The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-15

without having been given due consid-
| Grafton. This, in the face OF the fact
that 1t had been under discussion since
last April, when Il was first brought
up In council by Mr.. HOrkheimer
Mr.. Ahl then proceeded to speak OF
I the manner in which the ordinance
was bad by taking the water boards
loan as an illustration. Only minute
before he had told the assembly that he
was Instrumental In having the water
board loan stricken out of the provis-
ions Of the refunding loan ordinance,
The haziness and lamentable weakness
Of such an Illustration were painfully
apparent.
The speaker then said that there is
no saving to the city by the provisions
OF the ordinance after two or three
years, entirely ignoring the betterments
to streets In the ten years that inter-
vene between the issuance of the new
loan and the first redeemed bonds.
These improvements are generally
considered necessary by the public, and
can be obtained in two ways: BY in
creasing taxation, or by the passage of
the refundlng ordinance, Mr.. Ali then
characterized the present financlering
as Saving at the spigot and a, waste
at the bung."
CALLED TO ORDER.
Taking a copy of the refunding ordi-
nance, he said 1t ought to read, ITO
provide for oil to grease the machinery
ut the city hall"
This brought Chairman Bauer to his
feet, who cautioned the speaker to re-
frain from personalities.
The other side had stated that the
only other course was In raising the
taxes Of the city. This, he said Us not
1.-THE only course open to the municipal
oVernment-economy ought to be
practlCed. The speakers membership
in the present council seemingly has
not impressed upon him the fact, APP
parent to everybody else, that the
greatest economy possible has been eX-
ercised by the present council and the
one preceding 1t.
Mr.. Ahl was unable to see how the
city would save money by the passage
of the refunding ordinance. He could
see a saving OF $4,000 the first year, but
by peculiar system OF mathematics
he had 1t worked out that this saving
soon decreases and finally is entirely
wiped out. An admlring-if not con-
vipced-audienoe heard the gentleman
make these broad assertions,
Mr.. 1lghe, of the assembly, wanted
to know II the bonds issued at four per
cent. would equal those at six per
cent, taking into consideration the ten
year limit in which no reduction of the
debt is made.
Mr.. ALL said an answer to that ques-
ton would take heap of figuring"
Hsrsald there would be saving for
two years, but in his opinion the thing
to do was to get at the principal at
once,
Mr.. Tighe then placed his question In
different form, but the answer was so
involved that 1t was not ineligible, a
statement proved later when Mr.. Tlghe
put the question to other speakers
A STREET RAILWAY SCHEME.
Mr.. Ali then branched off onto n
street railway scheme. The tendency,
now, he said, Is toward the municipal
ownership of street railways, and he
hoped to see 1t discussed shortly In this
community, The franchise OF the
" heeling company, he said, expires In
five years. and 1t was important that
every man who is n candidate for the
first branch of council at the next mu-
nlcipal election should have the right
views on this natter When that fran
chise expires the city ought to get four
per cent OF Its earnings or buy the road
and operate It. The point he wished to
convey was that IL the city passes the
refundlng ordinance this month, there
would not be a margin in the amount
of bonded Indebtedness to allow an
other loan Of sufficient amount to buy
the street railway company out. II was
shown during the gentleman's remarks
that he had n wrong conception OF the
situation. The Wheeling Railway
Company's franchise is perpetual but
after fifteen years the corporation has
to pay taxes to the CITY,. Mr.. Ali had
evidently received the impression that
the franchise expires at the end of tif-
teen wears. The Citizens company
franchise will not expire for many
years, having been renewed in 1887, for
the term of thirty years
ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT.
Then there is another contingency
said Mr.. Ali. The franchise Of the cleo
trio light company, which has been
sucking the life blood from the munich
pal gas works, expires within few
years, and the city ought to acquire It.
AS matters are now. the city is reduc-
ing the principal of Its debt $4,000 an
nually, and Will be enabled to float a
loan any buy the elcctrIct light works.
After Il hot water experience of forty
minutes, Mr. All asked If there were
any more questions. There being only
one. Mr.. Chew's, How old are your
the gentleman took his seat.
RECEIVER FoRGEY.
City Receiver Forgey was next heard.
He said:
Gentlemen OF the Assembly;-1 am
present to-day without social invitation
from this assembly, by taking advant-
age of a remark made 90 me by my
friend, Tom Salisbury, that my name
had been suggested rs one Of those to
be invited. II am lntrudlng upon your
deliberations a word from you will suf-
fee and will retire.
However, az have been at the front
In this extraordinary contest OF words,
and having stood out as target OF one
hiding himself behind fictitious name
in the columns Of the Register, the on
~ paper In the city opposing the re-
Cundlnr scheme--ns that paper calls 1t
| think YOU will not deny me the prlvI-
lege OF being heard.
81 propose laying before you some OF
the figures my hidden foe, Anti Loan,
has been so persIstently asking for,
81 do not propose to go back further
than the beginning Of the present year.
I thInI, AMT Loan" viii get from this
enough TO convince him that an Issue
Of now bonds amounting to $4,000 VIII
not increase the Indebtedness OF the
civ 10 The value Of one farthing, and,
further than this, that this ISSUE Of
bonds will entail no hardship upon any.
ono, except It may be the very small
portion Of our citizens holding. clIV
bonds. And these may bc benefited ZOO,