The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-07-31
LONG EIGHT.

WHEN next month the municipal bonds authorized
w last December actually are turned to the pur
chasers, who have already agreed to take them,
and The proceeds are deposited to The credit Of the city,
Of the most Houblous improvement campaigns in the
history Of the country will be brought to triumphant
elusion.
The start was aupicious enough for the vote at the
special election demonstrated that public opinion back
of the movement strongly Good fortune chung to the pro-
jet clear down to The letting Of the bonds, for they were
sold at handsome premium whia ~ quite Hattenng
to the financial credit Of the city But at this point the
going became bit rough 1t was discovered that few
legal teehnicaes had been overlooked and that the city
had no right to borrow money with which to build bridges
Several ways out Of the dilemma were suggested and
investigated among them proposition to ask the Legs
lature to amend the new charter which is still in the fed
eraI courts in such way as to make it almost new OF
dinance This went so far that The bills providing the
proper legislative rem "Mally prepared. But
6nallv Ae -..---~ arzaErvo hill =" Validate
mad been approved at the polls
las opposed by Faimont citizens who it is
- will some day have the grace 10 be heartily ashamed
of the part they played. But as fate would have it the
improvement project was not actually out of the legislative
woods even yet for the rush to adjourn the House
mttee on engrossed bills elected 10 make report and
more han 20 measures were for a time in equvocal
position. Among them was the Faimont Valdaor I'm
ally It was realized that this would be carrying techni
cality 10 an absurd length ~ III 'Io bills were permitted
to become laws in the regular
The attorneys who had discovered the Original flaw in
the bonds would not concede however, that they were
valid claims until the regular go day period which the
constitution provides must intervene had passed. In the
meantime while all this was going the United States
was being drawn closer and closer to the vortex of
war. Finally we went over the edge Here in tairmont
we got glimpse of what that meant in the bond market
when some road bonds were offered by the County court
and brought no better than par When the time came for
the second letting Of the cys bonds there was not single
bidder so much engOssed was the Investment world in the
Liberty loan campaign which was casting its shadows be-
FORE There began quiet effort place the securities
which finally was ended through the efforts Of public spir-
tied citizens who were aiding the board.
From the time Of the election to The actual turning over
Of the bonds there will be span Of about seven months
1t is not very credtable record considered from one
angle but now that the members Of the Board Of Affairs
have ordered the work to be started The public spirited c-
zens who have stood behind them and urged them on as
they fought each new obstruction will continue to lend
support and begin to figure the municipal advancement,
which they had hoped would be well under way by this
time, from new date.
Perhaps the resultant benefits will be in proportion to
the effort that was required to secure Them.