Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-02

Thomson NJ E. church, Of the Island,
last night took the toll question, which
so strongly engages the minds of the
Island people nowadays, as the basis
for a sermon on the subject, THE Citys
Duties to Its Citizens" In referring
to the toll question, he explained that
it was not his intention to speak of the
indignation of the Island people against
the action of the bridge company or say
anything to encourage resenement, but
he thought tht time had come when TO
suffer that which they should not en-
dure.
He had never known Of a people SO
long suffering, and as willing to be inn
posed upon as the citizens of the
Island. The balance of the city corpor-
alton is not willing to do without us
CT our patronage or taxes, but do not
hesitate 10 ignore a large portion Of the
substantial interests of the city. Rev.
Mr.. Clark said he did not mean TO con-
denim any private corporation or indl-
vidual members of it, The Island peo-
pie simply asked, not for favor, but
an equal distribution of privileges to
which they were justly entitled.
Taking the bridge matter as an illus
tration the speaker branched out in
advocacy Of municipal ownership of en-
terprises OF a public character, in which
the public are directly affected. He
said the city should own it's own thor
oughfares by which our people go to
and from their work The city should
not only own its bridges but its street
railways He did not mean to condemn
private corporations, as the fact that
the city did not own these enterprises
made it blessing that corporations do.
The corporation engages in these en-
terprises only because it makes a profit
by SO doing, and the city should own
them and let ties citizens derive what
profit there is to be obtained.
The city Of Glasgow, Scotland, was cited
as an example. This city owned its own
street railways, gas and water plants,
and all conveniences designed for its
people. We should own not only our wa
ter and gas plants, but our natural gas
as well, which is now in the hands of a
private corporation. Mr. Clarke thought
also that the city should own and con-
troll public parks, as there is no retreat
of this kind where the people can go that
is not owned by private corporations and
GoluuCieu III a. udeSllOnaplS manner.
There is no place that citizen can take
his wife and family where beer and other
liquors are not sold. It was argued that
a disposition on the part of the city to
care more for the material interests of
its citizens would make them happier
more contented and give them pride III
their city.
In addition to these duties which the
city owes to it's citizens, Mr.. Clark stated
that he considered it the duty of the city
to pay more attention to the homes with
in the limits of the municipality Under
the present system all the attention they
received WAS when the tax assessor made
his annual call or the health officer his
infrequent visits. He argued that the
city should endeavor to promote cleanli-
ness and better order of living among
the lower classes and TO provide better
homes for many of the people than they
now enjoy. He referred to the experiment
made in Boston by Miss Alice Lincoln,
who had rented large tenement house
and let it out to a number of families
providing and enforcing rules to secure a
more healthful mode of living. She had
made money on this experiment and our
city could do the same thing without
going beyond expenses.
The speaker also urged that the city
owed it to its citizens to protect morality
and virtue by abolishing those public in
fiuences and preventing every day acts
which contaminate and shock public
morals.