The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-20

statesmen claim 10 have saved 500.
and in Tho next paragraph by surrcn!
d"ring a public property which coat tho
city over Sl0G.0hh To create, and by CIV
ing all their business TO The wheeling
Electric company on the Wheeling Flee
trio companys terms. they claim to
have made n saving OF Se0.Dpn year. II
is pretty fair presumption that the
Wheeling Electric company didn't make
the contract for lighting the streets
without figuring n profit. II took III"
contract on its own terms. and IL is f.
curious ins;Rnc" OF people either deceive
ing themselves ur seeking 10 deceive the
pu bile thar claim Of n saving Of S2h..
600 is mad" by abandoning great mu-
nicipal property. destroying il entirely
and Surrcndcring tn" City's interest s
into tho hands Of n private corporation
which in jus, the preceding paragraph
of the game pamphlet is cStrottonni".
unjust and unfair to tho public 10 such
an extent that II is trying: 10 rob the
public Of 100000
National Telephone Case.
Much is made Of the settlement Of the
case OF the National Telephone company
from which the city secured 3"S.5nn in
cash. and an absolutely untrue STATE
mcnt Is made that the previous city adj
minisI ration Ind agreed 10 tho merger
of th"S" properties without protecting
the city's interests. Tho previous city
administ raj ion and tho Chamber Of Com
merco Of Wheeling had ngrrcd to tho
! merger nc these two properties. but the
merger Ind not been contaminated, hnd
tHo years aSn when the rig Five" cam
into power. the question Of tho value of
the National Telephone property which
reverted to the city had not been dis
| CuSScd simply because 1t was not in q
position Ia be discussed We might as
we'll point out in this connection that
the very provision Of tn" National Tel
/ ephonr cha rt"r hy which this recovery
OF S2S.5nO was made possible. was an
act OF tho former city government. ns II
result OF iis wise prrcnution. and some
thing with which the alleged Rig FiT"
had 10 more tn do Than they hav" with
h" spots on Tho moon. To most 81 n"
people tho saving Of S2S.5n0 10 the city
for n valuable franchise and great
plant extending wires and poles all over
tho city will not seem 10 have been q
very tremendous feat. BY some nocuS-
pocus. however. in tho pamphlet issued
by Tho Big Five" tho s28.5nh IS lnHdc
t. represent real value or $4,000
This IS tn" opinion Of tho late city NAN
ger substantiated by no facts, and evil.
IDENTIFY an aficr1 houEht for purpose Of
making some kind ~ r. crcditHble show
ing out Of n bad pircr of business.
Bridges ovcr Crock.
Also during the y"ar. MS 1t appears
from III" pa implicit. III" city made COM
tract with The West Virginia Tract on
. and :3l"ctfi company by which sHnr ono
! has figured n saving VI $4,000. In v'tW
Of tho fact that thr bridges over both
crooks wore in good cnndIti'n when the
Big Five" camr inru power. II lncE
have bern allowed ID dri"rlnratc under
| hcrvy traffic. and If III repairs nave
| trrr made. il would seem that thor con-
dilIon was rather Il sourca nf diacrtdii
than Of credit and how saving "t $40:
| E0i can h" figured from nrm"ihInz which
has never hrcn done. which may never
BE- done. and which nj the hest is rrIiy n
! division Of responsibility 'for the main
tenancc Of bridges. passes the comPre'
hensior Of any ordinary citizen. and ccr-
! tainly can only br explained by mem
bcr Of the Big Five"
Other features Of this amazing
pamphlet deal with an objection made
! by the city To pay the Natural Gas com
pany Of West Virginia thrifty cents per
Thousand cubic feet AS the city has
definite contract establishing tho prices
at which II is 10 buy gas. CONTRACT
which was not made by the big Five"
but which was made by previous admin
istrattons. In which contract the big