The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-09-25
NORTH SIDE NOT FOR PENALTY
ordinance is Amended so that the Pen
atty Clause is Cut Out and Aldermen
Who Had Claimed Penalty Too Small
Vote Unanimously for it.

The railway ordinance planned to
clean up all existing misunderstanding
council and the Wisconsin Gas & Elec
trio company had perilous trip when
it reached the council for passage on
Friday evening when the council held
a special meeting for the consideration
of it but it was finally passed by an
unanimous vote of the aldermen after
ii had been given an amendment which
probably will be of an acceptable
nature to the company.
The ordinance as passed provides for
the payment for the pavement on Ash
land avenue and Strengthens out the
rights of the company as to the time
it may lay tracks on that avenue and
provides for the surrender of the fran
chise rights of the company on Ashland
avenue north of Grand avenue and on
Caledonia street from Pike river to the
north limits of the city The north side
aldermen came near killing the ordi-
nance and on its first presentation for
vote it was defeated by a vote of 5
to s, all of the aldermen from the fifth,
sixth, seventh and eighth wards voting
against it. The objection to the ordi-
nance was on account of the fact that
the penalty assessed against the com
pany in case The bridge over Pike
river, was not completed, set at
$500, was alleged rot to be high
enough, but notwithstanding this
objection the men who had slaughtered
the ordinance on its first presentation
for passage turned right around and
voted for it with the entire penalty
clause removed. The members of the
committee had held in the original ar
gument on the ordinance that under
the provisions Of the former ordinance
the company could not escape the build
ing of the bridge and that the bridge
had been mentioned in this ordinance
with sole view of giving the people Of
the north side Of the city some assur-
ance that the bridge would be built
ami built now.
It seems certain that the bridge will
be built and built at once but under
the ordinance as passed if the company
fails to build the bridge the council
will have no recourse save a fight in
court under the provisions Of the origi-
nal ordinance.
A letter from R B. Stearns, vice pres
ident and general manager of the COM
pany was presented to the aldermen and
this gave the assurance that the com
pany had its estimates all ready for
the bridge and that the work would
be started just as soon as possible and
with view Of securing the completion
of the bridge and the opening of Ash
land avenue before the end of the pres
emit year. With such statement it is
possible that the ordinance without the
penalty clause is just as good as the
ordinance with the clause retained.
It is thought that the company will
file formal acceptance of the ordi-
nance before the next meeting Of the
council as the ordinance provides that
the acceptance must be fled within ten
days
Some of the north side aldermen
seemed to be of the opinion that an
effort was being made to slip something
over on them and when the ordinance
was given its final reading and proposed
for passage the vote was: Ayes-Ald.
Roberts, Sullivan, Shearer Marlatt,
Hegeman, Thomey, Filbin, Anderson.
and nays-Ald. Mueller, Kisten, Rauen,
Loef, Willems, Joachim, Bruins, and
Barth.
It looked decidedly bad for the or
dinance which had been designed to
make possible the opening of Ashland
avenue. The north siders had killed it
and it looked for time as if the long
fight to secure the opening of the ave-
nue. had been lost. 1t is admitted that
when the aldermen saw what had been
done they became decidedly nervous
over the matter and the reconsideration
of the vote was not slow in coming.
After weakening the ordinance by cut
ting out the penalty clause it received
the unanimous vote of the council 1t
will be signed by Mayor Head today
and published and the company viii
then have ten days in which to accept
it BY filing written acceptance.