The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-09-19
COUNCIL IS READY TO ACT
People Will be Given a Chance to Act
on Bond Issues and at the Same Time
Show Their Preference as to Plan to
be Followed in Reaching Results.

The whole question of improving the
water supply of Kenosha is to be sub
mitted to the people for a referendum
and in short time the city council
will be asked to order special cleo.
tion at which time the people of the
city will vote on plans for the i'm.
provement of conditions as relating to
the water department. of the city
Members of the present city admins
tration are anxious to have some final
action taken on the matter in order
that whatever work may be desired by
the people may be inaugurated within
the next six months. Alderman james
Fllbln, who is chairman Of the special
committee on filtration, expects to be
able to send a report of this committee
to the council early in October and the
committee will ask that the whole
matter be presented to referendum
vote OF the people. The council is di
vided as to just what should be done
to secure the purest possible water for
the city. Some Of them believe that
pure water can be secured by enlarge
ment and extension of the intake while
others insist that the only way to get
better water is to put in filtration
plant.
Alderman Filbin would submit two
propositions to the people Of the city
with the understanding that the vote
for adoption of either plan would car
ry with it the consent of the people to
issue bonds to provide for the carry
ing out of the plan. It is said that
the cost of either plan to the city
would be in the neighborhood of
$4,000 and bond issue for this
amount would be called for at the time
the matter is submitted to referen-
dunn. 1t the people desire changes
made in the plant the administration
Is willing to proceed at once to the
issuance of bonds and let contracts for
the work so that the work can be COM
pleted by the latter part of next year.
Some of the people of the city be-
lieye that it would be possible to put
in an artesian system in the city with
the understanding that the water is
to be used only for table and cooking
purposes. This plan has not been gone
into at length, but members of the
special committee in charge Of the in
declare that it will be beset
with many difficulties. The present
supply Of artesian water is decidedly
limited and there is grave doubt as
to whether or not the digging of ad-
ditional wells would result in the sup
ply being materially increased. Mem
hers of the committee hold that ulti-
mately the water supply of the city
must be brought from the lake and
that for this reason the only possible
plans to be successfully followed are
the extension of the intake or the fl
tration of the water.
The question Of the removing of the
sewage from the lake is not regarded
as one which can be considered at this
time for while the federal government
has taken steps towards this end it
will be years before the plans of the
federal officials are matured and other
years before they can be carried out
By securing legislation from the vari-
GUS states. It is possible that the
whole question Of water supply will be
presented to the people at the general
election to be held in November.