The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-09-14
LEGISLATURE TO PAVE WAY
Commission Is Ready to Ask the State
Legislature to Give Tt More Power
for Vacation of Streets - Electric
Railway Company Files Protest.

The elevation of the tracks Of the
Chicago and Northwestern Railway
Company through Kenosha is going to
be a reality. This was the declaration
of City Attorney John G. Slater on his
return from Madison where he appear
ed for the city at q hearing on the
Kenosha elevation before the Railroad
Commission and the indication is that
the plan will be carried out starting
early in the new year.
The legislature is to be appealed to
in an effort to secure power for the
commission to order the street vaca-
tions necessary to complete the plans
for elevation and it is thought that it
will be an easy matter to get law
passed giving the commission this
power. Just as soon as this law has
been passed the commission will be
ready to hand down a new order pro-
viding for the work in Kenosha.
The session on Tuesday was harmo-
NOUS in every way. The railway, the
city and the Wisconsin Gas and Elec-
trio Company were represented at the
conference. The only real protest was
made by Carl Muskat of Milwaukee,
who appeared as an attorney for the
Wisconsin Gas and Electric Company.
He declared that the portion of the
cost of elevation assessed against the
company which he represented was too
great. This was argued at some length
but the members of the commission
after hearing the arguments showed no
desire or willingness to decrease the
amount to be paid by this company.
1t was held that the elevation would be
of great benefit to the company in that
it would give it chance to operate
its cars with much greater safety and
without the annoyance of guarding the
grade crossings.
During the long conference the ques-
tion of more subways for the streets
in Kenosha was taken up and the
merits of each demand for subways
was discussed. Commissioner Alexan.
der who had made personal investiga
ton of conditions in Kenosha held that
the commission had been 'liberal''
with the city in the matter of subways,
but he declared that the commission
would 60 over this feature of the ele-
walton plan again. He insisted that if
more subways were to go in, that the
city must expect to pay larger pro
portion of the cost of elevating the
tracks.
The most serious defect in the form.
ef order for elevation was found ia
center about the provision for the de.
pressing of the tracks at Main street
and it was held by the commission that
depression of the tracks here should be
considered as of paramount interest to
the people of Kenosha. Engineers Fin.
ley for the railway company and CITY
Engineer Brennan of the CITY were
asked to hold conferences and seek to
work out some plan by which the Main
street problem could be solved in q
manner that would be satisfactory To
all people concerned.
There ism any question but that
the commission will hand down a new
order providing for elevation,'' said
City Attorney Slater this morning
"The railway company wants to ele
vate the tracks through Kenosha and
it is willing to pay any reasonable
price for elevation. The commission
feels that the tracks shoul6 be elevated
The big issue is the vacation of the
streets and the members of the com
mission feel that this matter should be
laid before the legislature in order that
The commission might be given power
to order such vacations and have the
order OF the commission carry the
weight of court edict. This law i
not planned to take care of Kenosba
elevation alone but similar problem,
which may come before the commission
IN the future. AS the legislature meet,
IN January it should be an easy matte,
to have the proposed statute enacted
at an early date and I am of the
opinion that the work of elevation viii
be started early in 1917. There was nc
wrangling at the conference on Tues
day and the conditions were such as to
indicate an early agreement ON all the
details.'