The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-15
TELEPHONE EtsBkGS
Editorial Rooms SEA. Counting Room 20
WHEELING. JUNE Is. 1898.


In conf oction with tho discussion re.
ra,ding city finances, it ia Interesting
to note tho fact thut tho discrepancy or
deficit in tho treasury is not n now
thing, aud TINT its origin dates back to
the Democratic council OF 1890. This
fact oven the Register has c%oncOdod,
but it has not stated tho cause Of \ largo
part Of tho deficiency then created. and
which has been carried over from year
10 year until tho present council, which
must o provide for its adjustment.
In reporting the appropriation ordi-
name of 1899, the joint committee on
fnancoestimated thatttc revenues oitho
city for tho fiscal year ending December
81, 1890, would be S5SS,SGl, and COLI
cluted as follows:
VT will BE- seen by II comparison Of this report
with the estimated revenues Tor the iEc3l yeas
o! IS9, that the receipts OF ihC city are estimated
10 Increase in the year lsA ssS,G"9 s. Owe The
estimate Of 1859. The demands for Improve
Hhars exceed LARGELY those OF last ycHE,"
There was absolutely no warrant for
the estimate OF IN increase in
Of any thing like tho sum OF S2S.0 COD
during 1890. for the reason that there
had boon no increase in assessments,
and the levy remained the same. The
statement OF tho ci.yclerk for 1890 shows
that the total receipts OF the city we!o
$751;, SIG, or nearly $1,000 short OF the
estimate on which the appropriations
for the year had been based. The np-
preparations were very nearly up TO the
limit OF the estimates. The re.son iOr
the unwarraEted assumption Of the
committee tina. the revenues would in.
crease, and its consequent reconmau.
dation OF an increased appropriation,
will DO found in tho last sentence OF tho
paragraph quoted IRON the report:
The demands for improvements eS-
coed largely those oilast year." There
were pet schemes OF couucilmen that
had to be taken caro- OF. I. was 4 politi.
cal necessity. So, alter proyidin. for
the city departments, and it was found
the receipta would be exhausted, i: was
found necessary to Increase the esti-
mates OF receipts in order mat an e1-
cusc might DC found for including the
schemes OF corEcilnoa in the appro-
priation bill. In other words, there
was q fictitious estimate to deceive the
people.
The board OF public works tina. year
was granted S;5,209 50. In addition tho
contingent fund OF the board amounted
10 S2I.2j4 % and the procecda Of the
ten cent levy were estimated 4. SIS
526 Ca total OF SS7,990 81. OF which
about $1,000 was expended. While,
according to tho city clerks statement
for 1890. the actual expenditures OF the
city were KEEP; within tho receipts.
many OF the provisions OF the a%ppropIi-
alton bill could not be carried out and
there was 4 large deficiency in this par.
t~icular. The Apr opriation OF $4,000
to the board Of public works was for the
improvements demanded and which
council provided for in consequence OF
the estimated increase OF receipts tina.
existed only in the Imagination OF tho
finance committee but never material
lied. The board OF public works has
never received n dollar oi appropriation
since, but has depended on the con,in.
gent fund and tho ten cent levy.
This was the beginning OF the def
cheney which it has been necessary to
carry over from year to year and which
has been increased n little each year.
Morc money was appropriated than was
received anTdcb.st that have become due
have been held over amply because
there were no funds to pay them.
When tho city electric Light was mr..
ranged for, tho gas trustees promised
$4,000 from thOir revenues, and tho city
was to raiso $4,000. The bonds were
Issued but tho gus board has not been
able, for lack Of revenue, TO keep its
promise. having only paid 5000 OF the
$4,000 pledged.
The lSTgLLEGEsCEE's object in going
back to tho beginning OF tho dCficien-
cics is to show that the present si.ua-
ton was originally duo to M cxagccr-
atcd estimate Of the city rcycnuos at n
timc when there was absolutely no
basis for m Increased estimate. This,
together with tho fact that tho city has
been creating n heavy indebtedness and
increasing expenses without making
provision for increased revenues, hnq
contributed directly to tho situation
which now cxigta. Ono considerable
itom Of increagnd oxpcusr, was tho en-
largGmcnt Of the police force, and thOre
wero other similar progressive moves.
In short, the city hna been trying to
run oil lGto on metropolitan plan, with
town basin for proyidin. revenues,
and now, with Il deficit 10 provide for,
due TO these facts ind also to LIe unpaid
deb!s bcqueathOd from pnit couGcily.