Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-05-17

ALiyeIy Time In the Second brasc'
over the Report

~ 1I
over the Report
There was no little discussion and con.
siderable merriment beside, in the SECOND
Branch of Council, last night, over the re-
port of the special committee TO inyesu
gafe the assessing board. The report was
signed by John Armstrong and was ~ to'-
lows:
preston existed with the assessors tnas
they were entitled to $500 per Gay
whether they devoted their time 70 max
ing an assessment or not That ~ two -.
the assessors and the clerk put In Gay
making an assessment, the absent
member of the board is en-
titied1 to the same fee as the
assessors who performed the work ana
claim the same under the ordinance. inns
construction of the ordinance majority Oh
the committee objected to. Mr.. Peterman.
clerk of the board, who, under the ordi
nance, is instructed to keep q record ana
report to Council the amount that each
member is entitled to receive, is not sworn
officer and stated to the committee that ne
was willing TO make affidavit to the cor
rectness of the time and amount, stated IN
the bill. Mr.. Ankle stated that he had LOST
time and was willing to acknowledge IL,
and that other members of the Board had
lost time and he presumed they would
speak for themselves. But none OIL them
did. Your committee, not desiring to iu-
lure the assessors or abuse their construc-
ton of the ordinance, offer four reso!u-
tons.
The resolutions referred to were: ist
TO pay the bill. Second-To construe the
ordinance as meaning what 1t says, VIZ:
actively employed. Third-To make day.
work consist of eight hours. Fourth-To
have the clerk sworn in by the Mayor.
Mr., Baker assented to the report and Mr..
Haberfield refused to sign 1t.
Mr.. Armstrong opened the ball by little
talk in which he said that after Clerk
Peterman had agreed to swear TO the cor
rectness of the time, Mr. Ankle had admit
ted having been absent. =.
Mr.. Haberfield rose, and adjusting his
glasses, looked up the ordinance and SAID
his idea and construction OF III was that only
three assessors were contemplated thereby.
He charged the assessors with soldering,
and thought the Clerk, while sitting back
in the rear office of Squire Ankle, waiting
for blanks 10 come in.
Mr.. Baker said, with great emphasis, that
he did not care whether the clerk was
working in Justice Ankles office. or any
where on Gods footstool, so he worked he
was entitled to his pay.
Mr.. Kimberly said he agreed with Ha-
berfield that this ordinance was the loosest
under the SUM- but as the ordinance was
explicit, all they had to do was TO go by the
Clerks report and pay for the time he re-
ported.
Mr.. Haberfeld read from the statutes the
act incorporating the city OF Wheeling, and
said that under that, as Mr.. Petermsu had
never been sworn in, he was no city
officer.
Mr.. Kimberly thought strict construc.
ton of the ordinance did not necessitate
the appointment of a fourth man, as one
of the assessors might be made clerk.
Finally the first resolution was unani-
mously adopted, Mr.. Heberfeld saying he
would not vote for this payment, hut he
didn't want to catch any Of these men SOL
diering again.
On the second resolution there was con-
siderable fun. 1t wanted Council Ito con.
tinue the ordinance to mean what it says,
which Mr. Baker thought il was ridiculous.
Mr.. Kimberly made the point that the
ordinance could not be amended by reso-
luton, which this virtually was. He was
in for amending the ordinance, but this
was childs play Do what the Council
might, he said, if the clerk certified to the
correctness Of the time, the assessors could
60 into court and in spite of the devil they
would get it.
Mr.. Haberfeld got very hot over this dis
cussion. and thought it was very strange
thing if the Council could not give this ex.
preston of their sense of what was re-
quired OF the assessors. He thought the
assessors should be brought right up to
the scratch when Council demanded it,.
When he finished the resolution was
adopted by vote of 10 toe.
The third resolution necessitated the 60
ing over of the same ground. 1t made eight
hours days work, and the chair sustained
a rotnt OF order, in this case. that the ordi-
nance could not De amended by resolu-
ton.
The next resolution was ruled ont on the
same ground, and the report as a whole
went safely through.