped onto
the council it may have been the coun-
ell needed jumping onto. We ought to
have somebody get after us when we
wrangle and when we don't do what is
right. This evening I went down to one
of the lumber yards and found there
$500 feet of fine 16-foot white oak
1T A-JI
secured"
eff you are going to have facts going
out of here, if what you want is a
square deal from the council, then you
will vote for this" said Holiday as he
offered his resolution censuring the re-
port of the State Journal. Here are
public statements made that the coun-
Gil took such and such action. When
as a matter of fact 1t is just exactly
contrary to what happened. There is
nothing personal about this
'tMr Holiday talks about facts" Said
Councilman Jordan. eff he wants facts
to go out of here he should stick to
facts himself. When he got up here in
the council last Thursday and said
that he gave North Topeka IL blocks
of paving while 1 was in California en-
joying myself, how about those facts?
I beg leave to state that I was here
when the paving contract was signed
up. I was here when the first brick
was laid, I laid 1t myself. It's we'll to
have facts in the council as well as in
the newspapers. The city has never
asked that this. contract be changed
and the contractor is the one who has
always asked for the changes to be
made. However, in order to have the
matter looked into I will vote aye on
this resolution"
Councilman Howard made several
further remarks about the continued
Misrepresentation Of the newspapers