The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-12-04
POLITICIANS OPPOSE new FORM
Men Pushing Campaign to Get New
Form of Government for the City are
Hopeful to Have the Question Sub
mitted Before the Spring Election.

Kenosha is nearing test on the
adoption of the commission form OF
government and the men in charge OF
the circulation of the petitions declare
that less than fifty names are needed
in the petitions to submit the question
of adopting the new form Of govern
ment to the voters of the city. New
blood has been brought into the cam
paign for signatures and the men
backing the movement now feel pretty
certain that sufficient number OF sig
natures for the submission of the ques
tion will be secured by the first day
of December and petitions submitted
to the common council at the first
meeting in December will make it pos
sible to submit the question before the
spring election in 1914.
A number of the leading business
men of the city are now taking hold
of the campaign and they promise to
push it to a successful conclusion. The
suggestion of the commission form is
meeting with the support of leaders Of
the present city administration and
nearly all Of the present officials of
the city have signed the petition ask
ing that the question be submitted to
the people. Under the law after the
petition is filed the city council must
provide for the holding Of special
election to give the people a chance to
vote on the adoption within so days.
| The primary election next year will
be held in the last week in March and
| if the petitions asking for the com
mission form reach the council in De-
cember it will be possible to get de-
cision from the voters in order to elect
a commission at the coming spring cleo
tion. Old time politicians in the city
do not seem to be favorable to the com
mission form of government but the
promoters of the plan declare that any
| opposition of such men will be more
| than balanced by the great support
given the plan among the silent voters
of the city. Names on the petition in
dictate that nearly all of the prominent
business and professional men in the
city are favorable to change in the
form of government of the city. The
petitions have not been circulated
through the factories of the city and
for this reason no opinion has been Sc
| cured from the great mass of wage
earners in the city. It is thought, how
ever, that large majority of these
people will be favorable to the COM
mission form when the matter is sub
mitted to the voters.
| Candidates for mayor at the next
| city election and there are a number
of them, already are watching the pc
titions with great deal of interest
Some candidates will undoubtedly be
barred from the ticket with the adop-
tion of the commission form.
Mayor Head has declared himself
favorable to the new form of govern
ment but he has intimated very strong
| ly that he would not be a candidate
for reelection either with or without
the commission form. Under the new
form of government the mayor and the
members of the city commission would
be forced to give their entire time to
the business of the city. It is not
probable that any of the present
members of the common council
would seek election under the COM
mission form. The adoption of the
form would probably bring many
changes in the city hall, as the new
commission would have the power to
elect all of the officials with the excep-
ton of the mayor and the commission
ers.
In the next two weeks the petitions
will be carried to every part Of the
city and the promoters of them are an
xious to have a large number of electors
before the question is submitted to the
council.