The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-12-03
Proposition for a Municipal Court
Here to go Before the Legis.
Iature Again
A CHANGE IS MUCH NEEDED
Great Number Of Cases in This County
Makes it Almost Impossible to
Try All in the Circuit
Court in Two Terms

The proposition for the establishment
of a municipal court in Kenosha which
was killed IN it's infancy two years ago
is being discussed again and it is proba
BILE that bill will be presented to the
state legislature at it's coming session
to provide for the establishment of the
new tribunal in Kenosha The late
Benjamin O. Sturges was the prime
mover in the plan to establish this
court two years ago and the bill which
was prepared by him at that time is
now in the hands Of the attorneys of
the city and plans are being made to
call meeting of the bar Of Kenosha
to urge that some immediate action be
taken to have the bill presented at the
next session If the legislature and
passed
The matter was dropped two years
ago on account Of the fact that neither
the Common Council or the Kenosha
County Board took any steps to urge
the legislature to pass the bill providing
for the new court in TINS county. The
bill as presented two years ago provid-
ed for a court which would have iuris-
dictiOn in all civil actions where the
amount at issue did not exceed $4,000
and in all criminal actions with the ex-
ception of murder and manslaughter.
This court could not try divorce actions
as under the laws of the state all &C
tiOns for divorce must be tried in the
Circuit Courts of the state.
At the present time it is all but an
impossibility for the Circuit Court Of
Kenosha county to complete the hear
ing of all the cases on the calendar
within the time set aside for the two
jury terms Of the court The list of
cases scheduled for hearing in the Cir
mutt Court Of Kenosha county is much
longer than the list in Racine and other
counties in this judicial district. In
the past four years it has not been
possible to entirely clean up the calen-
dar on account of the large number of
cases and many cases are pending at
the close of each year.
The main objection to the establish
ment of the court two years ago was
the fact that many people thought that
it would prove a very expensive luxury
for the county, but an examination
of the workings of similar courts in
other counties shows that Kenosha could
save money with municipal court to
take care of many Of the minor cases
which are now tried in the Circuit
Court. In addition to this it would in
part take up the work of the Justice
Courts and these courts would not be
so crowded with business.
No formal meeting has as yet been
called to prepare the new bill for the
consideration of the legislature, but it
is probable that the bill will be ready
for the opening of the session.
Kenosha county will also seek legis-
lation this year for the proper regula-
tion of the manufacture of powder in
the county and state and already petit
ton has been prepared to be sent to
Madison urging the legislature to take
some action on this. Since the legis-
lature turned down the bill for the
regulation of powder making in the
state six men have met death in exp!o-
sions at the plant of the Lafin-Rand
Company in Pleasant Prairie. It is
certain that the powder trust owning
the Pleasant Prairie plant will make
a hard fight to prevent the passage of
any laws by the Wisconsin legislature
to provide for regulation or state in
spection of powder plants.