Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-12

Council voted TO increase taxation III
1895 with a good deal of enthusiasm;
and Passed an appropriation ordinance
for the first three months of 1896, at
the 1895 rate Of taxation and expendi-
ture. without a soul in either Branch
making . WY face.
In fact. when the siXty-four cent
levy vas formulated and adopted, last
summer. Council virtually snapped It's
fingers in the face of the public ana
fiDpantly wanted to know what the
people were going to do about 1t.
They didn't put it exactly in those
words but that is what they meant.
They gave it out good and strong
that because the voters had turner
down the bond ordinance they were 10
lee held I'D for all they would stand
without on open and public mutlny,
and the reform" masGueraders waNed
FAT of the cash levied upon the helpless
public. -, ou
This vas all right. from a City Han
standpoint. They tapped the pocket
hooks of everybody impartiallV anc
heavily. and the dear public had 10
pony up. -, ~
Rut when IL came to granting an m
crease in natural gas rates OF three
cents per thousand feet.-sometning lor
Ubich eight hundred and seventF-hNe
Gas consumers. backed up by two nun
dred and mere glass workers--had ASK
o6 for 70 the end that tho Cas- COM
ronv richt re encouraged % drlu more
,voIls and furnish a better SIMPLY oil
qse N the city. Council says no. ma.
is TO say. the public gets the worst OF o.
If in the matter of a better suppl! vi
cas-. lust as it got the wors, Oh ]. III
increased taxation. What the puoL'
Iif1's want. G.. inc"5asea taN1Hoh'
,rae what It got. What 1t does want
q, small increase in the price OF nalurai
oas and a satisfactory supply. 1t d0n [
re- The public be-wall. the reader
wiz remember the phrase attributed 10
Mr. Vanderbilt. two or three wears
ago. Itch 70
The natural gas ordinance. when re-
co.ved q majority vote at the last reg
Mar session of Council. IN the Second
Branch. came up last night Tor sec
ond vote. under the rules. ne MEAS
,,~e WAS read through In tul' Dy 'ne
clerk which is unusual IN suc1 c"SeS'
and when the reading had ceen con-
Di-+a5 Mr. Frew asked what rights
no oi-v would have in the event ina.
ne measure did not pass and ne Com
80 fesired TO take M its pipes IN inc
s.ree+s The Chair said he could not
,rs,,,sr tho question. and thought there
,bor,f be no discussion Of the matter
~ tra+ time. unless an amendment WIS
to he offered 49,, ond
Mr. wills then took the door, ana
-,i5 nc tbe measure then stood, the
civ had no protection. me neaS. ~ :
simnlv provided for an increase III 'ile
mice. MS the Company said, Tor 1ne Pun pun
roeo of enabling ii to secure peIleI
srrnlv of gas. But there was nc'lllile
cor,Dolling the Company to make tna'
So ne offered an amendment CIV
;,,otbo citv the right to repeal the OF
+:S,oDce mi any time the Company Iali-
od - supply an increased supply
Mr. rev thought this was hardly
7oir There ought to be some saIety
,~r the Company. in the shape OF a
tica limit. withi7 which they coulu
oct before the ordinance could De le-
ueo'ed. ~. v,-ot1s
o- . ,,roner limit of time, but Mr.. Ham
iton said lie did not think a tilne
limit was necessary. He was sure
Council would not take snap judgment
on the Company 80. :.
MIR Hahne said he had no faith ID
the Integrity of the Gas Company.
Vr Campbell favored a time limit,
IT, only for the reason that it would
nrevcnt the subject being reopened at
am. or every session OF Council.
(ir. Wells offered an amendment nH-
ing q time limit OF year.
Tben DIR. Stathers wanted to make
an amendment TO Mr. Wells amend
ment but was ruled out, after some
controversy between the Chair and the
Doctor.
The question on Mr.. Wells amend
ment to the ordinance was then put
and declared carried. The original, as
amended was then likewise carried,
and the question came on the passage
of the ordinance rs amended. Inc
vote stood: Ayes II, noes IL, as tol-
lows. Aves-Messrs. Arndt, Bachman
Campbell. Elliott Frew, Hamilton,
Potter. Uselton. Warehouse, Wells ana
WuHams-11. Noes-Messrs. Bodley
Britt. Fair. Hahne. Hess, Herman
Hess. John. Kern. Lindsay, Refer
Stathers. Taylor, Wills and Mr.. Pres
ident-13.
So the ordinance was lost.
-o>-c on, y-u,7-I-12 ANS