Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-03-18
Give Us the Facts.
Eds. IndeDendent :

columns to say few words on cor
poration affairs. Every good citizen
is, or should be interested in having
the affairs of the corporation man
aged in the best possible way, to in
sure the prosperity of our city. No
attention should be paid to the whln-
ing of chronic grumblers, nor OF
those who are actuated by personal
pique or desire to further their self
interests. If the affairs of the cor
poration have not been and are not
now properly managed aud run for
the best interests of tax payers and
property holders, then the people
ought TO know it, and change
should be made. All who are inter
eSted, will agree to this. But it is
not wise or good policy to listen to
or be led astray by the TRADES of
chronic grumblers, who from per-
sonal motives or the qualification of
personal piques, would sacrifice the
best interests and the future pros
perity Of our city.
Now let us see what there is of
reason or sense in the complaints of
the few grumblerS who are ranting
against the present administration
of city affairs. | have taken some
| trouble to look into the management
of affairs, and will state facts, facts
which are patent to every intelll-
gent citizen of the corporation, who
has been here long enough to be a tax
payer or voter.
Four years ago next June the
present Mayor and Council took
charge of corporation affairs. What
was our condition at that time ?
The corporation was virtually bank.
rupt. On assuming their duties, as
everybody knows, they found the
corporation without credit; the
interest on the bonds had not been
paid for eighteen months; they found
! besides the bonded debt OF 500 900,
a floating debt of nearly 100000,
$4,000 of which from overdue cou-
pons was pressing, and suit threat
ened on it. Corporation bonds were
freely offered at sixty cents and no
buyers. The men who worked on
the streets, the men who furnished
stone, and other laborers employed
by the corporation, were paid off in
orders on which they could get no
money. In order to procure the NJ
cessaries of life, these men were com.
PEELED to trade these orders off at the
stores for fifty cents on the dollar.
Among other things found by the
present administration when it came
into power was unpaid gas bills to
the amount of $1,000. This was for
gas for lighting the streets, and
which had not been paid. The gas
had been cut off. II was not done
by the present council. 1t may have
been, and perhaps was cut off by the
gas company for noupaynent. |
am not certain about this, but | do
| know that the gas was taken off be-
| fore the present mayor and council
were elected, and that they found
unpaid gas bills amounting to about
| $500.
This, in briet was the state of cor
poration affairs when the present
administration took charge. They
found also, that the business had
been conducted in a loose and un-
systematic manner.
Now what did they do, and what
have they done in the past four
years ? This is the important ques-
ton, the answer to which all tax
payers and citizens are most deeply
Interested BY their works shall We
Judge them. 1t they have been dir
elicit in duty; if they have not given
their best efforts and Judgment for
| the best interests OF the people their
works will show it. No honest, fair
minded man will refuse to have the
verdict made up according TO this
standard. Now let us see.
When they assumed charge they
found the finances in a terrible con-
dition, and net dollar in the treas
ury. The overdue coupon debt of
$4,000 was being pressed and suit
threatened on it. Something had to
be done; and they Immediately set
about the no easy task of getting
this Indebtedness into shape so
| that it could be handled. After
( great deal of labor, they succeeded
4 in making arrangement with the
creditors by which the corporation
got an extention on the pressing
$4,000 Indebtedness, and an abate-
ment ct of the s per cent inter
est on the bonds. Isuppose some of
the grumblers will say this was easy
to do. My only reply is, why was it
not done before, aud this interest
amounting to over $1,000 which the
corporation has had To pay, saved.
Messrs. j. FL. Getting ger, Joseph I'll.
Shaffer, IL. N. Deatrlck, j. w. Able
and perhaps one or two other of our
business men were appointed by
the council to act on the part of the
citizens in conjunction with
the Mayor and a Committee from
the council, to make arrangements
with bondholders; and for the truth
fulness of my statements inIregard to