Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-04
COUNCILS CONTROL.
Both Carnegie Free Library
Ordinances Completed.
THE BUILDING is DIVIDED
Into a Library Section, Managed by
New Committee, and
CITY PROPERTY HAS THE HALL
THE BUILDING is DIVIDED
CITY PROPERTY HAS THE HALL

1t is definitely settled by the action of tn
City Property Committe of Allegheny at it
regular meeting last night that the Council
OF Allegheny will manage, in every particu
lar, Carnegie Free Library and Carnegi
Hall Two ordinances were debated an
adopted, which provide for Councilman
control, and the meeting of Common Coun
ell next Thursday night will undoubtedl.
ratify and pass the ordinances as framed
This apparently dIsposes of this much
vexed question.
As predicted in THE DISPATCH of recen
date there will be a library committee o
Councils, constituted as are the other stand
ing joint committees of that body, composed
of 16 members, 9 from Common Council anc
from Select, to be appointed respectivel,
by Messrs. Hunter and Lindsay, President
of the respective bodies.
ALL IN THEIR HANDS.
This committee is vested, by the ordinance
recommended last night, with the entire
lecture room; the election of a librarian
and his assistant and other attaches. The
Library Committee will expend such sums
as are appropriated by Coudcils or contrib
uted by citizens for the purchase of books
pictures, engravings, ETC., and will be
charged with the conduct of art exhibitions
or scientific lee lures, and the entire
maintenance and control of the free library.
Such officials or attaches as may be con.
+I,o s,,I
ellis will be designated, and their salaries
fixed.
The ordinances are widely separated in in.
tent, inasmuch as the library ordinance SIM
ply gives the Library Committee occupancy
of the buildings.
HOW THEY ARE SEPARATED.
TIE Music Hall ordinance vests the con-
troll OF the buildings In the hands of the City
Property Committee and provides that the
officials deemed necessary for the proper
control of the Music Hail shall be chosen
and their salaries fixed by the City Prop.
erty Committee. This separation OF the Sec
tions of the building is thought to be advis-
able in order to assign the future manage
ment of the building as to place no onerous
charge. As the ordinances had been framed
as a compromise between the opposing views
in the CITY Property Committee it was
thought that thay would 90 through
smoothly last evening. Not SO, however, for
Mr.. Cochran, the member from the Sixth
ward, came to the meeting loaded for bear,
and managed to create considerable discus
sion and diversion.
BOTH ORDINANCES READ,
When the committee assembled Chair
man Ammon produced the two ordinances,
and they were read by Mr.. Dahllnger Mr.
Arthur Kennedy moved their adoption, and
that they be printed for the use OF Councils.
Mr.. Cochran asked that they be taken up
and considered seriatim. The first section
of the controlling ordinance was read, pro-
viding that the City Property Committee
have charge of the building, and that a
janitor be chosen, to have a salary of s., 200
per annum. Mr.. Cochran moved to reduce
the salary to s., ,000, as the men who were
applicants were probably not used to receiv-
idg 500 year. He announced his opposi-
tion as founded upon principle, not believing
in high salaries and soft snaps in general.
Mr.. Kennedy stated that the revenue from
Carnegie Hall would be large, and that the
janitor would hold very responsible
position. After vast amount of talk the
salary was amended to 81, 900.
VIGOROUSLY ATTACKED.
Mr. Cochran then made vigorous attack
upon both ordinances. He was checked
several times as being out of order, but per-
sisted in stating his case. He did not be-
lleve it wise to create a new committee, and
thought the City Property Committee could
manage and run the who'll thing without
creating a new committee. He limited
darkly that he would not be alone in his
opposition when Select Councils came to
consider the ordinances. He saw no use for
a Library Committee. In his opinion, just
as intelligent a committee could be drawn
from the City Property Committee as any or
either branch of Councils.
Mr.. Kennedy argued forcibly that as .be
building was really composite, two commit
tees were necessary to give the matter INTEL
igent management.
Mr.. Ammon explained that it was the in
tention to utilize the lecture room as means
for the dissemination of knowledge in the
shape of weekly lectures by the best men
obtainable.
TRIED TO PLEASE ALL.
Mr.. Edwin Lare stated, in answer to Mr..
Cochran's general objections. that the ordi-
nances were framed with view of pleasing
all elements in Council and that as every
body's views were represented Mr.. Cochran
should not be an obstructionist. Mr.. Lare
said that new standing committee to man.
age the Free Library was conceded to be
a positive necessity. Mr. Cochran there
upon remarked that the thing might as we'll
be turned over to the Board of School Con-
troi.
Mr.. Ammon then made a dignifed pres
entation Of the whole matter in dispute, and
said that as the effort to bring the School
Controllers into harmony with Councils had
been abortive, the next best thing was what
the subcommittee offered in the shape of the
two ordinances. He said he had personally
favored the Board of School Control, but as
Councilman and a representative of his
ward he had receded from that position.
EMPHATIcALLY DEFEATED.
Mr.. Cochran made motion to place the
art gallery and the lecture room in the
hands of the City Property Committee, but
he was defeated by an emphatic vote. The
incidental discussion was quite lively. Mr..
Lare taxed Mr. Cochran with being an ad-
vocate of the Board of School Control hay-
ing charge of the entire building and Mr.
Cochran admitted that to be the case alter
some fencing. The ordinance was then
adopted as whole.
The Library Committee ordinance was
then taken up, and the first section proyid-
ing for the new Standing Committee was
adopted after objections by Mr.. Cochran.
All went smoothly until the third section
came up. This provides for the election of
a librarian at salary OF 81, 500 and an as
sistant at the rate of 81. 200 per anDum. Mr..
Cochran squared himself for a lively tilt.
He moved that the salaries be fixed at s., 200
for the librarian and $500 for the assistant.
He said that the ordinary school principal
had TO be q much smarter man than
librarian. All a librarian had to do was
hand out books and read catalogue. Any