Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-19

If everything connected with the Or
ganizauon, progress and result up to
date Of the Council investigation of
the city gas works could be worked up
into opera bouffe and staged to appro-
pirate music and adequate scenery. the
masterpieces Of Gilbert and Sullivan,
Offenbach, and others in that line would
drop into the background very deci-
dedly.
Seriously, this investigation has been
from the start a political device IN
worthy Of the serious attention of any
body, and its results would have been
laughable had it not been for the deter
mined effort made in the report of the
committee, and outside it in the col
umns Of an evening paper, to wreck the
characters and regulations of a number
of reputable citizens, Of both political
parties, and to lay at their doors
charges and specifications of criminal
rascality. As soon as the general pub
lie got the bearings of the scheme it fell
as fiat as a pancake, and it is only re-
membered now as a particularly lily
conceived effort to achieve political cap
ital and, perhaps, a little private re-
venge as well.
The main and largestitem in the COM
mittee's report of general dishonesty
was the assertion that Henry Floor
Shcim the coal contractor for the gas
works, had been overpaid, to state the
case mildly, S12.033.26, of which the
greater part was represented by the cost
of hauling coal from the Sixteenth
street yard Of the B. & o. to the works
IL was regarding this particular find
ing of the committee that the English
evening paper said editorially. the day
following the publication of the report,
with all the emphasis and solemnity Of
double leads
The substantial fact is presented
strongly and clearly that during the
short space of about five years, a space
that is covered by the term of Office of
one single member of the Gas Board
the city has been robbed in the coal
contract alone of about $4,000. The
News uses the term robbed adyisedly
How many people believe that Henry
FlOersheim was the only ben ficiary of
the $4,000 "overcharge" in the coal ac-
count. Did the numerous officials
whose long continued mistakes. wrong
entries and oversights made it possible
Il EINarc n d
rake off, fail to receive anything for
their kindly services? We trust that
Mr.. Floersheim was not entirely un-
grateful to them"
The Register showed. a day of two
after the report of the Committee was
made. that the contract between the
city and Mr.. Floersheim was intended
by all the parties concerned 10 be a re-
production of the former coal contracts,
under which the city had always paid
the cost of hauling from the cars 20 the
works, and the letting of a coal-hauling
contract almost simultaneously with
the letting of the coal contract proper
proved the intention Now we have
additional proof. At Monday evenings
session of the Board of Gas Trustees. at
which the matter was taken up, written
evidence was submitted from five of the
surviving members of the two former
Gas Boards, Mr.. Shaffer being dead.
that the last coal contract. referred to
by the committee in its report. was in
tended TO be copy of previous con-
/ tracts, and that the insertion of the
words delivered at works" was a cler-
ical error which was not noticed bv anv
one and no attention was paid to it.
City Solicitor Boyce has taken the pa
pers for final consideration. but it an
pears to be conclusive that the bottom
has been knocked out of this important
detail Of the report of the committteee.
and incidentally it leaves in most IN
enviable position the newspaper which
wanted to be smart, and which was
burthened with a balloon-like desire TO
be sensational at the expense of private
reputations
A more complete fasco was never la
0oriously concocted in Wheeling than
Ihls entire affair has turned out to be.