The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-05
Must Be Removed and Converted
Into a Property Boom.
Comparison Made Between To-
peka and Springfield, Ill.
STEPHENSON'S IDEA.
About What's the Matter With
Topeka Real Estate Values.
eyes, Values Must Go Up and
That Within a Short Time"

The tallest stalk of corn saps the
ground and overshadows the replant at
its side. The one produces a splendid
ear of corn and the other nubbin. This
is one of the lays of nature every one
knows.
Again. when the pond is full and still
it rains, the water pours over into ad-
jacent territory and into the ponds on
down the slough. Springfield, 1.-The
F'lowery City, the capital of Illinois,
the Garden of the West" exemplifies
10th of these laws or conditions.
Only SO miles from Chicago, in the
very shadow of the great city with all
her industries and wealth, with her
commercial tendrils reaching out and
Springfield was founded. The sUperf1u-
GUS industries and the little fellow
Which were crowded out from Chicago
stopped in Springfield.
Springfield has not the same splendid
advantages as Topeka yet real estate
there is over three times as high as in
Topeka. Only one and two blocks from
the postoffice IN the best business dis
trict ground is valued at $4,000 a front
foot exclusive Of improvements and cor
ner lots. Four blocks away. $500 is
the price asked and paid and in the
residence district five blocks from the
business center a front foot brings $3.50
and 16 blocks out $50. Compare these
figures with the Topeka values in both
the business section where the highest
price paid is 5000 and in the residence
section, especially in the vicinity of
E1mhurst where vacant lots. high and
dry ami dandy can be bought for from
$14 up to $25 a front foot.
Listen: The tax levy in Springfield is
S1.59 on the 800. Four cents on the
800 more than the Topeka levy. Real
estate in Springfield is valued three
times as high as in Topeka bringing
their legal levy up to SAT-. Just So. 21
more than TOPEKA property owners pay
Now what is the reason for this diff
ference in values and taxes? Spring
field is built on just plain dirt, in the
valley of the Sangamon river, just the
same kind of dirt as that in the Kaw
valley under Topeka. Why should
there be the difference in prices. Spring
field has received the overflow factor
les from Chicago. a pulp paper factory.
wooden goods mills. a few flour mills,
boiler works, the Illinois Watch COM
pany of which the citizens boast that
1,400 men receive employment and an
iron foundry working 600 operatives, all
their boosted factories do not employ
the half of the number employed by
the Santa Fe and say nothing of the
wooden mill the boiler works, our half
dozen big flour mills, and the automo-
bile factories here in Topeka. Surely
wealth or population does not create
any stronger demand for property in
Springfield than in Kansas. Only one
Goes not and that is saloons. No. that
is not the reason.
John S. Schnepp. the mayor of Spring.
field, says property is not changing
hands much. That they will soon have
an increase in the tax levy, even with
their saloons onen and taxes now three
times greater than in Topeka.
No, It is not their population. The
mayor writes they have about $4,000
row. Nor is it attributed to the TACT
that the ground has been Grenched with
the blood of generations of the fight
ing Iilli niwik Indians. nor that mar
tyred president is resting there. The
trouble is in Topeka.
'"The low valuation in Topeka real
estate is due to the fact that there has
been no speculation entered into in
the building progress in Topeka said
w. c. Stephenson today. Every dol
lar that has been put into the bust
ness buildings and the thousands of up
to date modern homes has been built
from Topeka money from home inst1-
tutions The time is at hand when
banks of the state will be invested.
The money for the past three or four
years has been going into farm lands
until land values have increased 20 to
so per cent.
Judging the future by the past
this money will be attracted to the low
valuations of business and residence
property in Topeka. 1t will have the
same effect on increasing the value of
city property as it has with the farm
lands of the state.
with all the busy manufacturing
interests and the well developed COM
munity surrounding the city Topeka
property is sure to increase in value,