Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-06-27
SHUTTING orr THE WATER
AT the Homes of Poor Men-An Appeal to
the Water Board.

70 ihs EGiOr n n" Register:
That was timely and by no means ex.
eggerated communication OF humanity
in Wednesday mornings Intellige moor. II
the City Water Board Of Wheeling had
studied fer months the best means OF op.
pressing the working classes OF this city,
they could not have fallen upon a more
effective plan than that Of enforcing the or
dir,vce that pD.haiiS them to direct the
Collector 10 shut of the water supply OF
such as may be in arrearage tor water rent.
TIE best governed cities Of ancient and
modern times furnished water in inexhaust-
ibeEduautiues to the public without cost to
the consumer. Water works, some OF them
OF immense cost and wonderful magnitude,
were constructed and maintained out OF the
general rsvenues. 1t was left to modern
ingenuity 70 discover plan BY which the
middle and poorer classes could be forced
10 pay the bulk OF the water taxes aye,
more, 10 pay for the use OF the water for
their families q sum not only m.ii cieIn to
maintain the water works, bat also to make
the same q source of revenue for other plr'
DCsla.
TAis was accomplished by the old trick
Of changing the names Of things Instead
O, q water tax, assessed according 70 the
value of each mans property, It became
water rert, 10 be paid By the consume how
sos,er poUc The latter might be. The
s,s.tIn Was an outrageous one and never
corli have been inaugurated by popular
v..;- without resorti0g TO gross deception.
Nor could such an unj just and oppressive
measure be executed in 4 free municipality
except DO q resort 10 cruelty.
The authors OF the iniquity fully under
stood this, and, hence, contrved in the way
of a penalty for failure TO pay the so called
rent" the system of shutting of the water
supply" recourse or punishment, or re-
taIation or whatever else you may please 10
term il, never before resorted to by
civilized people except as war measure to
c,o,di,e the surrender Of besieged city or
fort. So repulsive to humanity was this idea
OF &eprivng a man and his family OF the use
OF water that for many years in this city the
D.yal,v was seldom enforced, and then only
IN cases where the authorities believed the
consumer 70 be wantonly shirking the pay
nant of his rents. Bat it appears we have
now fallen upon ii times.
Thousands of our citizens as humanity
nu;hfully asserts, are out OF employment;
tfey find !, almost impossible to get money
erCnuh 10 pay for the roof that shelters
them and The food that keeps lite in their
hodies. Far seeing business men tell US that
the depression is temporary, but this nope
of better times does not reheye pressing
wants of the present. While other cltles
ere coptriying means to furnish employ
men, and reccgsarics for their poor, 5nt use.
roi citizcus-temporar;l!y on, o. = io5-an1
THIS keep hem from leaving thalt homes,
here in Wheeling, the City Water Board d''
rpcts the collector to shut oil the water slo.
pIy of all who are unfortunate enough to De
behind in their water renis.
1t is scarcely fair to these gentlemen 10
cri,icise with barshness the order they are
ALLEGED TO have recently given the collector,
until fair opportunity Is given them to
recall the order. True, in some cases,
bar,r-great hagn-sutfrring - miserable
.nfierjpy have attended the execution "i
the order. For not few have been con-
nslled in order to prevent an lnnocent
oeigbors from being deprived OF water or III
order 70 get back tor them oar ia n'he3
,a,er TO drink and wash win, either TO St"
ONE Of their household property al &C,
r;fce or TO use the H,rle money they h'd
saved up for their landlords
We hear,ily Join iumsni'g in his appeal
n the Board. IEjs Is no laa. - n l'h'S'
ror heroic measures % entorce tha paynn mt
ia tax. which even in hlsh times must De
ragardsd as an encroachuent upon ths
riSbts of the middle and poorer classes tor
the benefit of capitalists.
~ A FRlEyD or HvNASITY.
Wheeling. ". Va, June .. l~'5.