Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-14
NOW 25 MORE FINEST
Will Watch Over the Municipality by
Decree of Councils.
TIE CHEF TO STAND TIE BRUNT.
The Engine House Lot Assessment Brought
Out by an Inquiry.
THE FREE BRIDGE QUESTION BOBs UP

IuE EREh DhlDUh UuhOI1VN DVDo VI
The meeting OF Councils yesterday was In
teresting in many respects to all portions of
the city. The increase of 25 to the police
force was looked for and needed, although
the old rivalry between the Southside and
East End was enkindled afresh Dy the sug-
gestion of the member from the Seventeenth
ward that "A Of the Is new policemen would
20 to the East End, while the Southside
would have TO be content with 1.
The letter from Chief Brown to Common
Council asking non-concurrence in the
ordinance passed in Select purchasing lot
in the Thirty-frst ward for fire purposes
created considerable talk, and the high
price asked induced an inquiry
into the Southside assessments
in that locality which were found to run
from $500 to s., 500, and the suggestion that
a revision of the assessors lists based on the
prices asked the city for lots was not alone
well received but may materially increase
the taxes on the next triennial assessment.
Free bridges were also freely discussed.
The only one who may have cause to regret
the action of both branches of Councils yes
terday is Chief Brown, of the Department
of Public Safety, who will have about 500
applicants to ell, the 25 positions on the 20
lice force made possible by yesterdays pro-
ceedings.
GRIST OF ORDINANCES.
In the Select branch on the call of the
wards the following ordinances and petit
tions were presented and properly referred:
Ordinances for grading, paving and curbing
Boquet street from Atwood to Bates streets;
opening Cypress street from Edmond to
Matilda streets; vacating Valley street from
Long alley to Forty-ffth street; grading and
paving Yew street from Msthilda street to a
point 275 feet east; grading, paving and
curbing Breed alley from South Fourteenth
street to Union alley; establishing the grade
of Breed alley from South Fourteenth street
to Union alley; petition for police patrol
and fire alarm boxes in the Fourteenth
ward; petition for water pipe on Howe
street; ordinances providing for the taking
and approval of corporate surety by the
city.
The ordinance authorizing the Chief OF
the Department of Public Safety to employ
25 additional patrolmen was passed unani-
mously, although Mr.. Munroe took occa-
sion to inquire what necessity there was for
so many extra policemen. Mr.. Lsmbie
called for the reading of Chief Browns let
ter on the subject, in which it was stated
that there were but two policemen in the
whole Thirteenth ward, three in the Twenty
second ward, and in other parts of the city
where the population was large and grow
ing there was absolutely no police protec-
tion. No further argument was necessary,
and the resolution was passed.
THAT ENGINE HOUSE soUABBLE.
Chief Browns letter requesting the recon-
sideration of the ordinance authorizing him
to pay g, 700 for a lot in the Thirty-frst
ward was accompanied by a letter he had
Just received from Morrison & Banks, real
estate agents. The Chiefs letter was that
published Saturday morning. That of Nor
rison & Banks stated that Rev. R. j. Coster
had withdrawn bis offer of two lots on Allen
avenue, opposite those of J. E. Glass, which |
the Chief had proposed buying for s., 700, |
and that Mr.. Coster intended to use the lots
himself, though he felt satisfied that s., 200
was full value for the property.
The agents letter continued:
We reiterate what we have already said, that |
no lot on Allen avenue or any other. except |
Washington avenue, is worth more than SS00 or |
$500. We sold lot 25XlO6 feet, corner Allen |
avenue and Freeland street, one square from |
the lots you agreed upon, for S550last week. and |
it has been offered at that price for four months
We also make the following as |
sertions: The Justice of the Peace. James Bau, |
OF BeitzhoOver borough, who executed the |
deed states that the lots you agreed to buy |
were bought for 81, 500 and we had the same TO |
sell at 81, 400 last summer. The Vierheller lots |
were offered To us at 81, $50 late in the summer
and no such prices were ever asked until the |
advent of an engine house or desire Of the city /
to purchase lots.
The agents, continuing, stated that in |
the interests Of the taxpayers, they felt COM
PEELED to raise their voices against the un-
Just price which the Chief intended to pay
for the Glass property, as it was double the
value of the ground.
To offset this letter q petition, signed BY |
q citizens of the Thirty-frst ward, was pre-
sented in which it was stated that 81, 700 |
was a fair and reasonable price for the Glass
lot as it was situated on the corner of two
good streets, Climax street and Allen ave-
1ue, was 50x117 feet in Size, and that |
The price was no higher than /
was being asked for other lots |
less favorably situated, in same vicinity. |
The petition stated further that the Coster |
lots that had been offered for s., 700 were not |
nearly so desirable, being smaller, uneven
and located in a much inferior place, their |
value being over 81. 900 less than the Glass |
ots. Accompanying this petition were afi-
lavits from John Alger and Albert Vier- |
heller, two well-known property holders of |
he Thirty-frst ward, who each declared |
hat the Glass property was fully worth |
2, 200, and that they each owned property |
q the vicinity of the Glass lots, but while |
heirs were smaller they would not take
2, 700 for them.
NIsBET SQUARED HIMSELF.
The papers were all secured and fled and
/ motion to reconsider the ordinance ,or the
purchase of the Glass lots was offered. Mr..
Sisbet took occasion to repeatedly state that
le had nothing to do with Chief Browns
for the purchase of the Glass
property. He wanted to square himself he
aid, because he had been charged with
1eing a party to the transaction. But
While be would not oppose the reeonsidera-
ion of the ordinance, he believed that the |,
ot originally selected was the best to be
ound IN the ward for the engine house aud
or the money. Mr.. Nisbet thought the let
er TO Chief Brown iron the agents and. in
act, the whole controversy about the prop
rty was the result Of o fight among real
state agents.
Mr.. Lambie hastened to inform Mr.. Mis-
'et that his evident apprehension that he
ras being accused of dabbling in the citv's
cal estate purchases was entirely uu-
nunded. He also pointed out that while
,hief Brown asked the reconsideration of
he ordinance, it was evident that he still
elieyed the lots we'll adapted to the pur-
,ose, and the probabilities were that he
7ouid finally decide to buy them after all.
Mr.. Warmcastle thought that if the city
i'd not buy this lot Tor $1,000, the Councils
hould instruct the city assessors to 90
yer that part of the Thirty-frst ward and
make a new assessment. He had investl-
ated and found that this identical property
7as assessed at less than $500, and the prop
rty all along there was assessed at CORE
bonding values. II the property was worth
2, 700, il should be assessed at that.
The ordinance was then reconsidered by a
unanimous vote and referred back to the
'hief Of the Public Safety Department.
An ordinance vacating Columbia street.