The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-18
THE ANTT-BAILOON DECISION.

1t is impossible to fathom the mental
Vaccinations of majority of the city
commissioners in the attitude they
have assumed against the starting of
balloon flights from within the city
limits Their proposed prohibition of
this practice from WestIawn park in
dicates that a similar prohibition would
lie against this sport having its incep-
ton in any other section of the city
The commissioners can scarcely argue
that the petition against ballooning
from Westlawn park which has been
signed by merely thirteen residents of
the district outweighs the petition
of one hundred residents Of the
district who are favorable to 1t.
There can be no justice to any such
argument. Nor does the inexperienced
judgment of the commissioners in the
premises that ballooning is danger
Gus avail anything. There are a multi
tude of facts to the contrary. 1t simply
seems that the commissioners, or a
majority of them, have gone out of
their way to give the town that has
honored them a black eye. Certainly
no endeavor of any set of Topekans
has done more to advertise the capital
city of Kansas so extensively as have
And it is little else than shame that
these activities should be nipped in the
bud by an unreasonable attitude OH
the part of the city commissioners.
Presumably. not a word would have
been said against the starting of ball
loon flights from Westlawn park, or
any other point in Topeka, or any ac-
ton against them been taken by the
~
the fact that in a recent balloon flight,
the basket of the balloon careened
against a housetop and ripped off few
shingles. If that is proof positive that
ballooning is dangerous to the life and
property of Topekans, the city COM
missioners and their few friends in this
respect, are entitled to their opinions
But it won't strengthen the confidence
of the bulk of the people of the city in
any of the other judgments that the
commissioners may form.
1t appears to be the contention of the
city commissioners that each and every
single on the roofs Of Topeka houses
must be conserved at all hazards, and
even at the expense of wonderfully
valuable advertising to the town The
matter of the safety of the pedestrians
and light horse-drawn vehicles on the
streets does not seem to concern the
commissioners to a like extent. At
least, you hear none of the commits
sioners exclaiming: This reckless
automobiling must be stopped" when
one of the increasingly numerous auto
mobile accidents occurs on the city
streets. Scarcely day passes that the
newspapers do not report some sort Of
an accident due to the careless opera
ton of a motor car. Persons are get
ting knocked down by them every 9TH
er day or so. That all such are not
more seriously injured must be charged
to good fortune. There is plenty of 10
cal law to curb the irresponsible auto
mobilists. The city commissioners
have the power, through the police. -
enforce it. But. as Rudyard Kipling
would say, that is another story.
The shingles on the houses of Topeka
must be protected at any expense to
the town. The pedestrians on the
streets can dodge the recklessly driven
automobiles, or if they are not agile
enough to do this, they can go to a
hospital What matters a broken bone,
a cut and bruised face or body? Nd
chance is to be taken that the roof of
any Topeka house is to have the seren-
ity of it's shingles disturbed.