The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-09-12
Crossing Bridges Ahead Of time.

crossing Bridges Ahead of Time.
A lot of people are prone to cross
bridges before they come to them and
it is not unusual for the good people
who own property on Market street
and who have counted on this porperty
having a rising value as business
property" to get just a little excited
over the reported plan of the city to
widen Wisconsin and Park streets.
Our idea Of the whole situation Is
that the anxiety of the people on Mar
ket street is unnecessary. We hardly
believe that any council made up of
reasonably prudent men who are in
terested in the affairs of the people
would commit the city to the expendi-
ture of a vast some of money-such as
these plans contemplate-without the
suggestion that the matter be submitted
to referendum. Like the people of
Market street we have heard lot Of
talk about the widening Of these
streets. We know that eketches have
been made showing the beauty of them
when they run in undiminished width
from Main street to the railway
tracks. We know the plans that have
been made for widening West Main
street. We know some of the esti-
mates that have been made of the cost
Of the proposed change in street lines.
We know that some property owners
are expecting to wax rich over the
amounts that the city is going to pay
them for slicing pieces o of front lawns
or off of business buildings. We
are not worried greatly about any Of
these stories.
We have. always been Of the idea
that Market street should be one of
the first streets to be considered when
the city started widening, but we have
wondered whether or not it would be
wisdom to widen any of the streets.
Our contention has been, that if the
city has any money to expend along
these lines it should be expended on the
main street Of the city.
Under the hammer of condemna-
ticn board, old buildings on Main street
are not worth cent more than they
are on West Main street. True, the
property on which they stand may be
much more valuable, but it can be
said that it would be a much greater
value to the city to have wide Main
street than a wide West Main street
and any increases in property costs
would be made up with increased bene-
fits to larger number of people
Tt would probably cost pretty close
to $750,000 to widen out the streets now
under consideration. This sum should
be pretty nearly enough to widen out
Main street If future generations find
the need of widening the other streets
let them go ahead and do it, but let
this generation get one real street in
the city to start with. Widening out
Main street would mean the rebuilding
Of the business portion of the city and
this is a contamination devoutly to be
wished. Business demands for prop
erty on Park and Wisconsin streets do
not at this time justify even the con-
sideration Of the expenditure Of any
vast sum of money to widen out the
street. IF the property owners Of these
streets can see the great benefit of
widening them and are willing to come
to the city with proposition to give
and take money enough to meet the
expense Of the proposed Getty Beau
tiful'' plan well and good. They are
the people to be directly benefited and
it is difficult to see why they should
not pay the bill.
1t is going to be mightythard to get
the North Western Railway Company
to pay up when it comes to widening
West Main street. The North Western
probably has no desire to have the
street widened and yet it should pay at
least half the cost of the change.
The whole proposed widening of
streets is fond dream We wish it
could come true, but somehow, like a
lot of other dreams, we feel that it
would be unfair to all the people to
make it reality. Maybe the city will
pay dearly for delay in widening these
streets, but it is just possible that the
city will be better able to "pay
dearly,n at some other time.
The necessities Of the present would
not, in our opinion, warrant favorable
action on the part of the council in
carrying out the plans which have
been suggested. We feel certain that
majority Of the members Of the coun-
Gil would be unwilling to take the step
without first consulting the people.
We are just as certain that the ans
wer of the people would be decided
emo"
A new personality attaches to the
glorious work of the American army