Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-22
four WARDS. WILL OBJECT
- THE NEW PLAN OF DIsTRIBUT-
ING THE TEN CENT LEVY
FUND.
SOME REASONS ARE ADVANCED
by the Opponents of the Scheme-Al-
legged That Appropriations for
Sixth and Eight Ward Have
Been Pat I'm Retaining Walls and
eewer-Ceuncilman Chew Talks.

The exclusive publication in the Reg
lister Of the proceedings OF the meet
tng of Councilmen from the Second,
Sixth, Seventh and Eighth wards, and
their determination to stand together
for a new basis of distribution of the
ten cent levy fund, has stirred up the
opposition of some Councilman from
the remaining four wards. This was
anticipated by those who are prominent
in the movement, but they hope to Sc
cure the support of some members from
the First, Third, Fourth and Fifth
wards, to Offset whatever detection
there may be in their own delegations.
The opponents of the new scheme of
distribution were advancing all sorts of
arguments. One well known Republi-
a Councilman stated. that when the
body was overwhelmingly Republican,
1t was more than once suggested to cut
out the Democratic wards entirely, but
that the Republican members were
afraid to put this programme through.
He referred to the present movement
as al attempted STEAL" and said that
Second ward members would be foolish
II they gave their support and did not
demand as much as the Sixth, Seventh
and Eighth wards received.
Another prominent Councilman, who
has thus far been perhaps the most ac-
tive in the opposition to the scheme, is
M. "A. Chew. Mr.. Chew said to a Reg
lister reporter:
THE whole thing is unfair, and ought
to be defeated. In the first place, the
statement upon which the proposed
distribution is based, was made by En-
gineer A. L. White five or six years age,
and it does not represent the situation
correctly to-day. A great deal of street
work has been done since it was pre-
pared. The distribution would be made
fairer if there were an inquiry into the
manner of spending the fund. Thous-
ands of dollars have been expended in
the Sixth ward on Caldwell's Run, and
In the Eighth ward on a new sewer
that cost $4,000.
THE taxpayers in the outlying
wards get the benefit of the paving done
In the heart of the cicy, for they have
to use the streets frequently. Residents
of the central wards very seldom use
the streets in the outlying wards, upon
which comparatively little traffic takes
place. They charge us with an improv-
ed street for the street around the court
house. They are covered with cobbles,
and the noise Of vehicles frequently
interfer with the proceedings in tho
court rooms.
1.-THE assertion that we cannot place
our share Of the ten cent levy is RI
diculous. We can spend $4,000 in the
Third ward, and place IL to advantage.
We will have to spend some money, or
the city will be involved in litigation
through damage to property"
1t is evident that if the scheme goes
through Council, 1t will not be with
out a stubborn fight.
The discussion of the subject has
brought out an exchange of views re-
garding the merits of brick paving, as
compared with asphalt. The general
sentiment appears to be that brick paw
ing is unfit for streets upon which
there is heavy traffic. With a view to
testing asphalt, one member of Coun-
Gil stated yesterday that he would be
willing to give $500 of his wards share
of the ten cent levy fund for the pur-
pose of ~expending on asphalt.