The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-05-30

A vague and indefinite demand for
cooperation, curt refusal to per-
init the city to operate cars on the cleo
trio railway lines pending some definite
arrangements with the Wisconsin Gas
and Electric Company, and a frank
statement by many people that the
company had been at fault in the
railway fasco, featured the conference
held at the council chamber in the City
Hall on Monday evening.
Little progress was made in settling
the question, hut out of the meeting
grew an agreement for conference
between officials Of the Wisconsin Gas
and Electric Company, members of the
railroads and transportation commit
tee of the coun Gil and representatives
of the Ghamber of Commerce and the
Kenosha Retailers Association which is
being held at THE City Hall this after
moon and which may result in service
being resumed ON the lines either to-
morrow or in the very near future.
The discussion of the question at the
City Hall on Monday night indicated
clearly that the company was unwill-
ing to resume service unless it was
promised some assurance that the line
could be operated under such kindly
fostering Of the city as to make it posi-
BILE for the line itself-independe of
other utilities controlled by the com
pany-to be operated with a profit.
- 4ho IL
are in the street,P' was the frequent
statement of d. E. Calendar, the man
ager of the property, "and we are
ready to wait until we can operate
this line in the right way and under
the right conditions
OF course Mr.. Calendar had figures
to present to the people. He had lots
of figures, but the sum and substance
of them was that when the company
paid advance wage demands the annual
deficit to to the company ON operation
expenses would be in the neighbohood
of $4,000, and that to meet this it
would be necessary to increase the, rate
of fare to 7.79 cents a ride. The state
ment showed that if the company was
to earn returns on its money the rate
of fare would have to be inhcreased to
9.46 cents per ride.
Manager Calendar stated to the
people present that he believed that
such rate would be a prohibitive
rate for street railway traffic in
Kenosha and that the people would
decline to pay it.
Offers Line to City Again.
Calendar said that the company was
still ready to sell the railway line to
the city or to any one else who wanted
to buy it in keeping with the PROPOSE
ton which had been made two years
ago. \ He said that at that time the
valuation had been placed at $4,000
and that there would be no tendency
to raise the rates on account of
war, conditions.
The manager also declared that if
the men would come back to work at
the old figure he would probably be
willing to order resumption of traffic
but he said, eve can It ask the men to
work for those wages. We do not be
ieve that the wages we were paying
are sufficient for the men to live on
and we do not believe that the men
are going to give up jobs at a eonsid-
erably higher wage to resume the oper-
alton of the street cars.
No Lease ON Lines Possible.
During the evening there was an in.
sistent demand from many people who
spoke at the conference, for an imme
date resumption of the service on the
lines. Possibility of an appeal to the
United States Federal War Board was
made, but the manager of the company
declined to join with the citizens in
such an appeal. The suggestion was
made that the company resume opera
lions for a period of two weeks during
which time an attempt would be made
to secure better cooperation from
citizens in general, but this the man
@@er turned down as "impracticable.