The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-11-12
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Members of the Council Spend Two
Hours Discussing Conditions of Wa
ter Plant and Best Methods to Secure
Funds to Provide for Extensions.

Hydrant rental paid by the city and
not increased water rentals paid by the
people was declared to be the solution
OF the plan to secure funds for the pro-
posed extension Of the plant of the Ke-
nosha Municipal Water company at a
conference between members Of the
common council and representatives of
the Wisconsin Railroad commission
held at the city hall on Friday after
noon and at the close of the conference
practically all of the aldermen present
declared themselves in favor of the n.y.
drant rental plan. Many of the alder
men took no interest in the matter
The mayor vas not present at the con
ference and City Attorney Slater pre-
sided. Representing the council were
AID Sullivan, Rowe, Shearer, Swift,
Anderson, Mueller, Willems, Barth,
Gundlach and Bounsall. The commits
sion was represented by j. S. Matthews
an enginess who had made the exam
nation of the books Of the Kenosha
company. In his address to the mem
bers Of the council Mr.. Matthews stat
ed that the commission after their ex-
animation had found that the Kenosha
Water company was earning practical
~ five per cent on the investment and
that the commission was strongly Of
the opinion that any change to raise
more funds should be by the assessment
of hydrant rental rather than by an
increase in rates. He declared that the
commission would have the right to or
der such a hydrant rental paid by the
city but he insisted that the commits
sioners would much prefer to have the
members of the council see the fair
ness of the proposition and order the
rental themselves. He showed that
while a little over SO per cent of the
general taxes of the city was paid by
Is manufacturing plants in the city,
that these same plants paid but &c per.
cent OF the amount collected as water
rentals. He showed that the lar re
amount of the cost of maintaining the
water works was with view of fur
nishing adequate fire protection and he
insisted that it would be only fair for
the general tax payer to assist in pay
ing for this fire protection. He stated
that under the proposed rate raise the
burden of the fire protection would fall
upon the small tax payer.
Letters were sent to the manufac-
turers asking that they express them
selves on the matter and the one reply
received was favorable to the hydrant
rental plan.
Some of the members of the council
were favorably impressed with plan
of assessing the hydrant rental and at
the same time increasing the rates to
all consumers. It was shown that if
the water commission seeks to issue
mortgage certificates it will be almost
a necessity to have a hydrant rental
from the city and this pledged to the
retirement of the certificates. This
fact alone seems to make absolute
some form Of insured income to the
company and if the council fails to
vote for the hydrant rental :. is prob
able that i will be necessary to issue
city bonds to provide money for the
proposed improvements. This would
make even larger amount to be paid
annually from the funds of the city at
large.
The question will be taken up for
final action at the meeting of the
council a week from Monday evening
and it is thought that the hydrant rem
tai plan will meet with the support of
the majority of the members of the
council.