The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-09-12

thoroughly discussed. City Manager
Maggie took the floor
II didn't want to say anything here
tonight" he said. but it cS"mS to me
that anyone in business Of his own. who
had bills outstanding which were abb
solutrly good. and who wanted ready
money would prefer to go to bank and
borrow for 30 days. paying onc-haIf OF
l per cent, rather than to allow DIS
CONT on his outstanding accounts
equivalent to "a per cent year. The
City Of Wheeling is in a way business
institution aud ought to be run along
business lines. II it is run along such
lIi,cs, we Will take advantage OF all of
these opportunities TO save money. and
In saving for the city. saving for the
citizens.
The . per cent discount Ia an eQuit-
able proposition. Take the man with
$4,000 investment and it amounts 10
about 80 cents. Take the man of the
big corporation with Il half million or a
million and il amounts TO $50 or $40.
Now. it isn't the fellow who is really
taxed that is Directing to disseminating
the discount. I don't believe that any
body will object If the matter is e4-
planned to him as it should be explained.
Ii the proposition were made plain they
would all agree to pay the extra cents
in the case Of the small fellows. or the
dollars in the case of the big fellows.
Salary Increases.
Since the last meeting we have been
called upon to raise wages: Some de-
partments thought they ought to have
a considerable increase; others were sat.
isfled with lesser raises. We considered
the thing from every standpoint. includ-
ing the higher cost of living, and agreed
TO announce Il raise Of 10 per cont in
the wages OF employees who had not re-
cc!vcd l. raise recently.
THE city is not in position to increase
it, revenue as in former years. Our
sources Of revenue are rather curtailcd.
We must pay higher prices for material.
This proposal to discontinue the 2
per cent discount. I do not view in the
high, of additional taxation. 1t is just
"a plain business proposition to provide
the money tho city has to have 10 con-
duct it's business. and in II way TO look
after the property OF the city. applying
the principle of taking whatever dis
counts may have been customary in for
mer years and turning them into the
treasury of the city. The people don't
lose anything. They have thirty days
longer than formerly when they paid in
October. I feel that when the end of
the fiscal year rolls around. even IL we
don't have. To increase wages again, we
will haze n hard time to pull along ana
will be without many improvements.
Property Needs Repairs.
The previous administrations have
loft the physical property OF tho city in
An awful condition. Miles of sidewalk
and steps need repairs. Roofs Of tho
ietty's buildings have not been cared for
for five years or longer. Just today l
had To contract for q roof for the wagon
building on Nineteenth street and an
other at the stables. Out here we have
u hose house that Is in dcplurablc
condition and needs repairs now. There
is not n piece of city property that is
not out of repair. simply hrcause the
city has been without funds"
Mr.. Maggie declared that h" did not
believe former administrations had ms
managed city affairs. but that the con-
ditions were due to tho fact that The
administrations ran along without suf-
licIcnt money.
Replies to Criticism.
In this connection. he took occasion 10
reply cauStlcally TO articles in news
papers. which he declared will later 10
taken hack. and declared that the people
arc being mislcd by articles inspired be-
cause of antagonSm to thu present
council. which he said. was elected on Il
platform which was not supported ny
those responsible for the articles in
question.
Put when tho first year shall have
rolled by" hc said. in spite of in
creased cost Of material and higher
prices for labor. VIC shall hay" shown
the citizens that W" are running this
city on a progressive basis of business
and the people who have stood in tho
road of progress ARE going TO hc called
upon for An accounting"
II am not here playing politics" he
added. IT am running this city and I'm
going to run 1t on Il business basis so
that at the end Of the year the people
Will know that their city has been put
upon business basis. / want you men
with me-"