The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-18

they could be depended upon to stand some
of the expense of fighting this case
The official organ of the labor
unions of Topeka is printed, published
or conducted by Charles Trap, direc-
tor of the Chamber of Commerce.
and recent vice president; by J. o.
Stevic. member of Chamber of Com
merce and propaganda in Topeka of
! the Nonpartisan League; Frank
/ Brown, a labor organizer.
What's the matter with Topeka?
Now here is a subject very near to
our hearts and should be close to the
heart of every citizen having the well
| fare. reputation and progress of the
| city in mind; that is, the new North
American hotel at Ninth and Kansas
! avenue. The site for this hotel was
| taken possession of last summer, the
/ old buildings removed and the excaya-
tons nearly made when the COVER n
ment and the state stopped the work
| on account of the war and stopped
| the soliciting of subscriptions for the
work. The ban was not lifted until
| in November, as winter WAS approach
ing and outside concrete work almost
! impra ctica BILE.
Work on this mammoth ten-story,
modern fireproof hosiery will begin
anew as soon as danger from freezing
is over, which ought to be within
| thirty days.
Subscriptions have BEEN made suffi-
cient to put up the hotel to the sixth
story.
We do not need to say it, everybody
says it, that Topeka needs nothing
more than it needs this hotel. She has
none now worthy of the name, in
| these days of fireproof modern con-
| struction and equipment. Every travel
ing man says it; every visitor says it !;
every member of the legislature says
it and asks the question why has not
| Topeka had this hotel before? Why
| TO 1api lat1 -
Who is building this hotel? The
North American Hotel Company of
Omaha, which is operating success
fully several big modern hotels and
has three or four others nearly COM
pleted, to be opened next month and
this summer.
What did Topeka agree to do? She
accepted proposition to buy $780,
900 worth of the 6 per cent cumula-
! tive, preferred stock. What has she
done? She has subscribed for $780,
| 600; has paid up in cash 100000.
! Still the hotel people are going ahead.
They have an American Surety COM
pany bond on deposit in the Bank OF
Topeka for 100000 guaranteeing the
of this hotel, barring government or
state restrictions, which unfortunately
came last year and were placed to help
us win the war, which we did. While
protected itself with a large amount
of material; still labor and materials
have risen to such prices that, had the
hotel been built a year or two ago. il
hcould have been built a a saving with
out using the Topeka subscriptions
To fulfill her original obligation. To
peka must pay the remaining 100000
subscribed and subscribe $40. 900 addi
tional in stock; but this delay will not
interfere with the progress of con-
struction when spring opens
merce done toward aiding this hotel
this Topeka necessity. Nothing; moth
ing for it, One of its directors and
many of its members have at times
tried and are now circulating stories
to discredit the construction, but they
will not succeed. They encourag ed
the building of another hotel. While
Topeka needs new good hotel, il
does not need two. One would make
the other. less profitable The bes'
opinion says the North American Ho-
tel will be one of the most profitabls
hotels in the country. The demand j:
so great, it would do a capacity bust
ness from the start, were it ready now
The hotel business is profitable: We
used to be told that a hotel could no.
possibly pay without bar-nothine
to it.
Very many of the best people in To-
| peka have subscribed and paid theil
money for the stock of this hotel, bu'
there is a long, long list of men whe
have not subscribed a dollars worth
men of means, men of large interest:
here, men who admit the hotel is no
only needed, but demanded, a vita
necessity which will cost us immediate
and great loss of business and pres
tige. if not pushed to completion.
One of the members of the Char
Der of Commerce this week whispered
, into the writer's ear in a low tone O.
voice: "Have you seen the Nebraska
. public utilities commission report OF
the North American hotel?" Yes.
u have seen it and know all about it
, nothing to it; exploded" This is the
story being circulated this week AND
, last to try to defeat the building o
, this new hotel. 1t will be of no effect
The hotel will be built this year. bar
, ring the unexpected, the unforeseen
1t ought to be built and encouraged b,
the men of means in this communit,
!, who have not yet come forward will
! their subscriptions, but who SHOULD
join the procession of people who have
ooh; We of little faith in Topeka.
ability to build what she needs. Thi:
is all for the present.
There can be much more writer
about members of the Chamber O
!, Commerce who have been abusing
, but not swerving from the right, thi.
, paper, for from three to six years. bu
this is all for the present at least
: maybe for a long time. as long as tn.
story, which is of some length.
, + When the three years agreement
| expires, and this is the last year,
large number of Chamber of Com
merce members are going to quit They
' tell us so. The State Journal has fiji
t teen memberships it pays for, and il
: will not renew them-too much Non
: partisan League, too much load il
= the directory and unworthy member
2 ship.
The State Journal will continue
r however, to promote and urge all that.
E good for Topeka, whether fatheret
by the Chamber of Commerce or othel