The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-04-10


Not Even New Variation.
There ism It even a new variation in
the old whine Of the Wisconsin Gas &
Electric Company against the continual
tion Of the heating utility in Kenosha.
Like in other years the people who
have this utility in their homes and
places of business have been given the
suggestion that "when the contract ex-
pires, we are through. y This is the
third year that the company has been
getting through with the heating
plant. 1t is the third year that the
people have been called upon to hire
attorneys and 60 to the Railroad Com
mission to fight for it's continuance.
For the most part the service rendered
by the company during the winter just
closing has been acceptable to the peo-
pie. For the most part the people have
paid the fees demanded by the com
pany without making up bad face or
kicking. The company has not as yet
made its regular spring statement as
to whether or not the handling Of this
business has been profitable. Last
summer the people said to the company
Fwrite your own ticket" and it is to
be supposed that the engineers of the
company figured out just how much
the company would demand to meet ex-
penses and how much more it wanted
to make dividends and that when the
ticket was written it provided for all
Of these things The important thing
now is to stabilize the heating plant.
Get it on q basis that the people will
know that it is going to be continued
and that it is going to be enlarged to
meet the demands of a real growing
city. The Wisconsin Railroad Commits
sion has intimated in repeated decisions
that the heating utility is not to be
abandoned in Kenosha regardless of
the wishes Of the officials Of the com
pany owning IT, The commission has
found that there is need for such a
system in Kenosha and that the Wis
consin Gas and Electric Company is
the proper company to take care Of the
demand for service.
If fight must be made before the
commission again this year the people,
with the city as their most active back
err, should make it finish fight with
the understanding that the decision
handed down by the commission will
not be for this year or for next year
but for decade to come. This will
put the company in a position to know
what is expected Of it and it can go for
ward intelligently in building up this
great convenience to the people.
The question Of the rate to be charg-
ed andNthe way it is to be collected
can be settled at this hearing and if
the future shows need of revision Of
rates it is easy to secure it on the pc
tition Of either the company or the
people who use the heat
A ce i heating system, properly
managed Ii necessity in real city.
There is no reason why one should not
be maintained in Kenosha. Kenosha
people have not objected to paying any
fair price if they are given a fair ser.
vice in return, for their money.
Tho matter should be decided now
and not next September. IF it is left
TO September hearings the people will
again be at the mercy Of the company.
Tt will then be too late for the people
to install new heating plants and the
company win have another opportunity
to fix rate and say to the people
"sign the dotted line" and there will
be nothing to do but sign, It is to be
hoped that one of the first actions to
be taken by the new council will be
a demand to the railroad commission
for an immediate decision which will
remove all doubt as to the continuance
Of the public heating utility.