The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-07-01
KENosHA is INTERESTED

KENOSHA is INTERESTED
1t is refreshing to see that Kenosha people
are interested in answering the question Of the
News, ''What is the Biggest Need of Kenosha"?
1t is refreshing because it shows that lot
of people are interested in the home town and
that lot of people are ready to put their names
at the bottom of suggestion for civic adj
vancement and civic betterment. 1t shows that
interest in Kenosha is not limited to few Deo-
pie residing on a few streets 1t shows that
men who control big industries and that men
and women who work in these industries are
ready and willing to get together for the adj
vancement of the city. 1t may be out Of this
little home town symposium the Chamber of
Commerce will come little closer to catching
the idea of what Kenosha people want and what
the Chamber of Commerce should stand for It
certainly means that Kenosha people, in all
walks of life, are thinking about the city and
what it lacks
Later on undoubtedly these people are going
to be able to join in suggesting just how Ke-
nosha can get it's Biggest Need. Uncovering
home town interest is mighty interesting
thing. Hundreds of letters have been received
in this contest and it has brought to light men
who have ideas and women who have ideals.
These men and women are going to be con-
suited later and it is certain that the interest
that they have shown in pointing out the
city's defects is not going to be lacking when
they are asked to take off the coat and help
bring about better conditions.
We do not want to predjudice the minds of
the judges by suggesting what this paper
thinks Kenosha's biggest need is. The people
themselves are best able to tell but we do be-
lieve that these suggestions for better govern
ment, better institutions and civic improve
ment will go long way toward the develop
ment Of the home town spirit along the right
lines,
OF course it is not going to be possible to
give Kenosha every one of its Biggest Needs"
The thing to do is to pick out few Of them
to be carried forward each year with view
that sooner or later all of them will be reached
and worked out. The biggest suggestions are
the first of interest. Lots of the suggestions
which have been made are suggestions that no
Chamber of Commerce could work out They
can however, be worked out by a thinking and
home town loving electorate.
The public conscience is being aWak-
ened to the fact that lot of people are just
paying taxes in Kenosha and not paying any
attention to what is done with the money they
pay. They take interest in the work necessary
to raise the money to pay the taxes and they
can greatly improve the condition if they show
the same interest in the way the money is
spent. Earning money for taxes is not a bit
more important that seeing that the money is
spent right after it has been paid over to the
city.
Home town interest is contagious but it is
not the kind Of contagion that must be quar-
antined. The farther the disease spreads the
better it is for the city. Get into the way of
catching the disease and get it in its best de-
veloped type and when you begin to recuper-
ate it is pretty certain that you are going to
have a different idea Of your own town and
what it needs to make it real town.
Kenosha is going to be a city of 100000 peo-
pie Maybe by 1880 but certainly by 1910.
The one thing that will aid most to make it
the "real town" is the right kind of interest in
its advancement on the part of the people. A
chamber of commerce can help to foster this
spirit but it is the personal work Of all the
people that is going to count the most in the
final round up.