Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-06-01

viewed.
The defeat of the supplemental ap-
preparation ordinance last Tuesday
night, by the Republicans in the FIRST
Branch of Council, would have placed
to-day but for DR.. Z. NJ. Haskins, DEM
ocratic member of Council from the
Eighth ward. The policemen refused to
work unless their salaries were forth
coming and the city would have been
without police protection to-day. DR..
Haskins displayed ~commendable public
spirit in stepping into the breach, pay
ing the men and averting what might
have been a public calamity.
At the last meeting of Council the
supplemental appropriation ordinance
was defeated. The First Branch Re-
p%ublicans knew just what they were
doing and gave an exhibition of par
tisanship which vas reprehensible.
Clerk Thos. O'Brien, Jr,, called atten-
ton to the fact that there was not a
sufficient balance in the police, health
or city gas department funds to pay the
employees at the end of the month.
Yesterday was municipal pay day.
The employees of the different depart
ments called at the Office of the City
Clerk. Among them were the police.
The City Clerk had previously stated
that he could not pay them. They were
turned away without their money. The
day force returned to their beats and
tie night force assembled in the lookup
room and discussed the situation. There
was no difference of opinion as to what
course should be followed, Judging from
the remarks which were made. The
men decided to work last night and
then to go on a strike and remain out
until some satisfactory arrangements
were made.
The Law in the Matter.
IuC AlIy 0iCih diu Sity INCSNiNCI WOiC
placed in a p~redicament. The city has
sufficient funds to pay the police, but
the money is not in the proper fund.
Mr.. O'Brien had a talk with the Mayor,
who told him that under the law he
would be compelled to fine him if he
drew his orders upon any other fund in
order to pay the police. The restrain
ing ordinance referred to is as fol-
lows:
Section 10-"Neither the clerk of the city.
nor the receiver of the city. nor any other
disbursing officer of the city, shall issue
any order or check for the m of
money, for any Indebtedness contracted by
council or any officer or board of the city,
which shall have been contracted wholly
or in part in excess of the amount which
shall have been previously set by ordi-
nance as the limit of expense of the de-
partment within which such indebtedness
is sought to be created.
The foregoing provision of this section
is ordained as a restraining provision
only, and it is further declared that no
act of such clerk, receiver or other dis
bursting officer shall be in any wise held
to render valid any debt contracted by or
in behalf of the city in violation OF the
constitution and laws of the State. If
any such officer of the city as is mention
ed in the first section shall violate the pro-
visions thereof. he shall thereby be dis
abled from holding such office, and shall
forfeit and pay therefor. to the city. a fine
of not less than twenty dollars nor more
than one hundr dollars, or be imprisoned
for a term not exceeding one year, or
both"
Mayor Sweeney Talks.
Mayor Sweeney deplored the situa-
ton, and did all in his power to dis
suade the men from carrying out their
threat. Chief of Police Ritz also asked
them not to do SO. Both recognized the
fact that the policemen had a great
grievance, but felt that they should not
go to the extreme of placing the city at
element.
The men were obdurate. When the
day force reported at six o'clock the
Chief again addressed them. The men
felt that they had been made the tools
of a few Councilmen who sought to
crafty their partisan spite. The worst
feature about it was the uncertainty as
to when, if ever, they would be paid.
Many of them had promised to meet
creditors and others were in urgent
need of funds.
ut is a d~eplorable situation said
Mayor Sweeney to a Register reporter.
ut arises from two causes. One is the
fact that a deficit in the appropriation
for the department last year, amounting
to about $4,000, was carried over this
year. Then there were five extra police
men ordered three months before the
expiration Of Chief Clemens term and