The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-24
Commissioner of Parks Re
sends That Ordinance.
VIII Try to Get Along Without
Assistant.
FRANK SNYDER RESIGNS
Commissioners Heed TaXpay-
ers and Wipe Out New Job.
Ouick Work at Harmonious
Meeting Today.

Tho citv ordinance creating the Of
F,ca of commissioner of public health
and sanitation has been resclnoed.
The repeal ordinance was presented
nv w l. Porter to the city commls-
sion today. The board that approNeu
tba ordinance thirteen days ago was
nnaniroous in Withdrawing II TINS
morning The repeal ordinance ~ ~
lowed the resignation OF .l ram 49,, 80
der, handed to Commlsslohel
before the meeting of
Tbe original ordinance went into Ell
foot the first week of the new auIil~lil M
tstratfon Frank Snyder was So
the DositiOn at a salary OF S1'9VV p
annum. The taxpayers 0pJecleutt 49, h q
notified Commissioner Porter Ina ~ ~
Inrst rescind the ordinance, resign, VI
nut himself in line Tor recan " ",
Porter said he'd done right anu N :
tended to stick by what ne oudin' houSl'
was right. This morning 1he
ance was repealed. of
Frank Snyder, ex-commissloner OF
health and sanitation, declares ne ~.
signed to relieve Mr.. Porter OF en-
barrassment His letter follows II
ytae nresented to the commission TINS
morning and accepted by them;
Snvder,s Letter of Resignation.
To the Mayor and Commissioners VI INC
City of Topeka: ,.,+,, ~,
-esignation as commissioner of health and
sanitation for this city -, +o
In connection with the same pES
-,,broi+ that at no time was L an applicant
for apv position in any of the departments
of the cfty but was constrained 10 accept
the appointment as commissioner oI
ttae1+b and sanitation believing that there
Vas a wonderful opportunity to assist MI
Porter in the organizing and systemauz-
ing the one department OF the city @ tndt
- baen sadIv in need of modern means
and methods applied to strictly business
principles. -, ,o,,.ad
+he antipathy of a number OF my pontlctI
enemies and with a view of retrieving
Mr. Porter of any further enoafIas ass .Ii
on nv account has led me to adopt TINS
am confident that there can be large
salvage effected on the expense craroae or oi1e
tory, and 1 sincerely hope as a taNPdyea
and citizen that Mr.. Porter may nave
e FRANK SNYDER.
Mr.. snyder held from April - to
April "a an office that has never peen peeil
held by Topekan before, and VIII
probably never be held again W. u
randy named Mr.. Snyder for the Of
flee of superintendent of streets MT.
Snyder, according to Mr.. Tandy, dlon
want the position; now he's without a
Job. L. R. Lane is the street comnls-
sioner's assistant.
Held Executive Session.
The city commission meeting was
scheduled to meet at 8 a. m; 1t con-
vened at 10:45. In the interim the
board held executive session IN the
private chamber adjoining the mayors
office. Just what happened? Who
objected? Who approved? Who was
finally won over? Nobody knows; the
door was locked. The public meeting
was smooth as a summer sea. Not a
murmur- The repeal ordinance was
read. Call the roll said Mayor Cof-
ran. The ordinance was passed. All
land, Tandy. Porter and Mr.. Mayor.
Everything harmonious.
I'm perfectly satisfied" said Mr..
Cofran, pacifically, after adjournment
the public. That is what we have
done"
That the wants of the people were
emphatically voiced has been known
for a week. After the publication of
the taxpayers resolution in the State
Journal, Oscar Swayze, secretary of
the league, began to receive demands
for a petition sanctioning Porter's re-
call.
Santa Fe ShOpman Talks.
II voted for Mr.. Porter at the cleo
tion," said a Santa F'e shopman. but
I'm ready to sign the petition for re-
call. Why didn't Mr.. Porter mention
his plan of an assistant in his cam
paign? Dozens of the boys are ready
to back me up
Just what complaints Mr.. Porter
himself received will never be known.
Pressure must have been heavy. Dis
satisfaction was so general as to be-
come alarming.
The city ordinance provides that a
commissioner cannot be recalled until
six months after his election.
We've got six months to think this
over" Mayor Cofran reiterated when
the matter was called to his attention.
Were in no hurry to make a.
move"
Was Quick Work.
The action this morning therefore. |
came as a surprise. The ordinance |
according to Mr. Porter was not
drawn up until after Mr.. Snyder's res /
ignation had been rendered. Quick /
work. Everything done in a couple of
hours. The resolution of the Shawnee /
Taxpayers League was published in
this paper on April II. Repeal of the |
ordinance followed in seven davs in |
stead of six months.
Mr.. Porter accompanied the repeaI |
ordinance by letter which he wished /
recorded on the city books. In the \
communication he explaines his posi-
tion in the matter OF repeal The let |
ter, which was read this morning NV |
City Clerk Burge, follows in full:
Porter's Letter to Commission
ITO the Mayor and Board of Commits
sioners.
when began my campaign for the
Office of commissioner of parks and
public buildings, l felt sure 49, -
big job Of that office was tbe nra.,li ~
zation of the city crematory in a man-
ner that would place it on a more
nearly self sustaining basis. I made
my campaign largely on that o,,estioI |
and after being elected, my first move |
was to devise ways and means of 90,
rying out that idea.
There are SO many departments ~,
der my charge and the work All hei-,