The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-05-04
MUST WAIT FOR REHEAUING
Council Committee on Railways and
Transportation With the Mayor and
City Atty Will Be Called Upon to
Advise as to Further City Action.

The city council did not rush into
action when the elevation order of the
railroad commission came up for action
on Monday evening. F'renzied oratory
was missing and all of the aldermen
showed a tendency to sit tight and not
rock the boat and the order was re-
ferred to a special committee including
the mayor and city attorney and Alder
men Goodman, Smith and Hoppe. The
three aldermen are the regular members
of the railways and transportation
committee. There was no order to the
committee to "report at the next meet
ing but on the other hand the com
mittee was instructed to take its time
and find out all it could in regard to
what elevation was to cost the city and
the benefits to be secured by the separ-
alton of the grades.
The elevation question was not reach
ed until the very end of the council
meeting and it was brought up by City
Attorney Slater who announced the fact
that the formal order had been received
and the further fact that the North
western Railway company had filed
petition for a re-hearing. The attorney
told the council that there was no cause
for any great rush in the matter and
insisted that the council would have at
least ninety days to make an appeal
from the order and that probably the
time would be much more extended. IF
the commission grants the petition of
the Northwestern for rehearing it will
be necessary to issue a new order and
if this order comes with the usual
"speed' Of the commission it will prob
ably be some time next fall before the
members of the council need worry over
the decision which must be made by the
city. The time for appeal will be ex-
tended until such time as may be
ninety days after the issuance Of the
amended order by the commission. AL
derman Shearer was the only member of
the council to speak On the subject
He asked the attorney to advise as to
the powers Of the railway commission
to enforce vacation of streets by the
council. The attorney declared that he
might desire a little time to look into
this question. The petition foH the ele-
walton was filed by the city of Kenosha
and not hy the railway company and
this fact may in some measure abridge
the rights of the city to protest against
the terms of the order. The city at
orney will take up the matter during
the next two weeks and be prepared to
give the aldermen an opinion on all mat
ters relating to procedure in the flu
ture at the next meeting of the council.
The special committee has power to act
in any way that it may see fit to de-
termine the stand to be taken by the
city and it is probable that the first
thing to be done by the committee will
be a trip to some place where elevation
is now reality. Then the committee
will seek to find something about the
cost Of elevation to the ci5ies. It had
been expected that there would be a
number of protests from the owners of
property AUDITING along the tracks but
the only protest was from Mrs. L. Tan
ner She protested against the closing
up of any part of First street or Tanner
court holding that this would be seri-
Gus damage to her property. Her pro-
test was received and placed on file.
Other protests have been made by the
mayor and various members Of the coun-
ell but they did not come formally be-
fore the aldermen at their meeting. !
There was no attitude on the part of
the members of the council to make any
hurried disposal of the order and it will
probably be matter for very deliber-
ate consideration.