The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-06-28
BETTER WATER
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| r,orn ne soon rs they could he gotten.
For n number IF years We had zone III
! Ito, and tho city streets and CITY pr"p-
! critics generally had fallen into STATE
I of disrcpalr. lie urged the clty Councl4
to con&idrr these matters. ana IN ""i"e
so To lax" adviC" with ana |" c""i't
with citizens of all CLASSES, to obtain
,hc,r views and prepare program Of
general city bcttcrm"ut which would
have such wide appeal that its adoption
! would b.. reasonably certain.
Mayor Thoner's ideas.
| Mayor Thomas Th"nrr. responding TOT
the city. said that he thought all the
| statements that had been mad" were
good hat h. was heartily in favor or
street improvements and believed tha'
We should build a substantial thor"uEh-
fare north and south and cast and west.
and also n number Of side streets. Tic
was in favor of filtration plant ana
believed we could get one for four or
liyr hundred thousand dollars. Ih"r"
! w,rc MANY ,thrr things. he added. that
Tho city needed and which we ought 10
try 10 Get at an early date. Tho sewer
age both on the Island and IN" S"u'h
Side. should he improved. The watcf
mains, particularly on the island "uEh1
10 he repaired and enlarged Inc IRE
department was in good shape nut IN
the course Of n short time would need
some additional attention. lie pledged
himself to favor measures looking tow
ards all Of these hctt"rm"ntN and said
that tho city Council would welcome
tho corporation Of the Chamber Of COM
n,erce in carving out thCS" plans.
CITY Manager Ephln followed Mr.. Tho
nor and spoke in TN" same vein. speak
! ing especially on the matter of build
ing streets He said that tn" only street
10 build Is the kind that will stand the
, heaviest traffic. as the heavy truck was
| with us TO stay ard that the streets
. that wo have had in the past would not
stand up.undcr these trucks. The mono
! nthic road, consisting Of Il bed OF soma
! concrete covered with the best paving
block was the only road I" build, and
/ contractors now were willing to huiid
! such roads and to guarantee them for 20
! years time He stated that h" had pre-
| nared. and would shortly submit to
! council. an outline for street improve
| mcnt. including an improved thorough
| fare through the city north and south
! and east and west. He was in favor OF a
! filtration plant Of some kind. and be-
licvrd that the other improvements mon
toned by Mayor Thoner were desirable.
! and should be secured at an early date.
Mr.. Ephlin concluded his remarks by
expressing his appreciation at the or-
portunity Of meeting the Chamber OF
/ Commerce and stated that he would wei
come any advice and suggestions from
business men and citizens generally
! that they felt inclined to give.
Councilmen'g views.
Councilman Ambrose Habig spoke
particularly of the sewerage conditions
in the Sixth ward. He pointed out the
fact that a great part OF the sewerage
of the Sixth ward did not discharge
into the river at all. but into Caldwclls
run and into an open sewer LEADING to
the run creating . condition Of affairs
which he said was a disgrace to the
community. Councilman Habis also re-
ferred to recent municipal history and
said that this council should not wait
until within two months Of ending its
term to begin improvements but should
begin them at once
Captain w. T. Otto endorsed the suG-
gestions made by other councilmcn and
referred to tho absolute necessity Il
securing revenue to carry on any Of this
work. He pointed out that the city Of
Wheeling was being run at n lower
tax rate than any other community Of
its size in the entire country: that since
1905 the tax rate has not been increased
in this city. and during the fourteen
years the city had lost revenue from
the water plant. revenue from IN" gas
plant and from city licenses which -,
had formerly enjoyed. and yet the Ia,
rate was continued the same as il had
been before. 1t was no wonder. he said
that improvements had not been made
because taxes had not been laid in suf'
4 ficient amount to secure improvements
w. z. Stone, speaking for the Cham
her Of Commerce and citizens generally
said he believed that the peopl" OF
Wheeling were willing TO pay taxes t.
any amount necessary to secure reason
| able improvements. All that they
wanted to be assured of was that they
would get 100 cents value for every
dollar Of taxes. He urged the city
l council not to be afraid TO undertake 2
i program Of Improvement because OF III,
cost. I'VE want" he said. "a city Will
better streets. q better water suppl!
i and a better performance Of all he
functions Of municipality" and h
felt sure that citizens would willingly
and cheerfully meet the necessary
L charges.
Mr.. Roy B. Mayor, mayor OF Woods
L QaIe, HleInDer OF inc NnumD'T vi
Commerce. spoke Of the needs Of out
lying communities and asked that they
/ be considered in any plans for physica
Il bettcrmept. He said that the citizens
OF these communities. and particular,
\ ly tho out-thc-pike district considered
J themselves a part of Wheeling just as
!. much as if they voted in Wheeling anc
he hoped to SEQ greater Wheeling. anc
4 the city proper. q better city than we
Z have had before.
Councilman Motto OF the Eighth
4 Ward referred to the pollution OF the
river and asked the support Of the
Chamber Of Commerce in an cnort tc
4 stop the constant poisoning OF river
n water by mines and manufacturing
plants along the river.
a. Councilman fancy spoke in the same
vein as previous councilmen and said
4 that three things were POSSIBLE and
4 necessary. They are improved streets
4 improved sewers and improvements to
j the city water mains. He stood ready
TO vote and TO work for any program
Of betterment along those lines.
Councilmen Rippus and King spoke
4 in the same vein.
Captain Otto at the close Of tn" dis
cussion suggested that tho council
would welcome the appointment Of 4
Chamber OF Commerce advisory com
\ mittee to cooperate with council and
to discuss all questions Of public IN.
Fl for ma wi fNh I,,g,