The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-17
THE lNTELLIGENCER.
wnEELINo, NOVEMBER II, 1891.
Renndmg ordinance and pas.paver..

RefnndInE Ord and Tax'PaYers.
A strong point made by a citizen writ
ing in this mornings I%ntelligencer In
support of the refunding ordinance is one
witch every workingman or other clti-
zen in moderate circumstances who owns
his W home, however humble 1t may
be, should take into consideration, 1t Is
the home owner upon whom the burden
of taxes falls, because his home Is easily
found and assessed. His entire wealth
may be invested In his home. He 1t is,
therefore, who is vitality concerned In
keeping the city taxes down TO the mini
mum.
AT the present time. and during the
next ten years, there is and will be press
ing need Of improvements IN the way OF
sewers, street and alley paving, and
many other things, IL the city Is to be
prevented from reaching a condition that
viii be a disgrace to Its citizens and an
unhealthful place to Hive in. 1t Is pro-
posed by the rerundIng ordinance, not to
Increase the debt one penny, nor to raise
the rate of taxation, but TO extend the
time Of the debt Of the city at a less rate
of interest, in order that the annual
amount of money available for these
needs may be increased without extra
cost to the taxpayers,
Should this simple and businesslike
proposition fail, in a short time the needs
of the city will become so pressing that
in the absence of sufficient revenues to
meet them, there will be but one re-
course, and that will be an extra levy
for the purpose. This the taxpayers of
Wheeling dc not want, least OF all those
taxpayers upon whom the burden VIII
fall the heaviest.
The refunding proposition will avert
this unwelcome state of affairs. 1t does
not mean an increase of taxation, nor
does 1t mean the borrowing Of more
money. 1t IS a business measure which
corporations and municipalities resort to
with profit to themselves the world over,
A the betterment Of their conditions and
the enhancement of the value OF their
property. 1t is not public economy to
allow present needs in the way of re-
pairs and improvements to go on
tended to when, by the extension of the
time OF obligations at a reduced expense
OF carrying them, the public property
can be bettered and rendered OF greater
value. 1t is not public economy nor
good public policy to increase the bur-
dens of taxation when 1t a be avoided.
The talk about being able to make
these improvements and at the same
time pay the principal Of the debt unde
the present system is not based upon
, facts. The gentlemen who talk In this
fashion are unable to point out one single
item Of expense in the last city state
ment that was unnecessary for the pub
lo welfare. The city Is being as econ
omlcally run as Is possible under the cir
cumstances-even too much so, In view
of the demand for improvements such as
are cited by our correspondent.
Those gentlemen who have attempted
TO make a political issue OF the matter do
so for an unworthy purpose, for there Is
no politics in It, The attitudes of our
morning contemporary and of writer's for
its columns, indicate that they realize
the benefits the refunding ordinance will
be to the community, and that they are
afraid that the administration RESPONSE
BILE for 1t will reap some sort OF political
benefit. on the other hand, they belleve
that II even a slight rise In taxation
should be necessary for funds to better
the conditions Of the city, they Will have
a political lever Of their WI in the nexa
city campaign.
Thus this handful of schemers hope
that, by forcing an Increase Of taxation
upon the home owners OF Wheeling, they
viii gain a partisan advantage. 1t IS for
this reason that the working classes OF
wheeling are called upon to study care
fully what the principal opposition to the
ordinance, outside Of the high Interest
bond-holdors, means. There never has
been the ellghtest element OF politics
about the proposition.
1t is purely n question involving the
city's welfare and the welfare of those
who pay the taxee No political party is
advocating or opposing II ar n pnrty. It
has lts adyocats and opponents in both
parties. Only Individual d%emagoguca
are trying to make politics OF It for their
own Individual purposes, In the mean
time, lot the people or Wheeling con-
slider the matter, simply on its merits AZ
n business question involving the mater
ial welfare OF ali.
mAlignihE Congress.
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