Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-01-21
HLHcTIoN.

ELECTION.
We propose TO call the attention of our citizens
TO particular items of expenditure, as compared
with thUse of 1853, and in the 6rst place may
recur 10 the criminal expenses. The expenses of
'our Judges" have increased considerably during
the past year and may well be looked at with eau
ton, and we hope no one will be rash enough TO
ask, "what good has our police done for us in the
way of preventing disturbance, preserving order,
Get" First let US look at the Sergeanrs compen-
saton, and in so doing remember that the account
does not show that this settlement is IN full for the
year 1853, on the CONTRARY the probabilities are
that there are yet ga few more Of the same sort'
not yet in proper shape for the action of the coun
Gil Not that the bills are improper on the part of
the Sergeant, butthat it is ''improper for such
.hings to be proper" We complain of the sys-
tenn. The Sergeant received for salary in 1858
$780, and for fees against the city the additional
sum of s7s4 s., making 1884 es, being within
small fraction Of $4,000 The Aldermen, big
IDaisted already received out Of the city treasury
for fees charged TO the city, in where the city
cast OF the priSOnets sent 10 the Trsler Hotel
the sum of 1894 80, while the witnesses were paid
the of SIS so, to which sums must be added
the costs of cases in the county court, in which
the defendants costs Alone recovered against the
city, amount TO Sl45, and the ciy's 10 about $780,
aud other cases Got mentioned, then the juilor re-
ceived 1915 10 for boarding, &c. the chnin-gHng
The overseer received 1852, 90 for trotiing after
the chain gang army, frequently consisting OF but
one raw recruit, while there was paid to the ply
scian of tae Jail sl4093, and other expenses con-
necied with court, chain gang, &C.; amounting TO
S9T,4T were paid, besides what may yet be due and
unIiauidated, and all these for our very efficient
police system and able city criminal judiciary
The receipts from prosecutions during 1853 were
S2,Tsl b6 from which deduct ssl co fines refund
ed, and we have criminal account nett Eecsipta
s2,6T9 So, and nett expenses $4,000 o., clear
outlay of Sl,7lO Al, being very pretty financial
operation!
In the single item Of water rents the expenses
were s, 1902 81, while the entire receipts appear
to have been but $1,000 7s,including the sum OF
S6,Il7 81 due from the year 1882 These works,
we believe, are valued at $3.50, 600, and upon the
suggestion that there will be collected in 1854 as
much for rents due in 1853 in 1858 were coliec-
ted for rents due in 1852, the entire receipts Of
sIO 100 IS will fail s9I % short Of paying the
interest Of the investments value without paying
one cent of expenses, or in Other words deducting
the current expenses being s5,479 IS exclusive
of the item of $3.50 As for extension of pipes
which may be added to the principle as permanent
Improvement from the receipts, and the receipts
will fall slo36s 81 short of paying the interest on
the value of the. Water Works. Whether these
startling figures do not suggest the necessity of re-
form we leave TO our readers to determine, and
whether they do not suggest the further pTopTiety
ofu change in the ownership of the Water Works.
by making joint stock company, we leave also 10
the future. Our Sanitary Committees and Board
of Health cost us in 1858 s4o3 or and we hear
that the time was when the city paid nothing on
this account.
We aIe glad to perceive that our Wharf appears
to be looking up the receipts from that source be-
ing s7,722 % for 1858, being an advanceS2,0o7 "a
over the receipts for 1852, when they were only
s5,7I4 90, and an advance ofs1,Tl2 o5 over those
of 1851, when they were only $3.50 II, showing
n falling off in 1852. as compared with 1881, OF
s2s5 10 and an increase largely in favor of 1853.
We have called attention to these items particu-
larIy merely because they struck us in reading the
report, and if we are in error in our understand
ing oE the report we would gladly have our erTor
corrected, as it would afford pleasure to find
matters better than they appear TO US from The
"budger' which lies Lefore But feeling an
interest, generuI and PERSONAL in lessenng rather
than increasing our city burdens, we have examin-
ed the affair, and such we find it we give. We
would like much to know the liability incurred
during the past year, which is not yet funded but
il would take much time to prepare such an ac-
count, and the fact is we are weary already oil
the expenses which are patent that we fear to
90 "bekInd the VEIL" not knowing "what dark
ness lies beyond" We submit the matter 10 the
people, hoping, at least. that they will attend to
their interests on Monday and so vote that we will
at least during the coming year, not have to "make
Er.ck while our iask-maSterS refuse to furnish the
necessary straw for our work"