The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-01-20
SHOW Fight ON STATE Law
Council Refuses to Employ a Plumbing
Inspector but Committee Is Ordered
to Draw Ordinance Water Board to
Get Bond Issue of $250,000.


working dav of eight hours. After
months Of consideration the city coun-
ell at the meeting on Monday evening
put final quietus on the eight hour
ordinance and on the report of the
judiciary committee the ordinance was
thrown into the discard. A. large ma
jority Of the members of the council
refused to brook no further delay in
the matter and voted against the
proposed ordinance.
Alderman Goodman, who had com
posed the ordinance, argued strongly
in support of it; the mayor suggested
delay for further examination, but the
majority Of the council insisted on
killing the project right then and there
The committee on Judiciary, which
had gone into the matter at great
length, held that there was grave
doubts If such an ordinance would ae
constitutional if passed. the members
declared that the question of the CON
stitutionality of such an ordinance was
now being tested in courts Of the state
and even if it was constitutional the
majority of the member of the coun-
Gil questioned the wisdom Of the plan
Alderman Joachim did not sign the
report and when the matter went to
vote he voted in favor of the ordinance
The vote ION the question was reach
ed when Alderman Goodman moved
not to accept the report Of the com
mittee, The vote on the question
was as follows: Ayes, Aldermen Tully,
Martin, Burt, Joachim, Gundlach and
Goodman, Nays, Aldermen Roberts,
shearer, Rowe, Barth, Anderson, Kis-
ten, Rauem, Donahue, Willems and
Bounsall Aldermen Sullivan and
Smith were not present at the meeting.
Defy State Commission.
SThe question of the employment of
plumbing inspector and the enact
ment of an ordinance regulating al
plumbin6'in the city brought consid-
erable of discussion. The aldermen
declared their willingness to defy the
state laNr and the commission They
held that Kenosha did not need a
plumbingt inspector and that if one is
to be employed it should be employed
at the cost of the state. Alderman
iKisten strongly opposed the plan on
the claim that the state had taken
from the city the right to license
plumbers and that for this reason the
state and mot the city was RESPONSE
bic for heNinspection of the work done
by these men. When the matter
reached a vote, the vote while favoring
the report of the committee, recor-
mended the drawing of an ordinance,
showed that there would not be votes
enough to pass the ordinance. 1t is
probable that the whole matter will
be laid over until after the election
Of a new council.
People living along the river who
protested against the exhaust steam
from the tannery were given assurance
that the Central Leather compalg
would abate the nuisance at once
The committee on health and SAM.
tation which had been considering for
some time a suggestion to erect a pub
lie comfort station in the city, made
report that such a station would cost
the city in the neighborhood Of $4,000.
The committee suggested that the most
available place for such building
would be the park on Market Square.
The matter was received and placed
on file and nothing will be done with
it at this time.
An interesting side light on the
meeting was the verbal lacing which
Alderman Bounsall gave to Senator
Robert NJ. LaFollette This came in
connection with the plumbing ordinance
and the inspection on demand of the
state commission. The alderman round
ly scored Mr.. LaFollette for being in
the state campaign while the senate
was in session in Washington. The
vigorous address of the alderman
furnished a breezy break in the coun-
Gil monotony.
Water Board to Get Bonds.
The members of the council voted
unanimously in favor Of the issuance
Of bonds in the sum Of $250,000 for
the building of the new water plant
with the expressed understanding that
the water board should file with the
city council an agreement in writing
to pay the interest and principal on
the bonds as they became due. The
formal ordinance providing for the
issue of the bonds. win be presented to
the council at the next regular meeting.
The monthly report Of the city
treasurer showed cash in the banks
amounting to '$156,O52.51,