The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-04
.QUITE AEMIX.UP...
ORDINANCE.
GRANTING THE USE OF ISLAND

III 7 r. y i q :
BRANCH TAcKs ON A FREE
TRANSFER AMENDMENT IN
WHICH THE FIRST BRANCH
DID NOT coNcuR-A CONFER
ENcE THAT ACCOMPLISHED
NOTHING. n 3
It was quite a lively session OF the
city council held last evening for the
purpose OF acting on the ordinance
granting to the Wheeling Railway
Company the use OF streets on the
Island for the extension Of the lines to
the state fair grounds. In the first
branch the ordinance passed as It came
from the committee on ordinances, but
as detailed below, the second branch
wrestled with the instrument for sew
eral hours, and finally tackled on an
amendment providing for free transfers
lin other words q ilve-cent fare from
oil parts Of the, city. Then there was a
committee on conference. which brought
In majority and minority reports. Tho
first branch adopted the. minority re-
port, against the transfer amendment,
but when an attempt was made to no.
.tlfy the second branch that body had
adjourned, and the ordinance hangs fire
at least until another meeting OF
council.
After the meeting Of council. IN In.
telllgencer reporter talked with General
Manager Wright and Director Jolly. OF
tho railroad company, and they stated
that the company could not accept the
franchise@if It carried the transfer
amendment proposed by Mr.. Higgins
In the second branch seventeen MEM
bers answered the roll call, President
N. A. Chew in the chair. In the first
branch there were present nine mem
beers, with Mayor Butts presiding. Min
utes Of previous meetings were read In
both branches
The ordinance granting the Wheeling
Railway Company the. use of South
Penn and South Front streets for q
branch line to the state fair grounds
at the lower end OF the Island, was
brought up In the first branch. The or
dinance went through Its first reading
without mishap. Somewhat to the sur
prise of spectators, the ordinance was
not objected to at the end OF the first
reading, as 1t had been expected one
Of the Seventh ward delegation would
do. At the conclusion OF the reading
Of the ordinance, O petition from Island
residents. Directing to the passage of
the ordinance, was read. A counter pc
tition, said to be signed by the larger
number Of property owners OF South
Penn and South Front streets. was pre-
scented and read. The frontage owned
by the latter petitioners Is as follows:
II South Front street.2,933 feet: South
Penn. 1,925 feet: Elm, 401 feet; YER;
mont, al feet: Florida, IS feet; Ohio.
45o feet; new street, 25i feet.
The ordinance was then voted on.
and passed almost unanimously, as
follows
Aye-Bachmann, Baird, Ebeling, Hal
Ter, Hazlett, List. McKelvey, Mcclure,
Schmidt. Wiedebusch, Williams, wick,
er; total, Il.
Motto: total. 1.
The ordinance was then sent across
the hall to the second branch, and was
put through its first reading by Clerk
Watkins. On Its second reading, for
amendments and debate. Mr.. Ali NOV
ed TO amend the life of the franchise.
substituting fifteen years for twenty
five years. Mr. ALL addressed council
In support of his amendment The vote
on the amendment was 10 in its favor
and 10 against it; President Chew de-
clared the amendment lost.
To section 2, Mc. Ali moved an
amendment to the effect that the COM
pany shall before August l. 1898, and
each year thereafter, pay $500 per mile
per year to the city. and further. that
the company shall not collect more than
five cents for transportation between
any point in the city OF Wheeling.
10 stating the amndmeat. President
Chew interpreted It to mean that 5000
is to be. collected for each mile OF track
of the entire system, but the amend
ment did not carry out such an inter-
pretation: it stated that $500 is 10 be
collected for each mile OF track under
the present grant
Mr.. ALL spoke In support OF his
amendment, and called attention to the
promise made ct the time OF the pas.
sage OF the Wheeling G. Elm Grove
franchise that the end OF free fran
chises was at hand. The Wheeling 6:
Elm Grove company was made to pay n
certain amount to the city: why
shouldn't the Wheeling Railway Com,
pany pay something? asked Mr.. ALL.
The speaker said this company had re-
Gently refused to allow city firemen to
ride free. custom followed In nearly
every city.
Mr.. Higgins was in favor of the tran
fer feature OF the amendment. Hcclalm-
ed the majority OF residents on the
Island streets object to the proposed
branch line. The city should receive
something when It grants valuable
franchise. The transfer feature
wouldn't be hardship II the company
accepts It. Mr.. Higgins then offered
substitute for the SAhlJ amendment, to
the effect that five cents fare shall rule
all over the city. with suitable transfer
system. Mr.. Ali accepted the substi-
tute. Mr.. Higgins did not want to i'm.
pose a mileage tax in addition to the
transfer privilege Mr.. Ali attacked
Mr.. Higgins for working for mileage
tax In the Wheeling & Elm Grove or
dInance, and now not caring to impose
such taN-on the Wheeling Railway
Company II It will put his transfer idea
in force "a!
Mr.. Fair said the city does receive
something for the grant: It receives
new street, which the water and gas
boards can use for connecting up dead
ends OF their pipe lines. Il s
Mr.. Higgins substitute was voted
upon, and the vote was as follows. car
ryine It: tsi
Aye-Bradburv, Bronstrop. Connolly.
Higgins, Hoe, Kaiser, Knoke. Marsch-
ner, Miller, Travis, Watson, Chew; to-
tai IL.
No-Ahl. BUGGY. Fair. Gartley. Kin
dclberaer McFnd den. NfeErnil. Mover.