The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-11-15
CRY AFFAIRS.
The Urgent Necessity for Series OF
Reforms.

tituting Board Of Control, to have charge
Of the Departments Of Fire, Water, and
Streets and Alleys. The details OF the
proposed arrangement were not given in
the resolution, but will appear, probably,
in the report Of the Committee to which 1t
was referred. The object sought in this
proposed arrangement Is to secure greater
efficiency and economy In the operations
Of the several Departments.
We have reason to believe that the re.
solution Of DR.. Reeves Is but the express
sion Of q conviction, which obtains widely,
not only among members Of Council, but
also among our most obseryant citizens,
that prompt and decided change must
be made in the management Of our NUM-
cipal affairs, and especially In the depart
ment Of Streets and Alleys.
There is no complaint, 50 far as we
know, against the management oil the
Water Works. There are, Of course, COM
plants that the water tax IL excessive.
and in some cases arbitrary, but for this
state OF things the Committee on Water
Works are not responsible. Until some
satisfactory method can be devised by
which the consumption of water can be
accurately measured, and q tax imposed
in accordance herewith, there will no
doubt be more or less Gauge Of complaint
in regard to water taxes. There is, how
ever, but small opportunity for extraya.
gance or Encouragement Of the Water
Works. Its employees are comparatively
few In number. From an experience OF
years It's ordinary expenses can be def
nitely estimated in advances. Its affairs
can be administered with comparative
ease, and there is an easy and direct way
TO correct tendencies to extravagant e1-
penditures or Encouragement.
In the Fire Department the situation Is
somewhat different. lis employees are
more numerous than those OF the Water
Works; and there is a greater opportunity
to use II for personal and selfish ends. We
hear charges made that this Department
has for the last two years been conducted
with view to subserve the political am.
bition OF member Of council, and that 1t
is now organized as partisan machine.
We do not youch for the correctness Of
these charges, but remark that they come
10 Us from Democratic as well as Republi.
can sources. The fact that the Fire De-
partment, as at present organized, can be
used as partisan machine, and to pro.
mote personal ends at the expense Of tax
payers, is a strong argument in favor oil
placing 1t under the control OF Board,
constituted in such a manner that 1t can.
not DO thus used.
When We come 10 consider the Depart
ment Of Streets and Alleys We find state
Of affairs which demands, in the most i'm
peratiye manner, some change which will
protect taxpayers from the waste and un.
Just determinations to which they have
been subjected. We express only the pre-.
yailing sentiment Of the community when
we say that the Street Department Is now,
as 1t has been for years, characterized by
wastelulness and general Encouragement.
We have no charges to bring against the
present Street Commissioner, except to
say that he has followed too faithfully the
faults Of his predecessors and that be. has
suffered himself to be the tool OF those
whose object was to spend the money OF
the city to the fullest advantage 10 them
selves, and without any regard TO the in.
terests Of the people at large. We do not
hold him guiltless for maladministration,
any more or less than we hold his prede.
cessors, but We are willing to eIculpate
them all to this extent, that We believe the
waste and extravaganza in expenditures
on streets and alleys is largely owing 10 q
vicious system; and that no satisfactory
relief or amendment can be expected until
the system is changed. The resolution
oil DR.. Reeves, il made effective in a proper
ordinance, would be an important step in
the right direction. Another important
change will he to place the Street
Commissioner in position where
his responsibility to judicious and
impartial supervision will be more
direct than 1t now Is. At present the
Commissioner Is elected by the people.
Experience has shown that he uses the
Office to make votes for his reelection.
Men are employed by him solely with
reference to this result, and are allowed
to squander the revenues Of the city in
labor carried on in the most negligent and
wasteful methods. Experience has fur
Their shown that oil attempts on the part
Of the Council to correct these evils, and
stop the leaks are comparatively futile
The contractsystem, adopted for time, was
instrumental in economizing tosome extent
the expenditures in this department, but
that partial attempt at a better order Of
things was defeated in the present city sd.
ministration by the combined efforts Of
the Street Commissioner and Committee on
Streets and Alleys, whose motive, 1t Is
supposed, was to secure control Of the
large patronage affected by the expendi.
lures on streets; and to secure also large
appropriations for certain localities in
which certain members Of the committee
were personally interested. How success.
ful these efforts have been the records will
show. Despite the remonstrancss Of Coun.
Gilthe expenditures have gone on until
they largely exceed the amount appro-
priated by the annual estimate. Bills
come in at the end OF the month for work
not ordered by Council, or done at fig.
ure largely exceeding the estimate submit
ted to Council when thework was ordered.
In either case the Council has no alterna.
Al. A. l.. 1,