Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-15
THIS QUEER FINANCIERING OF THE
CITY ADMINISTRATION.

UutnCldl dudllS VI our CITY ny INC ia W
ent administration and made logIcal
deductions there ,-om which have vet
to- be answered The scntleneG at the
City Hall are extraordinarily close
mouthed these days. Everything
around that building erected by the
people and for the peoples use, which
. heretofore has been always open to the
public and to the press, now wears an
air Of peculiar retirement and mystery.
An inQuiring newspaper can get no
inside information concerning the
financial affairs of the city. nor can
anyone else not ION the inside" Until
the advent of this reform administra-
ton these matters used to be as open
TO the people as the air and sunlight
But let this phase of the situation pass.
The City Clerk probably has a right to
lock up his books from the public if
he sees ft. The Register has method
of keeping tab on municipal finances
that has proven pretty thorough and
effective up to date.
None of the highly important and
pertinent queries addressed by the
Register TO the fnanciers at the City
Hall has been answered. Not one.
The Register has challenged the last
city financial statement as not present
ing the facts to the public as clearly
as it might-to put iJ mildly. In sup
port of this the Register has shown, to
quote from these columns the other
day. that
the claim OF receipts in excess Of dis
bursemeuts Of S52.z77.4" in the city state
meut did not show the true balance at the
end of the year. as from this alleged eek
cess" $500 Of bonds were paid. a total
which certainly comes under the head of
expenditures" and which makes the true
excess shrink -o very small proportions,
indeed. I- has also been shown that all
most every department shows expenditures
for 1S,5 i'm excess OF those for 1895; that the
1>9j three months ordinance was exceeded;
that bills were carried over from 1896 10
1895. that appropriations during 1893 were
delayed until economy was practically i'm
possible; that. Notwithstanding the in
creased taxation was levied under prom
ise that all fac ends of debts would be
paid the Gas Board debt stiu exists and
that the new year has been started on ths
sx-ravagant and high tax basis of 1850
Why has there been no answer to
this array of facts? Evasions and sub
terfuges there are plenty. but no an
swer. and the city's books remain close
ed to the public.
If the City Hall partisans. who have
formed close political corporation.
had an explanation to give, it is fair
to- presume that they would give it
through their faithful organ, the Intel
ligencer. Here is what appeared in
our neighbours columns yesterday un-
der the head of City Finances" and
we commend it TO the careful consider
alton Of the taxpayers as the best the
City Hall folks are able to offer in an
swer to the Registers plain and spe-
ciic charges of conceaiment and mis-
representation of the facts in regard
to the wasteful extravaganza and mis-
management of last year. Here is the
lntenigencer's showing:
EXPENDITURES.
5,uHSc5S OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ~ 7S ~ &
49, .,
REVENUES.
rsrro-rstic Observation-Disclosures. 8I1 M n
90 go .
OUTSTANDING DEBT.
PsngSicsS sd11i1s-rs on "a 75i IN & <
r.,....,.. co-c "a
Tie debt win be reduced This year from
,s YEAR V cyer ' after n. tbe new admiHistra -
zion had prov 5ea for TIE n,aym;S,nt of Two
tration. to Sr7eeo1t
The RSris-srs r5ofsb vap o ans 'e' 10
This is presented in sober earnest
as sufficient answer to all queries re
garding the dark-lantern fnanciering
of last year. It amounts to a humil-
iating confession.
First. our City Hall friends through
+bsir orooD show rodrced evnendi-
trre of Sc 41q64 last wear Now TAX
inc This statement wi+bor+ ouestion nc