Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-29
THE MAYORS MESSAGE.

!,
In his annual message to Council
Mayor Sweeney presents the condition
and needs of the city in a clear, sue
cinct and intelligent nj His mes
sage is an able document, and bears
the stamp of a careful and conscien-
tious executive.
On one point, however, at the outset
the Register is compelled to differ rad
ically from the Mayor, namely, upon
While we do not intend going into the
merits of that old question here, the
Register is compelled to deny both the
wisdom and the economy froma any point
of view of refunding the general city
debt, now so well in hand, and the Reg
lister believes the people are with it now
as they have been in the two elections
already had on this question, in each OF
which the refunding proposition was
d~ecisively defeated. The Register has
the best reasons for believing that the
improvements we need will be retarded
and jeopardized by the submission of
q refunding ordinance and can be ac-
complished with certainty and more
cheaply without.
The Mayor points out the necessity
for a reconstruction of the existing or
dinances of the city, which are now
such a conglomeration of conflicting
and obsolete statutes that it requires an
expert to fish out the wheat from the
chaff, which renders the present com
pilation practically worthless.
The execrable condition of our streets
and the sad need of repair to our brick
pavement, especially in the business
portion of the city, where there is much
hauling and most need for good paving
come in for a deserved share of atten-
ton from the Mayor. His structures on
the unwise and inequitable distribution
of the ten cent levy fund are well ta-
ken. There should be more discrim-
dnation used in this distribution. This
fund, however, is only applicable to
new work, and is not to be drawn on
for repairs which are so badly needed.
At this point we are compelled to again
disagree with the Mayor that it is ne
cessary or advisable to refund the en-
tire city debt to raise the money re-
Quired for these repairs. Such a pro-
Paul with a vengeance. The people are
willing to vote all the money necessary
to accomplish this and every other ne
cessary improvement, without refund
ing the city debt, or refunding only
the now overdue compromise loan-the
only debt that requires r%efunding.
The Mayor properly characterizes the
present city workhouse as a farce"
and worse, and a prison in name only,
lin the last stages of dry rot and easily
broken out Of"
The Register desires most heartily to
COIuIlltuu JHc tlullltll WlSuOlu anu
sound common sense of the Mayors re-
marks on the subject of city franchises
and private corporations. THE streets
of the city are the property of her citi-
zens," says the Mayor, established and
maintained at their expense, and for
their use and benefit. Grants made by
Council for the use of these streets
should be made only upon the condition
of a fair return. Many concessions
have been made in the past conveying
valuable grants, which, while extreme
ly valuable to the recipients, yielded
no compensation to the city" The
Mayor his firm belief in the
doctrine of municipal ownership of pub
lie utilities, and recommends that
Council exercise the greatest care in
considering applications for fran
chise.