The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-02-24
PEOPLE MUST FILE PROTEST
Plans for Garbage Collections Decided
on and City Asks for Four Wagons
South Street Opening Brings New
Argument But NO Results.

No new aldermen were elected by the
members of the city council on Monday
evening. The aldermen elected to take
chance and barring protests in court
by taxpayers the members of the coun-
Gil as it was constituted when the re-
districting ordinance was passed will
continue to act until after the city cleo
ton. At the election ON the first Tues
day in April the people Of the third,
fourth and fifth wards will elect two
aldermen, one for the one year term
and one for two years. The election
of the second alderman in the fourth
ward was made necessary by the resig-
nation of Alderman John Anderson
which was filed with the council on
Monday night and which becomes eff
fective at the end of the present coun-
Gil year.
The discussion Of the rights of the
present aldermen to continue in Office
was brought with the opening of the
session on Monday evening. Before the
minutes of the previous meeting were
adopted, Alderman Kisten started the
ball rolling by asking the city attorney
for an opinion as to the right of the
men who did not reside in the wards
which they were representing to sit in
the council. City Attorney Slater rend-
cred long opinion on the matter quot
ing the various amendments to the city
charter and the various changes in the
state law. Summing it all up he held
thatl the aldermen then sitting might
continue in Office until the next city
election. He also held that the council
would have right to declare the seats
vacant and proceed to elect successors.
The attorney held. that the official acts
of these men sitting as aldermen could
mot be questioned unless some protest
was made in court and he held that this
action must be made before the specific
act complained against. In other words
if any one desires to protest against
any action of the council he must 90
into court now and file the protest. The
attorney held that the council as con-
stituted could make contracts and pass
ordinances. He held that the aldermen
Tor the short term might be named
either by the council or nominated at
the coming primary and elected at the
city election. He held that the primary
law would not relate to school commits
sloners to be elected for the short term
and he held that there must be a spe-
cial election called for the election of
men to serve unexpired terms on the
board of education. This was provided
for and the special election will be held
on the same day as the city election
with the understanding that special bal
lot boxes and blank ballots will be pro-
vided by the city.
The lack of interest in the work of
the council is expected to make the
members safe against court protest and
all of them are expected to hold their
places until successors are elected and
qualified at the April election.
Ready for Garbage Collection.
The most important matter to come
before the council was the report of the
special committee in charge of collec-
ton of garbage. Alderman Shearer as
head of the committee recommended
that the collection start about the first
of April and that the city proceed at
once to purchase four wagons to be
used for collection of garbage. The
wagons will cost in the neighborhood
of $1,000 and they are to be purchased
in order to facilitate the getting of bids
for collection. The contracts are to be
made for the collection of garbage from
the first of April until the first of Jan
nary and bids will be asked both on
collection of garbage alone and on col
lection of garbage and ashes. All of
the recommendations of the committee
were adopted and the bids will be asked
for at once. 1t will be necessary for
every householder to provide a garbage
can and formal notice will be served on
the people to this effect several weeks
before the official collection of the gar
bage starts.
Long Wrangle Over South Street.
The council had long wrangle over
the opening of South street which failed
OF results. Many members of the coun-
Gil showed willingness to vote for the
opening of the street but it was held
that the award of benefits and damages
made by the commission some time ago
was unfair and that for this reason the
city was liable to court actions which
might result in the general fund being
called upon to pay a considerable
amount of the cost of the opening of
she street. The petition for the open
ng of the street was finally referred
back to the propertv owners interested