Wheeling Register

paying increased wages In the retort house

The Mayor--Mac, where is the additional money to come from?

Mr McCormick (candidly)--I don't know.

Mr. Baird--There is no means of providing additional money.

Mr. McKelvey--I would be glad to vote for it, if I could see where the money is to come from.

Mr. Waterhouse It will be time enough to provide the money when the Gas Board asks for it.

Mr. McCormick--The Gas Board has assured the committee and members of council that if the money is appropriated it will be glad to pay it over.

The City Clerk--The provision is not made in the ordinance, and there is no request from the board in their estimate.

The Mayor--Mr. Mac. it would appear that you should provide for the other end of it.

Mr. McCormick--Oh, council can provide that.

Mr. Williams--I think the money can be found,

Mr. Baird--I agree with Mr. Williams, but the committee made no arrangement because it found no means of getting the money.

The Mayor--And the works are, even now, $3,000 short.

Mr. Williams moved to refer the whole matter back to the Finance Committee, for report at the next meeting. This was discussed at considerable length, and the motion was finally withdrawn. Mr. McCormick's motion was then put, it being to add $4,000 to the Gas Board estimate, and it was carried: ayes, 8: noes, 3. Mr. Waterhouse then moved to refer the whole matter back to the committee to find the cash, and this prevailed, and council adjourned.

The situation is simply that the Finance Committee, in making up its estimate of receipts and expenditures, exhausted every means of increasing the available receipts of the city, and yet was short of what should have really been done, as the B. P. W. orders were not touched at all, and but one-half of the Gas Board overcheck was provided for. With $4,000 additional money to raise, under the McCormick resolution, the only thing the committee can do is to "kite" estimated receipts from taxation, which will simply result in more orders outstanding and drawing interest. The alternative is to flatly refuse the increased wages asked for at the gas works. Neither horn of the dilemma will be pleasant.

Between now and the next meeting of council the restraining ordinance will be resurrected from its grave, and there is every prospect of a lively and interesting debate.

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