The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-07-11
THURSDAY, JULY II, 1918.
The New Railway System.

alton has given the people Of the city
and the managers Of the railway COM
pany pretty good idea of what can
be expected in Kenosha when the
street railway is operated in the right
manner. True the company has not
earned money enought to pay divi-
dend ON the capital stock or anything
like that but the nickles have been
dropping into the hopper at rate that
has given the assurance that a street
railway system conducted in the right
way and with the right kind of protec
tion from the city might some time be
a real street railway proposition.
Some people may be envious Of the
fact that the company is getting away
with the money. There may be few
people who consider the railway COM
pany "dog in the manger" others
may suggest a monopoly but dog
i'll the manager and monopoly methods
are the only methods that are going to
bring about real transportation sys-
tenn for Kenosha. Lot s Of people who
haven It ridden in street car in year
have been riding during the past few
days and they have found the services
acceptable. They may not have con-
sidered it the real service that they
would want for all the time but they
found that it is lot better than nome
The railway company box Office has
had a short season Of relative pros
perity. 1t has been found that at times
cars came in with the boxes so full of
nickels and dimes that it was neces-
sary to put on a new box. It is adj
mitted that in the past few days the
business of the company has been NOV
ing along toward the goal of "ade-
qpate operating revenue" faster than
even the most hopeful officers Of the
company had predicted.
The railway company works every
day in the year and the so called "non
productive days. of most businesses
are the most productive days for the
common carrier.
With the service re-established there
is already demands for extensions. The
demand comes from the people and it
IS even suggested by officials of the
company. They suggest that better
service could be given if double tarcks
were laid in some of the streets. There
is no objection to the double tracks if
they are properly installed and the
civ II
will be properly maintained. The
finest streets of the greatest cities of
the world have double tracks on them.
They are not any more of nuisance
than the dinky single tracks. If real
service in Kenosha depends on the
granting of the company for double
track and cut out rights the city should
aid the company to give this real serv-
ice.
The matter of extensions of the lines
must be a matter for immediate con-
sideration. There is a great territory
within the limits of the city of Keno
sha that is crying for transportation
service. All the vast territory to the
Northwest of the old city limits should
be served. A line should be run to the
extreme West limits of the city some
where near the North limits and be
brought around to connect with the
Grand avenue line. Another line should
60 West on Prairie avenue from the in
tersection of Newell street to take care
Of the great number of people in the
Kenosha Heights neighborhood That
same line might be continued South to
come in through the Anderson park
neighborhood and connect with the pre-
sent lines either on Elizabeth street or
Sheridan Road
1t is possible that war conditions
would render the building of these ex-
tensions at this time exceedingly diff
feult but there should be distinct un-
Outstanding of what the future of the
city railway system is going to be. The
city and the company should have an
understanding, signed, sealed and de-
hvered now on which could be based
concessions for the immediate improve
ment of service by extensions which
are possible In war times
If this company can get the trans
portation business of the city under
the right conditions it is highly i'm
probable that the company would ask
for any increases in fare rates. At
five cents a ride, with plenty of passen-
gers the company can come nearer
earning dividends than it can by
charging higher rate and not getting
the passengers.
The important thing is to get an I'M
Outstanding right now as to what sort
OF a railway system we are going TO
have for the future. The city is de-
mandlng extensions. The company evil
IDENTIFY is willing to make such extern
sions if Il is assured that they will be
profitable. We do not believe in the
city substituting private business but
4here is such thing as encouragemeak