Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-08
DAMAGES FOR FIRE.
Mr.. Farland Asks the City to Pay for
His Destroyed Property.
ALARM BOXES WERE OUT OF ORDEE
Inadequate Protection Furnished Outlying
Districts.
VERY IMPORTANT FINANCE MEETING

The Finance Committee of Councils met
yesterday afternoon, and, as one member
remarked, the meeting was held in Council
chamber, as there were but few matters OF
consequence to be discussed. One was the
claim of Mundorf & Co. for release from
taxation, and the other was the claim Of NJ.
M. Garland for the destruction Of his
house in the Thirty-frst ward by fire. In
the latter case number Of people who were
in the lobbies made comments during the
discussion, which tended in the direction
that the city had no right to take new terri
tory within the municipal limits which it
could not protect, both in police and fire
particulars.
This was felt particularly by the residents
of the Southside hill residences, who were
present when Mr.. Carnahan announced that
the law on the matter distinctly kept the
city free from liability, but some relief was
experienced on the appointment Of the sub
committee to consider the matter. One of the
City Hall officials who is particularly inter
ested in the financial affairs of the city
said the same argument could be used in
favor Of the Twenty-second ward and other
portions of Pittsburg, which were as little,
if not less, protected than the Thirty-ffth
and Thirty-Second wards, and it would be
impossible for the city to assume such re-
sponsibilities. When asked if this was JUS
tice, he replied that the difference between
law and justice was sometimes so marked as
to provoke comment, but he declined to give
an ex-cathedra opinion in the matter.
idaHo AZ "a
the first matter considered was the claim of
Mundorf & Co., of the Twenty-ftth ward,
from property tax for the reason that their
property had been burned down and they
did not intend rebuilding. They wanted an
exoneration of the second installment Of last
years taxes.
NOT AUTHORIZED BY LAW.
There was also an opinion from the City
Attorney, in which he stated that there was
no law authorizing the exoneration. The
matter provoked considerable discussion. A
resolution was finally ordered returned to
Councils recommending the exoneration.
The petition of NJ. NJ. Garland was read,
and stated that his house in the Thirty-frst
ward had been destroyed by fire on the
night of November IL. An attempt had
been made to send in an alarm OF fire from
box 167, but the wires were out of order and
it was 45 minutes before the engines reached
the scene. Meanwhile the house and all its
contents were destroyed. The petition
claimed that the total destruction was due
to the negligence of the city. The damages
asked was dwelling, So, 900; household goods,
81, ,532; clothing, 81, IA %.
A. c. Robertson supported the petition,
claiming the man had lost everything he
had in the world and was unable to bear the
loss. The city had not supplied the hill
wards with proper fire protection. He
moved the petition be returned to Councils
afirmatively.
W. A. Magee opposed the motion, saying
the question should not be railroaded or
hurried, as it entailed grave consequences.
Such action would involve the city in not
only this claim, but many thousands of dol
lars on account of the precedent. The
speaker did not think it fair on the first day
that the petition was presented to pass on
it without any investigation OF the subject
NEEDED THOUGHT.
The question was an important one to the
city, and required the best thought of Coun-
ellis on the subject If the petition was passed
as proposed there would be nothing to stop
the first man hurt in any part Of the city
from coming in with a claim of damages,
saying Gu0 city hdo HOSAlS6ubs A0 Hdb up
posed to it in its present shape, and would
use his influence against it on the floor of
Councils.
Mr.. Robertson stated that he recognized
the city had no legal right to pay the dam
ages, but they had a moral right. There
was no question but that the city had been
negligent. The engine house was only
quarter of mile away, and yet it was 45
I.(.- L. fr.
of the fire. He was opposed to the petition
being sent into subcommittee and allowed
to die there.
This brought Mr.. Paul to his feet, who
wanted it understood that any sub-commit-
tees he was on did their work, and no peti-
tion or ordinance was allowed to die.
Mr. Bender favored the petition. He was
the man who had attempted to pull box 167,
also box 1852, and both were found to be out
of order. He afterward learned that the
fire alarm Office knew the wires were out of
order at $50 o'clock, and the fire did not
occur until 1890.
Mr.. Robertson Withdrew his motion, and
the motion that the petition be referred to a
of three for investigation car
ried. Messrs. Paul, Heating and Donley
were named as the committee.
CLAIMS RETURNED.
The claims of File & Brown, William
Warren and Norah Galway for overpaid
taxes were afirmatively returned to Coun-
ellis.
A communication to Delinquent Tax
Collector W. R. Ford by I. M. Van Vorhiss
was read. The communication asked that
the writer be exonerated from the payment
of taxes for 1879, on the ground that the
he purchased formerly belonged to
the city, and was not in his possession in
the year 1879, upon which the taxes,
amounting to $3.50, called for.
Controller Morrow made a statement re-
garding the matter, explaining that the
was located in the Seventeenth
ward, and had been bought in by the city
and then sold to Mr.. Van Vorhis.
Mr.. Magee stated that he remembered the
sale Of the property, and that it was sold
under resolution of Councils, and the buy
er had promised to pay all liens or taxes
standing against it. Mr.. Magee was there
fore opposed to granting any exoneration.
On motion 1t was decided to return the
petition to Mr.. Ford, and instruct him to
collect the money as called for in the origi-
nal resolution.