The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-30


tracts and then they will be sub
mitted to the city council. In this
final report to the council the city en-
gineer viii include the new street
sign requirement in the contracts
and as all of the members of the city
council are in favor of the new sys-
tenn 1T is very probable that the whole
matter VIII go through without any
trouble. The cost of constructing the
signs is practically nothing and it is
not expected that the contractors will
add any expense to their bids if they
include the new street signs. 1t must
be remembered that the street signs
are included in the paving contracts
because the signs are in the cement
curbing laid by the paving companies.
Since the suggestions made by the
city engineer to have the new street
signs there have been numerous
kicks coming in from the residents of
the city who have been reading the
old wooden signs for so long. They
have realized that there is something
better and as 1T is entirely probable
they are making a demand for it. The
city engineer did not know when he
made this innocent invention that he
mad struck responsive chord in the
minds of those who know a good
thing when they see it-and the
eastern technical publications are
taxing the matter up with interest
City Engineer Rogers is the first man
who has been able to scare the pet
monkey at the fire department head
quarters. Munk has been the mas
cot of the No. ? station for a long time
and during all of his experiences at
the station they have never been able
to scare him or make him fear any
thing human or inhuman. The city en-
gineer brought a big flexible rubber
snake to the room occupied by the
monkey the other day and it has never
been able to get over it. When the city
engineer enters the room Monk"
Jumps to the highest box and crouches
in fear. The f1remen claim they have
discovered the psychological natural
fear that exists in mana fear that
came from monkey-for snakes. How
ever, the whole matter furnishes good
topic for argument during the rainy
days.
The city departments are more than
anxious to patronize the city indus
tries and they do it whenever 1t is pos
Sible but there are times when it is
mighty hard to keep up the spirit even
when such a thing is preached by the
city officials themselves. For instance
the street department has been need
ing brushes for their street work late
ly. They went to the local dealers
and procured the prices. Then the street
commissioner, Frank Snyder, looked at
the prices quoted by out of town firms
and the very make and same quality of
was quoted at almost half the price
given by the Topeka firm. 1t is not
Justice to the taxpayers of the city to
pay such an immense price for mater
ials in the use of the city when these
same things can be purchased at half
the price elsewhere. 1t is a mystery
to the city officials that firm can
charge such an immense price to the
same thing can be obtained in other cit
les and at half the price. I'll
One of the forlorn candidates for a
city office in the coming primaries is
back in the race-thiS man is Council
man Stanley from the Sixth ward.
While his nephew was here in the city
the State Bar association he
read of the illegal petitions of his I'M
cle Mr.. Stanley and he Immediately
members of the supreme court and to-
gether they went in a body to the at
torney general who had declared the
petitions illegal just a few days before.
But this time Mr.. Jackson wrote his
''permission'' across the face of the pc
tition and this together with a number
of other names was taken to the city
clerk and presented to him with a tear
inspiring speech. Mr.. Burge never
doubted the matter in the least when
he saw the signatures and he officially
declared Mr.. Stanley a candidate in
good standing. When it is considered
that MT. STANLEY 5 peIlIlOn hacked the
names of the ward, the names of the
city, county and state. and the petit
TONERS recommended that the said
councilman be nominated as council
man and not as a candidate for coun-
it can be easily seen that the
remaining petitions will undoubtedly be
declared correct and the trouble will be
smoothed over. OF course those petit
lions that lacked enough names will
not be considered again but those that
were thrown out on account of some
technicallity will be back in the fight.
The Democrats are enthused over the
recent decision of the attorney general
and they will run Mr.. Logan for mayor
with renewed vigor-but this does not
mean that Mr.. Green will lose any
chances for an overwhelming majority.
Mr. Burge said this morning that he
was very glad the trouble had been
cleared the way it had and he still re-
grets that it was necessary for him to
kill those petitions that did not have
enough signatures but this is such a
J,ad mistake or rather luck that it