The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-21
MAY Be KILLED.
City Council Are Opposed to
Elmhurst Park.
Syndicate Must Present a New
Proposition.
MAKE BETTER OFFER.
Land Owners Say They'll Give
More.
Now Ask Committee to Suggest
Plan.
MAKE BETTER OFFER.


takes place before o'clock tonight
the Elmhurst park proposition which
has been before the council and the
streets and walks committee for
some time will be killed with one
blow and the whole matter thrown to
one side. The sentiment among the
members of the streets and walks
committee of the city council today
is that the Elmhurst park proposition
is not a good thing for Topeka and
for the people in the vicinity of the
new addition-this means that the
matter will be laid aside forever I'M
less something of a better nature is
offered to the people The streets
and walks committee meets tonight
will be accepted by the council at
their next meeting.
But there are prospects that some
thing radical is going to take place.
1t is said that the advocates of the
park and the owners of the Elmhurst
syndicate realize that something is in
the air and they will present a new
plan tonight. That new plan will be
presented to the committee in the
form of a gift-in other words the
making their own plans and they
will be presented to the syndicate.
n. B. Burge. the prime factor of the
whole movement, called upon Mayor
whatever the committee wants, the
syndicate will be glad to give.
Objections Now Urged.
The big objections to the buying Of
the park at this time as they appear
before the committee could be
summed W as follows:
Cd The sentiment among the peo-
pie is that they do not want it.
CD The city would not care for
two small parks with houses and lots
between.
CD There are a large number of
people in the proposed benefit district
who are now paying taxes for some
other park.
lot of property into the city against
the will of the owners.
(5) 1t looks like an advertising
scheme.
These are the five objections
registered against the proposed park
by the members of the streets and
walks committee 1t might be added
that another objection is that a park
is not needed in this part of the city
but all of the councilmen admit
parks.
May Be. New Proposition.
If the owners of the land submit
an altogether new proposition to the
committee tonight-which they Will
probably do when they find out that
committee might refer the matter to
a subcommittee, investigate the mat
ter more fully and report favorably
to the council If the syndicate re-
ports that they will give all the land
for the new park instead OF
checkering it with lots and houses
together with fifty foot driveways for
connecting links, the committee VIII
fall into their way of thinking ana
give the people another chance to re-
port their ideas on the subject.
AS Councilman Miller said this af-
ternoon: 'I am going to vote the
way the people think over in that
part of the city. I know that they
do not want that park and I am go
ing to vote for them" This is the
opinion of practically all of the COM
mittee. With the addition OF the
objections offered in another part or
this story the whole matter looks bad
for the addition.
at have never seen such bitter
competition as there has been to this
proposition" said Mayor Green IN
speaking about the adverse petitions
this afternoon. "Some of the most
conservative people in this part of the
given radical ideas against the
annexation and purchase of this park
7 do not know what will be done
with the matter but have been Am-
pressed with the strained relations on
both sides. 1 am willing to abide by
the decision of the council.
There are a few matters in con-
nection with the annexation and pur-
chase of the park which have been
brought to light lately. Before the
mark can be taken into the city
the appraisers must fix the value. re-
por ito the council and then the mat
ter settled. The owners have pro-