Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-06


monthly meeting of the Board of Com
missioners of Ohio county was an
other squabble over payment of the
bill of the Architectural Iron and Wire
Works for locks, screens and other re-
pairs to the interior of the county jail
Representatives of the company were
present to urge a settlement OF the
claim, and the heated controversy
which took place brought out some
facts which Gave hitherto been hidden.
1t was only after Mr. Reich threat
ened to expose the ''rottenness OF the
thing" through the papers that the
Board decided to give arbitration an
other whirl.
The facts relative to this account
are evidence of the business incapaclty
of the Board of Commissioners. The
matter should have been settled months
ago, but after constant wrangling and
frequent insinuations the bill is I'M
paid, and the Board is threatened with
litigation, while a Wheeling firm IS
unjustly deprived of compensation for
it's materials and workmanship.
1t will be remembered that the
Wheeling Architectural Iron and Wire
Works rendered a bill many months
ago for new locks, screens and other
repairs to the interior OF the county
Jail. The Commissioners characterized
it as excessive, and for several months
refused to pay it. 1t was finally refer
red to an arbitration committee, which
decided that 1857 would be fair re-
Enumeration for the work. The report
of the arbitration committee was re-
ferred to the court house and jail COM
mittee, which recommended unfayof-
ably. The committee recommendation
was presented to the Board yesterday
and approved.
The company was represented by It's
President, Mr. Muscowitz. and Mr. H. 5.
Reich, Secretary and Treasurer, who
came up from Parkersburg to attend
the meeting of the Board.
Secretary Reich was granted the priv
ilege OF the floor, and asked why the
bill had not been paid. He called at
tention to the long time the matter
had been pending, and remarked that
his company did not have millions OF
capital, and had already spent more
than one-third of the profits on the job
in railroad fares and loss of time. He
said his company did not want law
suit, But proposed to go into the courts
if the matter were not settled.
President McGregor. remarked that
the county wanted to avoid litigation,
and he, personally, was in favor OF al
bitration. Mr.. Higgins also suggested
arbitration. Mr. Stanke thought the
company should be paid for it's work,
and moved the appointment of arbi-
traitors.
Mi. Fritz opposed this motion. He
said that, inasmuch as the former arbi-
tration had failed, he was not in favor
of trying it again. He reiterated his
charge that the bill was excessive.
This brought Mr.. Reich to his feet
with the remark that he could be as
sarcastic as anybody. He said he had
heard that pane of glass worth fifty
cents had been placed in the county
jail, and bill of $3.50 rendered for it.
Clerk Moffat declared that this was
false. He said the story was that the
glass cost fifty cents, and Mr.. Fritz
had drawn four days per diem at three
dollars per day for experimenting the
job. He denied the truth OF the
charge
President McGregor applauded the
clerk
Mr. Reich said it might have been
idle rumor, just like the statement that
the locks put on the Jail cost SIPS and
were charged at S72 in the bill in con-
troyersy. He wanted to know if any
authority had been given his company
to make the repairs, and President Nc
Gregor said he did not know. Mr..
Moore, OF the Jail committee, said the
wire work was not authorized, but the
locks were placed on because they were
needed
Manager Muscowitz took the floor
and ridiculed the idea of Mr.. Fritz
knowing anything about iron work, to
which Mr. Fritz retorted that he saw
iron work before the manager had eyes
to see it,
Mr.. Muskowitz and Mr. Reich asked
if the Board was not indulging in
childs play. They referred to the So
called investigation of the bill, and
said the sheriff and jailor had not been
permitted to appear and testify. 1t
was under instructions from the sheriff
and jailer that the work was done.
The Board finally agreed TO give Mr..
Reich time to telephone his company
in Parkersburg to ascertain if they
would agree TO again submit the bill
to arbitration. Then during Mr.
Reich's absence, the Board adopted Mr..
Stanke's motion for arbitration.
There was not much routine business
transacted. Bills were paid as follows:
Court House and iail....,..........s rs 81
finance ..,....: ...-.-.--.-.....----.. l't-n 20
Poor house and farm............... Sl2 o6
Contingent poor fund................ 1,HH 10
Roads and bridges......... al .
Geo. S. Biggs, of Elm Grove, sent a
communication calling attention TO the
fact that the law provides for minority
representation on the school book
board. The Board fired Mr.. McCol-
l. -