The Washington herald., 1907-04-07
KILLS MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
Legislature Deals Death Blow il
Wheeling's Charter.
Continued Annual Deficiency In the
management OF Gas Plant Causes
RevuIsIOn in Sentiment.
- . - WashIDrton -.

speeial to The Washington Herald.
Wheeling. ". Va. April 6.-The new
charter of Wheeling, which was received
few days ago from Gov. ". II. o. Daw-
son, deals a death blow at municipal
ownership in this State When the char
/ ter was sent to Charleston. the State eapI-
tai, II had a clause which would give the
city the right 10 own and operate an cleo
trie light plant that would sell 10 private
consumers, but when the document was
returned with the Endorsement Of the
legislature and the signature OF the gov
ernor, this section had been strickea. out.
The absolute failure Of the city to run
its artificial gas plant is what caused the
steps 10 be taken. Realizing what bur
den the gas plant has been for the past
ten years. and knowing that each year
the city must appropriate a large sum 20
keep the plant in operation, the citizens
who had the welfare of the municipality
at heart did not care to experiment fur
Their along this line
Wheeling was one of the first cities in
the State TO assume control of public
utilities; purchasing the gas plant in 1871.
and since that time it has been supplying
all the gas for Illuminating purposes.
The plant is practically the same as when
first purchased. During the past five
years there has been a marked increase
IN the cost Of operating the plant This
includes increase in wages. increase in
price Of coal, increase in price of hauling
coal, and increase in cost of management.
One thing that had more to do to arouse
taxpayers OF the city has been the great
regularity with which the city gas board
has appealed 20 the city council for an
appropriation to make good the deficit that
arises each year from the operation OF
the gas plant.
Year by year the cost of operation has
gone skyward. In 1893 1t was S76,107 So
With the exceptions of slight extensions
made TO the gas mains in 1890 nothing
has been spent for increasing the capacity
of the plant, yet the cost increased each
year until 1893. when it amounted TO Sl04,-
1885. According to the last report filed
with the city clerk for sixteen months.
the cost OF maintaining the gas plant was
lal,Zs0,oS- During the past six years the
cost of operating the gas plant has in
creased S26,S64.03, while the receipts have
increased but SIS, 1884 Ever since 1852
the city council has been compelled to
appropriate thousands Of dollars to the
gas board to prevent the gas works from
ceasing operations altogether.
A movement is now on foot TO sell the
gas works to a private corporation. so
that the people win be certain Of having
it operated on business lines The real
reason of the failure has been poor man
agement Every time the city admins
tration changes. which is every two
years, there is a change in the manage
ment, AS a result men have been placed
in control Of he rfapf who trsaaxrr
lutely nothing about operating the works
Conditions have reached such pass
at the gas plant that $500 a year for the
last six years has been lost because OF Il
leak in one of the tanks. The city au-
thorities have had knowledge of this leak
age, yet no effort ever made to have i
repaired.