The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-03-23

adequate railroad facilities through
connections made by it's belt line. On
the west, we are cut off by a through
electric line, and two rail lines which
give easy access to catalogue house
methods but afford us no enlarged lab
or market. We have all the disadyan-
Itages but none of the advantages of
competitive rail facilities; our farm
trade. of years past is cut off by these
through lines. On the north, we have
another through electric line and come
in competition with city larger than
our own, which has two rail lines and
daily through lake connections, both
north and south. On the east, we are
shut off by the lake which gives us but
little relief in its navigation facilities
Our future development must, therefore
come wholly and solely through oul
manufacturing industries. AS city,
We are absolutely dependent upon you
as manufacturers, and our growth as
city must hereafter, more than ever
before, be dependent upon your ulti.
mate and permanent success.
Some of our factories have reached
their maximum of economical produc-
ton under the present conditions in
Kenosha. They must have an enlarg-
ed and a better labor market and that
is possible only through enlarging the
city and giving your employees an OPP
poTtunity to own their homes, or re-
duced rental by eliminating specula-
tive values and through economical
construction on intrinsic real estate vail
ues bring the price within reach of
wage earners. The interests of the
wage Garner and the wage payer are
so closely interviewer that the welfare
of the one is the careful consideration
of the other. Their interests are NUT
ual, but successful manufacturers must
of necessity be home filters, and not
home builders.
Knowing our weakness, what is the
remedy and how are we to obtain re-
lief These problems have presented
themselves to your board of directors
and they have had many conferences
with a view to offering solution.
Many plans have been discussed and
several outside parties with capital
have been induced to come here to look
over our conditions in the hopes that
they might be induced to invest here
and build large number Of houses so
much needed for working men. An ar
chitect was consulted and has tenta-
tive plans of a project which shows
profitable field for the investor. In
some specific cases, the prices asked
for tracts Of land were, through our eff
forts, reduced to it's intrinsic value and
some subdivisions and additions to the
city or surrounding territory are direct
ly traceable to the efforts of your
board in getting fixed value placed
upon the land.
This is only a start in the right di-
rection, however. What Kenosha most
needs and ought to seek and encourage
is large number Of home builders
real estate men who are builders Of
homes and not traders in homes Elk
perts in that line with capital to invest
can most surely find in Kenosha extra
ordinary opportunities for profitable
investment. We have too many curb
stone traders and too few constructive
builders. As manufacturers you have
created ideal conditions for the town
builder and it is field just ripe for
the enterprise of some live men with
capital to invest in that line. It is q
turer ought to be the home builder as
well as the home filler. The fact that
the manufacturer must be ever alert
and give his undivided attention to his
immediate business if he is to success
fully meet the keen competition in the
markets of the world, seems to have
been lost sight of. You are actual pro-
dueers and take your products to the
markets of the world and pay out
large percentage of the proceeds for
raw material and labor. You take the
risk and of necessity must be so alb
sorbed in your business as to preclude
the time for outside interests. These
interests must be developed by experts
in that line, but the conditions for the
expansion of Kenosha seem really more
hopeful now than for years. More land
will be put upon the market and the
starting of the trunk line sewer is the
most important move made by the city
in many years. There should be no
north, no south, no east, no west in
the completion of this project. 1t con-
Germs a greater Kenosha and ought to
be pushed TO completion with the
hearty support of every citizen from ev-
cry section Of the city. Water and
gas and electric lights ought to follow
We need more sewers and an extension
Of the water mains. These should be
put in Immediately. Sanitary condi-
tions demand them. After these we
ought to have, more and better pave
ments, more schools, and an extension
of public utilities, but first of all, we
must have sewers and water in all parts
of the city. These ought to be built