The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-01-05
PROPERTY OWNERS TO FIGHT
Council Arranges for Notable Ceremon-
les to Attend the Dedication of the
New City Hall-other Work of the
Council.

The holiday season was still on
last night and the holiday spirit was
rampant at the meeting of the common
council and ten of the aldermen voted
to go down into the pockets of the
people of Elizabeth street and lift
something like 500 as a Christmas
present for the contractor who is to
pave the street. The contract for the
work was awarded to Chris Petersen
over the protests of property owners
and notwithstanding the fact that the
council had been advised that legally
the contract fer the Improvement must
be let to the lowest bidder. The plan
to take the contract from John 0.
Jones the lowest bidder and give it to
Chris Petersen had been simmer
ing and sizzling for the past two
months and it is evident that the
friends Of Petersen did their work
well. One of the aldermen declared
that he had been threatened with "pol-
itical ami la tom if he decided
to vote against the will of the admin
istration leaders and he declined to
take any chances. Several others of
the members of the council evidently
felt that they were taking their last
few days of Office any way and they
voted along with the majority. Mayor
Scholey showed willingness to quash
any effort to go deeply into the facts
and City Attorney Stewart aided the
cliff along by giving the council two
opinions suitable for the uses of the
majority of the council In it the City
Attorney held that Petersen was the
lowest bidder for burlington brick and
that the council had the right to decide
what brick should be used on the paw
ing of the street. He held that the fact
that Jones had offered to use the very
same brick could not be taken into
consideration by the council. In his
illegal" opinion of the conditions
which was not reduced to writing the
City Attorney declared that it was his
belief that the city council had no
right to award the contract to any
one on account Of the fact that the
specifications on which the bids were
asked had not designated the material
to be used in the pavement of the
Street. The members who favored Pet
ersen did not think great deal of the
"legal'' opinion but the working"
opinion was very much to their liking
and they insisted that the council
should follow it. A petition signed by
fifty property owners was presented
asking the council to give the contract
to the lowest bidder but this petition
is still Enacted upon and the people
who had signed it were classed as I'M
worthy of any special consideration.
Alderman O'Brien who had evidently
been whipped into line made the mo-
ton to give the contract to Petersen
and when the matter went to vote
he had the support of Aldermen Pirsch,
Timme, Higley, Tully, Filbin, Harbaugh,
Burt, Stemm and John Wade while AL
dermen Marlatt, Hegemann, George
Wade, Werner, Willems and Saftig re-
fused to consent to the proposition.
The Mayor and the City Clerk were
instructed to enter into the contract
for the work but interested property
owners have already retained an attor-
ney and it is declared that the city
will be enjoined and that Petersen will
never lift a shovel full Of dirt under
the contract. It is probable that the
work will be delayed as some of the
property owners are determined that
the city council shall not override their
wishes and hand their money to the
contractor. Members of the council
have suggested that Mr.. Petersen be
employed as Getty PAYER" and it is
freely predicted that in the future the
city will be forced to accept paving
at the price Mr.. Petersen sees fit to
do it. 1t is probable that John o. Jones
will never enter into competition in
Kenosha again and it is pretty certain
that the fame of Kenosha will go out