Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-27
THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT.
The Allegheny City Property Com
mittee Net and Resented
MR.. W. L. sCAIFES IMPUTATIOEs.
A Lively Discussion as to the Control Of
the Carnegie Library.
AN ORDINANCE WAS RECOMMENDED

The City Property Committee, of Ale
gheny, held very important meeting last
night. The question at issue was, Should
the controIof the new Carnegie Library
building be handed out to a commission,
composed Of citizens, or should it be held as
all other city property-under the control
of the committee.
Mr.. Ammon occupied the chair, and
opened the meeting by few remarks, in
which he pointed out the fact that the citi-
zens of Allegheny we're deeply interested in
the matter under discussion. He then read
the titles Of two ordinances. The first or
original ordinance was San ordi-
nance relating to the care and Gus
tody of the Carnegie library building"
The second ordinance was one that had
been presented to Councils by jealous citi-
zens, and which was entitled, "An ordin-
ance creating Board of Directors for the
control and management of the Carnegie
Library"
A LIVELY DISCUSSION.
The discussion was opened by Mr.. Arthur
Kennedy, who stated that he had heard
discussion on the subject, and he thought
the idea was very good. The suggestion
had been made that there be commission
which should consist of three members of
the Board of Control, three members of
Councils and three citizens.
Mr.. Dahlinger thought that a sub-com-
mittee should be appointed who would take
charge of all ordinances, make thorough
investigation of the subject, and report as
to the best mode Of procedure.
Mr.. Robson said that the members of
Councils were selected by the people, and to
represent the people. Therefore he thought
that the proper persons to look after the Lii
brary building were the members of Coun
ellis, and if it was given to citizens it would
look as though the members of Councils did
not have ability enough to handle the sub
ject.
OUTSIDERS ALSO DESIRED.
Mr.. Kennedy thought that there should
be outside members in the way of advisers.
Good, reputable men could be appointed;
men of leisure, who would give the question
their time. The effect of this would be to
increase the donations and would lessen the
danger of the library in the way of being
controlled by political machinery.
Mr.. Lane thought that il the City Prop
erty. Committee could handle the other eitv
buildings, they were surely competent to
handle this one. He was opposed to having
gentlemen Of elegant leisure on the commit
tee; men who have lots of money, and
had it bequeathed to them, never
having done anything to earn a cent. Again
he was opposed to the Mayor being the head
figure, as one Of the ordinances asking for a
commission proposed for the reason that can
didates for that Office would make promises
OF positions in the new library, and as a re-
suit the library would be in deeper politi-
cal rut than ever.
IL .
remarks smacked a good deal of dema-
goguery. The wealthy citizens of ALLIE
/ gheny were by no means gentlemen of ele-
CANT leisure, but were men who got up early
in the morning, and got home late at night,
and by hard work earned their money.
A PLACE FOR THE PEOPLE.
Mr.. Ammori said that the impression had
gave abroad that the new library building
was to be fashionable resort for aristocratic
families, when such was by no means the
case as the library was for everybody He
thought the trouble would be in putting
it in outside hands that it
was liable to be sectarian,
for instance, Methodists were liable to put
in Methodists, etc. That was the thing they
wanted to guard against. For his part, he
would like to see an ordinance introduced
compelling the library to be open every day
in the year.
Mr.. Robson said that the trouble was
that party Of outsiders were trying to do
up Councils and get control of the building.
He wanted to know who was back of that
ordinance.
Mr.. Kennedy said that Mr.. Robson was
mistaken; the ordinance and the article
published in the paper was the work Of a
young man named w. L. Scaife, who did
it alone and for what he thought was the
best interests Of the city.
MR.. sCAIFE's SHOT TOLD.
Mr.. Ammon rather forcibly threw the
ordinance down on the table, and remarked
that Mr.. Scaife had no right to slander the
members Of Councils as had been done in
the published article.
A motion was made that the original or
dinance placing the control of the building
in the hands Of the City Property Commit
tee be taken up, and considered section by
section.
When the first section was read Mr.. Ken
nedy wanted to amend it so that the care Of
the buildings would be in the hands Of
special committee, known as the Library
Committee.
Mr.. Einstein opposed that on the grounds
that the present committee was Just as COM
petent as any that could be appointed, be-
side it would cast q reflection on the pres
ent committee in the eyes Of the citizens.
Mr.. Kennedy withdrew the amendment,