The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-02-23
City Council Considers Ordinance
For Change in the Wages Of
Police and Firemen.
SIMMONS CO. SEEKS STREETS
The Big Manufacturing Concern Asks
Council to Vacate Streets Within
the Big P1ant.-Other Council
Business of Interest.

The long fight of the police officers
of Kenosha to secure an increase in
salary has finally reached the ears of
the city council, and Monday night
an ordinance was presented to the,
council which provides for a new
schedule of salaries for the police and
firemen. The ordinanceswas prepared
by the city attorney at the request Of
the committee in charge of police af-
fairs and it provides for slight in
crease in the pay for the officers.
According to the terms of the ordi-
nance the chief of the police depart
ment is to receive salary of 5000 a
year, payable in monthly instal1ments
of $75 each. The pay for the chief of
the fire department is placed at $500.
The pay of the patrolmen is ar
ranged according to sliding
scale. When the police officer be-
gins his work for the city he is to have
pay at the rate of $50 month, and at
the end of the first year the pay is to
be increased to SIS month. Should
he remain for another year the pay is
increased to the maximum of 500
month. Similar arrangement is made
for the pay of the irenlen.
At this salary it is distinctly ex-
pressed that the members'o of the de-
partment shall furnish all their own
uniforms, including the regulation
suits demanded and the overcoats and
helmets.
The council reserves the right to
increase the pay of any special officer
that may be employed for specific
duty.
The ordinance was given it's first
reading and will take the usual
course. 1t seems to be satisfactory to
the members Of the force and it is
more than possible that it will be
passed.
Simmons Company Seeks Streets.
| A number of petitions were pre-
scented to the council from the Sim
mons Manufacturing company asking
for the vacation of certain streets now
surrounded by the buildings of the
company's plant. The streets asked
! for include: The west eighteen feet
of Lake street from the north line of
that portion of Maiden Lane between
the north line of Pearl street and the
harbor. The south eighteen feet of
Pearl street from Lake street to
Maiden Lane, The portion of Ex-
change street lying between Pearl
street and the harbor. All of old
Main street.
| In the petition for the vacation of
old Main street the Simmons company
is joined by the heirs of the late Ed
ward Balm and by the officials of the
Kenosha Gas and Electric company.
The petitioners are owners of every
foot of land surrounding the streets
asked for and it is shown that they
will be of great value to the company
in developing their large plant While
the company has not offered to re-
munerate the city for the vacation of
the streets, it is understood that the
company will meet the city half way.
The matter of vacating these streets
will be acted on at meeting Of the
council to be held on March s, and in
the meantime the aldermen will meet
and look into the merits of the petit
tons. A personal observation of the
property will be made by the counc Gil
on Thursday evening, and the matter
will probably be further taken up at
a special meeting of the council on
Thursday evening. The streets are
of little or no value to the city, and it
is stated that if the petitions are
granted the Simmons company will
make several other large additions to
their plant.
Light and Heat Propositions.
The council received a letter from
the Kenosha Gas and Electric COM
pany taking up the matter Of heating
and lighting the new city hall. The
company stated that 1t was willing to
give the city the same radiation that
it had in the old building, and if this
was not satisfactory the company
would contract to furnish the build
ing with heat for the sum Of $147.6O
annually. The company also stated
to the council that it would remove
the lights from the old city hall and
place them in the new building with
out expense to the city, but that it
would not consider any plan to heat
and light both buildings. This matter
was referred to the committee in
charge of the city hall, and will be
taken up later.
D. Elmer Roberts, of Racine, sub
mitted proposition to the city to fur