The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-24
WHO'LL BE FIRST?
The Road to Kansas City That
Starts Earliest
VIII Get the Support of the
Highway Association.
MUCH RIVALRY DEVELOPS
At the Big Meeting Held at the
kaw's Mouth.
TOnganOxie Is a Strong Bidder
for the Line.

Rivalry between towns on the
north and south side of the river for
the first hard surface road between
Topeka and Kansas City was mani
Tested Al the big good roads meeting
held at the Hotel GrUnd, Kansas City.
Kan The first road to be ready for
365-day use will get the vote of the
kaw Valley Improved Highway asso-
citation. on April IS another meeting
Of the association will be held at To-
peka at which time representatives
from both sides will report progress in
circulating petitions for hard surface
road in compliance with the Hodges
road law.
Those laying out a benefit district
will circulate a petition for any sort OF
road they may want However, a ce-
ment highway appears to be the most
popular at this time.
John Peck Talks.
John Peck. wealthy farmer liv-
ing on the Red Line short distance
out OF Topeka. reported that Shawnee
county farmers on his side of the
river. as a rule. favored a hard sur
face road But, he intimated. that any
attempt made to erect a highway
would be Investigated closely because
some hard surface roads built had
proven TO be more or less of a joke.
The most encouraging report was
made by Z. c. McNerney OF Tonga
noxie Under the plan that would
take the route through Tonganoxie. a
hard surface road about five miles
long must be constructed in Leaven-
worth county. A benefit district in
Guiding twenty thousand acres of farm
land has been mapped out, and the
farmers owning six thousand acres Of
this already have signed a petition
for the permanent road The move
ment has only started. Mr.. Mc\erney
stated. The TonganOxie route would
connect with the Parallel road, ma
cadamized, at Ripper in WyandOtte
county
Bonner Springs Boosts.
D. Z. Mundey of Linwood expressed
belief that the farmers beyond Bonner
Springs favored the proposition, and
were insistent that the road pass on
that side of the river. Mr. Mundey
affirmed his Willingness TO pay $40 an
acre on his 50-acre farm to get the
road and stated that about half Of
the property owners felt the same way
Already nineteen miles of macada-
mixed road IS built from Bonner
Springs to Kansas City
Represe ntative c. NJ. Pierce turned
in a rather pessimistic report. He
stated that scheme of building a
road through Turner, Holiday and
DeSoto on the south side Of the river
was not meeting with much enco.r-
agement from the farmers
Topeka for It
G. J Henshaw. representative of
the national highway association, and
A y. Johnson, former Illinois state
highway engineer. both gave excellent
addresses and pointed to good roads
esta bIished in districts in the east
which did not begin to compare with
the kaw Valley in prodUctiveness and
wealth H :. Purney, of Topeka,
president of the Kaw Valley Improved
Highway association, presided at the
meeting. W. P Montgomery talked. as
did J. Will Kelley. Both expressed
the sentiment Of Topeka toward the
highway as being strong for q road
on either side of the river. First
come. first served was the slogan.
\ dozen. or more other Topeka road
boosters were present
Resolutions were passed urging
J Kansas congressman and senators in
/ Washington to support the Shackle-
/ ford bill for government appropria-
/ tions for national highways. E. Otis
/ Perkins. of Lawrence. was elected sec
retary-treasurer. The Kansas City
Rotary club and Merchants associa-
/ ton entertained the visitors. about ESQ
strong. representing practically every
/ town on both sides of the Haw river
I harWee here and Kansas CITY