The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-25
COUNCIL MEETING.
Automobile Ordinance Fused
Over, Then Dropped.
Aldermen Came to a Deadlock
Over the Speed.
SPARROWS ARE SAFE.
City Dads Make It a Misdemean-
OF to Kill Them.
Other Performances at Council
Chamber Last Night.

duced. Way back in the times Wheh
Horn reigned over the council TINS
ordinance was weakening unoer lhe
influence of old age. 1t is always use4
as bait when the council runs out VI
material to work upon. When the coun-
Gil is rushed for time the ordinance Is
referred to some committee doesn
make any difference whether IL is the
sanitary committee or the nre oepArt-
ment-it is given to some time Kllnns
deVice-and at the next meeting OF the
council it is revived for different pur-
poses. Last night there wasn't mucn
doing and the automobile ordinance
was dug out of a committee report anu
brought before the council The very
first clause excited suspicion. PROBES
sor'' Stanley from the Sixth ward VINO
is an authority on grammatical coh-
structions arose and declared 1t poor
affair as far as the English language
was concerned. Councilman simpson
who deals with automobiles. blcycles
and motor bikes. said that he could not
detect the difference between the speed
of a street car and that of an auto
mobile by the reading of the ordnance
After this clause was fully explained
by Mayor Green who went over II care
fully explaining the many details
Then came the fight over the crea-
ton of a board of examiners for the
purpose OF examining every driver IN
the city charging a fee of not more
than IS. Mr.. Stanley stood up Tor the
auto drivers, Q6CldT1nS lIldt % was
much. He said that sometimes the
whole family drove the car and it would
be an injustice to make such charge
Mr.. Miller hit popular chord by saying
that there were too many chlldren IN
Topeka driving cars in reckless man
ner. 1t was his idea that the board
could not be too stringent. The board
will not be chosen from the counclImeh
from the automobile men themselves
instead. However. the supporters of
the S. rule won out.
After this the deluge-the speed or
dinance always causes tight. MI MIL
Ter said that it should be 16 miles an
hour on the residence streets instead OF
20 miles Mr. Fraser jumped to his feet
and registered his second to the motion.
Mr.. Blakely said that 16 miles was not
fast, 20 miles an hour was pleasant
miles an hour was very slow, and IL
was not rapid. He stood up for 10
miles an hour on Kansas avenue. Mr..
Tandy was in favor Of having rea-
sonabIe SPEED and then enforcing II.
Mr.. Jordan said that 1T was not the
speed that the city should watch out
for. There were times when 60 miles
an hour was not dangerous to a soul
except the driver. 1t was the driver
himself who should be watched and
not his speed. If he was careful and
not reckless the pedestrians were safe
and sound. The vote came to dead
locks to with two absent. Then 1t
was suggested that the police be called
and another member of the council
routed out of bed. This died. After
a series of word singing the whole
matter dropped to the floor with
thud and was postponed until the next
meeting. And again the old question
comes up-what would the commission
ers of a city do with a thing of this
kind?
Euclid park in the Fifth ward is slow
" coming to a final reckoning. This
GrCt hof fIa UnT
and council almost a year ago. The
people have been praying for the grand
finale ever since. The appraisers were
appointed last night and the property
will be judged
The song bird ordinance was passed
by the council last night. 1t was called
the "song bird ordinance" originally
because it was drawn up for the pro-
lection of the song birds over the city.
In an attempt to name all of the song
birds and discriminate between the
songsters and the commoners, the
council committee gave it up in despair
and through Mr.. Stanley recomme nded
that a fine be fixed for the killing of
any kind of bird. This includes the
worthless little English sparrow which
is one of the greatest nuisances on
wings 1t does not eat bugs and worms
Instead it is a great help to the street
commissioner. While the ordinance
was being passed Councilman Miller
rose ana suggested that d DOuHly De
offered for the heads of sparrows-in
connection with the amended ordi-
nance. It was also decided that such a
resolution would be turned over to
Councilman Stanley. Mr.. Stanley still
smarting under the stings of the in
furiated club women over the city,
gave the bird resolution one look and
retreated to his seat with a shudder.
'rNone of that for me-" he whispered
to the State Journal reporter. your
paper never would get through roasting
me over it. I guess we will have to
give you the commission form of gov
eminent in order to keep you quiet"
and the reporter blushed with shame.
]. E. Hazen, a member of the cleo
ton commissioners force, has just
completed a large well drawn wall map
of the city of Topeka and at the coun-
Gil meeting last night he offered 25 of
them to the city at a cost of SO each.
Mr.. Hazen has drawn number of
wall and pocket maps of Topeka and
the city officials have appreciated their
value.
More echoes from the salary ordi-
nance passed by the city council Last
night one of the pretty deputies of the
raise of $40 per month. She claims
that after two years experience and
on account of the increase in work she
believes that she is entitled to the in
crease in salary. Miss Eta NJ. Covell
is the applicant.
The East side spillway is still caus-
ing trouble for the citq. People are
unable to realize that the overflow of
Biddle creek was the cause of the
whole affair. Last night Charles
Kempe, 726 Locust, sent communica-
ton to the council reminding them of
the fact that his cellar was full of
water and this had never happened be-
fore the construction of the spillway.
He asked the city for drain pipes and
the cost of installment. Ever since
that heavy rain week age the East
side people have been up in arms over
the spillway.