The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-07
City Railway Can't Put Tracks
on Clay Street.
Was Made Exempt in Original
Franchise.
NO ACTION.
Council VIII Leave Question to
Commission.
Will Not Be Discussed at Meet.
ing Tonight.

II the Topeka Railway company
and the city council are able to build
street car tracks along Clay street
from Tenth avenue to Fourth street,
on Buchanan street between Seven
teenth and Twentieth streets and
along Fifteenth street from College
avenue to Clay, over the heads of the
people, they will have to do it through
the courts.
The citizens living along these pro-
posed routes are protesting vigorous
ly against any such action on the part
of the street railway and they have
instructed their councilmen to vote
against a franchise or a permit to al
low the railway company to construct
any &1ch lines.
They claim that the streets are too
narrow for any such construction
work, that they do not want the pave
ment torn up in front of their houses
and that they do not want the street
cars there anyway. With the people
along Clay street the matter is prac-
tically settled. The original franchise
with the city provides that no car
line shall be built along their street
and they are fighting for their rights
with the city council instead of the
street railway
The people along Buchanan and
Fifteenth streets arc opposed to their
counciImen voting for a permit and
also to the street railway in asking for
such a. right. They are preparing pc
titionS to this effect.
The matter is before the streets and
walks committee of the city council
and will not come up before the coun-
Gil tonight. The street car people have
prepared an ordinance which gives
them the right to make the extern
sions along the said streets but this
xr-fT1 1aa cd n
then referred to the streets and walks
committee
Saturday afternoon the committee
with Mayor Green went over the pro-
posed routes but they have made no
report to the city council and have
had no meeting since that time. 1t is
probable that they will have their
meeting some time next week and pass
their approval or diSapproval at that
time. It will then be referred to the
city council for final vote and the
people will have a chance to register
their complaint.
1t is the general opinion of the
council that the complaints of the peo-
pie should be needed and the street
car people should be asked to plan a.
different route-a route that will not
include such narrow streets. If the
present ordinance is turned down the
railway company will probably do this.
1t is also contended by the city Of
ficialS that the street railway should
be granted the right to extend their
Shorey line, their strip through the
Douthitt tract, their cutoff between
Madison street and Kansas avenue and
their switches around the federal
building and at the Rock Island and
Union Pacific depots.
ANY action further than giving them
permission for the above mentioned
extensions is not contemplated by the
city officials at this time. They be-
lieve that this permit will give the
street railway people all they can do
for the next year or two and when
they desire to make their other ex-
tensions they can apply to the city
commissioners
The people along the proposed
routes in the southwestern part of the
city claim that they will oppose the
matter through the council and then
If they are unsuccessful they will Sc
cure an injunction and take the mat
ter up in the courts. 4
The uprising is the fiercest that has
arisen in this part of the city since the
famous street naming fight year ago.