The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-02-27


possible for man to take street car
and 90 five or six miles in Kenosha for
the time hcnored "jitney"
The secret is out. The Wisconsin
Gas and Electric Company wants more
fare If the lines of the company ere to
be extended in Kenosha. Tt is not much
of secret. Most people have known
that when any changes were made in
public service in Kenosha the people
were expected to pay for them IN adj
vance Public service corporations
here have not been overly willing to
invest money in hopes Of ia future re-,
turn and it is not to be expected that
the Wleopard will change its spots
when it comes to extending the street
railway lines The fact that the COM
pany has not asked the increase does
not necessarily mean that it will ask it.
Kenosha wants these lines extended
but Kenosha does not want to have
an added cent or two cents slapped
onto the rate of fare for street railway
traffic. With the very rapid growth
of the city the people are going to be-
lieve chat the privilege of extending
lines is worn something. That the COM
pany should pay either in cash or
service for the privilege OF opening
great new territories as an earning pos
sibility for the utility.
There is mutual benefit to come
from the extension of the railway lines.
The company is going to be nightly
benefited Extension of the lines is
going to open new subdivisions in Ke-
nosha where happy and contented
homes will spring up and where the
city will find an increased revenue in
the collection of taxes. 1t is not going
to be all for the city, however. Thous-
Rnds and hundreds of thousands of fares
are going t. tinkle their way into the
cash boxes of the street cars as a re-
suit of this extension in the lines. 1t
a problem as to how much this increase
in the revenue Of the company is going
to be in the future. 1t may be far be-
You'd the present day dreams of the pro-
motors of these extensions.
1t is important that the city of
ficially contest any effort on the part
Of the company or on the part Of the
Railroad Commission to order increase
fares on Kenosha IS street railways. 1t
is often easy to have these increases
placed on q city, but it is mighty hard
to get them removed.
We have always urged that the
street railway company be treated with
fairness, that it's business be advanced
in every way possible by the munich
pality with the understanding that its
advancement means the advancement
of the entire city. We believe that
when the company gets ready to lay
before T. ouncil plans for the extern
sion of the mes that these plans should
be given careful and intelligent consid-
GRAFTON and that the members of the
council at that time should show every
possible courtes- to the company. That
grants should be made without having
them weighted down with impossible
burdens and that these grants, without
the burdens, be the consideration of the
company for the favors that it may
show a future Kenosha in investing
capital for the extension of service.
1t is Important that the officials Of
the city have a definite program on
which any proposed increase in fare is
to be opposed and that the program
show clearly to the company that the
city is ready TO cooperate, but that
it is also prepared to protect the peo-
pie of Kcnosha of today and of future
years against unfare charges for street
railway service.
The comp ny should be willing tc pay
and pay royalty for the cooperation of
the city and tie cooperation of the
people of he city The greatest asset
that any public service corporation can
have is that cooperation. 1t means
the future success of the company s
business in <enosha.
The question Of the railway has been
much before the public and one who
studied what has gone before must be
convinced that the operators of the
street cars have been treated fairly.
1t was not the company but the city
of Kenosha that eliminated harmful
competition of jitney buses. Many
people believed that the city was tax
ing a dangerous step when it took this
fatherly care over the company The
company has done better to meet its
responsibilities than had been antici-
pated. While the service is not all that
the people demand, it is infinitely bet
ter than it was before and it is pretty
certain that the box office reurns Of the
company for the present year will
show that the business of getting
the cooperation of the city and the
people is worth while.
1t is dangerous proposition to med
die with this cooperation. The people
believe that the FIVE cent fare is enough
to pay in Kenosha. Increase in this
fare with or without extensions is Ger.
tain to spill the beans and it prob
ably will prove a disastrous financial
proposition for the company.
This would mean loss TO the city