The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-06-05
GOOD BYE CARNIYALs.


1t is comforting to note that the City Man
ager has decided that Kenosha is not going to
have any more carnivals tits to be hoped that
the manager did not have his fingers crossed
when he made this statement and that ne
meant Just what he said. If we have read the
law right the city manager has full power.
TO put an end to this fy-by-night amusement
program for Kenosha and the people are gong
to expect him to do it.
We could hardly qualify as All inveterate
patron of the carnival show, but just the same
we have seen a good many of the shows and
have seen a lot more Of the things which go
along with them and without having any de-
sire to censor tile arnusenaents of the people,
we cannot but believe that every one concern
ed will be q lot better Of if carnival tents are
never pitched in kenosha again
TIE carnival show plays to its own box Of
flee. For every nickel that it puts into the
treasury of the Elks, the Moose, the Eagles OF
the American Legion or any other organlza-
ton which it manages to get 20 sponsor It, It
takes fifty cents out Of the pockets Of the in
dividual members of the society 1t does not
stop there, but it goes ahead and takes an
equal amount out of other peoples pockets.
The people are entitled to be protected
against paying unfair prices for amusement
The carnival usually offers a cheap SHOW at
tan bark or the deepness Of the mud TO get
the people to come out and pay these prices.
1t interferes with legitimate amusements of
the city and it interferes with legitimate busi-
ness. 1t may be said that the carnival pays a
tax to get into Kenosha, but when it gets out,
it has won a profit and usually handsome
profit on all the taxes paid.
1t is a nuisance to have a carnival in any
neighborhood and the coming of one always
aWakens hundreds of protests from the people
who happen to have their homes somewhere
near it, The protests of these people are en-
titled to be heard 1t is unfair for the city to
license something which disturbs these peo-
pie just to put few dollars into the city treas
ury and to give some organization chance to
get few dollars by taking hundreds of dol
lars out of the city.
If Kenosha had big lot somewhere away
from the home of it's people where the carnival
show could COME in and play on it's merits or
dement's, it might be well enough to offer this
kind of amusement or lack of amusement but
under the present circumstances Kenosha has
no place for carnivals
The city council should back up the state
ment of the City Manager by passing an ord-
mace which will eliminate carnival shows from
Kenosha. The city has grown away from swad-
ding clothes and carnivals are the real product
of the small town. This small town stuff
does not find place in the modern city and
Kenosha should not be backward in making
the ban on it one that will be easily and con-
tinually enforced.
y The people welcome the annual visit of a
good circus. It is part of American life and
it usually is show where the people who at
tend it get the value of their money paid at
the opening of the "big top" The circus is an
American institution and the carnival is an
no ic 6cfi not
and there is no argument in favor of carnivals
just because we allow the circus to come one
day in the year.
The carnival is not the poor mans circus"
1t is the poor mans. nuisance and disappoint-
ment and much of the money it takes from
any town is taken from the pockets of people
who cannot afford to patronize it.