Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-21

&0 AVG 4he
troduced n the Next Meeting Of
Council.
1t will not be surprising if the new
plan Of distributing the ten cent levy
fund among the eight wards this year.
meets with a stubborn opposition; but
the advocates of the scheme say its
justice and equity should commend it
to the favorable consideration of the
Councilmen whose constituents receive
less than a pro rata share of the fund.
The ten cent levy fund will amount
this year to, approximately, $4,000.
Under the old plan of distribution, this
would be divided by eight, giving each
ward $1,000 to spend upon unimproved
streets and alleys. The law expressly
provides that none of the money car be
spent upon improved streets and alleys,
the money for that purpose coming out
of the Board of Public Works contin-
gent fund.
The new scheme for distributing the
fund, of which President Jesse Shafer
of the Second Branch is the parent, cor
templates a basis other than pro rata
shares. 1t is the argument that wards
having a comparatively small area,
and small number of square feet Of
streets and alleys, have had so much
improvement that there is no longer
any necessity for spending such a sum
as would be devoted to that purpose
under a pro rata distribution. The new
plan is to make the percentage of unim-
proved streets the basis for distribut-
ing the fund. This idea is not followed
out strictly in the sums which it is pro-
posed to allot to the respective wards,
but it is adhered to as closely lis is re-
garded as practicable, all things consil-
cred.
Last night a called meeting Of Coun-
cilmen of the Second, Sixth, Seventh and
Eighth wards was held in the Office of
Chief of Police Ritz. These are the
four wards which would profit under
the proposed plan of distribution, each
receiving more than a pro rata share
of the fund. Mr.. Hamilton, of the ISL
and, was made chairman. Several. adj
dresses were made, all laying stress up
on the point that it was a non-partisan
movement, made simply in the interest
of the wards having largest area. The
fact that one or two Councilmen have
~endeavored to inject politics into it, was
deprecated. The charge that it IS a
Democratic movement Is clearly dis
proven by the fact that three of the
four wards to be benefited are Repub-
lican strongholds.
All who expressed themselves strong
ly favored the plan. The Sixth, Sew
enth and Eighth ward delegations were
solidly in FAVOR of it. OF the Second
ward delegation, Messrs. Lavey and
Maurer are in line, but Messrs. Hazlett,
Schockey and Meyer are lukewarm.
Their attitude was believed to be due
to a misunderstanding, and the Seventh
ward delegation was appointed as a
committee to explain the matter thor
oughly.
Messrs. Shafer, Tracy and Naylor
were appointed a committee to prepare
a resolution to be introduced at the next
meeting of Council, providing for the
following distribution Of the ten cent
levy fund: $1,000 each to the Sixth,
Seventh and Eighth wards; 5 3 $500 to the
Second ward; the remainder distribut-
ed pro rata among the remaining four
wards.
This will give the First, Third,
Fourth and Fifth wards each a little ov-
err 81. 900.
1t will require the solid support of the
delegations from the four wards which
are to be benefited, to carry the scheme
through. The four wards have 10 out
of the % members of the Second Branch
and eight of the sixteen members in
the First Branch. The First Branch
would be a tie, and it is confidently as
serted that the Mayor has been so i'm
pressed with the fairness of the plan
that he would cast the deciding vote for
it.