The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-24
Talk of Going Over Heads of
City Commissioners.
Initiative Privileges for Gage
Park Extension.
ON MANHATTAN INTERURBAN
Taxpayers League Would Use
New Electric Line.
Urge Promoters to Hurry Their
Construction Work.

There is a chance that the Gage
park street railway line may be taker
out of the hands of the city commits
sion, and that an ordinance authoriz-
ing an extension somewhere, perhaps
the way Manager Albert Patten offers
to build It, may be passed by Topeka
voters over the heads of the city COM
missioners.
There is a good deal of talk in To-
peka of using the initiative privileges
under the commission form of govern
ment. and circulating petition to pass
the ordinance. And there are many
people in the city who would jump at
a chance to sign such a petition.
The procedure is comparatively sim
ple. Under the provisions of the COM
mission law a petition that carries 25
per cent. of the votes cast for mayor
at the last general election brings the
matter authoritatively before the city
fathers. 1t is then up to the commits
sion to do one of two things-elther
to pass the ordinance asked for with
out alteration, or order an election ana
submit it to the people without altera-
ton. 1t is pretty generally bel1eVed
that if the people of the city were CIV
en- a chance to vote on the proposition
that they would pass the extension or
dinance-
The initiative and referendum has
never been used in Topeka since the
city adopted the commission form or
government a little over three years
ago. But from they way in which sig
natures were secured to the general
petition asking for a line to Gage park
not specifying any particular route
1t is believed it will be an easy matter
TO secure the required number of sig
natures.
Petition Would Require 1855 Names.
At the last city election total of
1859 votes were cast for mayor A !
petition to be auth horitative would have
to carry the names of 1865 legal vot- |
ers of the city. The petition presented
asking for the extension. carried al |
most that many names and the sigma |
lures were secured without troubble. |
Commissioner Porter. for one, would
he perfectly willing to see the park
route matter left to the people. He is
for the line. and isn't standing on cere-
mony as to what route is taken. But
other members of the commission have
refused to consider any but the route |
out West Eighth street, originally pro- |
posed.
In response to a question as to when |
he will be ready to report on the last |
ordinance offered by Manager Patten |
and referred to himself and City At
torney w. C. Ralston, Commissioner
Roy L. Bone merely said, 'I don't
know"
Last night the Taxpayers league
took chips in the park line matter.
Definite action in the shape of a COM
mittee to confer with the Manhattan
people and urge them to
push their proposed line to Topeka
was taken. The committee consists in
w. H. Kemper, W. ]. Stage and ]. B.
Urge Manhattan Interurban.
1--WE will urge the Manhattan peo-
PIE to hurry their proposition, and l.
come into Topeka by way of Gage
park. We believe that can be done
any difficulty. The $4,000
the city can secure on the bond held
by it will grade the roadbed from the
pavement on Eighth street to the city
limits and also will grade the road
through Gage park. Private interests
along the line between the city and
the park I am sure would supply
m oney for the grading there. The city
and the individuals who put up money
for the grading could take the equiva-
lent in preferred stock of the COM
pany. 1 believe that an additional
Sc. 900 could be raised in Topeka for
the work, being subscribed for pre-
ferred stock"
The league, Kemper says, wants a
line to Gage park, and it is not at all
Interested in the route taken. The
main thing-and that is the same
feeling with the large majority-is
hat a line be built.