The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-18
Council Gives Him Authority
\ to Hire Expert" Engineer.
But 1t Is Not Mandatory and
Can Be Sidetracked Easily.
CREMATORY REVIVED.
Garbage Plant Plans Brought
Up by COuneilmen.
Other Performances at Council
Chamber Last Night.

The fight of the insurgents in the
city council to hire an expert city en-
glneer for the purpose of checking up
the old records and the new work in
the city, was practically lost last night
when the council voted to give Mayor
Green the authority to hire an "engi-
neer" with the prefix expert" stricken
from the resolution
BY chopping of the word expert the
Insurgents lose all the arguments
that they have previously put forth to
c-ean up the records in the Office of
TIE city engineer It was their inten-
/ ton to hire an expert of high standing
for the expert purposes in Topeka and
pay him good for his services
Wnen the pendulum of council politics
swung back last night it had given to
Mayor Green the authority to hire
a man but there was nothing manda-
hlre a man or nOt-just as he feels
He may hire an expert or not-accord
ing to his own IDEAS
Councilman Lannan started the Wa
terloo last night when he brought up
the question in a doubtful manner
asking the real need of an expert and
lrslnuatlng that it was not necessary.
Alderman Blakely followed suit and
gave 80 minute prelude on the same
subject along the same vein. He seem
idea. Councilman Stanley then arose
and added another blow to the propo-
sftIon In speech that would have
made tears come to the eyes of the
average expert engineer who works for
years to obtain his training The three
counciln1en wound up their arguments
by handing City Engineer Fulton a
beautiful bouquet all done up in brown
paper.
Alderman Howard then arose for the
hun dvaf fr-1r, -fe nd told
all over again just where the city need
ed an engineer and Just why an ex-
pert should be supplied Mr. Howard
has made a brave fight for the propo
sition all the way through and it was
hot his fault that it lost
Councilman Drew made a statement
that if the West Sixth avenue pavement
was NOT checked up he would do it him
self with funds donated by the people
along the avenue. He said that the
charges made against some of the
blocks was unreasonable compared with
the block next door and the people
were hollering about it. Mr.. Drew ex-
pressed the opinion that an expert
the statements of Mr.. Howard said
that the people of the city were de-
randing n~inveStigation and ii Should
be made.
Mayor Green said that he had no
objection to the resolution but he
could do the work all right Then Nh.
Blakely moved that expert" be
stricken out and Mr.. Stanley followed
up with an Grafton about the -four
or five new experts in the city en-
gineer's office" (there arG only two
new men in the office) about the
number of university men with
wide experience" (there is only one
university man) and that the office
force should be given a chance to find
-. ATr "a
ten that it was the office force that
made some of the mistakes in the
first place.
Finally the report of the committee
favoring the resolution was adopted
and the word expert was cut out
together with the statement that the
hiring would not be mandatory.
The garbage plant situation was
given new life by the city council last
night when two resolutions by Coun-
Gilman Fraser, the father of the idea.
were passed unanimously by the
members of the council. One resolu-
ton asked that the streets and walks
committee under Chairman Tandy
find a site for the plant and report at
the next meeting which will be held
in the first Monday in February.
The other resolutions asked that
the garbage committee hunt up plans
of all kinds and receive different
IDEAS ITOI1 OlLcI OhI OO1iA P.hiiAcS OA eilO
new plant I'VE do not know much
about garbage plants said Council
man Fraser land we should see ev-
erything on the market before we
build
The garbage plant proposition last
night followed a long search last
week for the plans and the situation
of the idea which had become mis-
laid and thrown out of council ac-
tion. The documents of the public
improvements committee were finally
found in the office of the city en-
gineef.
If the people along West street
from Willow avenue to Huhtoon
street wish the name of their street
to be changed to Westlawn BouIe-
ward they will have to send in differ