The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-17
Railway Franchise i'm Original
Form for Monday Night.
City Council Fails to Take Final
Action Last Night.
TRIED TO WITHDRAW.
Street Railway Attempts to Take
Back Ordinance But Couldn't.
Buchanan Street lis Eliminated
From Question Temporarily.

The city council is getting farther
away from the extension of the street
railway franchise every day. After
three hours of argument-mostly con-
corning parliamentary law, and
whether a motion was right or not
the council adjourned last night. And
this is about all they did-adjourn. 1t
even took about 8 minutes to do that
because some member of the council
was afraid they were not doing it
right.
The meeting last night had little
bearing on the street car franchise
and every member of the council adj
nits it, AS Councilman Tandy said
after the meeting: 81 really can't see
where we have advanced a step since
the first night that the matter came
up"
There were two things that broke
the monotony and caused little stir
but they amounted to nothing in the
end Attorney T. F. Doran for the rail-
way company tried to withdraw the
ordinance from the council, saying the
street railway is discouraged at what
claimed that the ordinance belonged
to them and if anyone was going to
Withdraw it would be this body.
The second action was to cut out the
ing the line from Clay to Buchanan
from the ordinance BY close vote
the council succeeded in Slicing the
ordinance down in such a manner that
the Buchanan street proposition would
not have to come up for consideration
But at the next meeting of the coun-
Gil this will be reconsidered.
In fact, there wasn't an action taken
last night that will have any effect on
the final passage or defeat of the or
dinance. Speeches were made, poll
tics were mixed. grand stand plays
were made and oratory was wasted
also time. Mayor Green was i'll and
unable to come, thus leaving Council
man Lannan, president of the council,
to fill the chair. Mr. Lannan has al
ways voted for the ordinance. This
killed all chances of passing the ordi-
nance that night.
People Were Quiet.
The usual crowd was there last
night, but the people were quiet and
able speeches, but there were no
Kisses, groans and stamping of feet.
Very few of them made speeches. The
contrast between this crowd and the
actions of the crowd Monday night
was so marked that the council mem
bers couldn't stand the pressure and
made the move themselves for a
change.
From the sidesteps, fops. top-o-th'-
fence speeches and continual lodging
taken last night it would suggest that
the whole franchise has drifted into a
swirling river of politics and there is
no hope.
Councilman Jordan and Secretary
Kelley of the street railway got into
a red hot argument last night and
politics played a strong hand.
You are trying to run the band
wagon over us, bluff us, give out false
impressions and bulldoze the people,"
said Mr.. Jordan. "You have led the
people of North Topeka to believe that
you would build the Shorey line at
once and now you have attached this
line and all other lines to the little
strip on Buchanan street.
ooh. can't talk any more on this
it
You are running this whole matter
into politics. and you know it," fired
back Jordan again.
at wouldn't be into politics if you
would stay out of the game yelled
Kelley.
This was a sample of the beautiful
bouquets handed around among the
oouncilmen and the street railway rep
entatives.
Later Councilman Howard tried to ar
que Kelley out of one of the Buchanan
street points and turning upon him
with look of disgust the railway man