The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-17
NOTHING IN the CONTRACT.
The Special Committee md Water Boar
Meet in Joint Session.

The Special Committee and Water Board
Meet in Joint Session.
Yesterday afternoon the special com
mittteo OF eight members Of the City
Council and tho city water board met,
with the city solicitor, to carry out the
intent OF the motion adopted two weeks
ago, when, it will be remembered, Mr..
Cruise offered n resolution to the effect
| that u committee OF eight members,
four from the first and four from tho
second branch, be appointed by the
mayor in conjunction with the chair
man OF the second branch, to examine
the contract of the city Of Wheeling
with the Holly Manufacturing Com
pany and report the ACCESSIBILITY oil
making changes in tho personel oil tho
water board, without consulting with
the Holly Manufacturing Company, the
committee 10 report to a Joint session
OF Council, to be called by the mayor,
when the committee ia ready with us
report, .
The members OF tho committee and
board were all present, rs were also
City Solicitor White and Clerk Hanke,
Mr.. P. Is. Dobb!na was unanimously
chosen chairman.
The idea OF the resolution seemed to
bell there was any idea in it-that
tho contract by the water board OF
the city for the new pumping station,
engines and machinery, with the Holly
Manufacturing Company, might pre-
Cludo the changing of the water boards
membership by tho Council, without
the consent OF the Holly people, OF
course such q proposition is
preposterous, and as explained at
the timo Nh. Cruise offered
the resolution referred to above, Mr.,
Gruse'a purpose was probably to keep
tho present board in office as long as
possible.
The contract was produced and read,
and it was shown that there was moth
ing in it which to the slightest extent
seemed to furnish a reason for Mr..
Gruse's resolution. The contract sim
ply provided that the supervision Of
the engines, pumps, pipes, etc, shall
DO satisfactory to the Holly company
so long rs the title to the work shall be
vested in that company. This is only a
reservation by tho company which the
law would give it under any contract.
The idea that it could affect the r%e-elec-
ton of tho board it required n brilliant
mind to devise. Members OF the pres
ent board disclained any such under
standing or any such intention when
the contract was made.
MI. Maxwell moved that tho commit
tee report TO Council that there was
nothing in the contract which in any
way affected the choice Of successors to
the present water works trustees.
Mr.. Gruse moved to amend. Ho OF.
fered a substitute to tho effect that the
contract be referred TO tho city solicitor,
who should carefully examine it and
/ report to this committee whether it
should affect the choice OF the now
members OF the board. This would have
given the present bSard a lease OF life OF
at least another week or two.
Mr.. PAUL said the contract was right.
1t simply gave the company tho right
to sec that its own property was not
sacrificed. How it affected the election
OF members OF the board, however, no
could not conceive.
Nj. Cruise made a strong fight for his
substitute, but finally it came to a ques-
ton and was voted down. Mr.. Max
wells resolution was adopted, which
practically recommends that tho City
Council go into an election for tho re-
naming member Of the water board. As
the resolution directs the mayor to call
q special meeting us 500 us the COM
mittee is ready to report, he will no
doubt at onco call Council for m early
date.