Source:Ordinance-held-up
"Ordinance held up: One granting rights to the West End Railroad: Consolidated company wants a big swing round the circle—committee on reservoir purchases appointed; a big addition to Marshalsea." Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, Sept. 15, 1896, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85456737.
Councils held an important meeting yesterday: It was the first regular one since the adjournment early in the summer, and, in the spite of [sic] the large amount of business that has been disposed of at the special meetings, there was a large amount up for consideration. The Municipal league members had on their fighting clothes, and in the common branch held up several important measures. Incidentally Councilmen Stengel and W. A. Magee had a sharp exchange of words. There will be another meeting of councils next Thursday afternoon to clean up unfinished business. Before councils met there were meetings of the public works and corporation committees.
President Warmcastle presided in select council and President Holliday in common. In the select branch the first business was the consideration of a communication from Director of Charities Booth, in regard to the erection of a forty-room addition to the insane department of the city almshouse at Marshalsea, at a cost of about $25,000. Owing to the overcrowded condition of the building the director deems that the work should be done at once. He says that during the last two months the department has been compelled to send all insane males to Dixmont hospital, but that institution is also so overcrowded that there is good reason to suppose that its managers will soon refuse to take any more patients from the county, as they cannot find room. In that event, he says, he would be at a loss to know what to do with the surplus patients. He said the department had recently received from the state, as its contribution for the care of indigent insane, $16,066 23, but this money being unappropriated and not estimated in receipts of fiscal year, it could not be used, and that consequently it had been paid into the city treasury as a miscellaneous receipt.
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The communication went on to say that if councils so authorized that he would proceed with the erection of the addition. This he could do by paying $10,000 on the contract out of his present appropriation by pushing over other bills to the next fiscal year. These bills would be a deficiency that can be provided in 1897's appropriation. He said the city have 311 insane persons at Marshalsea, 75 at Dixmont and 4 at the chronic insane asylum. He stated he was very anxious to proceed in the matter. Accompanying the communication was the wording of a proposed contract for the addition. The communication was referred to the finance committee.
The next ordinance was one granting the Pittsburgh Fire Protection Company the right to build conduits and subways and erect poles, etc., within the city. The company proposes to make it easier and speedier to send in an alarm of fire. Boxes are to be placed in the middle of a block and these will connect directly with police telephone boxes. In the underground wire district the wires are to be placed underground, in other places the wires will be on poles. Councilman Lambie made some inquiries about the matter and Supt. Morris Mead of the bureau of electricity made necessary explanations. The ordinance was rushed through and passed the select branch finally. It did not come before the common branch for action.
Mr. Lambie introduced a resolution fixing the compensation of Architect Charles Bickel, for certain work in regard to the public safety building at 5 per cent. It was referred to the corporation committee. Nothing was done with it in the common branch.
The next ordinance introduced was one authorizing the Pittsburgh & West End Passenger Railway Company to change its tracks, including switches and crossings, from their present location on Fifth and Liberty avenues, change its poles on Liberty and Fifth avenues and Market and Union streets and approving the contract dated September 12, 1896, between the Consolidated Traction Company and the Pittsburgh & West End Passenger Railway Company with reference to said changes. The company is authorized to change its tracks from the north side of Fifth avenue to the south side of the street at the downtown termination of Fifth avenue. The changes when made will make a route for the West End from Market street and Fifth avenue down to Liberty avenue, and thence along its tracks to the West End.
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The proposed change will do away with the loop at the end of Fifth avenue. It also involves, it is said, the connecting of the Fifth and Penn avenue lines of the consolidated traction companies, whereby those that come down on Fifth avenue will pass out Penn avenue, and those coming in on Penn avenue will pass out Fifth avenue to East Liberty. It may be that a grand circuit will be established, as the Fifth avenue and Penn avenue lines are very close together at the Penn avenue station of the former line. Whether the West End contemplates connecting its West End and Hazelwood sections by means of Market street is not known.
Mr. Pedder opposed the ordinance because the West End line did not furnish sufficient accommodations to its patrons in the way of running a night car to Carnegie. Mr. Collins said the West End had a night car, and that councils were not legislating for Carnegie, but Pittsburgh. The ordinance passed the select branch, but was held up in the common branch. There was a lively time there over the ordinance.
