The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-12
WINS ITS POINT.
Council Committee Agrees to
City Railway Extensions.
Will Now Be Recommended to
the Council.
DEBATE WAS SPIRITED
People in Audience Asked EN-
barrassing Questions.
Buchanan Street in South Part
of City Stumbling Block.

IFS HISl Victory last night DeIOre the
members OF the city council, by pushing
! the proposed ordinance-franchise
through the committee of the whole and
! obtaining a recommendation of this
committee to the council when it meets
Monday night.
! This means that unless the council
turns down the report. the street rail-
way will have the right to build new
lines on a number of streets in all parts
of the city. Following is the vote:
For the grant-Drew. Fink. Hughes,
Lannan, Simpson, Stanley. Total 8.
Against--Blakely, Fraser, Howard, Jor-
dan, Miller. Total s.
If the council acts favorably on the
ordinance Monday night. the street rail-
way will build along Clay street from
Third to Tenth avenue. along Buchanan
from Seventeenth to Twenty-third,
along Euclid avenue from Buchanan to
College avenue. through the Douthitt
tract as originally proposed, build the
Shorey line and the small switches and
cutoffs that were planned for the rail-
road stations and to Kansas avenue
from the Vinewood line.
The fight before the city council last
night was tame compared with the bat
tie of the evening before and the ora
tory and debate was much less spirit
ed and enthusiastic. Very few person.
al thruStS We're MADE and NOBODY talk
ed threateningly.
The first proposition to come before
the committee was the proposed line
through the DoUthitt tract. A petition
of rs signers asked that the road be
built through this place and there were
but two or three against it. In a fight
over narrow streets the committee
waited for half an hour for City En-
gineer Fulton whose statement was to
decide the whole matter. Meanwhile
Treasurer Kelley. of the Topeka Rail
way company-who was conducting the
battle for their interests last night
got up and claimed that the street
through which the line was planned was
wider than the one decided upon by the
committee.
what makes you think SOP yelled
someone from the crowd.
'I measured it the best could re-
How was that?" came back the an
swer.
ST stepped it off," said Mr.. Kelley.
mo leg measurements for u.s." cried
long where they shouldn't be-
But a vote was taken for a recon-
s:deration of the vote the night before
when the committee had mapped out
final vote and there were only three
councilmen against it-Fraser, Howard
and Blakely.
That Buchanan Stumbling Block.
Then came the Buchanan-1723
scrap. The street railway wanted to
remove its present line which runs
along Clay street and place it over on
Buchanan. Buchanan is the only
paved thoroughfare- leading out
through the city in this direction and
there was a vigorous protest against
the change. The councilmen and peo-
pie in the audience pleaded with Mr..
Kelley to tell them why the street rail-
way should go to such an expense to
move this line.
Mr.. Kelley told them that it was for
the purpose of Strengthening out their
lines and save the four curves that
would hurt their schedules if they con-
Quoted the cross-town lines.
'You haven't got straight piece of
track on the system" yelled voice
from the crowd.
Councilman Howard, as the night
before, led the fight against the street
railway propositions. In answer to the
reasons the company stated to change
their line from Clay to Buchanan be-
tween Seventeenth to Twenty-third
Mr.. Howard said:
st think all of these reasons are
lame. They don't appeal to me and I
know that there are number of other
councilmen and most of the people |
who feel the same way. The sole OBJ
ject of the street car company is to
save expense in changing over to this |
street and they know it. In putting |
car line on this paved street.-the only
one leading out of the city to the Bur-
lingame road and the only one that |
accommodates the big traffic from this |
part of the country-the company will |
ruin it for the traffic for which it is |
used. This whole matter is the most |
proposition I have ever seen |
and I can't see why the council should |
listen to it,"
Mr.. Howard was received with ap-
plause.
Mr.. Kelley then dropped the bomb !
that exploded the whole council and /
the final vote of recommended
tin to be taken. He stated that in an |
agreement with the people of Clay |
street the afternoon before-as stated |
in the State Journal last evening-the 1
street railway had promised to widen
their street and pay the expenses for
the rights of their car line. But-and |
here is what puzzled the councilman
the people of Clay street would not |
allow anything to be done unless every |
other proposition before the committee
went through.
In other words unless the committee !
Of the council acted favorably on the [
change of the car line from Clay street
to Buchanan between Seventeenth and
the people along Clay
street between Third and Tenth would !
put on their armor again and get into
the battle.
This tied I'D the whole trouble with
Buchanan street and on this stretch of
track the councilmen and the people |
in the audience argued.
During an impromptu combat be-
tween Councilman Tandy and Mr.. KEEL
ley during the meeting one of the !
strongest points of the evening was /
brought out.
Must Pay Under Commission.
Mr.. Kelley had asked Mr.. Tandy /
what was against the proposition to |
make this change.
Look here, Mr.. Kelley" said Tandy. |
you know as well as I do that urder |
Ia n
you will have to pay for all the ex-
tensions to this franchise. The new
law charges YOU for these rights and |
in getting this matter through the /