The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-12

ciares this will have nothing to do
with the east side parlk-he says the
people of the east side will. get their
park just the same. He proposes a
half mill levy for the purchase of the
east side park and the maintenance
of other parks.
The Letter of Withdrawal.
The letter signed by James A Trout
man and others to the commissioners
reads:
The Board of Commissioners of the.
City of Topeka, Topeka, Kansas.
Gentlemen: About three weeks ago
a proposition was subm tilted to your
honorable board for the sale of the
Westlake property adjoining Gage park
on the west, at a valuation 20 be fixed
by disintereSted appraisers. and upon
payments that might be convenient to
the city. Subsequently, appraisers were
agreed upon and an appraisement
made. It--seems now that there was
only a qualified acceptance of our
proposition on the part of the city. 1t
has been freely charged that there.
was a collusive arrangement between
the property owners and the commits
sioners TO unload the Westlake prop
erty on the city at an extravagant
price. 1t is within the knowledge of
all of the commissioners that a ma
jority of the owners of Westlake pre-
fer not to sell their holdings at all, Z
and only submitted a proposition and
consented to sell because they did not
want TO stand in the way of the extern
sion of the park. A suit has now been
filed in the district court enjoining the
commissioner from concentrating the
purchase of the property. Inasmuch
as the city has not definitely accepted
the proposition. and not desiring to
have our properly involved in litiga
ton. the undersigned her by withdraw
their offer made to sell this property
to the city for park purposes. This
withdrawal includes the individual
holdings of the signers to this paper
and also the undivided interest of each
one in the lake and other common
properties.
Shall one or two people defeat the
city?
1t is unfortunate that Topeka's pro-
gress and growth and improvement for
the welfare of the whole people are so
often handicapped by obstacles in the
way of an injunction. Indeed the in
junction is almost looked upon as one
of the stages of Topeka's growth.
The injunction filed against the Gage
extension is the work of Mrs. DR.. Eva,
Harding, and is believed to be rep
resentative Of but a few of the masses
of the people.
Such an injunction against the. Gage
extension may result in a similar in
junction against the East side park. A
good East side park is certainly de-
manded and favored by the people Of
the whole city, regardless of the par
ticular locality and it is believed the
entire city would favor and pay for an
East side park regardless of any bene-
fit district, but Gage park is park
for all the people. 1t is the under
standing that the majority of the citi-
zens, as well as the mayor and all the
commissioners are favorable to the
proposed extension of Gage park
1t is simply a question with the city
authorities as to legal means of going
about the securing of this ground and
of suitable ground for an East side
park.
Several of the owners of the tract
adjoining Gage park seem to be under
the impression that the fling of an in
junction means the defeat of securing
the additional ground. This does not
seem to be warranted. Whatever legal
obstacle might be in the way Of the
city in acquiring the additional ground
for Gage park would be an equal OBJ
stable in acquiring an East side park,
unless the East side park should be
purchased by a benefit district.
Certain stateme nts in the DR.. Eva
Harding article about the city parks
and superintendent Reinisch are SO
manifestly unjust and unfair as to be
almost. unworthy of serious considera-
ton.
The tract adjoining Gage park is
owned by eleven people, each and all
of whom signed a written agreement
to sell to the city at a price fixed by
appraisers. The injunction is an insult
to the Gage estate and TO Mr.. Norris
L. Gage. who have just completed an
expenditure of $4,000 for the hand
some cut stone entrance.