Mr. Magee moved to suspend the rules and take up the ordinance. Mr. Stengel thought the motion was out of order, but President Holliday sustained Mr. Magee. Mr. Stengel then opposed a motion to put the ordinance upon its final passage, but the motion prevailed by a vote of 23 ayes to 4 noes. Mr. Stengel then offered an amendment providing that an attested copy of the contract between the Consolidated and West End companies be filed with the controller. He said councils were asked to approve that contract, but that they knew nothing about it, and had no means of ascertaining what the contract contained. He did not think councils would vote so blindly.
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Mr. Magee said he hoped Mr. Stengel would stop pestering councils about information he didn't have. If he would take a little of his time and go to the department of public works he could get the information he wanted and come into councils armed with it.
Mr. Stengel arose and admitted to being angered by Mr. Magee's utterance. He said that the charge that he had pestered councils made him angry. Continuing he said:
"This ordinance," holding a printed copy in his hand, "bears the inscription 'passed in select council.' When that was printed it was a lie. This ordinance was not passed in select council until a few minutes ago. It did not pass the corporation committee until 2 o'clock this afternoon. What chance had I to get information about it? I never heard of it before. And while I am on this subject let me speak of another traction ordinance. At the last meeting we passed an ordinance giving the Brownsville avenue road the right of way and next morning's papers announced that a $300,000 contract to build the road had been given to Booth & Flinn. Are we slaves to come here and vote through the matters fixed for us upstairs or elsewhere out of the building, or are we free citizens to vote as we see best. I do not pester council, but I will speak my honest mind as long as I am on this floor."
The amendment was defeated by a vote of 16 ayes to 8 noes. Speaking to the ordinance Mr. Stengel said that the ordinance appeared to be all right, but until he knew what was in that contract he would not vote for it; the city might be made liable for a large sum by approving this contract.
"This thing of the free and unlimited coinage of ordinances for street railway purposes is getting to be a bore. We do nothing else. We have other business of importance to attend to."
A vote was taken and the ordinance failed for want of a legal majority, there being 24 ayes to 6 noes, one less than the required majority.
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The next business before select council was the passage of the labor ordinance fixing the hours of city laborers, materially shortening the time. It failed for lack of a legal majority at the last meeting. It passed by a vote of 21 ayes to 3 noes, the latter being those of Messrs. King, Rhae [sic] and Wainwright. Mr. King said he had voted against the ordinance at the last meeting because in the ordinance the city fixes the rate of pay at $1 50 for nine hours, while the ruling rate in the city is $1 10 to $1 25 for ten hours.
An ordinance changing the name of Mahogany alley to State street was passed. It was explained that a fine building was going up at the corner of the alley and Laurel st., to be occupied by the State bank, and it was thought the thoroughfare should have a more dignified name.
A communication was presented from Controller Gourley, setting forth the amount that had been expended and that was likely to be expended for additional ground for the Highland reservoir site. It showed that the aggregate would be about $400,000, giving substantially the figures that have been published. Mr. Lambie made a speech, in which he said it was evident that councils should proceed very carefully in the matter, or else they would greatly exceed the amount of the appropriation. A resolution appropriating $18,000 for the payment to E. S. Kuhn for land at the reservoir was before the select branch, and Mr. Lambie moved that it be referred to a joint committee of five to report at the next meeting of councils. He said it was the intention to treat the other appropriations in that way as they came up. The motion passed and also passed the common branch. The communication was filed.
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A communication from Director Bigelow anent the reservoir purchases, including those from Mr. Gourley, was received. The communication said:
"The several ordinances for property purchased in the Nineteenth ward, which came before you to-day, are for the low-level reservoir, which was provided for in the bond issue for the extension of the water system. The prices I believe to be correct and of lower value than that allowed by the viewers appointed by the court for property in the same plan.
