The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-01-18
An Opportunity and a Duty.

the city with view Oh uHAlhS o. ooAu
ton for the street railway problems OF
the city, should be the dawn of a new
epoch in the traffic problem for Keno
sha. Mr.. Way is man of far-seeing
vision and man who realizes that the
demand of a public service company is
service and that the best way to pay
dividends to the stockholders of such
companies is to give the people service.
The Keuosha electric railway has
long been matter of concern to him
and he has indicated pretty clearly
that he is willing to come to Kelosha
and look at it as a problem of future
vision and make such changes as may
be deemed wise to make the properties
of this company one which will meet
the demands of the people of Kenosha.
He is long headed enough to appreciate
that if this demand can be met the
question Of paying dividends to the
stockholders of the company will be
easy of solution.
In making up the program for a
"Greater Kenosha,'' the railway prob
lem can not be overlooked. No city is
going to thrive and thrive rapidly with
an improperly regulated and poorly OPP.
Grated street railway system. Nothing
will give the city a greater impetus
than o real street railway.
Men who look into Kenosha s future
saw long time ago that the traffic
problem in the city must not be
made dependent on the cost of gasoline
or on the whims of chauffeur. The
jitney has come to be considerable of
an institution in the city. Some of the
jitneys have come to be considerable
of a nuisance. Operation of 1itneys
here has shown that while the law gov
erning their regulation may be consti-
tutional that it does not regulate The
jitney has come to be known as the
plaything of its driver rather than a
real servant of the people. The serious
traffic problem of great and growing
city can hardly be entrusted to the lit
ney men.
Mayor Pfennig and City Attorney
Slater have been commissioned by the
city council to act for the city in seek
ing solution of the street railway
difficulties. They go into conference
with the operators of the road without
instructions and with pretty good
assurance that any reasonable Judgment
they may report to the council will re-
ceive its favorable consideration. The
coming conference with Mr.. WAY
should not be a slip-shod quarrel be-
tween contending parties but confer
ence OF gentlemen, all working to the
common end-better traffic conditions
for Kenosha.
Before the representatives of the
city start work they should know pref
ty well what they believe the immedi-
ate and future needs of Kenosha are
along the line of street railways. They
should study to see where extensions
are needed and prepare themselves to
make reasonable concessions to secure
these extensions and to secure the re-
storing of proper railway service for
the city The city has never commit
ted more important duty to two men.
The growth of Kenosha to the west
and south and north has opened wide
territory for residential purposes. 1t
can never be real residential property
until some provision is made to bring
IT INTO easy access with the downtown
districts of the city. The logical wav
TO solve this problem is not by the
irresponsible and unregulated iitney
bus, but with an established railway
service of a grade which will appeal
Tor the patronage of the people and
make that patronage profitable to the
company just as it is convenient to the
people.
There is no matter of difference be-
tween the company and the city Off
clals. Both are we'll advised that if
street railway traffic is to be continued
IN henosha, it must be along other
lines than In the past. The people
have wandered from the street cars be-
cause there was nothing to attract
them. They have tried the iitney and
found it little or no better. They want
some promise of permanent solution
OF the big traffic problem.
Every organization interested in the
future welfare of Kenosha is ready and
willing to give its aid to secure this
solution. 1t may have its difficulties
out they are not insurmountable diff
culties. There can be no ultimatum in
this case. The ultimatum of both par
ties in the matter must be only the
ultimate good of Kenosha. The plain
duty of the officials of the city is to 90
into this conference with a view of
getting railway service which will be
real service and accepting nothing else,
We believe that the business expert.
ence of Mr.. Way is such as to convince
him that he can offer nothing else to a
city like Kenosha with any idea that
the great property which the company
eWns and operates can be made pay