The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-05-22
GIVE THEM GREATER POWER
Bill Originally Designed for Milwaukee
May be Passed so as to Give Same
Powers to All Cities in the State
Kenosha officials Favor New Plan.


principle of great Importance to the
state. There can be little question
now that some kind of bill and per-
haps two or three Of them will be-
come laws upon the subject of the
delegation by the legislature to com
mon councils or other municipal legis-
lative bodies Of the right to establish
segregated sections in cities. The
lines of demarcation which the com
mon council will be empowered to
make will be the creation of sections
of the city which can be used entirely
for manufacturing purposes, other sec
tions which can be used for mercan-
tile purposes and still other sections
from which mercantile and manufac-
turing industries will be barred and
which can be used only for resi-
dence purposes.
The bill which has received legisla-
tive recognition so far applies only to
the city Of Milwaukee and the issue
was raised before the legislature by
Attorney James L. O.'Connor of Mil
waukee, who presented the original
bills on this subject, and argued for
the bills when they were given hear
hafo ha IL;
palities. Conditions in Milwaukee
were responsible for bringing to the
mind of Mr.. O'Connor the necessity
Of the adoption of legislation on the
subject Of the control of districts in
the city by the municipal powers, it
being Mr.. O'Connor s claim that it is
question that cannot be disputed
that many choice residence districts in
Milwaukee have been injured by the
encroachments bf manufacturing
plants
When the subject was first called to
the attention Of the legislature by Mr..
O'Connor, the terms of the bill from
the very first found favor with the
members. There were reasons for
this. It seems that Milwaukee is not
the only city that has suffered by rea-
son of the encroachments of manu-
fac5uring institutions upon residence
districts. AS soon as Mr.. O'Connor s
bills were presented, members from
other cities in the state declared that
the bill should not only apply to Mil
waukee, but to other cities as well
and said there was just as much rea-
son for the empowering of the com
mon councils of many of the smaller
cities of the state with the right to
fix boundary lines for mercantile,
manufacturing and residence districts
as there was for placing such power
in the hands Of the Milwaukee com
mon council.
At first it W. proposed to amend
the O'Connor bill and make it appli-
cable to the entire state, but later it
was decided to introduce new bills
comforting the same powers on other
cities as are conferred upon the Mil
waukee common council by the pro-
posed bills for Milwaukee. These
bills making state wide the principle
which Mr.. O'Connor proposes for the
city Of Milwaukee have been drawn
and will follow the Milwaukee bills
through the legislature. As exactly
the same arguments can be used in
their support as can be used in sup
port Of the Milwaukee bills there
would seem to he little doubt of their
final passage.
The bills apply only to future loca-
tions of factories, stores and resi-
dences. It is admitted that past in
juries which have been done because
of the encroachment of manufacture
ing districts on residence districts
cannot now be remedied, although
many people who favor the bills that
are proposed believe it is a great pity
the state did not years ago wake up
to the necessity Of legislation on this
segregation subject and adopt laws
which would have insured the proven
ton Of industrial properties encroach-
ing on residential districts and often
spelling fine residence districts be-
cause Of their presence.
Germany and other foreign count
ries long ago woke up to the import
ance Of this subject and it is said
there is not German city which has
not been built along lines which pre-
vented the encroachment of manufae-
turing districts upon residential prop
erty. These bills have excited great
deal of personal interest before the
legislature despite the fact that they
have not been much debated measures
and have been bills which have re-
ceiVed their legislative enactment
without any material floor opposition