Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-09-15
THE LOAN ORDNANCE.
lie Ratification Offers a Way Out of
the Hole
In Which Wheeling Is Now Piseed---Nhere
the Blame Should lie---Hox to
Prevent Future Over
drafts---Talk VS..
Work.

decide whether they think II best to arrange
al Indebtedness of two hundred thousand
dollars, so that it can be paid in yearly in
stallments during period of thirty years,
the unpaid portion TO bear A per cent. in
tel est or let it remain as it now is in the
Exchange Bank at per cent. interest, to
be paid as the Bank can, By law, compel it
to be done
The opponents of the Loan Ordinance de-
mand that this debt shall be paid out Of the
current revenues Of the city, by the practice
Of strict economy on the part of Council,
and claim that by an overwhelming
defeat of the ordinance such
a rebuke will be administered to this eoun-
Gil that this will be accomplished. Is there
a maE in this city who is acquainted with
the manner in which councils are elected
believes this, or does he believe that the par
ties making this statement believe what they
say? So long as the business men with a
very few exceptons) refuse to take any part
in mana ging the affairs Of the city, leaving
it 10 others who are willing TO work for the
public, il will be as it is now and has been
for the past twenty-five years. IL this couu-
Gil or any of its predecessors has not
been what the business men think 1t
ought to have been, it would be
more to their credit to have been among
the members irving to instruct them, than
20 be now sulking about their places OF
business denouncing Council as the worst
lot ever elected BY the people. And when
his bad lot, as they term them, had run
the cily into trouble, using what influence
rhey have in persuading the voters to repudi-
ate an honest debt Of the city. This COun-
Gil is in no respect any worse, and 1t may
be no better, than former Councils. The
members have given their time and labor
20 the city for nothing and have acted as in
their judgments seemed to be right and If
they have erred. it should not be laid at
iheir doors as a crime and their action con-
demned BY vote OF the people who sent
them to council, No one can point to a
single act of council which can be construed
into an attempt TO injure or defraud this
city and it is both cowardly and mean to
abuse men whose worse fault is want of
thorough business knowledge, such as their
denouncers believe they have. Go among
the members Of council mr.. Citizen and
Nj Taxpayer and instruct them be lead
ers in council and not on the street and
your work will he more credit to YOU and
more profitable TO the city than yoa present
efforts 10 defeat the loan ordinance.
Ire present trouble with the cjtys
finances hiss been gradually coming on her
for the past TWENTY-FIVE years, and there Is
scarcely prominent business man who
| was here during that time who has not bad
something to do with it. The present over
draft in bank is not the first one, by any
means During the war the best stock the
! city ever owned (the B. 4 O. was sold in
installments to pay the city S debts until
the whole 5000, 900 was parted with. Twelve
wears ago D. c. List negotiated loan o.
S25O,O at I! per cent interest, SljO,OOO
of which was an overdraft. Three
wears ago the same thing occurred,
and so It has been and so it will
be so long as our citizens compel council
70 Try and run this city at the rate Of two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars on an
inct me Of about one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. To show this, take the
actual necessary expenses OF this city and
her income eighty-fve thousand dollars and
set aside for interests and expenses oflOanS,
| TWENTY-FIVE thousand for Fire Department,
sixteen thousand for Police Department,
eighteen thousand for miscellaneous expen-
res, making total Of forty-nine thousand
! dollars. The next income is one
hundred and thirty thousand dollars.
| The revenues from wharves markets scales
and police court, which amounts TO about
| twenty seven thousand, are set aside by an
! ordinance for the streets and alleys, and
cannot be checked on for general expenses
of the city. This amount is not sufficient
for the cleaning Of streets and alleys and
repairs of crossings and curbing, and allows
nothing for improvements. This excess Of
nearly twenty thousand dollars represents
about the average for several years, and
when to this is added the improvement which
the people demand and will have, it is not
a matter Of surprise that overdrafts occur
| There is scarcely an improvement in this
! city for which she is not indebted to the
I financial accommodation rendered blythe Elk
change Bank and It's predecessors and i Is
! hardly fair to now refuse TO arrange its claim
! by 9uibbling about its legality. The Bank
| S rot really the sufferer if the loan is de-
| ieated. It can and will collect every dollar
of his deb, but until it is adopted no money
can be obtained on city orders. The en-
! ployts Of the city cannot get their salaries
| and half paid officers are not much use to
! their employers The care of the lives and
property Of osr citizens are in the hands of
these men, aad the more efficient they are
the better for all of us.
If our people wish to economic in future
there is big margin TO 60 on Let the
| nhar hol Of ha H.
partment and close two at least. of the pres
ent hose houses; pay the hostlers so per
month instead Of $6j, as is now paid re-
| duce the wages of the men in like pro9or
ton; reduce policemen, keeper of lookup
| chain gang boss, overseer of Worhouse and
his assistants to $50 per month from the
present average OF $65; reduce the salaries
| Of all CITY officers at least 30 per cent
| do no work on streets and alleys-compel
| the Water Board and Gas Trustees to stop
their present system of improvements and
pay the profits Of their works into the
hands ola receiver to be applied to the
city's indebtneSs and possibly the city can
| live on her income and get out of debt
1t might be as well to make no improve
lnents except by a vote of the people, as has
| been suggested in the papers, but the city
viii never try that but once A combine
zion would be made by the voters of the
several parts Of the city and the
amount named in the loap ordinance would
'Hsrdly pay the interest on the debt which
would be piled up Let every voter seri
ouslv consider what effect his vote may
rave on the future Of Wheeling before GO
ing to the polls, and voting against the Loan
Ordinance The action Of many of the OPP
roneDts of the Loan Ordinance is based on
the illwill towards certain officials Of
this city and is not inspired BY any design
10 benefit her. 1t may be pleasure to
! them to crafty this feeling BY defeating the
ordinance but It will probably be q short
lived one. The men, who strike them
\ selves q harder blow than they
do the objects Of their
dislike are very short sighted. The bL:inesS
men of this city will feel the effect of the
| citys credit being injured much more than
the average councilman aud the luxury Of
kicking council will be dear one to them
for Il will be paid for by them in loss of
trade A hankrunt citv IL mt reSnacfed anv