Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-02-13
LETTER FROM CHAs. H. HENRY

LETTER FROM CHAS. H. HENRY
EAU CLAIRE, Wis, FEB. II.
E. B. THAYER, Wausau, Wis.
Dear Sir and Friend:
Upon my return home last night
after several days absence. picked
up the circular which had been dis
,tributed in Wausau, headed
Why Waukesha Defeated the Com
mission Form Of Government Last
Tuesday by vote Of 923
to 273,"
Following this heading are questions
put to our city Jerk, Mr.. Fennessey,
by an attorney, E. D. Walsh of
Waukesha. Said attorney is no
doubt of the same stripe that the
GAINESVILLE attorney is, who fought
the Commission Form of Govern
ment in bis home city and was i'm
ported to our city two years ago to
assist the opposition here, he having
been very successful at home the
first time that GAINESVILLE tried to
make a change to better form of
government. Said attorney was
paid for his services two years ago,
both at GAINESVILLE and Eau Claire.
This year he worked without'pay at
his home city and was powerful
factor in carrying the election for
Commission Form of Government.
I hope, for the good of the tax-pay-
ers Of Waukesha that the poor, be-
, nighted attorney Walsh of that city,
may receive light before another
year, so that the popie of that beau
tiful city may be able to reverse the
vote of this year.
The questions which he submitted
to our city clerk were just such as
a trickster of lawyer would ask,
one half the truth, which is, in most
cases, worse than a lie. You will
notice that Mr.. Walsh did not ask
for figures covering 1908, or two
years prior to our adopting the
Commission Form. / am glad to in
form oou and other tax payers of
your splendid city, my old home,
the city that | always speak of as
the best city of its size on the con-
tinent, that my taxes on our home
were $350 dollars less this year
than they were in 1908, the year for
which attorney Walsh of Waukesha,
was very careful not to ask.
asked our city clerk to give me
a statement with reference to the
Walsh circular which he has done
and is as follows:
CAT the time that the budget of
the year 1909 to provide funds for
the year $780, was prepared, which
budget provided for general city pur-
poses, the sum of S50,000.00. The gen.
eral fund account as evidenced by the
city clerks ledger Aug. 81, 1908,
showed an over-draft of $69, 930.47, it
is easy to see that the amount raised
was insufficient to reconcile the exist
ing over-draft. This extremely low
levy for that year was made for the
express purpose of diScouraging the
necessity of change of govern
ment which was being considered at
that moment, and was not based
on any of the features that go to pro-
vide a sound business treatment of
the situation, but the fallacy of it was
so patent that it worked entirely con-
trary to the prospected intent. Now
compare this overdraft of the general
fund for the year 1909, August 3lst, in
the sum of sos, 930.47, with the same
account as of August 3lst, 1911, after
two years of work by the new council,
which account represented a credit
balance in the sum of $3,S39.40. The
foregoing brief resume of the condi-
tion together with the enclosures will
give you some idea of the condi-
tionS as they exist here; and in addi-
ton to what is related above, | wish
TO state that the affairs of the city gen.
orally is taken care of much better than
they could possibly be under the cum
berSome conditions existing under the
common council system. We are ia
vored with line OF discounts that
could not be secured at least were
not by Eau Claire by the average
common council"
Mr.. Fennessy stated that he would
have been very glad to have set Mr..
Walsh right in this matter but he
did not want an honest statement
but rather wanted to deceive. Our
city clerk also gave me the council
proceedings which / send you that
figures may be verified.
am writing you because it is my
opinion that the taxpayers of the
good city of Wausau want the truth
and the whole truth.
| cannot understand why any right
thinking people of your city, or any
other city, should oppose the Com
mission Form of Government.
Gene, this is written by friend
of all of the good people of Wausau,
who is deeply interested in their
welfare, who hopes for good results
on election day. If the word goes
out: Carried by a large majority, "
my hat will go up mile high.
Yours truly,
CHAs. II. HENRY.