The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-06-29
No THREAT TO
ABANDON LINES
Petition Before Commits
sion is Just Old One Not
Dismissed.
WANT NO HEARING
Company Brings End to Hub
hub by Explaining This Does
Not Apply to Situation.

All of the hub-bub aroused during
the past week by the report that the
Wisconsin Gas & Electric company had
filed an application with the Wisconsin
railroad commission for permission to
abandon the street railway system in
Kenosha in the event that jitney traffic
was restored, was Gained this morning
when letter from James D. Shaw, at
torney for the company, explained that
the petition was merely an old one filed
prior to the recent jitney election and
that the company would ask that it be
dismissed, if this was agreeable to the
city of Kenosha. The petition had been
forgotten by the attorneys of the COM
pany and the railroad commission had
scheduled the hearing as requested.
The reports reached Kenosha just as
a new street railway crisis had arisen
over the petition of the Chicago, North
Shore & Milwaukee Electric Railway
company to secure a franchise to use
the streets of the city for the opera
ton of motor bus line, which was
opposed by the street railway company.
This lent color to the belief that a new
petition had been filed to allow the
company to abandon the lines in the
event that the motor bus line was es-
tablished since this line had been
classed as "jitneyn by representa-
tives Of the street railway company.
Letter Explains Situation.
AS consequence all sorts Of devel-
o41 iNo
expressed its willingness to take over
the lines in the event that they were
abandoned; the city council had voted
to oppose the petition when it was to
be called for hearing on July 18th
at Madison. Even officials of the Wis
consin Gas & Electric company in Ke-
rlosha had believed this to be new
petition acting on the press accounts
of the hearing.
This morning City Attorney Edward
F. Higgins received letter from At
torney Shaw smoothing out all of the
difficulty. From this letter it is, GER
tain that the Wisconsin Gas & Electric
company has taken no action whatever
with the commission regarding the
proposed bus line and that the petition
to abandon lines was filed to meet an
emergency which might have arisen if
the voters had sanctioned open jitney
competition in the election in January.
Nothing to be Heard"
The letter explains that it was clear
ly a case of ''much ado about nothing"
1t reads in part as follows:
"The title of the petition shows that
it is an application for relief in the
event the operation of competing jit-
neys is sanctioned by said city of Ke-
nosha This petition, was filed in or
der to secure a prompt determination
from the commission in the event the
electors voted to restore jitney compe-
tition. I am advised that the election
was against such iitney competition.
I should have notified the commission
of the result of the election and that
the contingency for which the com
pany desired to be prepared by the
advice Of the commission did not occur.
The matter had entirely passed out. of
my mind until I received notice of
hearing. Under the circumstances
there is nothing to be heard and sug-
gest that the petition be dismissed.''
There is not even mention. of the
new situation which has arisen and it
is certain that the petition had no
reference to it,
Everybody is Pleased.
President Afford of the city council
was advised immediately Of the turn
in affairs and expressed himself as
very much pleased that the city would
be spared the expense Of sending a
representative to Madison to- oppose
the petition. Others interested in the
affair expressed themselves as pleased
that the tangle had been Strengthened
out and that there was no connection
between the petition and the applica-
ton of the North Shore company for
right to operate a bus line.
1t is expected that the change in the
situation will feature largely in the
deliberations of the council on Tuesday
evening when an attempt will be made
to thresh out the problems arising
over the petition for franchise made
by the North Shore line.