The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-03-23
NEED HOUSES FOR WORKMEH
Factory Managers Feel the Need of a
More Stable Glass Of Workmen-
City Has Proud Place in State and
Nation.

b1acturerS Association mas answered Gue
question, "What is the matter with
Kenosha' in his annual report to the
organization over which he has been
elected to preside for the coming year.
The report of Mr.. Yule is so pregnant
with suggestions of plans for the adj
vanciug of the interests of the city and
contains so much food for thought for
the citizen be he capitalist or laborer
that at the urgent request of many
people he has consented to allow the
publication Of the report which was or
iginally designed only for the mapufac-
turers of the city. In his report Mr..
Yule says in part:
"Your present board of directors
early realized the critical situation of
the manufacturers of Kenosha in suit
ably housing their employees. We were
Of the opinion from close scrutiny of
our labor and production statistics that
the factories Of Kenosha were years
ahead of Kenosha, and the completion
of our government and state census and
statistics only confirms that opinion and
causes an opinion to be a firm convic
ton.
You may, or may not, be aware of
the fact that statistics show Kenosha
to be the third city in the United
States of anywhere near its population
in the per capita product of its indus
tries 1t is surpassed only by Pitts
burg md Cleveland, and in the case Of
both these cities, the cause of their SUI
premacy is obviously due to their i'm.
mense production of iron and steel; so
that in miscellaneous manufacturing,
we practically stand as the first city
of our class in the United States. An
analysis of our state records, as com
piled during the past year, reveals the
fact that in the volume of business of
our industries we stand third in our
state Milwaukee, Racine and Ken
osha is the order of rank. 1t reveals
also the somewhat startling fact, that
in the matter of taxes, we actually pay
more in taxes on our factories than.
does Racine. This is a palpable wrong
and is F'prima facie" evidence of per
nicious activity in enforcing our as
sessment plan, or akin to criminal neg
ligence in their plan Of assessment Of
Industries. Personally, think there
may be just q shade of both, but in
either case an injustice is done our
manufacturers of Kenosha and the tax
es ought to be more justly and more
cquitably placed.
We find from our state statistics that
we are the third city of the. state in
the volume of our factories, and sec
ond in taxes paid on these industries,
but are only ninth in population. 4 1t is
consequently obvious and requires no
analytical turn of mind to arrive at
the logical conclusion that our manu-
Featuring Industries are years ahead of
our city itself. Tt is fine subject mat
ter for an after-dilmer speaker to be
able to glory in the per capita product
of our factories. Good material is close
at hand for we'll rounded sentences and
the rhetorical pyrotechnics of the af-
ter dinner soft tal1er. 1t sounds well
to be able to state that in some res
poets we are the irst city in the Unit
ed States, and that even in volume we
are the third city of our own state and
that we have the doubtful honor Of be-
ing second in the amount of taxes paid
on our factories. At first blush it
might thrill, even staid, close reason
ing business men, but more careful
analysis into the causes for our really
exalted position develops facts that
reveal to US our position as really un-
Fortunate from manufacturing stand
point. AS city, we have not expand
ed to keep pace with our factories. AS
a consequence our employees do not
own the proportion of homes thew
ought: they are of a more transitory
class than they should be and the pro-
portion of single men is much too great.
These conditions can in a measure, and
ought to- be, remedied We can never
have a satisfactory class of employees
until we have greater percentage of
home owners. Their interests and ours
are mutual and identical We can new
er enjoy permanently, sound stable,
business-hke municipal government I'M
til we have larger proportion Of vot-
ers who are property owners. Our mu-
nicipal government cannot be stronger
than its component parts and the com
ponent parts are created by and usual
Iy representative of our voters.
AS manufacturers we must have a
better labor market if we hope to sue.
cassfully compete with up to date bus
mess conditions. Kenosha is absolute
~ dependent upon her manufacturers
and manufacturing industries. On the
south, we have very little valuable
farming land and come in competition