The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-22
Ready to Fight Enforcement of
the New Ordinance.
Petitions Bearing 1000 Sigma
lures Ready They Say.
WANT MATTER LEFT TO VOTE
Ask Commissioners to Submit 1t
at General Election.
Ordinance As 1t Stands VIII
Ruin Their Business.

A referendum will be demanded if
city commissioners decide to publish
the revised jitney ordinance following
a conference to be held this afternoon
between a committee representing the
commission and a delegation from the
jitney drivers union. This decision
has been definitely reached by the
drivers it was announced this morn
ing.
Petitions have already bene circu-
lated by the jitney drivers who claim
to have obtained more than 1000 sig
natures. These petitions will be filed
Immediately after the new ordinance
is ordered published.
While less than ten miles of paved
streets is withheld from the jitneys
under the new ordinance, the drivers
maintain that inability to operate
over the territory would ruin their
| business. Payment of a $500 license
| fee for permission to operate over the
streets would be equally disastrous
| they declare.
At the city hall it was pointed out
| this morning that the only purpose of
the ordinance was to protect the rail-
way on the streets where pioneering
by them made development of the ter
ritory possible. All other streets are
existing.
Under the revised ordinance. jitneys
can operate under their present IL
cense on Kansas avenue, on all of the
East side and all streets, excepting
those on which the West Fourth, West
Sixth, West Eighth and Tenth, the
| two WaShburn lines and the Country
| club line street cars operate. These
lines are closed to jitneys only as far
as the streets are paved.
Ten Miles Closed.
| Under these restrictions ten miles OF
176 miles of streets in the city are
withheld from the jitney drivers
The jitneyS are permitted to work out
routes over this section of the city,
| however, but they must use streets not
| used by the car lines
While the revised ordinance with
holds from the jitneys the right to
pick up passengers along the lines
named in section 4. they are permit
ted to carry passengers to any part
of the city, regardless of whether OF
not street cars operate on the street OF
a passengers destination. Jitneys
also will be permitted under the new
ordinance to pick up passengers or
any cross street in the city.
Permission to operate over 164 mile.
of street however, will not appeast
the jitney drivers, if they are to be de.
MED the privilege of operating ovel
ten miles covered by street car lines
without payment of increased hcens'
fee.
Their Plan of Campaign.
1.-The people are not demanding thi
ordinance and the jitney drivers arr
not quietly going to permit its pub
lication," Frank Brown, organizer o
the jitney union, announced today
IF the commissioners feel that th
revision will be popular with the pub
lie why don't they wait until the mex
election and submit the proposition t.
a vote?
I'VE are going to ask the commits
sioners this afternoon to postpone &C
ton until the election This PROPOSE
| ton will be made if the commission
ers will not permanently shelve tn
revised ordinance But if the com
mission refuses to accept any of on
proposals. we shall attempt to Obtain
| relief through a referendum