The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-09
THE STREET C0MMrasIOSTR.
Should Council be Held RespOnsIbIe Gou
HTS ShOrteomiRgss- whose Carts Does
He Employ 4af.. ,....

Should Council be Held Responsible 70,
HTS HhOrteomings1- whose Carts DOel
He Employ Ia,.. y.
Editors Intolllgsneer
The friends Of the Street Commissioner
are trying TO excite sympathy for hin
among the voters Of the city by circulat
ing the report that his hands have beer
tied, and that he has been penecuted BY
Council; that Council has taken from hin
part Of the duties his office. and given
them to other parties by contract, and
that he ought not to be held responsible
for the condition Oft paved streets and
alleys, and the crossings on the same, o.
he had no control over them. N.
1t is true that the cleaning Of the paved
streets and alleys has, for nearly two yeass,
been done by contract. But why was Il
done2 The Street Commissioner entered
on his duties in February, 1877. In the
four months OF February, March, April
and May, 1877, his bills amounted to
S7,SO0 25-for May alone to SS,26l S3.
Satisfied that II this rate ofexpenditure was
continued long, the city would be bank.
rupted, Council asked for proposals for
cleaning the paved streets and alleys OF
the city, and In May 1877, contracted with
James Haley, at his bid Of $3.50
for one year, for cleaning the
paved streets and alleys once q
month, scraping or sweeping the cross.
ings once week and opening all the gut.
ters in the city twice year and have since
contracted with Manion & Clark for the
year ending May 1st, 1870, for 81, 40. The
Street Commissioners bills for work for
the remainder OF the year 1877,
lseven months) amount to S, ,60l IL. II he
had been permitted to go on for the
remainder otthe year, as he had been do.
ing the first four months, his bills would
have amounted TO Sl2,739.
The following extracts from the contract
between the city and the contractors for
street cleaning will show how much truth
there Is in the statement that he has no
control over the contractors.
at is understood and agreed by and be.
tween the parties hereto, that the work
heretofore agreed TO be done by the said
parties otthe first part shall be done under
The direction and control, and 10 the entire salts.
faction and approval Of ate Street Commissioner
Of te said city,"
"ltis also understood and agreed by and
between the parties hereto that the party
OF the second part may deduct from the
payments TO be made by 1t for said
work, any proportionate amount for each
and every failure upon the part OF the said
parties Of thetirst part to srcape, clean or
remove the mud from off said streets,
alleys and crossings as heretofore pro.
vided."
at is understood and agreed by and be-
tween the parties hereto that on the first
day Of each and every month after the
date OF this agreement, the Stred Commits.
sioner Of said city shall certify 10 aLe CHerk Of
said city The amount to be paid 10 said parties
Of The first part for Ir0rk done he preceding
month, which amount shall be, Il the said
parties OF the first part shall have truly
and faithfully done and performed all
things in such preceding month as are
herein promised and agreed to be done
and performed by them, one.twelfth ofthe
amount Of their contract; but should the
said parties ofthe .firstpart fail or neglect 70
DO or perform anything herein required 10 be
done bV them, uIe said Street Commissioner shall
estimate the lGSs 10 said city BY such neqlect or
tIil'Ir8 and deduct he same ron he one:tuelhh
payment to be made BY tie said city,"
The public can judge from this whether
he had any control Of the contractors or
not.
In June, 1877, Council adopted resolu-
tlon prohibiting the Street Commissioner
from expending more than $iOO per month
for current expenses in his department,
including the month Of June, 1877. For
the seven months in 1871 and eleven
months In 1878, his bills presented TO Coun-
oil amounted to $5,G04 II from NAV, 1877.
to January, 1873, and $l2,3 90 from jan
uary to December, 1878, or $l7,978 40, in
stead $500, as directed by Council. II
Council tied his hands, the knot must have
slipped and carried away over $40, 900 In
slipping. OF this amount 81, III OF was for
work ordered by the Health officer: but
tho remainder was legitimately in his own
department, and in defiance Of the above
resolution by Council.
A glance at the list OF carts EMPLOYED by
the Street Commissioner may give d slight
mixing OF the true inwardness OF this ac-
tion on his part. From February, 1877,
to December, 1873, the entire amount paid
for carts and horses employed BY him
amounted TO 50, 100 90, Of this the nominal
owners OF four carts received S4,GS3 S5.
Two of these carts are in the name OF two
OF his sons, one in the name OF Mr.. Brown,
and the other sometimes in the name OF
George klee, and at others in George Bit
ners. Madame Rumor says the whole
four belong TO the Street Commissioner,
put that may or may not be true. One
thing is certain, more than half the whole
amount paid for carts was paid to four "a.
vored individuals, and the sum paid to
them amounted to more than one.sixth Of
the entire amount (25,5S4 G6j expended
in his department for twenty-five months
viz; from February, 1870, to December,
II these statements arc true, and they
arc copied from the books Of the city, is Il
right that Council should he held respon.
sible for the sins OF the Street Commis-
sioner and sympathy created for him BY
misrepresentation Of the most abused
body OF men who ever formed Council
in this city. CouxctLMAN.
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