The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-14
THE MEMORIAL HALL.
Obstacles in Way of Site-City Try
ing to Help.

1t now looks as though there will
Topeka under the terms of the act of
the last legislature unless the Com
merciaI club gets busy and helps the
commission secure site. This was
the definite conclusion reached at the
session of the commission here Tues
day evening. Mayor Green and w. w.
Mills of the Commercial club were
called into the conference and the
matter checked up to them. The COM
mission had been in session for two
days and has been unable to accom-
plish anything in the matter.
Property values facing the state
house square have more than doubled
since the assessor made his report last
year. Property valued then at $4,000
to $4,000 is now held at from $4,000
to $4,000 per lot. 1t is remarkable,
this jump of values, and may result in
the death of the goose that is about
to lay the golden egg.
The commission is authorized TO
spend only $4,000 for a site and TINS
site must be at least 200 feet square.
The commission has adjourned and
stands pat on the proposition that To-
peka must secure that site on the
state house square for $4,000 1t is
not a question of the city furnishing
the site but rather of enabling the
commission to get site at what they
say is actual value.
Mayor Green and Mr.. Mills will
take the matter up with the councii
ami Commercial club ana report TO
Gov. Stubbs in n few days. If the site
mission will be called together again
and the site secured and then the let.
ting of the contract to build the hali
will soon follow this action.
At the close of the conference Lieu
tenant Governor Fitzgerald said: Il
do not believe for a minute that these
properties are worth what is asked
for them or that they can be sold for
anything like the prices quoted. The
commission is unanimous in its de-
cision that if suitable site is not 1ur-
nished for $4,000, which would be a
ed at, there will be no memorial hall
erected. We will simply let the mat
ter stand and wait for the next legls-
lature to do as it sees best.
1t must be admitted that $15,O0U
for an eligible site 200 feet square an
equivalent of more than ten Iots Is
hardly sufficient money.
Mayor Green, w. w. Mills, presi-
dent of the Commercial club, the di-
rectors. with a number of other citi-
zenS are discussing this matter OF site
at a melting this afternoon.
Auditor Nation, who is taking an
active interest in the matter, said this
afternoon: "It has occurred to me tha'
one of two things might be done. The
state now has three lots used by the
heating plant at the southeast corner
of Tenth and Jackson streets This
is a splendid location. I believe thai
the Topeka Edison company coulo
furnish light, heat and power Tor tht
state house and the state printing
plant for less money than it costs the
state now. In this event it might be
feasi bic to abandon the state heating
plant. procure additional ground eas'
or south of the site and put up the
memorial building there.
Another proposition might be to Sc
cure additional ground at the state
heating plant site, let this plant re,
main in the basement of the memorla
building and to heat the memoria
building and the state printing plant
and contract with the Edison company
to heat the state house. The present
heating plant will not heat all three
buildings so that an additional heat
ing plant will have to. be built for the
memorial hall or contract made fol
heat and light