The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-05-29
Z. G. SIMMONS EXPLAINS THE PLAN
Unanimously City Proposition
People BY OF Referendum Possible.

A movement for the city Of Kenosha
to take over the street railway lines
and operate them through commission
entirely removed from politics, was
started Tuesday evening at the gem
eral meeting of the Chamber of Com
merce in the Pompeian Room of the
Elks club, as the best solution of the
transportation problem which is now
facing the city. Following enthusiast
tic addresses by q. G. Simmons, Martin
Whittier, George s. Whyte and other
members of the organization a reso-
luton was unanimously passed that the
Public Affairs committee Of The Cham
Der of Cammeree should ssi u3t re-
city council at us next Regular a.soe-
ing and urge that this proposition for
the taking over of the car lines be
submitted to the people for referen-
dunn vote as soon as possible.
"The first object of street car
company should be for service and not
for making money! said 2. G. Sim
mons in sounding the keynote of the
meeting. The gathering was in charge
Of the Public Affairs Committee with
James Bailey as chairman and was call
ed for the purpose of discussing plans
for some solution of the problem of pro-
viding transportation so that the hous-
ing program and other big features in
the progress of Kenosha may go for
ward. Chairman Bailey broke the ice
by clear statement of the needs Of
the city in this regard and by show
ing that the committee after a thor
ough investigation had decided that
the street car company must be helped
in some way if it was expected to car
ry out this project. He then intro
duced Mr.. Simmons who spoke more
in detail in regard to the plan.
The Plan Explained.
In stating his opinion of the solu-
ton for the problem, Mr. Simmons ex-
pressed himself as strongly opposed to
government or municipal ownership of
utilities as a general principle but he
added that in spite of that belief, he
was of the opinion that Che only solu-
ton of the street car problem in our
city is for the city to own it and han
die it through some form of a commits
sion which will be kept entirely out Of
politics. He suggested that the only
other feasible plan would be for the
company to operate the Lines and FUR
nish whatever service was needed to
meet the growing demands of the city
and at the end of the year the city
should pay the deficit.
Mr.. Simmons declared that his in
vestigation of the problem had con-
WINGED him that it would be impossible
for the company to advance enough
capital to cope with the situation in
the way which it should be met. He
pointed out that the expenses for the
company had increased by leaps and
bounds and under present conditions no
corporation could be expected to sink
capital in the project without some
assurance that the city would help
meet the deficit. On the other hand he
pointed out that the cost would be
comparatively small and that the in
crease in the value of taxable prop
erty would soon repay the city for the
out lay.
Hits on House Shortage.
The speaker in discussing the plan
touched upon the housing shortage now
existing in Kenosha and declared that
transportation must be provided for
in some way before the manufacturers
could be depended on to go into a large
BODYBUILDING plan. He showed that
the need for homes was nationwide and
expressed an optimistic view for Keno
sha IS future in the event that it met
the present crisis.
The purchase of the present water
plant was cited by the speaker as an
example Of the proper kind Of NUM-