The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-11
Commercial Club Maps 1t Out
ut Big Meeting.
The Year 1918 to Be Busy and
Beneficial.
The UNION STATION IDEA
Santa Fe Won't Back Through
Trains Into Town.
Club Membership and Factory
Aid Campaigns.

The Topeka Commercial club viii
have a busy year in 1919. A plan OF
action was mapped out at an enteusi-
astic meeting of CLUB members Helo
Friday night.
The question of a union depot for
Topeka will be investigated. A COM
mittee of five will be appointed to look
into the proposition eliminating the
taxes of new manufacturing enter
prises in Topeka for a period of sew
eral years. Another committee OF hVe
will be appointed to solve the problem
of handling flood waters in the South
side factory district and thus proIec..,
ing hundreds of thousands OF doliars
worth of property. The factory alu
fund will be pushed to completion.
There has been considerable talk
since l came to Topeka-and before
that time-about a union station for
ToDeka," said J. Will Kelley, sec
rotary of the club. If sentiment ia
vors a station, let's make start IN
that direction.
n. p Nielsen, a Topeka architect,
proposed building union depot over
the Kaw. He declared that the idea
could be made to materialize, ana
that this would do away with the ne
ceSSity of purchasing site. The Rock
Island and Union Pacific trains would
run in from the North side and the
Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific from
the South side.
E. L. Copeland, treasurer of the
Santa Fe, said if it would be necessary
for the trains of his system to back
into a station it would mean a great /
expense to the road. He intimated
that the through trains might not
come through Topeka at ALL
Zone railroad man. said w. w.
Webb told me that if it could be
arranged so that all roads could head
in and head out of the station there
would be no serious objection to the
station. 1 think the question worthy
of investigation" The proposition viii
undoubtedly be placed in the hands of
a committee. {
There is now situation in the fac
tory district of the South Side" said
Secretary kelley, "a good deal more
serious than before the dixie was built.
There are four millions of dollars in
property involved. If there should be
2 flood like the flood of 1903 there
would De almost a total loss In this
district. The worst epidemic in the his
tory of Topeka might follow. There
is no way at the present time of hand
ling the flood waters from the city.
It was pointed out that in case of
flood the water in the Kaw would be
higher than the factory district, and
that portion of the city
would be swamped with the drainage
waters from Topeka. /,
I'm order to eradicate the difficulty
said a. R. Young. city engineer, sit
would he necessary to put in an in
:
ton; also flood gates at the dixie. 1t
would be necessary to have a bond is
sue In case of a local waterspout
in time of flood the condition would be
worse than il has ever previously BEEN
THE factories in this district" said
n. b. Burge, ARE ready to spend hum j
dreds of thousand of dollars in i'm j
as soon the district is
made safe from floods. Il is a serious
We must solve it as men {
,iv-1,,. Of 4
the membership committee stated that ]
he wants two hundred volunteers to !
assist in n big membership campaign ]
which will be held in the course of a {
few weeks. $
The Factory Aid Plan. {
1.-The work of our committee will $
not cease said G. S. Elliott, chair {
man of the promotion committee, ''un- J
til we have the amount subscribed for +
the factory aid fund mat we deem :
sufficient, although the plan may be
put in operation before that point is
reached. The committee is sorely in
need of workers; that is workers who
are willing by lending their presence 3
as members of subcommittee to visit /
the business men. We have actually
collected SIP, 600, but the amount in =
sight is S125.000." The goal set by 7
the committee was $3.50, 900.
w. w. Webb, chairman of the pipe q
organ committee stated that through
picture and other entertain q
ments the committee had been en- /
abled to pay off $1,000 of the indebt-
sdness on the pipe organ There re- a
mains to be paid about $500. <
White Way Extensions. /
Mr.. Webb also reported much prog :
ress in white way extension. In our :
lext report he said, I'VE hope to be I
able to say that our plan as first out T
ined is completed. Then there will +
be white way from Tenth to Gordon S
streets on Kansas avenue, to the Santa T
Te depot on East Fourth street, from /
Kansas avenue to Quincy street on
sixth avenue, from Kansas avenue to
Quincy street on Seventh street, from z