The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-10-19
City Council Votes to With
draw Charter Amendment
From Further Action
PEOPLE WIN AN EASY VICTORY
New Ordinance Must be Presented
if Charter is Amended and the Mat
ter Must Go to the People Before
Council Can Take Any Action

The people who were fighting against /
greater domination Of the board OF
education by the members Of the city /
council won a bloodless victory on
Monday evening when the council by
unanimous vote decided to withdraw
the ordinance providing for an amend |
ment of the city charter relating to
the schools of the city and the whole
matter went over for an indefinite post
ponement. The question of the passage
Of the ordinanc never came before the
council and the present manner of levy |
ing the taxes for the schools Of the
city will remain in vogue for at least
another year. There was no surrender
Of principle on the part of either of
the contending factions of the council
and The ordinance was withdrawn with
the understanding that new ordinance
may be presented later if the alder
men still believe that change in the
charter is advisable, but it is under |
stood that if the ordinance is called
up again it must be submitted to the
people before it can be finally acted
on by the council Under the action
Of the council the city can save the
expense of a special election as if the
/ ~. ~ L
be submitted at the general election to
be held in April of next year.
The settlement of the question was
in strange contrast to the long wrangle
at the former meeting of the council |
Just as soon as the minutes Of the
previous meeting had been adopt
ed Alderman Marlatt presented the
referendum petition to the council. Ii
was signed by Il. 6. Simmons and some
900 other voters and only half of the
petitions in circulation had been sent
| to the council. The names on the petit
tion were not read and there seemed to
be no desire on the part of any
member of the council to oppose the
| will of the people SO fully expressed in
the petitions The second ward alder
man informed the council that the petit
lions had not been formally fled as if
such step was taken it would be
necessary to hold a special election
within two months. He suggested that
the ordinance be withdrawn with the
understanding that it could not be
acted on by the council without being
given three consecutive publications in
the future and Alderman Rhode, who
had fathered the proposed amendment,
moved the adoption of the resolution
providing for the withdrawal of the
ordinance. Without debate the resolu-
tion killing the ordinance was passed
| by a unanimous vote.
Members of the council believe that
this will be the end of the fight and
| it is thought that the members Of the
council and the members of the board
| of education will now find a common
ground on which they can get together
and work for the interests Of the city
In harmony. The agitation has shown
to the council the feeling of the people
in regard to any council interfering
with the schools of the city.
| Ii the ordinance comes up again it
will be submitted to the people at the
April election and the people who have
| opposed the enactment of the new
| charter provision claim to be convinced
that they will have no trouble when
the question reaches the people. The
| settlement reached by the council is
| one satisfactory to all concerned as it
| gives a little time to test the power of
argument as healer for the breach
between the council and the school
board and it is expected that within a
| few weeks harmony will come out of
chaos and that the board of education
and the city council will find mutual
interests to draw them together and
bring about harmony program that
will result in both boards working bet
ter together for the best interests of
! the people Of the city.