The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-02-21
Coming Test of the Telephone Com
pany Franchise Will Decide
Many Questions Here.
ACTS OF THE AUDITING BOARD
Kenosha's Famous City Governing Board
will be Brought Into Light of Law.
A Bit of History.

City Attorney John c. Slater will, in
a few days, file with the States At
torney General a petition asking that a
"quo warranto" proceeding be started
against the Wisconsin Telephone COM
pany to force the company to show by
what rights they claim the privileges
of extending their lines in Kenosla.
The question thus to be raised by the
Attorney General will be of intense in
terest to the people of Kenosha, as the
decision of the case will largely effect
every bit of legislation enacted by the
Common Council of the city for pc
Rod covering more than eighteen
years.
If the grant of the Telephone COM
parry should be declared worthless the
same decision will declare many of the
other important franchises in Kenosha
of similar value.
The Telephone franchise ordinance
was granted by the Board Of Auditors,
a distinctive Legislative body known
only in the city o. Kenosha. This
board was appointed ~ the Mayor and
it's appointment was made possible by
an act of the Legislature of the State
passed in 1875. The conditions which
led to the appointment of this board
and it's continuance as the motive
power in the municipal government
forms the most interesting story in the
history of Kenosha as city.
The causes date far back into the
past. In the early days, when Keno
sha was little more than a struggling
village, it was proposed to build the
Chicago and Rockford Railway. With
the proposition for the building of the
road Kenosha became the envy of 9TH
er cities in Southern Wisconsin, and
the proposed managers of the road
showed the matter up in so ruby a
light that the people considered that
with the building of the line the future
of the city would be assured.
At this time the city was out of debt
with a steady income and few ex-
penses, but after great many manip-
u1ations the city finally decided to as
sist in the building of the railway, and
for this purpose bonds were issued to
the amount of $2,OOO,OOO. The bonds
sold at great sacrifice and the money
was expended by the company, but the
road was not,finished and for years it
was a total loss to the people of the
city. The plan to bring trade and
business to Kenosha never material
lied, but on the other hand the trade
went to the larger cities on the route
of the road. Years after the road was
completed by private enterprise, but
the money which had been sunk by the
city brought no returns.
AS the years passed the bonds which
had been issued by the city for the
building of the road began to mature,
but not one of them were paid. The
courts were appealed 10 and shortly
before the appointment of the famous
auditing board the courts in Mi1wau-
kee county granted judgments against
the city for the full amount of the
bonds which had been issued. The
city refused to pay the judgments and
in order TO avoid being forced to levy
tax for the payment of the same they
sought the aid of the legislature and
the auditing board was the result.
The question which will be raised III
court is the power of this auditing
board, for it was this board that passed
the ordinance granting a franchise to
the Wisconsin Telephone Company.
With the appointment of the auditing
board the troubles of the city began.
Creditors with judgments were con-
stant1y in the city and no open meet
ing of the city council could be held
without MISUNDERSTANDING brought up
for payment.
Heroic measures were adopted. AS
it was necessary for the city council to
make the annual tax levy the council
was elected as usual, but in the eigh-
teen years there was never a public
meeting of that body. In the different
wards of the city young men were
elected as members of the city council
and often the city paid their board in
order to have them move into the ward
in which they were elected. Shortly
after the election of the councilmen
they would get together by stealth in
some private place and make the an
nual tax levy, and then at once the
aldermen would move out of the wards
and their places were declared vacant
Creditors holding the judgments often
managed to learn of the meeting, but
before they could get within the sane
tum the meeting had adjourned and
there was no city council of Keno
sha.
AS the council was never in session
all the other business of the city was