The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-12
AT The CITY HALL
Proposed Flood Gates for South
Side Dixie.
Small Debtors Court Ordinance
Read First Time.
TO INVESTIGATE CITY SEWERS
May Change Name of Ella
Street to Woodward.
Petition to Raise Low Place in
Emmett Street.

| court and set Friday evening, May %,
for hearing protests and petitions on
the proposed flood gates and pumping
station for the south side dixie Cos
! sip among lesser officials at the city
| building declares the petition will be
be killed.
Park Commissioner W. L. Porter
appointed his board of plum bling in
spectors. 1t includes DR.. o. p. Davis.
recently appointed chairman of the
city board of health, NJ. e. Linton and
b. l.. Failor, names certified by the
civil service board today. Street Com
missioner w. G. Tandy appointed as
street foremen Jacob Dice, j. w. Mil
Ter and Peter Smith.
Ordinance providing for a small
debtors court to handle sums less
than $40 free of charge was drawn
up by the city attorney at the sugges-
ton of the mayor, and presented for,
that w. H. Kemper, election commits
sioner, will be appointed judge.
Petition for flood gates and pump
ing stations on the south side dixie,
will demand that the commission levy
| taxes or issue bonds to provide suf-
ficient revenue for same, was present
ed by taxpayers in Levee Drainage
District No. 6. City Engineer A. r.
Young estimates such a proposition
would cost the city $125,0OO.
Rebuilding sewer No. IL would
cost $500 00,' he eff1plained this morn
ing, ''intercepting the remaining sew
and flood gates would total SIS, 900"
An enabling act passed by the re-
cent legislature in senate bill No. 400.
provided that cities of the first class
might issue bonds in an emergency
without a vote of the people.
The unfortunate commission is be-
tween the proverbial two fires. There
is much doubt that the city govern
| ment would shoulder the responsibility
of issuing a S125,00O bond without
( On %Ia
cost of a general bond election would
| be large. Numerous protests against
the building of the stations have been
received. Rumor has it the petition
will be killed at the meeting to be held
a week from Friday.
The petition declares that drainage
district No. 6 constructed a $780, 600
levee along the Kaw; that an abandon
ed well frutrates the purpose for which
the dixie was built: that the city ac-
cording to section 3051 of the general
statutes of 1909, is held responsible for
damage from overflow; and that the
property to be protected by the pro-
posed levee is assessed at a value of
81. 900, 600. 10y ny
Following are the signers of the pc
tltion: Charles Wolff, Jr., w. H. Davis;
Whiteker Brothers; George Bowman
for the Seymour Packing company;
Hodgins & Kaczynski; for the Topeka
Cold Storage company; c. w Kouns
for the Santa Fe; A E. Sweet for the
Rock Island; W. o. Anderson and w. A
Dyal.
To Investigate City Sewers
City Attorney Ralston was instruct
ed this morning to draw up an ordi-
nance in compliance with a suggestion
received last month from E. A Austin
IN regard to investigation of city sew
ers. Mr.. Austin called the attention
of the commission to the fact that
neither by law nor by ordinance is the
care of the sewers of Topeka commit
ted to any department of the city gov
eminent.
THAT these openings are the cause
IN large measure of the abnormally
high death rate of Topeka cannot be
doubted" Mr.. Austin declared. From
many or these openings arise stencil
and -noisome vapors which permeate
the air for blocks around"
The franchise of the Topeka Water
Supply. company of 1881 provided that
the city use hydrants for flushing
sewers-otherwise the cleaning of
sewers is not mentioned in any city
statute. The new ordinance will pro-
vide for a periodical examination and
the mum bering of all openings. Ex-
animation will be conducted by the
sanitary policemen under charge of
the city health department.
To Vacate an Alley.
Ordinance Vacating the alley run
ing east and west in the block bound
ed by Roosevelt, Exeter, stephens and
Laurel was presented for first reading
Communication from property owners
on Clay street between Seventeenth
and Twenty-first asking that that
street be graded and put in respecta-
BILE shape was placed on file at recon-
mendation of Commissioner Tandy.
Two petitions for sidewalks were re-
ceived and referred to the street COM
missioner. First petition asked for
cement sidewalk on the north side of
Thirteenth from Kansas avenue to
ID l.
teenth from Monroe in Ritchie's addi-
ton to Madison in Shawnee Place.
Second petition requested sidewalk on
the north side of Twelfth from Quincy
to the alley east of Quincy.
To Change Name of Ella Street
Request that the name Ella street
be changed to Woodward avenue to
conform with the three consecutive
blocks was referred to Mr.. Tandy. Re
quest from the taxpayers of the sixth
place on Emmett street be filled to
prevent the breeding of bacteria was
also referred to the commissioner of
streets
Request from the Hinkson Sign COM
pany to hang an electric sign, 3H feet
by 10 feet, in front of the Empress
theater, corner of Eighth and Kansas
avenue, was granted.
The names of ]. B. Butterfly and J..
NJ Brain were certified as foremen of
the crematory IN conformation with the
new provision that city foremen must
be examined by civil service
The commissioner of finance recon-
mended that bond issue of S74, 900 due
November Is. 1918. be placed on time
certificate not subject to check, thus
doubling the percentage of interest, and
adding $240 to the fund in the city
treasury.
The commission adjourned to meet
Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock when
question of the purchase of the $500