Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-01
AS TO MIDSUMMER LUNACY
To the Editor of the Register:

To the Editor OF the Register:
Sir:-This being the silly season,
am scarcely surprised at seeing in print
some Of the Grant nonsense to which a
small portion Of the public is being
treated anent the gas works and electric
light plant but still ! cannot refrain
from inditing a few lines en- the subject,
from fear that some newspaper readers
may be imposed upon by what they
see in print in certain quarters. OF
course, anybody assuming to write
with authority upon the subject, andyet
making such childish and wholly
ridiculous blunders as were apparent
in the recent disquisitiOns upon gas
works services" is not to be taken
seriously by sensible people, even
though, the writer referred to may be
coached by a Republican member Of
the Board Of Commissioners and an
eX-Republicdn city official, but it may
be worth while, Just for the fun Of the
thing" to refer TO specimen of the
nonsense to which some OF the people
are being treated. 1t is difficult, how
ever, to give this particular form Of
hopeless lunacy adequate treatment for
the reason that the Almighty never
prepared arguments with which to re-
fute some propositions. and this for the
reason that even Omnipotence itself
never expected that certain assertions
would be grayely proposed by rational
beings.
The example Of dog-day argument to
which | refer is the idea / see advanced
Ia print that the statement giving the
cost Of the city electric lightsisfalse, be-
cause the secretary of the Gas Board
did not include interest on the invest
ment, wear and tear, and $1,000 for
ground rent Here we have a brand
new idea from the gigantic brain Of the
man who wanted to know about the
outrageous cost of services" If the
city is to keep its books upon that idea,
the profession of bookkeeping will re-
ceiye a decided impetus, and the manu-
facturers of blank books. ink and steel
pens viii have cause for rejoicing with
exceeding great joy. Would this end
of-the-century mathematician have the
city open an account every time money
is expended to pave a street, patch a
sewer, or fiji up a mud puddle. and keep
charging interest on the investment
from the time it is originally made un-
ill the day Of judgment? Yet that must
be DONE if his scintiIating idea is cor
rectly conceived Ought we have
charged interest and ground rent for
instance, upon the original first cost Of
the old water works plant. and upon
all the improvements. repairs and al
teratiOns made 30 the same during half
a century, and then, when some enqur-
ing gentleman asks for the cost Of
water supplied TO the people, take him
through 'steen ledgers and present him
with a mass of figures ten feet square?
Should we still carry the cost Of the
old stone bridge On the citys books
and count it in, including ground
rent" in figuring the per capita per
annum expenses Of the municipal gov
eminent? And can # be true that we
ought to be charging up an annual six
per cent on the first cost of the public
building or the original outlay for the
Second ward market house? II the
idea Of charging interest on the
cost OF the electric light plant,
and figuring in ground rent" and
wear and tear, is correct. when aD-
piled to the light plant. il is also cor
rect TO do it for street paving, number
ing houses, scraping the streets. or cut
ting the grass on City Hall square. for
the money might have been used for
something else" Verify. some people are
most grievously afflicted in the upper
story.
Methinks I see the City Clerks Of
fee of the future II couples a build
ing as large as the McLure House and
in all its scores Of large apartments.
busy clerks are computing inter
est, through all the ages. upon all the
money the city has spent for any pur-
pose. and vainly endeavoring 10 ascer-
tain just what it costs the people 70
maintain a local government.
Let US pray. CITIZEN,