From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Jan. 26, 1915:

• “A resolution providing that all requisitions for the purchase of any article be secured from the commissioner of finance was passed in the regular meeting of the commissioners this morning at the city hall. In the past one of the difficulties that the commissioners have experienced was that bills would come in that none of them knew very much about and sometimes they hesitated in allowing them. According to the new resolution it will be necessary for any of the city’s employees to have a requisition from the finance commissioner before they can make a purchase for the city. In this way the commissioner of finance will know where all of the money of the city funds is going and if the purchase is not a legitimate one he can hold it up.”
• “At the meeting of the South Side Improvement League a resolution was passed authorizing C. B. Hosford to draw up a petition to be presented to the commissioners asking them to place the hose cart and fire horses in the south part of the city as soon as the new truck is in use. The members of the League are of the opinion that wider protection could be gained by such a change. They believe the cart would be as convenient to the southern part of the business section while the fire truck would furnish ample protection to the remaining portion of the business district…. A committee was appointed to interview the board of administration of the University and try to influence them to have a south approach constructed to the University. This, so the League urges, would be of benefit, not only to the South Siders, but to the entire city.”
• “A committee composed of Mrs. A. L. Kraus, Mrs. Frank Jones and Mrs. W. P. Jones of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union called on Mayor Francisco yesterday afternoon and in the course of the conversation which took place they assured the Mayor that they were heartily in co-operation with the enforcement of all ordinances of the city and especially the ordinance forbidding minors smoking. The use of cigarettes is one thing that the Union wants to see abolished. The mayor says he is always glad to receive any committees that come to visit him for he wants to know the wishes of the people.”
• “The bar dockets for the February term of the district court have been printed and are in the hands of the District Court clerk for distribution to the lawyers and others interested in the district court. The bar docket is one of the largest that has been on for several terms. There is a total of 112 cases. Twenty of these are criminal and the remaining 92 are civil cases. This is the largest number of criminal cases that has been on the docket for several years…. There are two cases to be tried for murder, four liquor, three burglaries and the other cases are equally divided between peace bonds and other statutory offenses.”
• “Request was made of the police yesterday afternoon for the records of the court in 1904. The man was a stranger and did not tell the police why he wanted to see the records of the past years. It was thought that he is a detective and looking into the past records of some of the men with whom he has had dealings. The records were not obtainable this afternoon but they will be ready for his use when he returns at a later date which he set to see the books.”
• “Otto Fischer who has just returned from a business trip to New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Columbus and other eastern points, said today that from what he has seen, Kansas is doing better than the other sections of the country. This is encouraging to Lawrence men as is the feeling that Mr. Fischer says all have said in the east that 1915 is going to be a big year in the merchandising line.”
• “The county board of commissioners have returned from Topeka where they inspected the Kansas river bridge which is constructed of concrete. While in Topeka the commissioners were in conference with a number of engineers interested in concrete construction work. Preliminary work on the new Kaw river bridge will probably begin some time during the next month.”