The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-09-21
The dazs when the railway compa

The days when the railway company
could be counted on to assist the peo-
pie of the towns on its line in build
ing up their industries has gone by ap-
parently, at least so far as the rela-
tions between the business men Of Ke-
nosha and the ~Nor thwestern are con-
cerned. No further evidence of the
change in the sentiment of the rail
way officials towards the people who
are furnishing their share of the bust
ness of the company from this city is
needed than the action or rather lack
of action of these same railway officials
in the matter of the construction of
the switch track to the lands Of the
Industrial association north Of the city.
The railway company took the asso-
ciation' money over two months
ago for the cost of building this spur
track to the property of the associa
tion and has made no move to carry
out its end of the bargain since in
spite of the urging of the officers of
the association. The delay has put the
Industrial association in a bad hole and
it will be almost impossible now for
the association to carry out its own
bargain with the McComber- Whyte
company. In one way the Indifference
shown by the company to the interests
Of the city is inexplicable and in an
other it is perfectly plain. The natural
supposition would be that the railway
company would be willing and eager
to build up industries in Kenosha and
to do everything in it's power to assist
The business men of the city in bring
ing new ones here for under present con-
ditions it must get all the transporta-
tion business created by these new in
dustries. On the other hand there is
no competition worth mentioning-th
amount of freight handled by the
steamer lines makes very little impress
sion on the revenues of the railway.
and the railway officials figure that
the business will have to wait until
it gets ready to handle it, The indus
trial association makes its bargains,
pays over its good money, and asks
for its switch track stating that it
must have the track built within
reasonable time in order to carry out
its contract made in good faith with
a third party. The railway officials do
nothing but promise and assume a
what-are-you-go ing-to -do-about-it atti-
Jude and there you are. The company
has the money and the Industrial as
ISOLATION cannot go ahead without the
switch. Appeal to the commission?
it would help, but it would take time
and that is just what the association
does not want to waste, but there does
not seem to be much else that can be
done in the matter. While they are
waiting The association should also
tahe up Uhe question OF getting an
other railroad into Kenosha in earnest
and sent representatives to the officials
of the Belt line and the st. Paul roads
and see what encouragement they can
get from them. There is no city of its
Size in the country that originates as
much business for railroad as Keno
sha which all goes to the Northwestern
at present. A share of this business
would be an indueement for either of
the roads named and the assurance that
something would be done to get an en-
trance to the city on favorable terms
for either or both of them might in
duce one or both Of them to investigate
sne possibilities Of entering the city.