Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-01
3DbreIin9 Re9ister
THE CITY STATEMENT.
Some Casual Remarks on the Financial
Exhibit.
What the People Got Out Of the
Increased Taxation-Alleged Bed
Habits by Council Perpet ated.
A Comparison Of Expenditures.


The annual statement of the city,
published in the Register yesterday
morning, came into the Office too late
for any review or analysis simultaneous
with its publication, but an effort is
here made to rectify thai pardonable
omission.
AS a preliminary which the public
should bear in mind, it may be stated
that the present Council is reform
body. which promised to institute re
form" methods, and that prominent
among these reforms" was to be the
payment of fag ends of debts, left over
from the last COuncil-if the people
handed over more money-the cessation
of the practice of making such debts,
and care and economy in the admins
tration of city affairs generally.
That it might be enabled to start
these. new and better methods in the
best possible way, the new Council,
so saturated with lofty ideas, delayed
making the annual appropriations I'M
til after the city had been run for seven
months upon the financial basis OBJ
tanning during 1894, and then the pub
lie was assured that it would be impos-
sible to pay up the legacy of debt and
get along without an issue of bonds was
/ voted. The public, it will be remem-
bered, promptly refused to sanction
the bond issue, not fancying the course
taken. and then the reform" Council,
through its Finance Committee, decreed
and imposed upon the taxpayers a
sixty-four cent levy, instead of the
usual fifty cent levy, for general pur-
poses, the increase of fourteen cents
upon the hundred dollars to be applied
to paying off the old debts and putting
things upon a firm foundation. The
taxpayers paid the increased taxes, the
wheels of the city administration we're
creased, and matters progressed. It
had been announced, in and out Of Coun-
ell, when the annual appropriation or
dinance was passed July Goth last. that
the money thereby appropriated
would be sufficient to pay all
the old Indebtedness, meet the princi-
pal of bonds falling due during the
year, and liquidate all running ex-
penses; but only a few months elapsed
until departments began to run short
Of cash. In some manner not quite
| understood it was then stated that the
revenue of the city would amount to
something like eleven thousand dollars
/ more than had been anticipated. and
| the Finance Committee was called to-
gether and about ten thousand dollars
Of this anticipated increase was d.
vided out among several of the de-
| partments, Health being given addition
al money to the extent of about thirty
five hundred dollars, for instance and
a good big slice dropped into the gen.
eral contingent fund. It was certainly
thought. after this addition had been
made to the appropriations, that there
would be no further trouble, with ere
form" administration at the helm, but
as early as November last it began to
be whispered that funds were running
short, and in December several de-
partments were practically exhausted,
and although the pigeon-holing of bills
had been one of the things the last
Council had been roundly condemned
for, the administration with reform"
for its motto and increased taxation
for its guiding principle, fell into the
same habit, and accounts to an I'M
known amount but certainly aggregat-
ing a good round sum, were carried
over from 1895, and have either been
paid or will be paid, out of the revenues
for 1896 In addition to this. the APP
preparations for numerous departments,
as made by the Finance Committee.
have been exceeded and the excess paid
out of the contingent fund Of the city.
which foOts up 81 ,60927 for 1895. as
against but S7S15.31 for 1894. This
method of exceeding appropriations
was somewhat different, however from
the practice in the early portion of the
year, when the three months appropria-
ton was Over-run in a number Of de-
partments, and was "evened up out of
subsequent appropriations At the
present moment the city government is
being run upon scale taken from the
high taxation plan of 1895, the three
months appropriation ordinance. for
January, February and March, being at
64-cent rate, and out of the sums so
appropriated has been paid an UNI
known total Of bills contracted in 1895.
The city statement does not disclose
this situation, but it is a fact.
Ih.s Introductory brings us down to
the statement itself. 1t contains one
salient featu21 which tke general pub
l;c wcuid do well 10 ponder over. This
is. that there was an excess Of receipts
CN- expenditures of $52.277.41. If
this was the situation, the public might
well ask: "Why increase our taxes
from a tchal of sixty c=nts on the 500
10 a tc'al of ssventy-four cerds on the
500. # he-s waE to be q balance OF S52.-
277 Al lesc in the treasury at the end
of the yesr?" The fact is there is no
such balance fer Duh Of the exca:S of
receipts ever expenditures" plus the
balance carried over from 1894, and
which the Republicans Very vigorously
Gained about THE time they wers MAX
ing up their annual appropriation or
dinHnce had a good deal more of shad-
Ow than substance about it, must nave
been paid the amounts due upon prin-
cipal of bonds footing up s4S.300. And
if there was such an enormous balance,
why fall Intro the vicious practice Of TN
lat Council, and carry over bills to
1896? The casual reader of the "Ex-
peATtures" statement of the report
should remember that s375,37S. So, Civ
Ell as the "total disbursements" is not
The total disbursements, but that there
must be added to that sum the further
sum of S4S. 300 for payments upon prin-
c'pal eff loans, making in all S423.67S.-