The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-12-25
The City Operation in Coal..Light
Wanted.


Wanted.
Some six weeks or more ago, to pro.
tect the people Of tho city, and especially
the poor, against extortionate prices for
coal occasIoned by tho scarcity arising
from the disability Of the horses, Council
appointed four Of It's members to purchase
and sell coal 10 the citizens at first cost.
The object Of Council was praiSeworthy,
and we commended itaccordlngly. Large
quantities of coal were brought to the
city and sold by these agents to the Cti.
zena. The price was satisfactory, though
the charges for hauling were high. The
resolution Of Council did not tx any pc.
Rod tothe operations Of these agents; but
itcontenplated, oil course, that they were
to continue while tho necessity for them
existed and no longer. The horses have
been we'll more than fortnight. The
pinch about coal Is over some time since.
We have been expecting at several recent
meetings OF Council 10 sec some report
from these agents, but up to this time
there has been none. Wetake the liberty
,ol suggesting TO them that 1t is about
time q report was forthcoming. Short
settlements are always promotive of fair
dealing. We suppose the occupation Of
these gentlemen has now ceased, and the
next thing in order is report Of their
stewardship.
We desire the more particularly to call
attention 10 the necessity for this report
on account Of some unpleasant statements
that have been made 10 us about the way
these agents have discharged their trust.
The ordinance Of the city provides that
oil coal sold within the city limits shall
be weighed by sworn welghers and certt.
fed to the purchaser. The object is to
give the citizen protection against pay
ing for more than he gets. Severe penal.
ties are provided to prevent the sale or
purchase OF any coal not thus officially
weighed and certified. Yet in the face OF
this law, and in disregard Of its purpose,
these agents have been, as we are inform.
cd, selling coal from first to last without
ever weighing bushel Of It. Gentlemen
have said to US that upon application to
the Commissioners for coal, they were
obliged to take it at whatever the Com
missioDers chose to say the load contained
without having it weighed or receiving
any certificate of weight; and they have
said to us also that loads purchased in this
way did not contain, they were confident,
more than iour.6fths of what they were
accustomed to get by weight for the same
number of bushels. One gentlemen
informs us that he paid for load
as fOrty-two bushels, had 1t taken 10 the
scales and weighed and found he hdd got
just thirty.fvc. Another who paid for a
twenty-five bushel cart load is confident
he did not receive over eighteen. Facts
like these compel the unpleasant inquiry
whether our people have not suffered
nearly as much at the hands Of the cIty's
agents as they would have suffered at the
hands Of the deslers. We are sure Coun-
Gil did not contemplate that the city was
to speculate of the necessities of the
citizens by selling this coal at short
weights. Nevertheless, If what we hear
is true, a considerable sum must
have been realized in this way. When
the commissioners report to Council, if
itshall be found they have realized q
profit for the city, 1t will then Become
Council to consider how the money shall
be restored to those who have been vic.
timized by the agents. We regret that
through the mistaken zeal of THESE gentle.
men the city has been made mere deal
or in coal for profit; but If 1t has been
done, let tho commissioners report so
that proper disposition may be made of
the profits.
Citizens who bought coal of the COM
missioners without having it weighed to
them and gotless than they paid for, are
invited togiye us the facts.