The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-17

buildings. The people in this part of
the city say that the alley is worthless
and the city might as well vacate it.
When it is vacated it becomes the
property of the owner Of the sur
rounding property and the city is
liable to balk at this gift The matter
was left to the streets and walks COM
mittee.
+ The police classification ordinance
has passed at last and it was entirely
approved last night and will be pub
lished at once in its final form 1t
has had a long trip through the coun-
ell committee but it is still good as
new and will serve Chief Eaton and
his successors years to come.
Bank of Topeka. and the Shawnee
State bank sent their S25,000 bonds
to the city last night These two
banks are city repositories and their
bonds were furnished by the Com
merce Trust company of Kansas City
and the American Surety company of
New York respectively
Councilman C. E. Jordan is one of
those men who does not fail to see
a mistake even if it is made by him
self Not long ago he came out
strongly for an addition of three or
four new steamers to the fire equip
ment instead of high pressure sys-
tenn, which %OulQ cost the city an
immense amount of money and would
not be practical on account of the big
cost of maintenance and the useless
ness of the system during the greater
part of the year and probably the
greater part of ten years. Topeka
does not have a big fire once in five
years and until one of the few large
buildings in the city caught fire the
high pressure system would be ly-
Ing under the ground worthless Mr..
~,e-%
the high pressure system because he
thought that the city could not afford
il. But now since the business men
of the city have taken an active in
terest. since the mayor with the help
of the business men, has presented
bill to the legislature asking for per-
mission to create a benefit district and
since the city council has taken an ac-
tive interest in the high pressure mat
ter even going to the trouble of max
ing estimates. the alderman from the
North side has fallen in line and last
night at council meeting he in
troduced a resolution asking the fire
marshal to give an estimate of the
sary for the department end of the
high pressure idea. This does not
mean that Mr. Jordan has deserted
his fire engine plan but he shows the
spirit of city patriotism by doing all
in his power to help the other side
bunch of hose anyway and the esti-
mates will give the councilmen a
chance to look out for another appro-
prfation After big fire when the
hose has been under a high pressure
and is thoroughly soaked ii has to be
dried ard during this drying period
the department is at a loss to supply
the hose wagons with the necessary
equipment
The recent fires in this city have
caused a number OF resolutions to
make their appearance to the council
body and the most important of all
last night was a resolution invented
by Alderman j. J. Lannan making it
necessary for the Consumers Light
Heat and Power company to place a
cut of or stop near the curbing line
in all their future supply pipes to gas
consumers This means that when q
new pipe is laid it will be against the
law for the gas company to continue
to connect a customer with the main