Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-03
Martyrs to the City's Welfare.
ON DIVISION OF WARDS.

The Committee Last Night Received an
Exhaustive Communication from Mr..
Elphinstone-AB Bill to Reduce the Num-
Der of Common Councilmen.
At the meeting of the Allegheny Councils
Committee on the Division of W ards, Solicitor
Elphinstone submitted an exhaustive opin-
ion in regard to the matter, also embodying
the opinions of his associate counsel. He
also submitted a bill as substitute for the
Rynd bill now pending. Its first section pro-
vides for the continuance in force of the pres
ent laws for the improvements, new and under
way, and the collection of unpaid assessments
The second section provides for the contin-
uance of the laws to the number of Select
Councilmen for two years.
In regard to the question asked by the CON-
mittee, "Can the wards he divided in time for
the February election" he replied in the mega
tive. His reasons were, first, that the creation
of new election districts would disfranchise
the voters, who must swear to two months res
idence In the district; second, that certain Off
GERS would be thrown out entirely; third, the
apportionment of school debts could not be
properly made, which must be done under the
acts of 1874 fourth, election districts could not
be created in time for the February election,
because the commissioners must report to the
Quarter Sessions Court, the next term of
which does not convene until the first Monday
in March.
Inc Clty SOllc1LOI maQe the IOllOW1ng SuE-
| gestion: "Y ou may be able within few months
| to secure proper balance between the two
| bodies of Councils by securing the passage of a
| law acceptable to PittsburS and Allegheny 1
| would suggest that your conference committee
| as soon as possible, should meet with similar
! committee that has been appointed bv the
| Councils of the city of Pittsbu re- and endeavor
to devise and secure legislation suitable to both
| cities"
He also offered bill designed to reduce the
| representation in Common Council. and closed
| with the following: Il would recon mend that
| Hon. b. F. Rynd be requested to hold his bill
providing for the transition of cities in the
present position until the propriety of offering
| a substitute therefor is determined by Councils
and the attorneys for the CITY,"
This bill requires that the apportionment
| shall be made every four years according to
| the number of resident taxables in the wards
the figures to be returned by the Assessors
The apportionment must be made by a COM
mittee of three from Common and two from
| Select Councils who shall examine the said re-
| turns and divide the whole number of taxables
by 40 and the quOtlent shall be the ratio of
representation for members of Common Coup-
clI provided that should any ward have an ex-
cess of three-tifths more than the ratio of tax
ables it shall be entitled to additional
member, and each ward shall have at least one
member of Common Council.
The first apportIonment must be made July
next. The first communication was referred
to Councils and the latter to the Finance Com
mittee which meets Thursday night to consider
the matter in detail