Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-10-11

The roll call at yesterdays regular
meeting of the Ohio Valley Trades
Assembly showed a fair attendance of
delegates. President Sims was in the
chair and Secretary Duffy at his desk
with accustomed promptness.
E. H. Jones presented credentials
from the Belmont Central Trades and
Labor Union, vice David Lewellyn, and
was obligated.
There was a general discussion un-
der the head of boycotts, and the
concerns which have been placed upon
the list were brought to the attention
of delegates for the purpose of making
the fight against them more effective.
The case of the musicians union
against the colored hod carriers, which
figured nthe deliberations of the AS
sembly at it's last meeting, was again
brought up, and for the second time
was referred to the Arbitration Com
mittee for investigation and report.
Delegate Foster, of the coal miners
union, submitted the following. touch
ing on the controversy with the City
Water Board:
I'm a communication from the City
Water Board to the o. Y. T. & l.. A.,
August Il, 1897, they advance three
reasons why it would not be expedient
for the city of Wheeling to use coal
as fuel at the city water works: first,
it would require an enlargement of
the boiler capacity at an expense of
$4,000 to the taxpayers of the city: Sec
nnd 40 nf ano1 yvnul6 hn
$4,000 per year more than the present
price of gas; third, owing to the gen.
eral suspension Of mining, the pump
ing station would be short of coal and
the city would be left without water.
'In REPUTATION of first objection or
assumption, will say that in making
"a hour test with home coal on Sep
TENDER IA, 1896, there was only three
of the six boilers at the pumping sta
tion used, and there was pumped s.
9S3,560 gallons of water, or $3.50
gallons more than the daily average
consumption.
Gin making second test with coal on
October %, 1896, there was only two
of the six boilers used and there was
pumped at the rate of 9,167 256 gallons
of water per "a hours, ], 167 ,256 gallons
in excess of the daily average con-
sumption.
''In answer to second assertion that
1t will cost $4,000 more per year to
operate the plant with coal than gas,
we can only say that figures taken
from Water Boards report OF tests
made with coal, demonstrates the fact
I4% r. aI,n fnn
and the only way the Board in their
report could make coal appear dearer
than gas was by figuring coal at a
price more than double what it could
be purchased for at that time.
Gin answer to the third objection
that the city would be left without
water owing to the suspension OF min
ing, the Water Board knew or should
have known, that when the general
suspension was inaugurated there was
provision made for supplying city
water works fuel, and,
whereas, We believe the communi-
cation from the City Water Board is
based on assumptions and assertions
which are not borne out by figures
and facts, and leaves the impression
that the Board prefers to pay out
seven or eight thousand dollars per
year of the peoples money to foreign
corporation for natural gas, instead of
expending it for home coal, which
would give employment to quite
number of citizens and taxpayers and
leave the money in circulation among
the business people of our own city;
therefore,
Resolved That it is the sense of
this Assembly that the City Water
Board be requested to have test
made with coal by disinterested par
ties, in order that the fact may be
demonstrated to the satisfaction of
the taxpayers of the city, which is the
cheapest fuel to operate the city water
works with-gas or COAL
The resolutions were adopted with
out debate.
Very little other business was trans
acted, and the Assembly adjourned
early.
An appetizing supper will be served
by the ladies' of st. Matthews P. E.