The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-11-20
Opening North Chicago Street.


The efforts Of the Common Council
to provide for the opening Of North
Chicago streets appears to be typi-
cal case of going off half-cocked.
There can be no excuse for the coun-
oil to 90 ahead and vote for the con-
firmation Of the report of the commits
sion We know that Alderman Turkel-
sen and the members of the committee
are tired Of having the old action hang
ing round, we know that the city at
large and lot of interested property
owners are anxious to have the council
declare the street open and we know
that it may be long time before the
property owners agree to get as far
with the proposed opening as they are
now. The confession of the commits
sion and the council committee that
the report contains many mistakes
and many inequalities" is sufficient to
kill it.
Opening streets is one important part
Of laying out city. Streets are not
opened for day or week or year
but for all time and "all time" is
liable to cover long stretch Of years.
That the commission erred in return
ing to the council a report in which it
was willing to admit mistakes had been
made should have terminated the action
of the council in the matter. 1t is not
going to be of any great value for
Few civic patriots burning to have the
street open to give their private funds
10 some protesting property owners.
The courts will not consider gifts of
money to some one to agree as a part
of the report Of the commission and al
though such division Of money might
bring an armistice to the troubles now
existing among the people on the street
it would not bring signed and sealed
peace treaty and the glazing mistakes
of the commission would still be sub
ject to review by the court.
North Chicago street is typical of a
lot of other streets where people seek
to have the council open them. The
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ton that they are willing to pay but
usually they underestimate the amount
they are going to be called upon to
pay and when damages and benefits
are assessed and real money is demand
ed. When the figures are put down in
black and white people lose interest in
street vacations and street openings.
They are willing to sign petitions and
would probably be willing to pay few
dollars but when they get the bill the
protest is swift and certain. This has
been the history of every street open
ing attempted in Kenosha in recent
years
Ellison avenue is something of an
exception to the rule but even ON Ell
lison avenue there were protests
1t costs the city of Kenosha money
to employ commissioners and it takes
lot of time of the commissioners to
draw up reports which are afterward
found subject to attack. If opening of
streets us to be continued the council
should find some way to omen the
purses first. The council should have
rule that every body of citizens ask
ing for the opening of street shall
file with the City Clerk a bond show
ing that the property owners will be
willing to pay the damages assessed.
Of course it might be difficult as in the
case of North Chicago street, to ask
men to agree to buy cat in bag and
pay unfair damages just because a com
mission was in a hurry to get through
with its work and took the course of
compromise rather than the value Of
actual property taken. The people
seeking street openings have, however,
continually asked the city to buy cat
i'll bag. The city has been forced
to go on and name commissioners time
and time again when there was no
agreement among the property owners
as to the payments to be made.
We believe that Chicago street
should be opened but this opening
should be one made with fairness to
every property owner affected and with
equal fairness to the city of Kenosha.
Under the present assessment Of dam
ages and benefits the city of Kenosha
has not been treated fairly. The
amount assessed to the city is far
greater than the amount assessed to
any one of the individual property
owners. The council is expected to
protect the rights of all the tax payers
as well as those of the individuals
directly interested.
If Chicago street is to be opened the
council should start all over. Get a
new commission and tell the members
of that commission that they will not
be paid for their time unless they rem
der a fair and Intelligent assessment
of benefits and damages. The commits
sion must be told that the report must
be free of mistakes and inequalities
and that it must be reached by fair val
uation of every piece of property af-
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