The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-30
Lighting Committee of CONNER
cial Club Visits Commissioners.
Wants to Know What City VIII
Do Toward Project.
SIX BLOCKS AS START
Subcommittee to Be Named on
Definite Action.
What Those Interested Have to
Say Regarding Subject.

The lighting committee of the Com
mercial club went before the board of
city commissioners this morning for the
purpose of ascertaining to what extent
the city is willing to assist in making
possible a "great white way" along
Kansas avenue
While no definite action was taken
the commissioners expressed themselves
as being willing to agree to furnish the
Juice" for a white way providing that
the merchants will pay the entire cost
of installation, or if they pay Tor the
installation of the four posts at the IN
tersections, to stand for 40 per cent OF
the cost Of maintenance.
A subcommittee of five will be ap-
pointed by the chairman OF the light
Ing committee, D. B. Simpson, Tor the
purpose of meeting with the commits
sioners and working out some definite
plan.
1t was the opinion of a number OF
those present at the meeting that the
wise thing to do is to put in installa-
ton for the blaze of light on five or
six blocks only as a starter, say from
Fourth to Ninth streets.
VIII Admit 'sWhite Way Need.
"All will admit the need of a great
white way in Topeka" said D. B.
Simpson, in bringing the proposition
before the board of commissioners.
sit is one of the biggest and best I'M
provements we can put in our city to
help out the business men and, fur
thermore, we feel that what is good
for the business men is good for the
city at large We feel that the mayor
and commissioners should take hold
of it with the assistance OF the bust
ness men,"
are lights on the main streets the peo-
pie flock down town and the business
men take pride in making better win
dow displays
fore the business men with definite
proposition. It would not be fair to
the property owners to pay the en-
tire cost of equipping and maintaining
a white way, as the city at large would
benefit
white wav established. If we could
get a thousand or fifteen hundred dol
lars out of our electric light extension
fund I think we could get the rest
somewhere else"
A. H. Purdy of the Topeka Edison
company: "If the payment for the
lighting were guaranteed US, l think
it is possible that we would be willing
to stand a pretty good part OF the
initial cost of installation.
Commissioner Miller's Opinion.
Commissioner Miller was of the
opinion that a white way might al
least eventually tax the capacity of
the city plant if the city were to main
tain the white way.
samuel E. Lux: IF our city grows to
such an extent we must have more
'juice'-we should double the capacity
of the electric light plant. You have
to have start. Say you start in by
lighting four or five blocks
H. B. Howard: while we would like
to have a 20 block white way, you'll
find it will boil down to four or f1ve
block proposition. I have my doubt it
you could extend it below Fourth or
above Ninth street. think our citizens
are broad minded enough to realize
that that Kansas avenue should be bet
ter lighted. A block or two could be
added each year for four or f1ve years
until the whole avenue is blaze OF
light from First to Fourth street.
NJ. C. Holman: ''I think the first thing
to be taken up is the question OF IN
stallation I would be willing to pay
the cost of one pole. I believe right
here we could get subscriptions for
couple of blocks"
w. w. Webb: COMMITTEE of business
men from the Commercial club have
gone to the state officials in regard to
the lightiA of the state house dome,
and the governor approved the idea of
the light being maintained by the state
but said there was no fund at present
that could be used. We expect to ask
the legislature to make a special ap-
preparation for maintaining the light,
and If the legislators saw that the city
and business men of Topeka mean bus
mess in respect to this white way it
Is possible that they would be willing
to provide for the lighting of the state
house square
Topeka Badly Lighted City.
Sol Berkson: II think without
doubt as regards our main thorough