The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-27
DORAN'S SPEECH
He Sets Forth Position Street
Railway Company.
Why Cannot Consider Eighth
Street Line.

There is great popular demand in
| Topeka that the street railway COM
pany build this line. Whether it's oper-
alton is profitable or Improbable, this
company is here to serve the people or
this city, and we are ready to build
the line. if the franchises We request
from the city and county are grant
ed
These were among the statements
that were made before the county COM
missioners today by Thomas F. Doran,
attorney for the Topeka Railway COM
pany, when he made an oral argument
urging that the commissioners take i'm
mediate action on the application of
the company for a right of way out
West Tenth street from the city limits
to Cages park. In it's original form
this application requested right OF
way from the county commissioners
into" Cages park But Mr.. Doran
said that this was error, as that
authority would have to be obtained
from the city. And he eliminated that
portion of the application.
No definite action was taken by the
commissioners, as they have made
promises to many petitioners that they
would give them a hearing on any 3p-
plication that might be made for a
right of way to the park. So on
motion of Commissioner SimmS the
matter of acting on the request of the
company was postponed until Friday
of next week when this hearing Will
be given.
From the expressions of opinions that
were voiced by the commissioners dur
ing the course of Mr.. Dorans state
ment, it appears that there is not the
slightest opposition on the part OF the
county authorities to granting the rail-
way company a franchise that will
OF Of
limits to Cages park. But they had
promised the hearing to interested par
ties when the application was made,
and were therefore not disposed to
take any action in the premises Until
they had kept this promise.
1.-The railway company has been
studying this question of building a
line to Gage park for some time" said
Mr.. Doran, in presenting his argument
for a ratification of the franchise in
question. For three years." he con-
tinued, many inducements and re-
quests have been made for the con-
struction of this line. But the officers
of the company did not believe that it
would be a paying investment. They
have had experience with lines from
this city to parks that were not of the
most satisfactory character.
But now the people of the city
have let it be known that they want
this line to Cages park, and they want
it bad. And the officers of the COM
pany have decided that they are now
in a position to build it
''They believe that the best rOute,
the most satisfactory one from all
sides, is the one out West Tenth street.
There are many reasons for this, too
many almost for me to take up the
time of this board in detailing. But
the controlling one is that sno part OF
the city has developed more rapidly
during the past few years than the
southwestern section. And the indi-
NH of
the city will be largely in that direc-
ton. For this reason, the officers of
the company who have had a large
experience in building street railways
and extensions that will best serve the
largest number of people in a COM
munity, have arrived at the conclu-
sion that the most serviceable route
will be out West Tenth street.
I'VE are sorry that we cannot see
our way clear to please the people
north of this proposed route. Two
years ago, the property owners out
along West Eighth street offered to
foot right of way from the city limits |
to the park. They did more than
that. They offered the company a
bonus of $4,000 if they would accept |
this right of way and build a line on
it. And I understand that $1,000 of |
this bonus was actually collected in
cash.
But the railway company felt con-
strained to decline this rather attrac- !
tive offer. and for the simple reason |
that its officials did not believe that |
Eighth street was the best route to the |
park. 1t does not divide the town or
the territory properly, and would not /
give as good service to as many people |
in town will the line out West |
Tenth street.
I'VE don't want quarrel of any kind |
with the people in any section of the
city," concluded Mr. Doran, and the
West Tenth street route has been
selected by the company merely be-
cause they consider it absolutely the
best one to give the best possible SER
vice to the largest number of the
citizens of Topeka
Commissioner Nipps asked Mr.. Doran