The Topeka state journal., 1916-11-27
WHAT AILSTOPEKA
City's Needs Under Discussion
at Chamber of Commerce.
Every Member Has Opportunity
to Work for Hobby.
Want BETTER HOTELS HERE
City Said to Compare UnfavOr-
ably With Smaller Towns.
Gushing Trolley Projects Urged
by b. b. Eitelman.
Want BETTER HOTELS HERE

Topeka, her future and her needs
for the future and present, were dis
cussed by a dozen business men en-
gagged in a dozen different businesses
from a dozen different angles At the
Chamber of Commerce this noon
The meeting was the first of series
OF group meetings to be held curing
the next ten days. to ascertain The de-
sires of LOO members, analysed, cat
alogued and prepared for a vote OF
the membership.
All propositions receiving major
ity of votes will become part OF the
Chamber of Commerce platform, their
future to be largely in the hands OF
committees projecting them. Another
meeting of bankers, farm mortgage
men and building and loan association
men will be held at the Chamber of
Commerce at 8 o'clock this afternoon.
Those attending the first meeting
vSere: A. B. Van Petten, NJ. B. Van
TSetten, Hugh McVey, f. c. Workman.
W A. Smith, w. H. Davis. B. B. Eitel-
man. F. ]. Funk, w. C. Carswell, Elon
s. Clark and F. ]. Buck.
For Better Hotels.
4The need of Topeka, the best retail
city of Kansas and the convention city
of Kansas. for a first class hotel was
the most popular proposition with the
men assembled Elon S. Clark told
OF hotels in Salina and Hutchinson,
cities half the size of Topeka. which
put the best hotel in Topeka to Shame;
The need of a hotel was empnas1zed
strongly by Mr.. Clark. NJ. B. Van
Petten told of caustic comment con-
cerning Topeka's poor hotel facilities
which he had heard on trains and IN
depots thruout the state. Another
business man. who comes IN daily con-
tact with travelling men every day OF
his life described the derision that the
hotel facilities of Topeka called from
travelling statesmen who remained in
Topeka just as short time as possible
for this one reason
The city manager plan apparently is
one becoming popular in the minds of
business men. F. c. Workman urged
the adoption of che city manager plan,
stating that he realized its need more
than ever since Mayor Houses con-
fession of being compelled to guide
many of his acts by their political ex-
pediency. w. H. Davis recommended
an investigation of the city manager
plan. He first projected I-e city
commission plan in Topeka and now is
one Of the first in pushing the adop-
tion of city manager plan.
Room for $50 CigaTmakers.
Mr.. Davis also urged that all To-
peka citizens paIronize home indus
tries and buy goods manufactured in
Topeka. If this were done Topeka
manufacturers would be able to en-
ploy many more men and women, he
declared.
IF tho men of Topeka who smoke
would purchase Topeka made cigars
we would have $50 more cigarmakers
in this city, said Mr.. Davis. "If they
would use Topeka coffee in our plant
alone we could Use fifty more en-
ployes."
"A new auditorium and the trans
formation of she fair grounds into a
city park are two of my Dreams said
3. B. Eitelman. ALSO I would like
to see Topeka get behind the pro-
posed buildings of trolley ines. AL
Pittsburg, Kan, they have 127 miles
Of trolley lines running into the city
and every Saturday night the streets
of the little city are filled with shop
pers from the smaller towns on those
trolley lines"
Topeka's Retail Stores.
Elon S. Clark declared that no city
in Kansas has the retail stores that
Topeka has and urged the people of
Topeka to do their utmost in aiding
these stores. The retail possibilities of
Topeka are greater than that of any
other line of trade, he declared.
Hugh McVey suggested the Big
Brotherhood idea for adoption. This
would be creating an advisory commit
tee to give aid to small towns in their
municipal and state problems. similar
to like propositions adopted in Okla
homa City and other cities in the east
F. J. Buck also urged the adoption
of the plan.
f. c. Workman proposed the organ
ization of real estate men in Topeka to
work together for the purpose of i'm
pressing upon the people the need of
buying their own homes. A city of
home owners is the best city on EARTH
he declared. A union depot was again
suggested.
All propositions were put down in
writing and will be catalogued along
With others suggested at future meet
ings. Then vote on them will be tax
en- by the entire membership