The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-18
WHATS THE MATTER WITH TO-
PEKA!


say in shouting words, shes all
right"
But she's not all right. We all hate
| to admit it. but we have to.
There are some things radically
wrong in this beautiful, enterprising
| city.
This article~win undertake to point
them out. In doing so the writer must
hit some of his best friends, but he
must be plain, frank and outspoken
and give some names, or the article
may be of little avail.
| The statements herein are for home
! consumption.
Our great Cha amber of Commerce is
not all right as a commercial propo-
sition. altho it has done wonders in
Red Cross drives, liberty loan drives.
united war work drives, etc, and has
helped marveiously toward winning
! the war. It has been great in that
respect, but too often it is weak on
things of commerce and as a club
dealing with commercial things: the
, kind to the front now in the recon-
| structive periods now here and ahead
! of us.
| Let the reader bear in mind that
| the writer is anchored to Topeka, his
| interests are here, his investments are
here. He has lived here over a score
and ten years and expects to die here.
He wants to see Topeka take her place
in the first rank of the cities of her
size where she belongs. but she cannot
do this unless she purges herself, I'M
| ha
and puts forward different leaders in
some lines and grasps and realizes a
condition, not theory or mere SEN
! timent.
! In the Sermon on the Mount the
great Preacher said:
J "Ne are the salt of the earth but If the
! salt have lost his SAVIOR wherewfth shall it
| be sailed. Ye are the light of the world.
| A city that is sit on a hill cannot be hid"
The great divine, st. John, said, and
let me use his words in this, my
preface:
LAS many as love I rebuke and chasten
be Jealous therefore and repent"
Again to quote from the great book,
st. Paul admonishes:
For 1 say to you, every man that is
| among you not to think of himself more
| highly than he ought to think; but to
think soberly. Now it is high time to wake
out OF sleep.
/ Let me explain further as introduce
! tory and again using the words of st.
Paul:
Il am persuaded that We are full of good
ness, nevertheless brethren, l have written
the more boldly unto you putting you
In mind. Let no man deceive himself
/ Your glorying is not altogether good.
Know you not that little Ieaven leaven-
eth the the whole lump UNI, Purge out therefore
| I become n ola
/ Topeka is slipping; she is asleep at
the switch. VIII she awake? Here
is sticking a pin in her to see!
Four weeks ago there were eleven
conventions in Topeka with her mea
ger accommodations. Both of our
two hotels are without dining rooms
for the general travelling public. A
man who lodges at either of the ho-
tells which Topeka puts forward as its
best must go outside the hotel build
ing for his meals. 1t is true that one
of the hostelries put in a dining
room just before the legislature met
When our solons go home this dining
room may vanish with them; we don't
know. All we know is that the dining
room came with the legislators and
, naturally would be expected to go with
them.
| People attending conventions here
have eaten in restaurants or lunch
counters and gone to Emporia to
sleep. Fortunately there is a train
leaving Topeka about o'clock in the
evening and returning about o'clock
in the morning thus making it not so
! T.
, ness in Topeka or are visitors here, to
take advantage of the Emporia no.
: tells
f independence, Kan, has better no.
| tel facilities than Topeka and so has
Salina. Wichita has a grand new ho-
! tel, eleven stories, and has a fireproof
auditorium. Lawrence has fair ho-
tel but with a good dining room. Fort
s Scott has hotel facilities. Hutchinson
= has one of the best hotels in the state;
SO has Dodge City; so has Emporia.
g The one thing in which Topeka has
= a chance TO excel all other cities in
I the state is as a convention city; for
/ state conventions and national conven-
S tions; but first she must have hotel
facilities. We have them not. now;
but will have soon, despite certain
= members of the Chamber of Com
a merce. Topeka must and will have a
! large, modern, fireproof, up-to-date
= hotel with numerous dining rooms and
: cafes. room for assemblies ten stories
e guest rooms, singly, in pairs and in
t suites, apartments for members of the
S legislature and for the principal Off
e GERS of the organizations gathering
: here, and for anxious Topeka families
s winter and summer: and Topeka must
e have a fireproof auditorium; but the
s hotel first. People like to come to
e Topeka. but they will be weaned away