The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-05
Taxpayers League Voices Loud
and Indignant Protest.
One Speaker Condemns Proposed
Boulevard System.
CRITICIZE THE Dixie.
NJ. Heery Asserts Tt viii Be in
River in Five Years.
w. HI. Kemper Elected President
OF the Organization.

]
! Tax Reform league that in five years
the South side dixie would be ia the
river and that the $4,000 which the
people spent for the big wall was
squandered and wasted by incompe-
/ tents. Heery and his fellow workers
( discussed needed reforms in the city.
I county and state administration and
in the next election Near the close
of the meeting w. H Kemper was
named as president of the new tax
organization.
of gray haired men, owners of extern
sive property interests and heavy tax
payers. This little handful of serious
minded men did not endorse the
boulevard agitation. They did not
| cheer the expensive rock road move
ment and they urged that the county's
expensive bridges were cheap, IN
feriOr and inadequate and stood only
! as a monument to the Jealous efforts
of the county board to spend the dear
peoples money. The tax league saw
no Improvement in the new form Of
city vernment-although each mem
Der recalled the added cost of munich
pal operation. The members pointed
with pride to the good old days of
long ago when the legislature never
gave the governor and attorney gen
eral a contingent fund with which to
employ an army of alleged assistants.
There were other things connected
ed fixing, but the crowd was small and
a further discussion was sidetracked
until next week
1t was after the little crowd had
| formally adopted a constitution and
| bylaws that NJ. Heery was given an
opportunity to tell of the wants and
needs of the people in mis- voting pre-
cinct. Heery is not a candidate for
Office and he exercised all his per-
sonal rights to point out some of the
places where the taxpayers money
IL <1..T frr- @~1-<
cause and praised w H Kemper, who
had just been nominated as president
of the little society.
people said that if we adopted this
new tangled city government, it would
| reduce taxes and we would get things
done" began Heery as he rubbed his
! hands to increase motive power, but
4 it hasn't done it. They said the new
1 city officials would cut down taxes. They
! raised them.
There are too many men drawing
| big fat fees" continued the genial Irish
| contractor, 'and on top of these fees
! the people are paying ridicuously high
prices for the upkeep of their institu-
! tons. What we need to do is to send
! a delegation to the next session of the
legislature and see that that delegation
| camps in the state house until fee
and salary bill is passed that will for
ever cut out the graft in public office
and give the people the benefit of some
of the fat Offices
Then Heery's mind drifted back to
the building of the South side dixie. His
"reminiscences did not promote good
| cheer and in Heery's mind lurked I'M
pleasant thoughts of the future.
| I'VE don't get the best talent in Of
flee, anyway the contractor reminded
his hearers, but when they spent $127,-
| 600 to build a dixie on the South side one
| mile in length, We remembe red how the
/ North side built five miles of dixie for
ST., 900. Then that new dixie of ours
got into the courts
charge
courts said Heery, as he qualified his
remarks on the judiciary, but it al
WAYS struck me that they We're a bit
too friendly with public officials. Well,
pretty soon we spent $4,000 more on
that dixie We aren't half through yet.
Wait till the frostS and the elements
get to that wall Then you will see
what happens. You won't notice it
much the first year. The second year
people will begin to comment, and in
five wears our fine new $140, 900 model
will be in the river.
Someone is to blame. I believe in
putting that blame just where it be-
longs. The county engineer is sup
posed to know what is being done. One
day [ saw them using a gravity mixer,
which this engineer had approved, and
I saw dry cement going into that wall.
So far as / know that cement is still
dry. Well, YOU know what that means.
After awhile they Investigated The
county engineer said it was all right, one
of the railway engineers L am LO1Qs CON-
demned the work, but the contractors
went right on. It's the same way with
our bridges. There isn't a decent bridge
in the county. The Melan bridge Is in
adequate In five years another bridge
must be built or the present one widened
to accommodate the traffic. Additions
have been started. They We're never fin
ished They never will be-
Then Attorney d G. TillOtSOn, in whose
office the meeting was held. dropped a
rock on the boulevard system.
The Commercial club tells us we need
boulevards,' said the lawyer, but they
don't tell US what it will cost or who will
pay for it You know who pays the bill
There is a limit to this thing and it is
our business to see that some one puts
on the brakes
DR. A. A. Raub and w. H. Kemper
talked against the high taxes and adj
vocated a membership campaign in every
voting precinct in the county This
method was approved by the members
and this week petitions will be placed in
the hands of a score of men, who will
enlist property owners to fight high taxes
in Shawnee county. Not only will the
wards in Topeka be canvassed, but the
farmers will be urged to take up the
battle and precinct meetings will be held
throughout the county
In the formal organization, W. H
Kemper was named S president of the
league. with D. c. Tillotson and Michael
Heery as vice presidents. Oscar Swayze
was elected secretary and DIR. A. A.
Raub treasurer. No membership Zee =
charged nor are assessments made At
the meeting last night a free will offer
ing was taken to cover the expenses IN
cident to the preliminary work.