The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-08


A change Of sySrsm IN our Ci'y 1a".t' y. ~
Tbs recent discussions in regard to tn
asrsi,ur. Of money in our city affair
saps ssps elected quite number of public ane
n'iv,,o nI,, expressions in favor Of Z
ps.nae Of system in regard to said ex
San5itpres There as those who believe
ih,, We should have Board oil Public
,vr wo,Ls 10 be comprised Of three or aVs
,",al,igent and responsible citizens, to be
"Isc,sS by Council and to be responsible
~ oConnci, who should have charge Of the
" wa,., Works, the Gas Works and the
Scat, and Alleys, just as the Gas CONS
,"i'.iou. now have charge Of the Gas
Wo,k,, To this board all suboFdinsteS
amnIoved in these three public
v ,a,.,.,t, should be responsible, and
.nNisct TO their supervision and
I',sctiou, just as the employees
ar,bs Gas Works now are TO the CommiS'
,ioD.r, Of that department. 1t Is believed
,b,, this plan would narrow down the ex'
nopjitures olthe public money to fixed
and easily understood responsibility, and
,ba, through such an organisation as this
C,nucil could operate etIsCtiVelyby general
legislation, leaving details oil execution to
tboss whose constant business 1t would be
To lamiliarize themselves with the practical
relation Of each department to the city's
interests and resources as q whole.
Thee 10 good deal to bs said on be.
half Of some such reform Aa this, while
asa matter Of course, there Is an oppoSl'
lion side to be considered, The purpose
Of this reference to the subject is rather
to excite reflection and discussion Of the
subject in all It's bssrings,than to advance
any views that are esteemed specially
yIulbe Ths fact that the old method
hAil4tsl 80 decidedly 10 give satisfaction
IL an argument in favor OF q change oi
some sort The question Is as to how far
tits preferable 10 bear the ills we know ol
rather than to seek a remedy by experi'
msais in some other direction. AZ our
GEirs are now managed, by the agency Of
various committees, made up Of all kinds
Of material, with a scattered reIponsi.
biliy, in which it Is noboly's business to
know the matters before them with any.
thing like intelligent thoroughuesS, we
nnt always be liable to q great deal Of
loose and expensive adminiStration. On
the other hand, by putting power and
responsibility in few hands, whose paid
occupation 1t becomes to know what they
are doing, we ought to be able to secure
bs,er aud larger results from our ex.
p.nditures
0tcouwO II would cost something 10 or.
glnilsa board OF this kind The services
Of good men cannot be secured for
nothing, But would 1t not be
better to pay Eve good men q
thousand dollars apiece rather than to
have matters go at loose ends to the extent
they have gone In the psst2 We mean
fye responsible men,who would meet two
or three evenings In every week for con.
suliation, aud visit alternately every day
the streets and the alleys where work 10
going Oh, or where there Is an urgent de
msnd for work, and inspect closely the &C.
counts rendered, the number Of men on
the rolls, the amount Of work done by
them, and all the possible economies Of
the public service at the Water Works and
Gas Works.
lhisfs only very crude suggestion in
thedlreCton Of reform, Ills only intended
tOdnW cut other and better Suggestions,
and Is not offered In the way Of . plan.
There ia certainly happy medium to be
found somewhere between the present
scattered irresponsibility and inefiiciency
and the too great concentration OF power In
Ru,oCTatiC hands. Theae are the two ex.
fempA In hR avpiiad