Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-08-14
SUMMER HOTEL NEEDED, STATE
CENSUS DIsAPPoINTs.
SUBURBAN POPULATION
Really Belongs to Metropolis but
Cannot be Included in Count
More Wires and Expenses
Threatened if Phone Franchises
Are Granted.

|
in the midst of the midsummer vaca,
ton season. Many people are in
Europe, at the seaside, at the Port
land fair and at their country homes
among the nearby lakes, yet Mil
waukee is itself one Of the most at
tractive and satisfying summer dwell
ing places in the country. Lake
Michigan tempers the summer heat so
that hot nights are very few and it's
attractions for the yacntsman, the
mere summer idler, or the lover OF
natures beauties are many and
various. 1t is really surprising that
summer hotel Of the modern and en-
terprising sort has not, long since,
been built here, upon the lake front
There are plenty of sites between
Juneau park and north point and there
is no reason why Milwaukee people
themselves would not fill such a place
for the season, and it would surely at
)! tract outsiders.
Census Worse Than Cholera.
| Notwithstanding the comfortable
weather Of the past three weeks, Mil
waukee has been having the epidemic
| that prevails quite generally about the
state of dissatisfaction WITH the state
census. The local directory man had
estimated the city's population at
$4,000. The local school census es-
innate was $4,000 The United
States census bureau has estimated
312,736 year ago, and now the state
enumeration gives only 312,954. No
wonder we are stirred up about it, 1t
suggests the solemn warning of the
late Josh Billings against census
taking. "A census. said he, lis worse
| than the cholera to decimate popula.
ton" Another thing, too, that puts
Milwaukee at disadvantage with her
bonner rivals is that all around her
are suburbs that touch the city and
are really part Of it, and yet not of
it. The soldiers home, with 1000
inmates, is to all tents and purposes
a part Of the city. AS matter OF
fact, it is just across the line in the
town OF WauwatOsa. In north Milwau-
kee, Wauwatosa village, West AlIis
and other suburbs, tnat lap right on to
the city there are 5000 or 5000 people
who are really part of Milwaukee's
population for every purpose but that
OF the census taker and tax payer.
There is talk of a recount of the city,
but it will probably not satisfy if it is
done. The unusual situation is pre-
sented this time That state census
falls below the United States census.
| The state census usually is a very
! f1attering and liberal affair.
phone Franchises Doomed.
| Recently two applications have
been made to the city council for
franchises for independent telephone
| companies. just what the result will
be has not yet developed, but there is
no likelihood that two such franchises
will be granted and there may be
doubt if either gets through The
multiplication of telephone lines, like
the multiplication of street car tracks
or gas mains in a public street, in
creaSes the investment on which the
public must pay interest, with no cor.
responding increase of efficiency. In
fact, experience in many places suga
gest that multiplication of telephone
lines impairs efficiency because every
business place sooner or later has to
have both instruments and the double
duty and annoyance Of using them.
! SO far this city las escaped the COM
petltiye telephone and IL has good
telephone service, generally speaking.
Some things might perhaps be i'm
proved, but the way to suc1 improve
ments is through proper state regula-
ton, not through waste of capital in
improbable investments that merely
increase the ultimate burdens of tele-
phone users physically and financially.
In the long run tle competitive tele-
phone works out as a losing PROPOSE
ton to both the investor and the pub
| lic
Significant Facts.