The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-07-26
IT'S UP TO G O. | !.
Success or Failure of the Street
Railway is Now in the Hands
of the Mayor.
'TwIxT sYLLA AND cHaEYBD1s
Mayor Must Either Approve the Bond of
Haynes and clausen Signed BY z. G.
Simmons or the New Road is Lost.

position that Mayor German finds him
self in today, for he must either pro-
vide for the building of street rail-
way in Kenosha or else refuse to APP
prove a bond, which will practically
/ terminate all negotiations and cause
the franchise recently granted by the
Council to Haynes & C1ausen to be
null and void.
| The report that the company has not
| filed surety company bond on ac-
count of the lack of time, has proved
to be untrue, and the only reason that
such bond has not been filed is the
fact that it is practically prohibitive
bond, on account of the fact that the
bond has no time limit.
The surety companies after finding
that there was no definite time limit to
the bond in accordance with their
rules, are unable to furnish such bond,
except at rates that are practically
prohibitory. If improvements were to
be made in any definite time the bond
would be given at the regular rates,
and if the Council will place a time
limit the surety bonds will be given at
once.
On the other hand it is held that the
Mayor has full power to alter his view
and accept the bond signed by Mr..
Simmons If he so desires. j. c.
Slater, City ATTORNEY, has not made
any move to force the acceptance of
the bonds fled,1ssg he states that he
has no power to recommend anything
not contained in the ordinance as it
| was worded when it came from the
! Counci1' chamber with seal Of ap-
prevail. He admits, however, that the
Mayor ccou1d accept the bond of Mr..
Simmonssif he so desired.
Mayor Gormana Is indeed between
two fires. is now all powerful, and
has beer. placed in such a position that
he must either put his sanction on the
railway or turn it down. Four weeks
ago the Mayor registered veto
against the ordinance, but he has been
turned down by the council, and now
he has another turn at the ordinance.
This, time there is no chance for the
council to reverse his action. If he
disapproves the bond the company will
be forced to allow the franchise to slip
| from their hands as it will not be pos
sib1e for them to secure bond in &C
cordance with the provisions of the
franchise ordinance by next Tuesday,
when the acceptance must be on file
with the City Clerk. This state of
affairs has given the Mayor his oppor-
tunity to show the people just where
| he stands on the matter. His action
either way will undoubtedly be greeted
with storms of indignation.
| Mr.. German has stood as being abso-
1ute1y opposed to the franchise as it
now stands, but no one ever suspected
| that the mayor would have the abso-
lutte power in his hands to decide the
matter. Looking at the fight from the
position which the mayor has all along
taken in regard to the ordinance one
would predict that the mayor would re-
fuse the bond, but it is possible that
| this view will have to be changed.
Many we'll known business men are
ra11ying to the support of the ordinance
and are urging the approval of the
bond, but, on the other hand, the
councillors of the mayor, who have
been with him ali through the fight,
are urging that he keep to his first
position and defeat the ordinace by re-
fusing to approve the bond.
Mayor German Is Firm.
Mayor German was seen this morn
ing and he still remains firm in his
determination to carry out the provis-
| ions of the ordinance to the letter. He
said that he had no desire to delay the
work Of the railway, but that he must
insist on the carrying out of the pro-
visions of the ordinance which the
council had passed over his veto. He
said that the council had made the
ordinance a law without his consent
and that he was now power1ess to go
behind their work and accept bord
other than the one called for in the
ordinance. He stated that at a meeting
between himself and the railway men
Yesterday Attorney Mcdowell had
stated that if it were absolutely
demanded that the company fur
nish a bond of surety company it
could be done. On this statement the
mayor holds that he can not change
his views. Mayor German stated in
concluding the interview that he was
still opposed to the ordinance but that
he would not attempt to defeat it by
any unfair means.
Curtis Hints at influence
Alderman Curtis, who was chairman
of the railway committee which pre-
pared the ordinance, stated that he was
sorry that the Mayor had taken this
/ view of the matter. He said that at the
time the committee framed the ordi-
nance they had decided to give the
power Of the approval of the bonds to
the Mayor, and that as he had decided
to disapprove the bonds the committee
had nothing more to do with it. How
ever, he limited that SINE influence
would be brought to bear on the Mayor
to obtain his consent to the approval of