The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-02-15
Council Decides to Lower
Pawn-shop License and
Control Interest.
Afford KNOWS UNCLE
McGurcksen Goes Home Hap
Ply and Council Is Afraid
of "Anne".

The question of the licensing of
pawnshops in Kenosha, Of the amount
fixed for the penalizing of the Nc
Gurcken Construction company for
not finishing the Middle street bridge
on time, and Of running spur track
of the street car line on Ann street
to take care Of the excess traffic dur
ing baseball season, were all matters
taken up in special session of the
city council in the office of the city
manager Monday evening.
''Try to open up Ann street and
you'll hear remonstrance," advised
City Attorney C. E. Randall.
care those people on your neck
again?" asked Councilman Barden.
And when is the lawsuit coming
up?"
'The thirteen lawsuits you mean,
replied Randall "and maybe more to
come They will be up for trial at
the March term of the circuit court"
The reference was to the bitter and
anguished protest of Ann street to the
leveling of their beautiful trees, which
was done without a by-your-leave
through a misunderstanding couple
of years ago in clearing the view at
the railroad intersection. The coun-
cilmen did not say so but possibly
they will plant thirteen olive branch
es on the devasted site and put the
whole under the regular parking sys
tenn.
Leave it to City Palmer.
City Manager Osborn explained that
the traffic situation was so bad at the
end of Sheridan Road in summer time
that it was necessary to do something
with the parked street cars which
switched there He suggested that
Ann street might be used as a spur
for the car tracks.
Councilman Burns. however, re-
Numbering also the hornets nest
stirred up by a former misadventure,
begged that the council go easy on
Ann"
The city attorney suggested that the
car tracks might be run down Selma
in order to extend the street car serv-
ice, plan proposed at one time by
the street railway system itself, and
the discussion closed with the under
standing that the council would wait
TO see what recommendations the city
plahner would have.
McGurcken Goes Home Happy.
At a previous meeting of the city
council it had been agreed that the
McGurcken Construction company
should be penalized to che extent of
$4,000 for failing to have the moving
Of Middle street bridge completed on
time.
Monday evening John Soevig, treas
urer of the company, appeared before
the council in protest, declaring that
the company had lost $4,000 on the
Job, and that to be penalized in addi-
ton was cruelty to animals. He ex-
planned that the work had been de-
liayed by the necessity for bringing
down special scows from Milwaukee
to move the bridge, and many ele-
ments had entered in which the com
pany had not forseen in making their
bid and subsequent contract.
The city council and city engineer
Informed the McGurcken representa-
tive that they realized that money
had been lost by the company, but
that they saw no reason why the city
Of Kenosha should make concessions
for that reason. Kenosha they point
ed out, was entitled to something be-
cause the bridge in fact had not been
completed during the contracted time
out months later.
''You did not protect yourself as
good business people ought, that is
rue" said President w. H. Afford of
The council
Were in tight place" said the
McGurcken man. IF we have a law
suit We figure that even if we win we
lose. We'd have to hire an attorney.
You have an attorney, and you don't
have to pay him anything . :"
81 should say we do have to pay him
something" interrupted Mr.. Afford
But" he continued, would you go
home happy if We penalized you to
the extent of SCOOP"
Frankly l would not" cried the
treasurer Of McGurcken's. 81 would
go home happy if you penalized me to
the amount of $1,750."
"Oh," said Mr. Afford, 'then we bet
ter make it $4,000. We might make
it $4,000, but we should want you to
be happy about it,"
Soevig decided, after little more
fencing between the two, that he
would go home happy with the penalty
liked at $4,000; and it was so agreed.
Pawnshop Question.
City Manager Osborn informed the
council that Jim Rose had applied for
a pawnshop license and petitioned that
such license be lowered from $500
year to 500. In Racine and Chicago
the license is fixed at $500; in Milwau-
kee $3.50, Councillnen Nicoll and
Scholer inquired into the merits of
he pawnshop itself and wished to
snow if it were considered legitimate
business.
MIR. Osborn explained that the po-
lice chief had assured him that
through the pawnshop, properly con
3ucted, the police often got trail of
stolen goods, and that under the mod
ern pawn brokers' ordinance it was
necessary to keep a record name of
he customer and description of the
article, such record. to be open for
daily inspection.
Il do not want my name exposed"
declared President Afford, Il am OPP
,osed to repeal Of the secrecy
Iausr