The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-20

To- = >
january ], lS9l............ 12,1SI Of
January ]. 1892. 4,S73 q
January 1$93,.......... 1927
Jdluury! lsyl.....".... 9,gl5 ~
January ], 1895. $li,CST 2S
January ], 1896. ........,.. 1a,.gJ Is
January J.. 1Sy7........... 1901 10
January J., 1873. ~ $751; 50
January !, 1S99..........i. 3,SOi %
1t will be noted that the gas board
ended In the year 1899 with credit bal
ance of $l6.972 &c. This was crtdita-
bic showing; nobody will attempt to
deny that. But the Register failed TO
state that 1t was the result OF the ad-
ministrat!on OF the gas office by Re-
publican board! III
Then the Democrats went into the gas
Office. What was the result? January
]. 1891. the credit balance was sl2,ISi o.,
decrease OF nearly sJ,o10. In other
words, the Democratic administration
expended Its revenues and cut into the
balance TO the extent of nearly $1,000.
And the next ycar-tne balance was
cut down to 1888 %, decrease of over
$1,000. ta-.
. .s
Next came the year 1892, and the bal
ance was nearly wiped out, going down
to s429 81. On the face OF things, this
would be explained by the fact that the
gas board paid $4,000 on the principal
OF the electric light loan. and $500 In
interest. but-and this BUT is of vital
impoctance-next year the gas board
was compelled to- go TO council for finan-
cial aid, and received sl5.G59 10. prlnci-
pally because its revenues had been cut
INTO SO deeply TO pay the principal and
interest on the electric loan.
The year 1894 opened with the gas
board credited with a credit balance of
s9,sl5 80, and this only was made posi-
bic by the s15.G59 10 given the board by
council out OF the general revenues OF
the city. And what was shown at the
end OF this year of administration by a
Democratic board?
THE YEAR ENDED WITH TIE
GAS BOARD EXPENDITURES IN
EHCESS OF IT'S OWN REVENUES
Sl4.OSI 90. WHICH. ADDED TO THE
CREDIT BALANCE HAD AT THE BE-
GINNING OF THE YEAR, s9,9l5 50.
MADE A Discrepancy OF OVER
$4,000 FOR THE ,YEAR-AND THIS
WAS TIE WORK OF a DEMOCRAT
&c BOARD.
The Republicans obtained control in
the fall of 1895. but practically the entire
years administration of the gas office
was by the retiring Democratic board,
AT the end Of 1895 the overdraft was
over Sll 900, but this did not include over
SS.OpO Of unpaid bills for the year con-
tracted By the Democratic board, and
which the new Republican board found
II impossible to pay out OF the current
years revenues.
since coming Into control of the gas
Office, as will be seen by u glance at the
figures published in yesterdays Reg
lister, the gas board overdraft has been
materially decreased each year. Jam
uarS l. 1896, 1t was over 1000. Each
succeeding year brought about a de-
crease until at the beginning Of this
yenr 1t had been brought down to S3,SOO.
On the other hand. each succeeding
year Of Democratic administration Of
| the gas office showed a decrease In the
credit balance, with one exception, and
the only reason the balance was in
creased $9,OOO in that year was that
council came to the rescue and gave the
board over sl5,0G0-So in realitS the
credit balance was decreased ST, 900 and
the Democratic record is one OF unin-
terrupted extravaganza and lack of
the ability TO keep expenditures within
the bounds of revenues.
Do not the records of the two parties
In the gas office speak for themselves?
But the Register would excuse its
partSS administration OF gas office af-
iairs by the assertion that the board
was then burdeaed with more extensive
petterments to the plant than have been
MADE by the Republican boards, and
that principal and interest on the cleo
uric light loan were taken from the cas
office revenues. As n matter of fact
In only one year did the board nav a1S-
thing on the electric light Ioan and In
terest. and in the following year the
same board had to appeal to council for
over $4,000 moro than 1t had paid on
principal and interest OF the loan. With
regard 10 bcttermcnts, the Democrats tic
boards did not put In more improve
mentS than the Republican boards of
the past four years. Each put In n DIV
namo. In addition. the Democratic
board left the gas works in n shameful
condition when It retired. The new
BOARD asked the Democratic gas board
officials the reason Of this state of af
iairs ana the answer was that they had
SNPeIteu tue IlhTNeS process TO be sue
eesstul, and that It was not deemed nd
visable to keep the works fully repaired.
Notwithstanding this admitted shameful
condition, the expenditures of the year
were Kept up TO n high figure. The re-
suit was that the Republican board had
TO expend large sums to make the gas
plant efficient
In this connection, while the Register
Is denying the economical and careful
administration OF the city gas works nv
the Republican board. It Is interesting
to Know the Registers position Just two
years ago. when there had been nm m
tire year of Republican administration
III the gas office. In its issue OF Jam
uarS G, 1897, the Register said, In com
mentinE upon the gas s,atemcn, for tho
year 1896: An,analysls of the figures
and comparison with other ycn,s
shows that the two municipal plar,s nm
der the control OF the (gas) board were
managed during 1896 with ECONOMY
AND CARE. DESPITE THE FACT
THAT THE TRUSTEES HAVE BEEN
HANDICAPPED RYTHEOUTSTNAND
ING DEBT. WHICH HAS BEEN