Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-02
THE IRON CITY.
The Different Phases of Municipal
Government.
How Pittsburgh is Now Goyerned-The Wa
ter Works an elephant-How Officials
Get Rieh-Mayor-ControIler-
Education-The Poor.
WHAT 1T COSTS TO RUN THE CITY,

/
tive to some proposed changes in your city
| government, reference was made to the
systems of government in vogue in differ
ent cities, among them Pittsburg. A few
words regarding the administration OF
municipal affairs in this city may, there
fore, be OF some interest to your readers.
The system OF government of the Iron
City has been formed much like patch |
work quilt. Long years ago city charter |
was obtained which it was then supposed |
provided for the complete and satisfactory |
running of public affairs. From time to |
time, with the growth of the city, discrep- |
encies in this original document were dis |
covered; and as necessity demanded new
offices and boards were created by special |
| acts The legislative power OF this, as that |
! of every other city of this commonwealth, |
| is vested in the
Councils, Select and Common.
| Members of Select Councils hold office |
| for two years, and elections are so arranged |
| that half of the body is elected annually. |
| Members OF Common Councils hold Office |
| only one year. Inappropriate as 1t may |
seem, the Select Council OF this city is |
| larger body than the Common Council, the |
| former having Seventy-two members, while |
the latter only numbers forty-four. The |
reason OF this is, that the law provides |
| there shall be two members OF Select Coun- |
| ci!s from each ward, while members OF the |
Common branch are apportioned according |
| to population. Councils have general con- |
| troll Of the affairs of the city, executive as
we'll as legislative, and the different depart
| meNtS are run by
| Committees Of these Bodies.
|. who alone are empowered to authorize the |
| expenditure OF money for the various pur-
| poses necessary. There are but three eX-
| CeptiOnS to this rule, the Department OF
| Education, the Board OF Health and the |
| Fire Commission, of which something will |
| be said later. The following are the differ |
| ent committees, each of which has charge
| of the matters indicated by its name: Fl
| nance Water, City Property, Markets, |
| Wooden Buildings, Gas, Ordinances. Roads,
Legislation, City Assessment, Streets, Sur
| veyS, Police, RetrenChment and Reform,
| Claims and Accounts, Wharves and Land
ings, Printing Railroads, Appeals.
Under the natural order OF things the
| Finance Committee OF councils would be
the most important body in the city, but
under the unfortunate existing order OF
things the Water Committee holds that
position. For a number of years past
| Pittsburgh las been wrestling with the
construction of a
| New Water Works
on new and elaborate plan, in the devel-
| opment of which several millions OF dol
| lars have been spent, and it has not deyel-
| oped worth a cent. Our water works are q
huge elephant on the hands of the city,
neCessitating the expenditure OF large
amounts of money annually. This gives
| the Water Committee the first place OF
| Importance. Members of councils re-
ceive no salary, but strange as it may ap-
| pear. there are always numerous applicants
for the honor of serving the people i'll this
capacity. Not Il few gentlemen have been
| known TO he
Much Richer
when they retired from the municipal con-
gress than when they entered, although
| they had no visible means of support. For
| information as to where this increase of
| wealth came from, must refer you to the
| gentlemen who have engineered numerous
| street railway ordinances and Sundry other
measures through these honorable bodies.
| Perhaps some city contractors could, also,
if they would, give important information
on this subject.
The only city officers, aside from mem-
| berS of Councils elected directly by the
people, are the Mayor, City Controller and
| City Treasurer.
The Mayor
| is the figure head of the city. He possesses
| the veto power on ordinances of Councils, |
which can be passed over his head only by
| three-ifthS vote. The present Mayor |
Hon. Robt. W. Lyon, has twice exercised |
| the veto power, and has twice had an or
dinance passed over his head. All war |
| rants for the payment OF money from the |
| city treasury must be signed by his honor. |
| The Mayor has control of the police depart |
| ment. except in the matter OF authorizing |
| the expenditure of money, which lies with |
| the Police Committee of Councils. All his |
! appointments to the police force must also |
| be submitted for the approval of this COM
| mttee. This is q mere form, however, as
! his appointments are uniformly approved. |
| In addition to his other offices the Mayor |
| also performs the duties of q police magiS-
| trate which detraCtS somewhat from the !
| dignity of the office. He receives from the
| city q salary of 5000, in addition to which |
| he receives 81 coo from the county, for act |
| ing as magistrate in county police mat |
| tiers.
| The Controller
| is the most important officer Of the whole |
| city government. He is the fiscal officer |
OF the corporation the general overseer of |
| its financial affairs. He auditS the bills |
| Where any money is to be expended the |
| Controller issues 4 certificate upon the |
| Mayor for warrant, which warrant when |
| issued by the Mayor must be counter |
| signed by the Controller before the Treas
urer can pay any money upon it. He
directs the payment of the city'S money, |
| upon the order of the Council committees
| having control of the different appropria-
tionS, and from time to time, informs these
| committees OF the condition of their ap-
preparations, which they in turn report to
| Councils. When an appropriation becomes
exhausted the Controller can order all
work in that department TO stop, or if the
Committee insist on going on, he can noti-
fy them that they will be held person
ally responsible for any further
debt incurred Controller Morrow has
now given notice of his intention to close
down promptly on all departments except
water, as soon as their appropriations are
exhausted. Even before an appropriation
is exhauSed, if the controller thinks bill
presented is unjust, or for any cause does
not see his way clear. to have warrants
issued for the payment OF money, he can
refuse point blank TO authorize payment,
and councils have nopower to compell him
to do so. The only recourse in such case is to
mandamus him in court. The late con-
troller refused in numerous instances to
have warrants issued, and it is claimed
saved the city q large amount of money
from voracious contractors. He was several |
times compelled by a mandamuS to pay
bills which he had refused payment. The
salary of the Office is $4,000. The appro.
priation for school purposes for the year
iSS2. is not accessible yet, and Mr. Morrow
has declared his intention of refusing war
rants for salaries OF school teachers, if asked
for before the new appropriation can be
drawn upon.
The City Treasurer
pays out and receives all monies, but can
pay nothing except upona warrant drawn
BY the Mayor and countersigned by the
Controller, which warrants are a check on
his accounts with the latter office. The
salary attached to the Office is S2,eoo, but
the fees received for collecting mercantile.
vehicle and State tax raises the revenues OF
the office to A, 500. The Treasurer former
ly had charge of the collection OF all delin-
.yr.,t soxas Cor which he recpiyed Der- |