The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-07
Information Wanted.
WHEELING, June 6, 1878.
Editor, Intslugencer.

Editors 1ntelligencer.
Under the above caption sixth Ward
asks me to enumerate instances Of reck-
lessness and encouragement on the part
Of the City Council. They are written
in the books OF the chronicles Of that
body for the last several years. Taking
an economical fit a year or two ago, up.
plication was made 10 the Legislature for
the enactment Of a law to prevent what
was designated by members Of Council
at the time rs the wicked waste Of the
public money, by limiting the expendi.
lures to certain prescribed sumo to be de-
termined by estimates made BY the differ
emit standing committees and special ap.
preparations based thereon. This was
the Characterization Of the course Of
the Council in fiscal affairs as reported
in the daily papers. It was the open
admission OF the Council itself, borne
ont by the fact that the certificates OF In.
debiedness OF the city to its employees
were hawked about the streets at q heavy
discount. There was no money to pay
the bills, and the banks refused to honor
the city's paper. Will Sixth Ward
claim that the condition Of the munich.
pal credit was brought about by astrict
regard for the first principles Of judicious
expenditure? How has it been since
the enactment to which have alluded !
Having made the estimates for the differ.
emit sections OF the municipal budget, and
fixed by ordinance the appropriations
therefor, has the Council conformed
It's legislation 10 the appropriations
II 80, how does 1t come that the
last report to the City Council
shows that the Street department
has oyerrun its appropriation by some
fifteen thousand dollarsf II comes from
The reckless disregard Of the ordinance by
the branch Of which / take 1t sixth
Ward" is a member. Having by ordi-
nance limited the Street Commissioner to
an expenditure not exceeding, If memory
serves me right, two hundred and fifty OF
three hundred dollars per month, how ID
II that We read monthly Of sums varying
from twelve 10 fifteen hundred dollars
expended by that ~oficial2 This too, when
the street cleaning has been taken of his
hands and Is paid for by contract
Having expended these amounts month.
" what has the city TO chow for III
Is the paying out Of large sums Tor
scattering ashes on the streets OF The
Seventh Ward and elsewhere TO be taken
as a solid gtid pro quo for the eIpendi.
ture, ard as evidence OF q strict regard
for the Lrst principles Of judicious expen'
diture? II judicious expenditure implies
that something solid has been accom-,
plished, some permanent benefit rendered
10 the tax payer, are not these heavy
expenditures for mere temporary make
shift mere waste and extrava.
gance. II 1 read the reports Of Council
sessions Alright therehaye been timeswhen
the Second Branch in n night origi'
mated enough Of projects Tor the expen.
diture Of money In the street department
10 eat up the entire appropriation, and
even with what conservatism there
Ia in the First Branch, II the
clerk Of the city reports Alright, We
read, as we have said, that the
Street Department has oyerrun its ap-
preparation fifteen thousand dollars; or
In other words, has created a deficiency
10 that amount. Is the fact that the
Council has refused to pay its gas bills
thus depriving the Gas Trustees OF &C
much Of the resources necessary to ena'
Bile them TO liquidate the debt OF the
works, and make the necessary additions
70 their capacity and the proper extern
sion Of their pipe lines 10 accommodate
The wants Of the citizens, TO DO taken n
An evidence Of excellent management OIL
the financial affairs Of the city? Is the
expenditure Of from sixty.iye TO one
hundred thousand dollars on that by
path designated as the PeninsulM road
or more properly the embankment toi
the Elm Grove Railway, according e
the frat principles Of iudicious expendi
tnre? Il is not necessary for me TO be
Gin at "Moses and all the Prophetl" e
explain all these things that are writer
in the books and partially reported In
the daily papers.
Asfor the Sixth Ward councilman who
| desires to state that he Is in utter igno,
rance Of such instances,n / can only an
swer In the language Of the Great Teach
or TO Nicodemus-"Art thou q Master o
Israel" sitting In the Second Branch o
the Municipal sanhedrin, "and knowes
not these things.n
Now, Messfs. Editors, just o word !!
relation to the Work House project: Al
Ter the clear and explicit statement 0
| the resources Of the county published b.
you this morning, showing how NIGEL,
resources and expenditures Ct into eacl
other, with the exception ofthe SIX thou
sand dollars for the Work House, tn
graceful thing for the Board Of Commits
s~iopers is to withdraw the appropriation