"The ordinances relating to the purchase of property from R. G. MacGonigle are for a tank reservoir and pumping station in the Lincoln avenue district, provided for in the bond issue for the extension of the water system. I know that the prices are right and reasonable, and I am not exceeding the appropriation for the extension of the water supply. The contracts that I have awarded for my department up to the present time, have all been within my estimates, and while the amount paid for property for the low level reservoir will exceed the estimate, the prices for the reservoir and property, taken as a whole, will not exceed the estimate made two years ago."
An ordinance locating Calhoun street was passed. The ordinance for the Meriden avenue sewer was sent to the city attorney.
Among other ordinances passed was the appropriation for the proposed disenfectant [sic] plant.
The communications of Controller Gourley and Director Bigelow on the reservoir purchases were read and after some little discussion referred to a special committee of five. With them were sent the ordinances for the purchase of the MacGonigle property passed at yesterday's meeting of common council and an ordinance for the purchase of an $18,000 piece from E. S. Kuhn, passed by common council last week. The committee is to report at the next regular meeting.
Among the papers presented and referred were ordinances giving the Brownsville Avenue Street Railway Company the right to lay a track on Amanda street, from Mt. Oliver street to Arlington avenue; fixing the compensation of Charles Bickel, architect of the new safety department building at 5 per cent of the cost, and for a sewer on Bigham street.
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In common council, in addition to the other business indicated, was the transferring of $6,000 from the contingent fund to the printing fund, which also passed the select branch.
Mr. Stengel opposed the resolution to pay the Philadelphia Company $8,000 for removing its gas main from the new reservoir property. Mr. Magee attempted to explain that it would cost $12,000 to do the work if action was delayed, but Mr. Stengel objected. By a vote of 20 ayes to 10 noes, which was not a legal majority, a motion to suspend the rules failed to pass, and the resolution went over.
The ordinances for the purchase of property for reservoir purposes came next. A motion to suspend the rules was made and got 19 ayes and 9 noes, less than a legal majority, and the ordinances went over. The ordinances to purchase two lots from R. G. MacGonigle for the Lincoln avenue pumping station were not opposed so hard, the opposition not calling for a division. Mr. W. A. Magee asked for it, but did not press the point and the ordinances were taken up. The price was $3,500 and Mr. George W. Wilson said similar property in the neighborhood was held at double these figures. The ordinances passed.
Mr. George W. Wilson, from the committee on public works, presented ordinances for grading, paving and curbing Brushton avenue, Costume alley and De Sota [sic] street; for sewers on Stanton avenue and Meridan street; passed.
Mr. Magee moved that when council adjourned it be to meet on Thursday afternoon at 2:30. Mr. Stengel opposed this and wanted the hour to be 7:30, but on a vote Mr. Magee won.
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In the consideration of the reservoir land purchase question in the common branch the first step after hearing the communication of Controller Gourley was the presentation from the finance committee of the ordinances for extensive purchases as approved a few days ago by the committee. Nothing was said either for or against them, but Mr. Stengel demanded a division on the question of suspending the rules and the minority was large enough to prevent the three-fourths affirmative vote required for this purpose. This left these ordinances on second reading, subject to being called up at any time.
Following these came the ordinances for purchasing the MacGonigle property for the Lincoln avenue pumping station. This is not part of the great reservoir project. The finance committee had tied a string to these ordinances by providing that the affirmative recommendation would only stand if Director Bigelow stated in writing to councils that this land was necessary. Mr. Bigelow did this and more. He took occasion to say officially that all the reservoir purchases are all right and that he is keeping within the limit of the appropriation. A communication from him similar to the one sent to select council was read. The MacGonigle ordinances passed smoothly. Later on in the day the whole thing was brought up again by a message from select council announcing that that body had referred the subject to a special committee of five. There was a little tendency to adhere to the former action, but a few words from President Holliday had a soothing effect. They reconsidered their former action and then concurred with select council. Two more reservoir purchase ordinances came in yesterday. One was to purchase a lot from S. Hamilton and the other to purchase a lot from Mrs. Anna M. Fickes.
Prior to the meeting of councils yesterday there were meetings of the public works and corporations committees. There was little business before the former. The vexing subject of the proposed straightening of Rebecca street came up before the public works committee. Councilman Baum strenuously opposed the straightening. The matter will be held over to the next meeting.
