Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-02-13
ON THE QUIET.
THAT'S HOW THE COMPROMISE LOAN NAT
TBR WAS HANDLED.
4 Report Eatrely Lacking in Information for Tax
paysrs-whai People Think About
the Matter.

gOou many cluzsns nOteu WIN eOne
surprise, as they psrused the report OF
Tuesday nights Council meeting, in yes
t.rday mornings REGISTER, that the re-
port of the Committee on Finance, trans
hitting the report Of the expert who went
through the compromise loan complica-
ton, created very little stir at the session
q, which it was presented.
They read that the report of Mr.. Brock,
showing that about fifteen thousand dol
lars of city funds were missing, bad mere
ly been received and filed"
They noted that, 10 fact, the committee
had made no report at all.
To be sure there were few lines from
the pan of the committee clerk, calling
formal attention to the matter, and accom-
panied by resolution that the charges
made by the expert be paid, bat there was
an entire absence OF anything in the way OF
explanation or recommendation.
There were no suggestions as to how any
part Of the money missing might be recov-
cred no comment as TO the ways things
mad been managed, in connection with the
loan no accommodation as to any change
in the method Of doing business; mo
nothing"
The report of the expert was simply
handed 10. The Presidtn. Of the Second
Branch said: "The motion is to receive
and file. All in favor say ave-" Two
or three members said aye" Nobody
said no" No ore said anything else;
the report was endorsed and stuck in a
pigeon. hole, and the whole matter was
promptly forgotten.
1t Is not surprising that it excited CON-
ment.
Ole citizen. referring II this matter,
said yesterday:
THE fact that about fourteen or fifteen
thousand dollars of city money has disap.
peared seems TO be very ordinary and
hum drum matter. fail to understand
the procedure in this case. Is there moth
ing more to be done? Is there no means o!
getting this money back, or any part
of il? If so, the citizens oughi
to know it. If not, the citizens
ought to know that. Bat we are left en-
tirely iu the dark. The Committee on
Finance seems to have made no Tep1rs at
all, and Council dii not think it worth
while to note the omission. No member
asked q question about il, from what l see
il the papers. This is not go trivial mat
ter, shat 1t must be dropped in this sum
mary manner. The taxpayers Of this city
are out good round sum of mOnay, and
they are at least entitled to know all about
It. /. is not sufficient that we have the
report of Mr. Brock. l, for one, would
like 10 know something more. IL was ex-
pecsed that the committee, in a thing OF
this sort, would at least make a report 20
Council embO1ying some SORE Of explains
tion or suggestion. Ii may bs that there
is nothing more to be said, bat we only
get that by inference, from the fact that
nothing WAS said.
Another citizsn, after expressing his sur
prise at the manner in which CJuncil ie-
ceived the repor! of the Finance Commit
tee, said
II am afraid tine truth is, things are run
too loosely. l understand the commits.
siOners of the cOmp'Omise loan were not
even uader bond, bl. were free to do as
they chose, without the most ordinary
precautions to secure the proper admins
tration of the trust | would like to
know If the present commissioners are
under bond, l don't say that the com
missioaers were TO blame, or the fault wa'
with them. Ii may lie somewhere else
Bat there has been defalcation, il is al
legged. Where is IL The loose way OF do
ing business increases tire difficulty of as.
certainiog where it is. OOu1cl mus
have been aware OF the lack Of
bond all the time, bat moth.
log was done about it, and when trouble
came, the city had no recourse Then
understand that so important a committee
as that on Finance, having to deal with
very important matters, and 10 exercise
general care over the financial fairs OF The
city, does not even keep a journal of it,
kiNAh hEtUN y
raudum pad, on which he jOts down
such things as he thinks desirable, and 6
report is made Council on loose paper. Ia
the absence of a permanent record, ex.
tending from year, and from Council tC
Council, il is almost impossible TO iind Out
any Of the past transactions of the com
mittee, and the result ia most unsatis-
factory. Here We have a case in point.
There has been a most important matter
before the committee, but the only
record Of it, is contained in the report Of
the expert. No one knows what took
I lace ( the sessions, beyond heresay; no
port il made TO Council, beyond a mere
formality on the part OF the Cie:k; and
taxpayers are left in the dark. Tni3 is
net busiuess-hke.
-
After hearing gn9I deal OF this sort Of
talk, reporter mentioned the matter to
several members Of Council To a man,
they acknowledged the action taken re
gardiug the loan report was OF very I'M
satisfactory nature, but there was no very
good excuse offered for To silence kept
while it formally passed through the
hands OF the Clerk, during the session.
One member said he did not hear tine re-
port of the Finance Committee read at all
another said he supposed it was all right,
coming from the committee, and Let it go
third said it was all done so quick he did
not have time 10 think sbjut it before
something else WAS taken up. ard so on.
Bat no one had a remedy to propose, mol
could any one tell whether the thing
would be allowed to thus lie buried OF
not.
-
In talking over the matter Mr.. Filing.
ham said
"The truth is, there is lack of proper