The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-26
Farmers Show Tax Leaguer'
Reason for Wants.
Brick Plant Structure VIII Not
Be Opposed.
HEERY FEARS SOUTH DIKE
Says Water viii Rush Through
at Kansas Avenue.
RumOr of Claim for Brick Be-
ing Used on Contractor.

It required Just 20 minutes last night
for a delegation of Soldier township
farmers to remove all the brick plant
bridge opposition in the ranks of the
Tax League and to shove through an
endorsement of the structure that real
" made the league members think they
were for the Improvement. Then the
meeting adjourned before anyone had 4
chance to change their mind. Before
the next meeting the date for filing
protests with the county board Will ex-
pfre.
Since plans for the brick plant bridge
were first announced, there has been
more or less discussion of the structure
at the tax league meetings. No real,
energetic opposition was organized, but
plans were discussed for the circulation
of remonstrance petitions This news
reached the Soldier, Silver Lake and
Rossville farmers and last night they
came to town with war paint and an
assortment of rural oratory that could
neither be lodged nor denied.
William Seigler, C. E. Cooper, w S.
Robinson @. p. Bolmar and Judge w.
H. Ri 3htmire were among the men
who fought for the new bridge. They
told the tax league that the new struc-
ture would enhance property values in
West Topeka. and in the rural routes
until the bridge would pay for itself
ten fold. The farmers pleaded for
facilities to reach South Topeka
Want to Buy on This Side.
I'VE want to buy on this side of the
river said w. S. Robinson, clerk of
the Soldier township board, land we
want to spend our money with your
merchants We want to send our child
rem to Washburn college. Our people
have not had their fair and just share
of the public funds and we want this
bridge because it will benefit Topeka
and the farmers alike. You shouldn't
compel us to drive several miles out of.
our way to come to your city or to
cross innumerabIe railroads and drive
through mud holes and over bad hills
Give us the bridge and we will have a
good road and Topeka will benefit by
the expenditure"
Other speakers told of advantages Of
the bridge and the opposition began TO
fade and dwindle. Then Judge Right
mire urged the motion endorsing the
reconstruction of the bridge and no one
opposed the action.
Heery After South Side Dixie.
Early in the evening Michael Heerv
found new flaws in the South Side dixie
and foresaw trouble and suffering when
tn hrst high water hit Topeka. Heery
complained that the dixie is without
flood gates and that TIA water viii rise
IN the sewers to a level with the water
in the stream.
That isn't the only trouble, said
Heery. THE wall of the dixie is 21h Feet
nlgher than the street railway tracks
across the bridge. There is a 100 foot
opening between the two high walls and
when the Kaw reaches a point above fine
car tracks, the rush of water Though
that narrow opening will be so heavy "a
to sweep everything before it and will
clean out the entire district west Of the
bridge to First street. We are in a worse
We have $4,000 in the dixie and our first
experience with the wall may cost us
100000 or $4,000 more"
Heery's mind was troubled concerntrep
the strength of the new wall ana was NOT
certain that 1t would hold back the high
water. The contractor also criticised the
management of the dixie affairs and free
" charged that public funds had been
squandered in the letting of contracts
Speaking of the attitude of Edwin L.
ONeil a county commissioner in the lei
used the prestige of a brick plant claim in
his vote on the contract.
Lowest Bid Not Accepted.
''I am told by John Ritichie," said
Heery, that his bid was 1900 under that
OF the Leavenworth firm which received
the contract. The board refused to give
Ritehie two days in which to complete
his bond, although they could have saved
at least 5000 of the peoples money By
doing it. That wasn't all. One of the
county commissioners approached Ritchie
and said. When are you going to pay
that brick bill?' Ritchie said, When I get
to it, and the commissioner said, If it
ISM PAID, you won DID on the dixie job,
will tell you that :"
While O'Neirs name was not mention
ed, there was no effort to cover thu
commissioner at whom Heery was hit
ting. O'Neil is a stockholder in the brick
plant and for some time there has been
current gossip that O'NeiI used 5000
claim against Richie as club in the
letting of the dixie contract.
Judge Allen reported briefly on the
legal phase of the city budget overdrafts-
He stated that the law in the matter was
plain and that the commissioners had
clearly caused overdrafts in several de-
partments but that legal proceedings
would be necessary to GUST the men from
OFFICE. He did not recommend action and
his report was not discussed.