The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-05-06
POLICE AND PERSONAL.

|
also a very busy man and this fac
seems to make him irritable. In work
ing for the city as mayor in the morn
ing, going over to the Capital office
to do his work on that paper in the
afternoon and attempting to defend
his public acts on it's editorial pages
and in the late afternoon rushing out
to the backgrounds to earn his salary
as official scorer, the mayor empha-
sizes the fact that this is almost toe
much for any one man to do and re-
tain the even balance that would dig
Nifty the office he occupies.
| The Topeka Capital, in Mr.. Houses
column this morning says:
1--WE take it that the esteemed evening
paper is not entirely pleased with tne
policy OF the city admlHistra a1 add that
the evening paper is illegally occupying
several thousand dollars worth OF GROUND Tnnf
Of its five fact or of
city OrdinanceS.
In regard to the malicious state
ment of Mr.. House that the State
Journal building lis Illegally occupy
ing ground and that the roof of it's
building is illegally projecting over
the sidewalk" the editor of this pa
per, who is the owner of the building,
desires to say that this statement is
not only vicious but untrue or else the
whole city is filled, with offenders who
have put up buildings in Topeka
under the authority of the city.
The mayors police policy. in part,
has been one shamefully personal.
Civil service procedure and recogni-
ton of excellent service have been
ignored, because the mayor did not
like the incu--bent."
The defense of his police policy is
that the State Journal building sis
illegally occupying ground and that its
roof projects over the sidewalk"
With the governor of the state the
editor of the Capital, with the mayor
of the city writing daily for the edi-
torial page of the Capital, with an
other of the Capitals force striving to
get on the city commission, with an
other of the Capitals staff running
for the office of sheriff, with another
member on the state textbook COM
mission, etc, ETC., the Lord help To-
peka, Kansas. and Shawnee county if
there should be not one paper that
could give from time to time a little
wholesome criticism of the conduct of
the city's, states and county's affairs.
In the first place, before a stone
was laid, the plans of the new State
Journal building We're submitted to
the city and approved. The architect
and contractor delayed the construc-
ton for a week CT more until the city
could go over the plans carefully and
issue the necessary building permit
The city knew just what the State
Journal was going to build. It's plans
ait
and the permit for construction was
duly issued.
Furthermore, the roof of the State
Journal building projects a little over
the sidewalk just as the roof of the
Topeka Capital building projects over
the sidewalk; just as the roof of the
new Santa Fe office building projects
over the sidewalk.
In regard to projections out in the
sidewalk or under the sidewalk, the
State Journal is no different from
scores of other buildings in the city.
In fact, the State Journal building
does not project so far into the side
walk as the building of the Topeka
Capital. The Bank of Topeka build
ing. the Mills building, the Keith
building, the Central National bank
building, the Crane building, the Ma
tional hotel all project more or less
over or into the sidewalk, without any
reason for serious attack by the may
or. There is more clear sidewalk traf-
fic space in front of the State Journal
than in front of scores of
other buildings facing on business
streets.
The State Journal does not take the
position that the Topeka Capital, the
Central National bank, the Bank of
Topeka, the Santa Fe and other build
ngs are illegally occupying city
ground. They certainly procured the
same legal authority that the State
Journal did before they severally went
to the enormous expense of construct
ing buildings creditable to the city.
. If Mayor House desires to continue
to defend his policies in the Capital,
he certainly has the authority and OPP
portunity to do so, but it would add
more weight and dignity to the de-
tense if he really defended instead of
dragging out personal matters which
have no bearing on the subject what
ever and simply serve as an exit for
bile.
The further Mr.. House separates
personalities and the playing of poll
tics from the city's welfare, the near
er will he command attention and re-
spect, leading to commentator.
Otherwise 1t is barely possible that
a majority of the Topeka voters
may eventually arrive at the conclu-
sion that they guessed wrong at the
recent municipal election.
Don't laugh. men! The subject is
too painful for levity. A woman's club
at Montciair, N. J., expended S107949