The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-01-30
An EDITORIAL in the issue of last week

MADE 10 deny us putdtlVe paternity IL It's
author had not been made known before
the return of the editor on Saturday.
While the general purport of the article
referred to was in antagonism with the
policy of the paper since the traffic ar
whereby the city hopes to
reap so much benefit, has been consum-
mated, the circumstances under which
the gentleman wrote made The Pilot
fully responsible for its utterances, though
of course it could not be Invested of the
right to traverse his views.
Some people were really alarmed and
thought there was something In it." It
is astonishing what potency Tor harm a
newspaper article will be credited with,
while its commentator has not feathers
weight. There was no notice taken of
another article in the same issue, of al
most equal length with the heterodox
one, written by a gentleman whose posi-
ton made him authority on the subject,
and stating clearly the advantages sure
to result from this line, furnishing facts
and figures which should satisfy the most
skeptical that the line could not fail to
be a permanent one because of the vol
ume of business assured it. This article
escaped notice apparently, but the other
furnished food for anger. Verify "the
evil men do lives after them" and with
them. 1t would be an easy and pleasing
task to combat the views of the article
entitled "Our Boom" because the con-
test would be wholly in the line of The
Pilots inclination and belief But threats
and clamor came near imposing silence.
The gentleman who wrote the article
was, without question, informed that the
contract entered into was only for one
year. But he was misinformed. The
contract is for term of years. The Of
fetal of the G.. B. W. & st. p. road who
furnished this information was not pres
ent at the meeting at which the traffic
arrangement was perfected and purpose
ly absented himself because he was I'M
favorable to it. He had no voice in ap-
proval or rejection and no power to as
sist or retard. His objection was wholly
that of an individual and in the interest
of Green Bay.
A little reflection would have shown
there exists no cause for fear that the ar
rangement is only temporary. 1t will
cost the Mil. L. s. & W. Ry. fully $4,000
to make the extension to the lake front
purchase dock property and secure yard
privileges. The road has been managed
with too much business sagacity in the
past to expect such an outlay for mere
ly temporary purposes The best secur-
ity the city has lies in the interests of the
Lake Shore & Western, corporation
which has never yet been overreached
Mr.. Whitcomb is incapable of any mean
ness and is too thorough business man
to be guilty of missmanagement; the ex.
penditure of $4,000 for local purposes
would be a gross act of folly. Besides
The Pilot has the assurances of men who
know, that the contract is for term OF
years though they are unable to fix the
exact limit.
Some years ago when an attempt was
made to secure this line and when nego-
tiations were in progress between the
Lake Shore and the F. & p. NJ. the only
difficulty which stood in the way was
that the Lake Shore & Western was not
IN position to guarantee the perma-
hence of the line. For this reason nego.
tiations were broken off but were re.
sumed when circumstances made possible
what could not then be-. guaranteed, and
the establishment of the present line is
the outcome. Indeed, at that time it was
stated positively that Kewaunee could
not be considered as lake terminal
There was abundant time since negotia.
tons were first begun, to build to Kewau.
nee if that point was considered available
Instead the whole scheme was held in
allegiance until the Lake Shore found 1t
practicable to enter in to contract. 1t
is not at all likely that the other roads
which are party to this traffic arrange
ment would abandon after one year what
they waited many years to secure.
The Kewaunee harbor is not yet suf-
ficiently improved for the demands of I'm.
interrupted commerce and will not be SO
for years. This is something which must
await the slow action of the national gov
eminent which cannot be hurried by cor
porations or individuals. 1t is not easy
of access because there is no bay. 1t lies
north of Two Rivers Point which pro-
tects the bay at this place and makes it
comparatively easy to enter the Manito-
woo harpor. If the Kewaunee harbor
was the only one available there would
be no through line by way of Ludington.
Reasons may be multiplied to show how
utterly without foundation the SUPPOSE
ton is that the line as at present consti-
tuted will be changed. There was no
pressing need of the establishment of a
IhO PiSSChe oLiOush
routes could manage the through traffic
until the line could be completed from
Green Bay to Kewaunee if such a thing
was contemplated. Indeed sufficient time
had elapsed from the time the PROPOSE
ton was first submitted to the city of
Manitowoc to the present to complete the
extension from Green Bay to Kewaunee
if the thing had ever been seriously con-
sidered.
There is no need of argument to prove
the fallacy of any reasoning calculated to
show that the present arrangements are
not permanent. The Lake Shore & West
ern's proposition was that the franchise
10 the lake front should terminate if the
line should be discontinued. This dis
poses OF the argument that franchise
for local traffic was sought under the pre-
tense of establishing a through line The
Lake Shore & Western is not apt to do
business IN such loose way. The ten