The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-08

ing of the ordinance said:
No man, no law has right to de-
prive man of his private rights in
his own home. This law says that he
shall not drink or give away liquor in
his household. This IS not right If 1
want a little wine or whisky in my
house l cannot see just who has the
right to keep it from me. There is no
law that will dictate to a man on what
he shall eat or drink in his own home.
The principle is wrong and I am
against the ordinance for that reason"
Councilman Fraser summed up his
objection thus:
Il vote mo- on this ordinance be-
cause I do not think that the prescrip-
ton clerk in the drug store is able to
get along without the liquor in some
form or other. l think from a medical
standpoint the law is a. failure and will
cause more or less trouble"
Councilman Simpson, from the Fift h
ward, failed to show up last night and
his absence was felt when the automo-
has been in sympathy with the auto
mobile people and if he had been at the
meeting last night the deadlock of a
five and five" vote would have been
broken and the speed limit would have
been placed at 20 miles an hour. Mr..
simpson is the council authority on
autos and motor bikes.
the city engineer relative to the con-
| struction of sidewalks over the city
| were approved by the council last
| night and will be published immed-
lately. These plans will make it
| necessary for the people to pay a lit
tie more than they have been ac-
customed for cement sidewalks but
it has been the experience of the city
engineer that the average cement
| sidewalk has to be good All cement
/ On0d frcsf
, structed. Mr.. Rogers intends to
make them good a good many years
| after. The material will be the very
| best.
| The reports of the city officers
| were sent in last night but did not
| reveal any startling facts or figures.
| They were just the same old list of
expenditures and salaries. None of
| the salaries were raised on account
of the absence of the chairman of
the ways and means committee. Re
ports all approved.
About two months ago the news
| paper reporters doing the city
council meetings sent in a resolution
to the council asking for swivel
chairs instead of the old straight
back which have rubbed the skin
| from their backs for so long The
i council passed the resolution with
out dissenting vote and the janitor
was given instructions to obtain the
chairs at once. Last night 1t was the
same old story-the reporters sat on
the floor, in the committee room, or
| curled up in the corner-anything to
keep from rubbing the paint from
the old straight back chairs. And
still the janitor shirks.
1 1t is the opinion of City Attorney
Ralston that there is no need for the
city to prepare an elaborate ordi-
nance covering the new fire protec-
ton rules recently adopted by the
state. In the first place the state
laws are wide enough to include the
city without making any more dras-
tic measures. In the second place
the fire laws are so badly mixed up
| and jumbled together that the
| average lawyer could not make them
readable. The city will allow the
state to bear the whole burden of the
new fire escape and protection laws
1t will take a good state to handle
Il them.
! The city council cleared up a mat
ter last night that has been hanging
around the council chamber for
some time. 1t was for the opening
of the alley bounded by King, West
Lane and Twelfth streets. The street
commissioner has been ordered tic
open up the alley at once. The al
dermen struck popular chord wher
they made that move last night.
A resolution was sent to the coun-
Gil last night by the energetic Mr.