Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-01
OFFERED ANEW CURE
Allegheny Struggling Under a Load
of Curative Legislation.
FIGHT TO DIVIDE RURAL WARDS.
Representation in Select Council to Be
Based on Numbers.
CITIZENS MEETINGS WILL BE CALLED

Allegheny, the infant second class city,
is in danger of being smothered with the
remedies offered for solution of its diff
culties.
AT least three new ones were offered at
the meeting of the Finance Committee last
| night. The meeting also developed the fact
that the great fight over the division of
wards is but an effort to have some of the
strong men who represent the outside wards
remain in Councils. although the apparent
necessity Of an increase in the membership
of the Select branch makes a charming
cloak.
AT the opening OF the meeting Mr.. Elphin-
stones revised edition of the Rynd bill
received a damper from an normal opinion
given by Knox s. Reed, in which they
claimed the bill was unconstitutional IN a
number of points. The City Attorney, how
ever. relys on the hope that D. T. Watson
will give different opinion. In case this
bill fails, Mr.. Elphinstone has another to
offer. The new plan is to have a general
law regulating the basis of representation
in Common Councils the same as in Pitts
burg, and, also, to have the representation in
SCiCCb SOuHcllS UdSeu Oh q 6lIullldr IuebuOu,
instead of having one from each ward.
-: Little Time in Which to Do the Work.
1t is not thought possible to have curative
legislation passed in time for the coming
election. but it was thought that special cleo
tions could be held afterward.
Although this remedy was suggested, none
OF the members of the committee seemed
enthusiastic over it. Mr.. Wertheimer
wanted the city divided into 18 or 20
wards irrespective of present lines, and he
wanted the division made by a board of
viewers appointed by the court. Mr..
Kennedy wanted only tine rural wards
divided as they were the only ones that
could be cut up in time for the election, and
the great fight of the evening was made on
the principal that as the rural wards
were the ones where the most
work was to be doue they ought to have a
greater representation. Some claimed it
was not right to divide any ward without
dividing all. The ight was SO warm that
even personalities were exchanged, but all
ended in harmony. The motion to have all
the wards divided that desired division
was passed unanimously, and now citizens
meetings will be held in each ward to de-
eide whether they want any division.
A Special Saturday Night Meeting.
The special meeting Of the Finance Com
mittee was called last night to receive Mr..
modification of the Rvnd
bill. An informal session was held before
Mr.. Elphinstone arrived. Arthur Kennedy
opened with the announcement that both the
Rynd bill and Mr.. EIphinstone's substi-
tute were unconstitutional. He had
held "a consultation with Knox g.
Reed who declared the bills were uneonsti-
tutional for number of reasons. The main |
one was because they were retrogressive and |
in direct opposition to recent Supreme Court |
decision, which said: Allegheny has |
passed easily into a second-class CITY," Any |
legislation to take it out of that class would |
be unconstitutional. 1t would also be estab- |
fishing two classes of second-class cities.
Mr.. Kennedy then continued that the |
only way to add to the number in Select |
Council was to divide the outside wards !
which desired a division. Most OF them have |
two schoolnouses and are so situated as to |
make the division easy and just. He argued |
that while the second and third might be |
divided it would require great deal OF time |
to make the change, and that could be done |
later. He believed the rural wards needed |
to be divided so that too much work would |
not rest on one man where so many I'M |
provemets were needed.
Mr.. Wertheimer wanted to have the |
Court petitioned to appoint a commission of |
five men to divide the city into Is to 20 |
wards irrespective of present lines, and that
the matter of the school question be left to
the care of the Board Of School Controllers
This raised Il discussion on the question
Of representation in Common Councils in |
which Mr.. Dahlinger suggested that the ]
in that branch should be on
the same basis as in Pittsburg, and that the
special act for Pittsburg be made general so
as to include Allegheny.
Mr.. Elphinstone then appeared and said
that although Knox & Reed believed his
bill unconstitutional he still believed D. It.
w atson would give different opinion. He
then took up Mr.. Dahlinger's suggestion
and said he believed the, diff
Guilty in having a sufficient number
Of Select Councilmen could be settled by
having the representation in that branch
based OH one member for every so many tax
ables, and thus escape the necessity OF divid-
ing the wards He said he would prepare
bill on this plan and submit it to the JOINT
Legislative Committee of Pittsburg and AL
legheny Councils at its next meeting.
Senator Neeb, who WIS present, Joined
with Mr.. Elphinstone in the statement that
it would ne impossible to secure any legis-
laton in time or the February election.
Mr.. Elphinstone thought legisla-
ton could be secured and special elec-
tions ordered later on.
MIR. Werthelmer then renewed his motion
to have the wards divided by commissioners
appointed by the Court, but he could find
no one to second it.
Then some more talk was indulged in. as
to the proper way to divide the wards. and
what wards ought 10 be SO divided The
opportunity was used by the members to
make speeches on the matter Mr.. Kenne-
dy believed the rural wards that covered so
much territory ought to be cut up.
notably the Eleventh and Tenth, in
pre- ference to the smaller and more
compact town wards. Mr.. Lane held
that the rural wards ought not to be divided
if the residents were not in sufficient num-
Der TO warrant the representation. . Mr..
wards, for the reason, he said, that it would
allow their Councilmen to secure legislation
for Improvements that the whole city would
be compelled to pay for.
Beauties of the Rural Districts,
Mr.. Kennedy and Mr.. Hunter made
lengthy addresses, in which the beauties of
he rural districts were pictured in truly
glowing colors, Mr.. Kennedy holding that
he march of improvement was toward the
hills of Allegheny, and they should be al
lowed plenty OF representation in Councils.
while Mr.. Hunter fingered more largely on
The coming solidity of the suburbs as the
substances where the city's revenue would
come from if they were not barred out of
Councils. He then compared Allegheny to
and said the government of the
after was Ten times as good as that of the
former, and hoped the morn was dawning
h., Il i