The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-12-17

Given a Needed Lesson by
the Chief Executive.
Mayor Scherf Would Cause Mana.
ger whysail to SHOW His Hand
Before Entering Into $r7oo Deal.

|
the transactions of Marion's Million
Dollar Council are none too busi-
nesslike, Mayor Louis scherff today
refused to sign the ordinance passed
at last nights meeting, ordering the
construction of electric light arches
at Center and Prospect streets, Center
and State streets, Main and Church
and Main and Mill streets.
Council passed the ordinance and
appropriated twelve hundred dollars
to pay for the construction Of the
|arches. The mayor, in looking over
the ordinances requiring his signature
to put them into effect, stopped
when he came to the one ordering the
arches constructed. He called upon
City Auditor Quigley, who Informed
h'n' that there Is no money in the
fund to pay for the construction Of
the arches.I Quigley told the mayor
that ne SO notified council last night
but that the ordinance was passed
notwithstanding
The mayor also learned that be-
fore council passed the ordinance,
George w. Whysall, of the Marion
Railway Light and Power company
had informed council that, II the
arches are constructed. his company
will do the right thing in the mat
ter of charging for the lighting serv-
ice.
Now that fright thing" business
did not listen good to Louie. so he
delved further into the question, de-
termined to become fully informed.
In looking over the reports. the
mayor found that the city's bill for
lighting last year was s17yoSS. .5S, Of
which $3,363. 80 was for gas lights
and $13.925 10 for arc lights. To
light the arches on the square every
night, II would cost in the neigh
borhood OF $50 per week, counting the
|cost % iricandescents and repairs nee
essary. with four additional arches
the cost would be doubled, which
would make the expense almost 800
|per week to the city. II the arches
were Illuminated every night.
The light bills Of the city are
growing too rapidly, according to the
mayor. It costs $22.75 per year for
each gas street light. and the lights
are being added at the rate OF about
afteen per year Arc lights cost
the city $50 .33 per year each and
the number OF arc lights Is con-
stantly on the increase.
az do not believe that the city Is
in a position just at present to stand
the cost OF the improvement and the
expense after the Improvement is
made" was the way the mayor ex-
planned his action to representative
Of the Mirror. Continuing he sad,
81 do not like some Of the transac-
tions OF the present council. Why
should they go ahead and pass this
ordinance without knowing how
much the lighting OF the arches will
cost the city? All they have is the
assurance OF Mr.. whysall that he
will do the right thing" Whom
will he do the right thing by, the city
|or the lighting company? 1t seems
to me that It would have been bet
ter, had council first secured prop
osition from Mr.. Whysall and then
had considered the matter Of arches.
81 do not deny that 1t would be
nice to have the arches. But can the
|city afford It? In the west end we
have thriving business district.
Are they not entitled to arches there
as well as the central business sec
|t1on?" N
When the mayor believes that the
city is in a condition financially to
stand this expense then will he at
tach his signature to an ordinance
authorizing the Improvement, but not
until then. fs,f
1t is understood that there will be
an effort made to pass the ordinace
over the mayors veto vote at an ad-
tourned meeting to he held Decem-
ber 30. but it is hardly believed that
this can be done.