Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-09

| Iu9 ran OF mayor BuUCS 10 EIeCl
an Expensive Building and Put
the Vags and Buns to to Work
in 1t, in Competition with Labor.
Figures to Back Up His Position.
Mr. Morris Horkheimer, chairman OF
the Council Committee on Finance and
a member of the Committee on Police,
arrived home from an extended trip
Wednesday night, to find that the
scheme of erecting an expensive city
workhouse, in which Police Court vags
and buns are to be put to work at max
ing various articles, in competition with
outside labor, had made very consider
| able progress in his absence.
Knowing that Mr.. Horkheimer had
some very interesting and decided views
! on this question, reporter for the
/ Register sought him, yesterday, and OBJ
! tanned from him the following very
meaty interview
! The question Of new wOrkhouse
! occupied a considerable amount Of my
time and attention before going East,
/ but fad that during my absence (hav-
/ ing been gone several weeks the Com
mittee on Police, of which | have the
| honor of being a member, has recon-
mended the building of new work
| house without maturing any plan OF
| conducting the same, and without any
estimate of the ccst of operating or Of
! fering any reason why a new wOrkhOuse
| would be the best or most advantage
| Gus manner of caring for prisoners sent
up there from Police Court Now, it
may be very clear to the Committee and
the Mayor Of our city, who was present
at the time why this recommendation
| should be made, but as a member OF
! that Committee, having given the sub
! ject some thought, ] would most GER
| tainly want to be assured that it would
be for the best interests Of the city OF
Wheeling and her taxpayers before
recommending the expenditure of thou
| sands of dollars without any apparent
good result from the expenditure, eX-
cept the employment of the labor in
! the construction of the building. / no.
tice in your paper that at the time the
Committee adopted this plan that there
was only five of its members there
| four from the Second Branch and Chair
! man Davidson from the First Branch
| the absentees being Messrs. wicker,
Ebeling and myself. Personally, l feel
| that a matter of so great importance
! might have been held over at least long
enough to give the minority an oppor-
! tunity of presenting to the Committee
! its reasons why they are at this mo-
ment opposed to the construction of a
| new building, and assure you had |
| been their this high privilege should
! have been granted even though l had
| been obliged to defer the recommends
/ ton to Council for several weeks, and
| as l said before, the Committee should
carefully consider the whole subject
and let nothing but the interest OF the
| city be taken into consideration IN the
solution of this matter.
Il am safe in saying that possibly at
| the very first meeting that | had with
/ the gentlemen of the Police Committee
| I thought that the management OF the
| wOrkhouse prior to this had not been
as carefully and judicioUsly looked al
| ter as it might be, and l think was
partially instrumental in having the
Committee go to the present workhouse
and look into its condition. l DO not
DENY the fact that it is miserable and
not fit for the occupancy OF any human
! being. and l am charitably enough IN
| clined to say that the beJterment OF the
unfortunates that are sent there should
be looked after, but not with the view
/ of eXtravagance. We know what the
old or present workhOuse has cost 10
maintain. and my opinion, from the in
/ formation I have, leads me to believe
| that the new one must cost as much
more at least as the interest on the cost
of the building and the additional eX-
pense for fuel, light, etc.
CT understand that at a meeting held
bv the Committee. the Sheriff or ONO
county made the proposition to guaran-
| tee a saving of at least $500 per year,
no matter how many prisoners might
no committed during the year, ana ne
! is narfectly safe in making the guaran-
/ tee for in nv Judgment when the city
would commit prisoners at the place at
| en- rnucb per day the saving in the year
would be from $500 to $2,OOO. JUST
| tbinl, of saving of that amount IN the
evnenditure Of 1890. about 90 per cent,
and nobody to lose it, 1t is very neat
enn that could be spent for some OF
the most urgent needs Of the city and
nossiblv applied to the payment OF ner
( indehtedness which is so pressing that
! the Finance Committee cannon now see
its way clear to meet all Obligations
. this wear. except by curtailing expenses
~, raising taxes. This proposition from
/ tba Sberiff-as I have learned from a
yorv responsible source-was not even
5i1cresed hut simply ordered to be
| 9ie6 HOW much better deal the COM
mittee may be able to make now win
the Sheriff has not intelligently been
/ looked into. co..,,i+
As chairman of the Finance Commit
| roe am opposed to the increase on
| toves at This time. when people can I'll
| afford to pay their taxes at the present
| rate out unless Council Will take the
business end of the situation in hand
ana cut down expenses, nothing can be
done 10 meet these charges except TO
increase taxes. For that as well as 9TH
Or reasons I am in favor Of determining
The warehouse question in the light OF
The hest interest to the city, without
regard as to whom il may benefit Inc
matter might have been looked INTO
economically. but I am fearful not fin