Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-11
STUDYING MEANS
To Tide Over the City's Financial
Trouble.
A Business Mems biestiag Discusses
It and Finally ReferssJt to
a commttee for Final
Consideration.

That the city is in a financial wilderness
with no Moses to lead it out, goes without
saying. Every body knows it. That the
people, as a rebuke to the policy of spending
more money than the city can afford, have
voted down a loan ordinance, is equally
true. That all effort up to this lime has
failed to improve affairs and that the
amount of indebtedness has increased, are
also two well known propositions. What,
then, are We to do about it?
A meeting Of business men, called to an
swer this question, wa held at the Mcclure
House, last night. but it did ros answer it.
It did not say the problem was too much
for it. butt considered merely the question
of future avoidance by discussing means of
increasing the revenues without regard for
plans for reducing the expenses. At this
meeting were noticed MesYs. A. j.
Sweeney, NJ. Reilly, S. X. Wallace, Angus,
tus Poliack, c. J. Rawling, lSaiA Warren,
F. d. Park, C. W. Corner, Robert
Campbell, James ". Paxton, Henry X. List,
Thos. Fl. Logan, Robert Simpson, Thss. E.
Lewis, Vim B. Simpson, A. C.. Egerter, b.
A. Galligan, Frank W. Bowers and several
others, including representations of the city
press. The meeting organized on motion
of Isaiah Warren BY naming NJ. Reilly,
chairman, and c. j. Rawling, secretary.
| Robert Campbell stated the object of the
meeting to be the consideration Of ways
and means to tide over the present financial
crisis and to prevent a recurrence of it. He
offered the following;
WHEREAS, The city of Wheeling is fuan.
cially embarrassed, we, as citizens and tax.
payers, believe that some action should be
taken TO relieve the city Of such financial
embarrassment. We would therefore re-
commend. The following to the City Couu-
Gil:
! LIST. That the new loan ordinance be sub
| United TO the people for their approval.
md. That the Council, by ordinance or
| otherwise, with the advice and consent OF the
Gas Trustees and'the Board Of Water Com
| missioners, set aside so much Of the rev
enue of the said gas and water works as
| would meet the interest on the said bonds,
| ard retire at least ten thousand dollars OF
sid bonds every year for the term Of one
or Two yesrs.
3rd We would # rther recommend to the
City Council the passing of an ordinance
hat would prohibit the City Clerk from is.
II ,.r, 1.1.-. ~ thn ft.u Danaia. uhn,.
her is no monev in h? trea.9nr-y to pay.
I such Griert believing that II SUI: al ord
nance was passed the citizens would ratify n
Gcw loan ordinance. /
18th We protest against any amendmsDttS
the city's charter that would permit an il
crease OF taxation on real or personal prop
erty, all of which we would respectfully sg-
mitted for concerted consideration
In support Of these resolutions, Mr.. Camp
bell made a little speech, urging the plan
be suggested and protesting againsuan
increase of taxation. In regard TO ths use
of the surplus revenues OF the gas and bater
works he thought no legislation would ne
necessary to cover a small portion IMP the
city treasury, if the Boards and Council
could agree.
NJ. Warren made a few remarks ERECTED
principally 10 calling attention to te strait
the city was in, and advising care yhd mod
Grafton. Mr.. Paxton followed wifi q com
p~arative statement showing tht taxes Of
Wheeling to be as high as otherkities aad
Directing to any increase. He bought the
matter was deserving Of great elaboration
and moved its reference to a cbnmittee OF
five for report IN two weeks. This motion
afterward prevailed.
Ex-Mayor Sweeney, after tviewing the
cause which led to the forfation of the
several boards, said that Will, its work was
undoubtedly we'll done and good work, yet
the Board Of Public Works ias spent more
money than the city had t9spare and thus
had perverted the object for which it was
formed. He favored the plan to use the
surplus gas and water revnue.
This led to a discussion, first as 10 the
right of the city to use tbs surplus reyeuae
and second, whether The Board could
afford to spare it. The proposition
was to raise 100000 in FIVE per
cent. bonds, and devotf each year SOL 1000
to interest, and $1,000, dividing it, for two
years, equally betweet the Boards. In one
year the capital loanEill be paid of, and in
three years the List Davenport will he fn-
ished. These two Yll give the city $1,000
more revenue eachtear, The Water Board
was misrepresentation the gas trustees, Sttt,s
certain extcnsionSw which were made neces
sary by ncreasedkonsumption, were uncer
isip whether theycould spare the money.
Finally, Mr.. YaXtons motion prevailed,
and Messrs. Isaiah Warren, ID. c. Last. A
C. Egerter, A. Sweeney and ]. W. Pax.
ION were appoi,ted as the committee, aud
they will reportuext Monday week.