The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-08-21
Demands Made by the City Council
on the Kenosha Electric Rail
way Company.


The immediate construction Of
bridge over Pike River at Ash
land avenue.
The laying of tracks on Ashland
avenue and Caledonia street.
The payment for the twenty
feet of pavement on South ASH
land avenue with the alternative
of placing tracks in the middle Of
the street or building double
track as provided by the franchise
ordinance.
The immediate repair of pave
ments on Main, Market and
Newell streets and Grand and
Prairie avenues.
The city council declared for a
finish fight with the Wisconsin Gas
and Electric Company, owners Of the
Kenosha Electric Railway, at the
meeting of the city council on Mon
day night and acting at the sugges-
tion of the chairman of the special
transportation committee the city
clerk and city attorney were instruct
ed to serve an ultimatum on the com
pany demanding that the provisions Of
franchises either be lived up to or that
the rights of the company to operate
in the city be declared invalid and the
company be forced to vacate the
streets and give some other company
a chance to build a railway which
would be operated in keeping with
franchise agreements made with the
city. Since the merging of the Ke-
nosha lines under che management of
the Milwaukee company the manager
Of the line in his mad race to secure
dividends from the operation Of the
lines, has forgotten entirely the de-
mands of the franchise ordinance I'M
der which the company is operating
until it has become a question as to
whether the city is to regulate the rail-
way company or the company regulate
the city. The present city officials
have decided not to lay down and per-
NIT passive domination Of the city
by the railway company and the fight
is to be fight to the finish.
The city has made no effort to ham
per the operation of the line, but has
insisted that the company live up to
every provision of the ordinances I'M
der which it is now using the streets
Of the city. An appeal to the railroad
commission is not anticipated The
conditions in Kenosha have reached
point where the railroad commission
can not touch them. The officials of
the company have assumed title to
the streets Of the city and have de-
clared their right to dictate to the Of,
| ficials just how the ordinances under
which the company is operating shall
be interpreted. The members Of the
council have decided that the next
fight must be one brought by the at
torney general of the state for annul
ment of franchise rights and this
course is to be followed if the com.
pany fails to meet the demands Of the
city. Mayor Head declared at the
meeting of the council that he was
ready to stop the operation of cars in
the city at any time that the city at.
torney held that the noncompliance
of the company with the demands OF
the city would warrant such action.
The manager of the company work
ing in his Milwaukee office, has fail
ed to keep even the gentleman 4
agreement which he made with the
officials of the city, an agreement
which was suggested by the manager
himself. The bill for the paving Of
South Ashland avenue has been Ions
overdue and the company has paid nj
part of it, nor has it even given the
contractor the courtesy of a reply tt
his demands for payment. The city
council is determined that the people
of South Ashland avenue shall not b,
forced to pay an added burden 70.
this pavement and that the sum mus
be paid by the company and pail
quickly. The ordinance gives the com
pany the right to lay double tract
on this street, but no right to main
tain single track.
| Under the agreement made with tn,