The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-21

works are hard things to handle dur
ing a fire or an explosion and the ire
department proposes to make the pro
per preparations and administer the
preventives. During the Christmas
and holiday season when the stores
were so closely packed with extra goods
and the unpacking necessitated an un-
usual amount of dry material Fire Mar
shall w o. Wilmarth inspected the
stores at this time and made timely
suggestions to the merchants. rms
Fourth of July season the chief VIII
make numerous suggestions for the
public safety and he hopes to escape
through the season without an accident
or fire of any kind. Chief Wilmarth
is a great supporter OF the old saying
that an ounce of prevention is worth
pound of cure" and he hangs the
motto over his desk for daily practice
One of the important actions of the
city council tonight will be to set
the people of the city will vote bonds
for the $50 extension on the south side
of the Melan bridge. When City En-
gineer Rogers first sent in his estl-
mate. which amounted to almost $4O,-
900 the councilmen, city officials and
Mayor Green shook their heads, saying
| that the citizens would never stand for
such an expense, especially at TINS time
of the year when it would be too late
to forestalI any flood of any kind and
considering the fact that all flood dan
gers for 1909 are passed. 1t takes a ca
lamity of some kind to awaken the
people on such matters and the bridge
| extension cry has died down in the last
| few months. The big expense in the
estimate by Mr.. Rogers was in the
grading and excavating. 1t will take
an immense amount of grading TO cut
out that big piece OF river oank ne.
bridges But the city is hoping Tor
| the best and if the county decides to
| build the south side bikes per the south
| side drainage board the city will be
| that is, if the bikes are built with dirt.
There is considerable talk of construct
ling them of cement.
However, the city council will set
the date for the election tonlght ana
chance to make known their views.
| At the meeting of the city council to-
/ night several salaries Will be raised
| salaries which have been either lowered
| Nv mistake of the action of the former
| WAYS and means committee or salaries
| which have been requested for many
months and have passed the last line
| of battle at last. Custodian Weir or
| the city hall has been getting $50
month ever since he accepted the posi-
| ton. Since that time his duties have
| increased and his activity along i'm
| provement lines has been tireless and
| deserving of the raise he received
from $50 to $50 a month. Mr.. Weir will
| be a happy man-but he deserves his
| happiness. 1t is hoped by the newspa-
| per reporters who do" the city hall
| that the action of the mayor and coun-
| Gil in requesting the custodian to pro-
| cure swivel chairs for the press box
| will be needed by the janitor since his
raise in salary and he will do the char
| liable act.
The paving inspectors also came in
| for the uplift. This has been a very
| important factor to the city since the
maintenance bond was raised by the
! city and if the proper inspector is not
used the paving will be a. constant ex-
pense and loss. 1t Is an easy matter
for a contractor to buy off a poor in
| spector and the city will allow enough
i salary to make their work important
and worth while. They will receive
$2.25 a day.
The teamsters in employ of the city
will also be removed from the ancient
| pay rolls when the price of feed for
| both man and beasts was lower and
| when it did not take a fortune to make
the daily bread. They will receive $3.50
| per day instead of $325-and the coun-
ell will wish them good luck and hap
piness.
Three petitions were turned down,
| however and as always the case-"for
every action there is a reaction Miss
Eta NJ. Covi1l failed through her
charms and her petition to move the
frozen hearts of the committee and she
will not receive a raise at the present
| time for her work as deputy in the
office of the city clerk. A. Ackerstrom
and L. Brady, two brick stone and
wood men, will not receive the $50 per
month straight salary as they asked.
They will continue On the daily wage.
1t has been stated that the new fire
station would be an annual expense of
$4,000 to the city of Topeka. This is
altogether untrue and misleading. The
new fire station will only cost Sc, 900
which will include the building, equip
ment and lots After this it will cause
a yearly expense of about $3,700 Chief
| Wilmarth says that an additional ex-
pense of $4,000 might be incurred if
the twelve new men were recommended
but with taking only the new fire sta
ton into consideration there is no rea-
son why it can not be conducted on the
same basis as No. 4 and No. 5.
Mayor Green started out on a bust
ness trip with the streets and walks
committee the other day when the
wagon drove near the baseball park.
The mayor listened to the yells of the
! fans for about three minutes and look
ing around to the councilmen with
. tears in his eyes he said: Gentlemen,
. | wish l could be excused for a min
! ute" The councilmen accepted with all
; the dignity of the occasion and waited
! in the wagon for the return of the
mayor. Finally they drove up to the
ball park and Councilman Jordan acted
= as special messenger and started on a
\ hunt for the chief executive of the city
' After one look into the grandstand he
was satisfied because right in the mid
die of the crowd, his hat off and his
a glasses in his hand sat Mayor William
e Green, the pride of Topeka. shouting
a such undignified things as "PIayip' tbs
: game today, old boy" Always on you1
S toes, boys" Were all for you, all the
( time'-and the Mortified councilman
S ducked his head. few for his colleagues