The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-30
CITY HALL NEWS.
Quinton Makes Plea for Graded
Streets in Kenwood.
Pays Taxes Without Advantages
of City Protection.
RAILROAD ORDINANCE
Will Be Passed Regulatin g
Steam Roads.
Crossings Blocked and Street
Car Traffic Delayed.

q. q. 0uinton came before the streets
and walks committee last night and
made plea for the favorable recon-
mendation for passage OF a resolution
for the establishment of a permanent
grade for the streets and alleys in the
Kenwood district, At the Monday
nights meeting of the city council the
resolution viii be presented together
with two petitions, one for sidewalks
and the other for grading and curbing
all the streets in the addition. The
resolution was looked upon favorably
by the members of the committee, but
Mr., Quinton. before coming before the
meeting had understood that there
would be some opposition to the propo-
sition. 1t is his plan to relieve the city
of the responsibility of paying for the
grading.
II have brought this property into
the city and am paying $1,000 in taxes
this fall and am not getting a thing
from the city-no fire or police protec-
ton or other advantages. If we can
improve this property 1t will mean an
increase in taxes for the city. I want
to curb and gutter every street in Ken
wood. l want to put a cement sidewalk
81 feet wide all over the district. I am
trying to make good district out
of it,
Immediately following the meeting OF
this committee the judiciary committee
of the council held a short session. The
ordinance which came before the coun-
Gil at its last meeting regulating steam
railway traffic in Topeka was rec
commended for passage. The immediate
cause of the framing of this ordinance
was the fact that there has been great
complaint on the part of the people of
the North side and others in regard to
the delay in traffic on the local street
cars on account of the seemingly I'M I
necessary stopping of railway trains on
crossings. Merchants found fault be
cause their employees would frequently !
start to work in the morning in what |
was apparently good season, but on
account of blockage at the railway |
tracks for 20 minutes or half hour
they would be late to their work.
1t seems that East First street is now
almost continuously blocked with cars,
the tracks on the thoroughfare being
used as a place for unloading.
The ordinance provides that the
tracks shall be equipped with crossings
the full width of the street, and that the
railway companies shall be required to
keep the culverts under their tracks In
good condition. Councilman Fink OBJ
jected to a section of the ordinance
which provided that he railway COM
panies shall be required to place street
lights on crossings where such lights
were ordered by the council. The coun-
Gilman declared that while he was no
particular friend of the corporations he
thought that they should have a square
deal and in this case it was his opin-
ion that the city should furnish the
lights This view point prevailed and
the section was struck out by the COM
mittee. The penalty for violating the
provisions of the ordinance is placed
at not less than $25 nor more than
800.
Two residents from the neighborhood
of Brooks avenue discussed the ques
ton of drainage in their district with |
the members Of the streets and walks
committee in an informal way before |
the adjournment of the committee took
place. The discussion was a lengthy
one but no particular decision was
come to, although the councilmen vera
of the opinion that when something is
done to solve the flood situation it
should be of a permanent nature. An
eight foot sewer was suggested. The
matter will be looked into thoroughly
as il will be a costly proposition.