The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-20
OFFICIAL RECORD
City Commissioners Stand on
Their Action.
IlIiterate Letters Printed Below
Discredit TOrsOn.

IN political advertisement, ndNe
brought up one of the few subjects in
the city campaign with which the
voters of Topeka are not thoroly ia
mfliar.
The row was the heated argument
precipitated at the city hall when H
c. Root, an attorney. flied a claim
with the city commission. which was
not sworn to, in which he demanded
refund of s1O7 on the ground that
he had paid that sum in taxes over
and above that which he would have
paid had the contract for the sewer
in District No. AS, been let to a lower
bidder, whether that bidder was re-
+ spcnsible or able to qualify or not He
was accused by City Attorney Hayden
of playing politics in filing an I'M
official claim and was advised II ne
was not trying to play politics to go
20 court to recover the money ne
claimed.
Mayor House said today:
THE paragraph in the political ad-
vertisement appeared in the advertise
rrlent of L. L. Kiene. candidate LOT
the nomination for mayor. and reao'
Fer Topeka as against contractors
who make dishonest bids for sewer
contracts and other public work
ssThese political innuendos, made Tor
the purpose of befuddling the voters
and in hopes of casting reflections on
the administration OF Mayor j. f.
Horse. and the commissioners ildh0
morning clear to the voters. There
fore the official records and state
ments of the transactions leadlnS up
toZthe awarding of the conIracr ,,,a aOi
sewer District No. as and subsequent
o.,S,ts viii he of interest to the
VOTERS
The Official Record.
qbe records at the city hall show
the following: ...,,.,,;+-
City Engineer A. r. Young submit
ted. an estimate for the construction
of~the East side sewer TO the cLtS
commission. Engineer Young estl-
mste on the cost of the sewer was
s14se Sass The city commission
called for bids on this work. The bios
were received and opened July e.
lgf5, and were as follows:
Commercial Construction
Co. - 80 ~ .
James A Pringle. ..-... 125, ~
TN. TOrSon- NO. o.
The minutes of the meetings of the
citvs commission are the next docu-
ments of interest on the subject Inc
mart of the minutes referring to the
sewer contract at the next meeting
are as follows:
Commission Chamber, Topeka, Kan
sas. Monday. July 26. 1915.
1.-The matter of the sewer bids on
sewer district No. As. which were
opened July %, 1915. came up for re-
port from the committee appointed to
INVESTIGATE and at the request of
Mayor House. City Attorney Hayden
made the following verbal report;
1.-The committee appointed went tic
Kansas City Saturday and investigat-
81 record in Kansas CITY
in the building of sewers, and we
found that Mr.. Torson has built con-
siderable number of sewers in Kansas
City. Kan, in the last eight or ten
years on smaller contracts than the
one we have. the largest CONTRACT
there was something like $4,000. We
found that MIR. Torson has a very good
reputation down there as to honesty,
integrity and ability to do sewer work,
and l think the committee, after in
vestigating matters in Kansas City,
came to the conclusion that if Mr.
Torson furnishes a good bond, that
there is nothing about his record in
Kansas City why this contract should
not be let to him.
After further deIiberation. it was
suggested by Mayor House that Mr.
. Torson be given until Thursday to give
a good and sufficient bond or show
that he could give one, whereupor
Commissioner Tandy moved that ac-
ton on the letting of the contract fol
the construction of sewers in Sewer
District No. 46 be deferred unit
Thursday, July 90, 1915, $3.50 a. m.
which motion prevailed"
\ Unique Letter-Verbatim.
The committee referred to III the
foregoing minutes was made up OF
Mayor House. Commissioner Tandy
and City Attorney Hayden. On July
%, being the Thursday that TorsoT
was given to file his bond, the follow
ing letter was received from Mr.. Tor.
son:
To Honorable Mayor and Comm.
Topeka, kas.
Gentlemen
in going over My figurs very carfull!
and going over the ground More in Detail
Make considerable change in my flyers
feel it my Duty to Mayor and comm anC
all concerned that you permit me to with
thanking you very kindly for all fayors
The letter was presented to the cit,
commission at its meeting and TIN
minutes of the meeting regarding tn
letter and the contract are as fol
lows:
"Commission Chamber, Topeka
Kansas, Thursday. July 30, 1915.
Commission from T. NJ Torsol
asking to withdraw his bid on the con
stEuction of sewers in Sewer Distric
No. As. ewing to certain discrepancie
in the same. was presented and read.
Mayor House then gave an oppor
tunity to Mr. Torson or his represen
tative to be heard. Mr.. f. Z. whitney
representing the bonding company an
Mr.. Torson, appeared before the com
mission and said. in sum and sub
stance. that Mr. Torson was unabl
to furnish bond. Mr.. Torson confirme
Mr. Whitney's statement"
The minutes refer to Mr.. F. E. Whit
ney. representing the bonding com
pany. Mr.. Whitney is in charge of tn
bonding department of Stephenson
Webb. The following letter confirm
a telegram received by Whitney o
the same day that he and Torson ar
peared before the commission and ar
nounced that bond could not be giVer