Source:Firemens-salaries
"Firemen's salaries: Lively debate in Select Council on the subject: A motion to reduce Chief Evans' income lost—an exposition and free library favorably talked about; Common Council business." Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, Jan. 12, 1886, p. 5. Newspapers.com 85626979.
In Select Council yesterday there was a lively contest over the Fire Department ordinance. Mr. Warmcastle proposed an amendment fixing the salaries of the Chief and his assistant at $1,600 and $1,300 respectively, instead of $1,800 and $1,500, but it was lost, two to one. The vote on the ordinance was ayes, 32; noes, 11;—less than a legal majority. The telephone was brought into requisition and frantic appeals were made to members to leave their business and hasten to the relief of the measure. The ordinance was called up again an hour later by Mr. Keating, and a warm discussion ensued.
Mr. Bruce regretted that the ordinance increased the salaries of the Chief and the Assistant Chief Engineers only. He believed that if salaries were to be increased at all, the men who do the hard work should also be increased. Mr. L. T. Brown said that it was a mistake to say that the Chief and Assistant do not do hard work. Only on Sunday night Assistant Chief Steele was so frozen that he had to be lifted into big buggy. Mr. Keating was in favor of increasing all salaries, but he was certain the Chief Engineers should have their salaries increased, as they get less here than in any other city of the same size in the Union.
Mr. Warmcastle was in favor of giving Assistant Chief Steele $3,000 a year and putting him at the head of the department, but he wasn't Chief and therefore he opposed the ordinance.
Judge Mellon and Mr. Lappan were both in favor of giving them men $30 a year additional for insurance purposes, but they opposed the increase of the salaries of the Chief Engineers and the establishment again of a Secretary of the Fire Commission.
The roll was called and the ordinance passed finally—ayes, 41; noes, 9.
The report of the Committee on Wharves and Landings provided for a lease to Dougherty & Morrison of a landing at the Point. The lease runs now until April 1, 1887, yet the Wharf Committee granted them an extension to April 1, 1892 at the same price, viz., $250 per annum. Mr. Bruce held that Councils had no authority to extend the lease until the present lease had expired, and the object in the action was simply to exclude other bidders. Council by 26 ayes to 10 noes knocked out Dougherty & Morrison and approved the rest of the report.
Messrs. Bruce and Keating were appointed on the sub-committee on the widening of Fifth avenue, between Grant and Ross streets.
Mr. Bruce offered an ordinance granting to the Western Pennsylvania Exposition Society a tract of land at the Point for a period of fifty years, to be used for erecting an exposition building. The ordinance was referred to a special committee of seven, four from Common and three from Select Council, the members not being yet appointed.
Mr. E. S. Kennedy introduced a resolution, which was passed, directing the Finance Committee to report a plan for the acceptance of Mr. Carnegie's offer of $250,000 for a free city library. Also a resolution directing the City Engineer to make a survey of all city property in order to give the City Property Committee a knowledge of the location, dimensions, &c. Adopted.
The ordinance locating Bigelow street, which is to immortalize the City Engineer, passed finally. Council Chamber was granted to the retail liquor-dealers for their meeting on the 19th and 20th. The Allentown Turn Verein was granted exoneration from taxes. A Common Council ordinance was passed finally opening Carson street from Thirty-fourth street to the city line.
In Common Council an ordinance was introduced granting the Transverse Passenger Railway Company the right to build a branch to the East End by the following route—from Twenty-second street to Liberty street, to Centre avenue, to Ellsworth avenue, to Penn avenue; petitions for the erection of public lamps on Calvin street and the same on Forty-sixth street. A resolution was introduced directing the City Controller to issue a certificate on the Mayor for the return of $600 overpaid taxes to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company; and an ordinance authorizing the assessment of damages caused by the grading of Center avenue.
Terence Murphy, of the Twenty-eighth ward, asked for the suspension of the rules in order to pass a resolution directing that two special police officers be placed on the Tenth Street Bridge at the expense of the company. He explained that this was made necessary by the frequent robberies and other outrages committed on pedestrians on that bridge of late.
Charley Evans said enough watchmen were employed already by the company. Mr. Carnahan thought the city would have to pay the salaries of the watchmen. The resolution was referred to the Police Committee.
A flood of small street ordinances and other papers were acted upon without debate. Among others, a petition from John Dunlap and others, advocating a compromise of the claim of the city aginst [sic] the property of D. Hostetter, was filed. An ordinance was presented by Mr. James Renziehausen from the Police Committee, authorizing the establishment of the Gamewell Police System. The ordinance stated that not over thirty men were to be employed, together with twelve horses and five patrol wagons. Mr. Charles Evans opposed the passage of the ordinance because the city's finances would not warrant the expense. Mr. W. A. Magee stated for the information of those who did not know, that the cost of establishing the system would be about $45,000. He was strongly in favor of it. Mr. R. B. Carnahan was heartily in favor of establishing the Gamewell system at once. He said the amount of money spent in Pittsburgh for police protection was niggardly when compared with that spent by other cities that could justly be compared with Pittsburgh. The ordinance then passed, Messrs. William R. Culbertson, Charles Evans and Hugh Ferguson voting negatively. Adjourned.
