The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-01-14
Council To Give Alderman Pirsch
a Chance To Make Good on
His Lighting Proposition
APPOINT SPECIAL COMMITTEE
Council Takes no Action on Lighting
Contract After Hearing Reports,
From Other Cities Around
.le State

The City Council met IN special SEES
sion at the City Hall on Monday even
ing to consider the proposed lighting
contract, but after tax fest of more
than two hours no agreement was
reached and it was evident that the
aldermen were as far from an agree
ment as ever and the meeting adjourned
without any final action being taken.
Alderman Pirsch of the first ward has
shown desire to prove himself a
Moses and bring the people of dark
ness into light by securing a new light
ing company in the city and Pirsch is
to be given q chance to make good.
He has been the chief contender in the
claim that the price set by the Kenosha
Gas and Electric company was too high
and his opposition has been Of such. a
vigorous type as to indicate that there
was deep seated hatred for the Ke-
nosha Gas and Electric company in the
heart of the alderman, Since the CON
siderati0n of the contract has been be-
fore the Council the alderman from the
First has been declaring that lights
can be secured for Kenosha at a much
lower figure. Other aldermen have
sought to find the way but failed. 1t
is now up to Pirsch to get the company
to come in and contest with the Ke-
nosha Gas and Electric company.
The alderman who is named as chair
man of committee of Ave to go into
this matter has been given SIXTY days
in which to find competing company
to come to the city and furnish light
at lower figure than that quoted by
the present company. The other mem
bers Of the committee are Aldermen
Timme, Willems, Higley and George
Wade. Alderman Willems is the only
member of the light committee on the
new committee. Alderman Wade has
been chief aid to Alderman Pirsch in
his fight and it is not just apparent why
Alderman Higley and Timme were
named on the committee.
This committee is liable to recon-
mend anything from municipal owner
ship to a return to candle lighting as
it's scope of investigation was made
wide to give every possible chance for
competition.
Alderman Scbend of the committee
on gas and light made protest against
the matter being taken out of the
hands Of his committee, but he insisted
that Alderman Pirsch had been seek
ing to butt in on the lighting PROPOSE
ton from the start and gracefully with
drew his objection.
Before the naming of the committee
letters were read from various cities in
the state and they purported to show
the rates paid in those cities. How
ever, the information was in such con
dition that it failed to give the mem
bers Of the Council any great amount
of information more than new set of
figures to compare with the half dozen
other sets that had been submitted to
the Council The larger number of the
members of the Council were convinced
that there was no cause TO hurry the
making of new contract as the pres
ent contract does not run out until
August and there is abundance of time
to make contract after the coming
election.
The street committee interpolated a
new fight into the discussion of the
contract when report signed by AL
dermen Pirsch and Wade was brought
in showing that the two members of
the committee with the city engineer
had made the rounds of the city and
had examined all of the paved streets
This report claimed that there was
about 5000 yards of bad pavement in
the city and that 1000 yards of
the defective pavement was properly
chargeable to the Kenosha Gas and
Electric company. Defective pavement
was reported from every paved street
in the city and the two members of
the committee in their report insisted
that this report be accepted and the
company be forced to repair pavement
before any new contract was granted
to them. The report was not acted
on, but it will be taken up at the next
meeting of the Council.
The meeting was characterized by
the usual show of bitterness on the
part of Alderman Pirsch, out the other
members Of the Council seemed to be
willing to take a reasonable view OF
the matter All of the aldermen
seemed to be willing and ready to in.
vite any possible bidders to come into
the fight but not single prospective
bidder for the contract was brought tc
light. Alderman Pirsch declared that