Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-29
THE INDEX JOB.
Proper Methods Not Pursued by the
County Board.
No Fair Competition as to Systems,
and no Effort to Have the w ork
Of Rewriting Done by Contract
Under Ordinary Business Rules.

Under Ordinary Business Rules.
As was, perhaps, to have been ex-
pected, the Intelligencer has rushed to
the defense Of the Board of County
Commissioners in the new index job.
The Intelligencer could well be en-
gagged in better business
But it is we'll maintaining it's record
for invariably taking the side and part
of Republican officeholders against
the people. Not to go further back, it
apologized for and defended the late
reform" Republican city administra-
ton, with its increased taxation
through false pretenses; it upheld the
practice of making Republican club
house out of the City Hall during the
late national campaign, with the re-
sulting liberal consumption of gas at
the expense of the public; it was the
friend and ally of those in the county
government who moved heaven and
earth to put a $4,000 file case job
through the Board of Commissioners;
it was the enthusiastic champion of the
late lamented refunding scheme; and
now it backs UP and defends the in
defensible course of the Board in
putting through scheme which will
cost the taxpayers of Ohio county
many thousands of dollars, involving
as some OF the friends of the measure
admit, $4,000, while others place it at
$500. And it can safely be said that
the Intelligencer will champion and
defend the next scheme Matched by
the reigning regime for the pecuniary
profit of few politicians and office
holders.
There ese a number of vital objec-
lions to the index scheme. In the first
place, there was no call for rushing
it through the Board of Commission
ers at the present time. Secondly,
there was no excuse on earth for put
ting it through in the way it was.
Thirdly, the proposed expenditure of
money, considering what is proposed
to be obtained for it, is a public scan
dial. Fourthly, if the work was nee
essary in the form it finally took
shape, there should have been an open
and public competition for the fur
nishing of the books, and a contract
for the performance Of the clerical
work.
AS matter of fact, none of these
ordinary business precautions were OBJ
served. And the suspicion that there
is something radically wrong with the
whole business gains strength from
significant remark made by one Of
the majority Of the Board, several
weeks ago, in a private conversation.
Other facts which squint in the same
direction are, the consideration of the
Graves system and its subission to
members of the Bar, without repre-
sentatives Of other systems even know
ing that the meeting was being held;
and, the authority given the Finance
Committee to close a contract with
Clerk Robertson at three cents per
entry for one hundred and forty thou
sand entries. with no provision what
ever to receive propositions from 9TH
erS to do the work for less. To be
sure, the County Clerk may agree with
the Committee to do the work for two
cents per entry; but there may be 9TH
ers who would agree to do it for
cent and a half, or even a cent, and DO
II Just as we'll. In fact, it is alto
gether probable that in these piping
times of Dingley prosperity thorough
ly competent gentlemen could be found
to write the proposed new index for
lump sum of $1,000 or $500, and who
would give bond to perform the work
to the reasonable satisfaction OF the
Board OF Commissioners or the Com
mittee on Finance, OF both. Nothing
of this sort has been provided for,
however, and the job will probably be
strung along for two or three years,
and in the end will cost at least six or
seven thousand dollars, one-half OF
which will be net profit.
President McGregOr of the Board or
Commissioners, has been moved TO
say that statements made in the Reg
lister Thursday morning were "a mass
of misrepresentatiOnS.' On the con-
trarv the statements made by the Reg
lister on that particular morning were
true. There was no fair competition
in the matter of the selection OF
system. 1t is true that the represent
alive of the Johnson-Wats index,
which is as good as any made. and is
bv many claimed to be better than the
Graves index, was notified by mem
Der of the Board month ago, that the
Board would possibly consider the
possibility of adopting a new system
of indeXing And two members of the
Board. on two different days, about
that time, called up the Register office
and invited the West Virginia Printing
Company to be prepared to compete in
the work. if it cared to. The West
Virginia Printing Company, being
taxpayer, naturally desired to have a
fair chance at any public work in its
line. and so stated, Subsequently an
agent OF the Johnson-W Watson index
called to see the County Clerk, but that
official discouraged him from entering
into competition as to the index. but
stated that he had better lay low and
look out for the file cases. Still later
other county officials We're seen,
but little satisfaction was obtained,
and the public will mark the