Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-14
As Against Railroads Ably Defended
BY Hon. A. C. Robertson in
Select Council.
ANOTHER MOVE FOR FREE BRIDGES
Foreign Laborers Not to be Entirely De-
barred From Employment Upon
Public Works.
PRESENT VALUE OF SCHENLEY PARK
According TO Chief BigslUw, Runs Avsy up Into the
Millions.

CITIZENS, ana also uleu All eIo4uSn' Pi0o 'Oi
free bridge communication with the South
side, in Councils yesterday.
Mr.. Robertson called up an ordinance
directing the Chief of the Department of
Public Safety to enforce the existing ordi-
nances relating to the time and movement OF
trains on Liberty street.
MIR. Heating moved to refer the ordinance
to the Public Works Committee. In de-
fense of his motion Mr.. Keating said there
were already ordinances in existence regu-
lating this matter. There WAS one that pro-
hibi;ed the railroad company from moving
a train along Liberty street between the
hours of A. NJ and 8 P. M, but the strict
enforcement of this rule, with many
others, would work detrimentally to many
of the citizens of the city and the busi-
ness men on Liberty and other streets, for
whose accommodation the rule was occa-
sionally disregarded. The object of such
ordinances as those already passed relating
TO this matter were ior the reasonable con-
venience of both railroad and citizens.
Their strict enforcement would be a conven-
ience to neither, and if this new ordinance
were adopted the Chief of Public Safety
would be compelled to enforce it or fla
grantiy disobey the orders of Councils.
CITIZENS HAVE RIGHTS.
Mr.. Robertson-It is highly important
that this ordinance should pass. L do not
desire to unnecessarily discommode the
Pennsylvania Railroad, but as that corpora
tion had no regard whatever for the rights
of the people. no consideration for the con-
venience OF pedestrians and paws no atren-
tion to the ordinances already passed, I
believe that something should be done at
once to impress upon the Pennsylvania Rail
road officials that they do not control the
city's streets as well as their own lines. L
have been frequently compelled to wait 10
or Is minutes TO cross Liberty street. at all
hours of the day, and l have seen !, 900 peo-
pie stand waiting at the corner o. Sixth
street until the trains were pushed back
and forth for 10 or 20 minutes, blocking
the crossing and preventing people getting
to their work, and oitentimes subiecting
work1ngmeR to the penalty of losing an
hours or a half days pay because they
could not reach their posts of duty on time.
The fact that it is a convenience to the busl.
ness men is not to be considered when the
convenience OF many citizens is inter-
fered with. The business men already have
too much their own way, and the
people are put TO too much
Inconvenience now for the business mems
interests. 1t is almost impossible to get
along the sidewalks at certain hours of the
day because of the business men and their
business requirements. 1t is time now to
consider the convenience of pedestrians a
little. There is not another city in the
country that allows any railroad to monop-
olize her streets as PItISburg has done, and
there is hardly another railroad but that
would pay more respect to the laws of city
than this one
The vote on Mr.. Keating's motion de-
feated it and the resolution was then
adopted.
ANOTHER PLEA FOR FREE BRIDGES.
Mr.. Robertson also presented a resolution
requesting and directing the City Attorney
TO prepare an act of Assembly authorizing
the citv to provide fund for the erection of
free bridges over the Monongahela river, or
TO purchase the bridges already erected. The
resolution was unanimously adopted without
discussion.
The question OF employing foreign labor
upon city work agitated both branches of
Council. MIR. Bigham. from the Finance Com
mittee presented to Common Council the ordi-
nance allowing the chiefs of departments to
employ day laboreTs who are not residents of
Pittsburg when residents cannot be secured
United States. The ordinance was passed
unanimously.
In Select Council the ordinance caused quite
a discussion. Mr.. Anderson moved in
definitely postpone the ordinance, giving as
his reason thar there was no necessity for it.
He was opposed to foreign labor. If the city
would pay enough she could get all the Ameri-
can citizens of Pittsburg she wanted to do her
work. hut the right KIND of men could not be
had for 81 . day. Anyhow. the grading of
parks, etc. should be let by contract.
Mr. keating-Thc amendment is necessary
TO carrying forward public improvements be-
cause there is a scarcity of men. Fifteen or
twenty years ago there were plenty of men to
be had filling all the requirements of the
original ordinance, but that day is passed and
will probably never return. In the rolling mill,
in which | am interested. we always prefer
Irish laborers, and next to them Germans but
nowadays Be are unable to get either The
laboriDg man Of to-day is an entirely different
individual to that of few years ago As for
opposing man because he IS a foreigner, am
surprised to hear such sentiment in this en-
lightened age. II does not seem reasonable
that because man happens to come to this
country and rear family that his sons shall
have any rights or preferences over their
fathers.
NOT FIT FOR CITIZENSHIP.
Dr. Evans-I favor the amendment because
Norkmen OF any kind are scarce and laborers
are even harder TO find. While / believe in
employing citizens. if possible, L am in posi-
ton to know that it is impossible to get many
of them. AS for making citizens of the people
who come TO this country, know of many that
are not intellectually or morally Mt for that
Mi Anderson demanded the yeas and nays
on his motion to postpone and it was defeated
by the following vote:
Ayes-Messrs. Anderson. Braun. Doyle, ID, p
Evans, Henderson. McCurry. Mckinley. Perry
Robertson, Rohrkaste, Treusch and Wilson; Il
Nays-Messrs. Binder. Brophv, Cavanangh.
Collins Or, Z. Evans ,;r, fitzsImmons, Foster,
Paul, Warren, Ford; 10 nays.
When the ordinance put on final pass
age it adopted by vote of ~ 10 s. Messrs.
Braun, Henderson, McCurry. Mckinley voting
ave and Mr.. Robertson not voting.
The resolution authorizing the employment
of Colonel John Y. Culver. of Brooklyn, as q
consulting engineer and landscape architect in
laying out Schenley Park at terms to be agreed
upon by Chief Bigelow and Colonel Culyer was
next taken up in Common Council.
Mr. Taggart thought an expert was neces-
sary, but the compensation should be fixed by
Councils.
Mr. tllnn saw no necessity for going out of
the great city of Pittsburg' for a landscape
gardener. He raised the point that the employ.
meni of Colonel Culyer would be illegal on ac-
count of the ordinance providing that all en-
ployes of the city must be residents here.
Mr.. Wright moved to indefinitely postpone
action.
DIDN'T WANT A BLOOMING BRITIsHER.
Mr. BIgham said Colonel Culyer had had ex-
perieuce in this work. He had understood
that .'blooming Britisher" was to be engaged.
but the Chief wanted Colonel Culyer The city
has the elephant and must have a groom To
meet the objections of the members he would
move to amend by providing that the compen-
sation should be approved by Councils.
Mr. Finn moved to further amend by provid-
ing that the landscape gardener should be
resident of Pittsburg.