The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-01-12
DON'T SELL THE CITY's BIRTHRIGHT.

Kenosha does not want to sell her govern
ment birthright for mess of pottage and II
the people of Kenosha accept from the United
States government now patched up postotfice
building in a lieu of real federal building the
interests of posterity are not going to be
very well preserved.
We are not criticising Congressman Cooper
for asking Congress for $150,000 to build adj
ditions to the postoffice in Kenosha. He is do
ing the best he knew in the matter and acting
entirely in good faith but he should be informed
that Kenosha does not want patched up
postofice but federal building which will be
in keeping with the demands Of the third city
in Wisconsin.
A hundred and fifty dollars would
A hundred and fifty thousand dollars would
build an addition to the postoffice but that is
all that it would do 1t would not go far to-
ward making a real institution out Of the seat
of the federal government in Kenosha. Ke-
nosha herself has been dereict in planning for
her institutions but because the city has failed
to have wide vision in the past is no reason that
it should continue to sell it's birthright.
1--WE need more facilities for handling the
mails in Kenosha but rather than to take a
make-shift institution we can get along little
longer without the additions suggested with
the understanding that there will be an in
telligent study of the demands of Kenosha bas-
ing this study on its rapid growth and the pos
sibilities of it's needs at least ten years from
now. 1t takes long and strong pull to get
an appropriation out of Congress for federal
building in any city and the experience of the
past has shown that the time to get what
city really needs and what it really wants is
when Congress has willingness to give any
thing. Most Congressman did not study fig
ures or burn the midnight oil to investigate
just what is going on and the majority of the
members, of Congress would vote to appropri-
ate million dollars for Kenosha federal
building just as quick as they would vote to
appropriate hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars to patch up the postofice If the hundred
and fifty thousand is for tie purchase of more
land for site for the building it is all right ito
go ahead and pass the bill but if it is to be Ke-
nosha's dig into the federal treasury for the
next thirty years it is time to call halt
The important thing is to have Kenosha
fully organized to it's needs and to get clear
understanding with the federal government as
to the ultimate program for Kenosha. There
should be definite plan for the improvement
of Kenosha institutions with definite plan for
the postoffice of 1910.
by appointing committee headed by the may
or to confer with the government officials. Su-
pervising architects Of the government should
be invited to Kenosha to make study of the
conditions here and draw a chart showing prob
able growth in order that the whole matter
may be worked out intelligently. When this
is done Congress can approach the subject Of
Kenosha's needs from an intelligent stand
point
The appropriation and expenditure of hun
dred and fifty thousand at this time would prob
ably prove nothing more than an unintelligent
waste of money.
It might bring jocund feeling and be re-
freshing to sit at the "pie" counter but the
slice of the pie is nowhere big enough
The acceptance of this plan would be selling
Kenosha's birthright for mess of pottage and
we do not want to do it.
BRISTOL AS TRAIL BLAZER.