Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-31
The State Legislature Will Be Called
in 10 Smooth Over Allegheny
City's Difficulties.
SHELVING A DIVISION OF WARDS.
George EIphinstone Offers Panncea in the
Shape of Revised Edition
of the Rynd Bill.
1T WILL BE PRESENTED ON TUESDAY.
spscisl Committee and Council Meetings VIII Be Hcli
to Rash Matters

The scheme for the division of wards il
Allegheny received a black eye last nigh
from City Attorney Elphinstone, but an
other plan has been suggested.
It is claimed that while dividing line
can be drawn in. on time for the February
election, ii will be impossible to have either
the school districts or voting precinct'
properly arranged in that time, and there
fore Is Select Councilmen feel sad over theil
lost seats.
The remedy now offered is TO run bill
through the Legislature providing that the
present status of Select and Common Coun.
Gil remains as it is for two years although
by some legal jugglery the heads of depart
ment are to be elected at once, the bill to
be the same plan as that prepared by Repre-
sentative Rynd except that part OF the
second class city charter is to be come opera.
tive before 1898.
No Change in Common Council.
In the two years thus gained the wards
will be properly divided, so that when all
the new dress is taken on, the unlucky Ii
Will not number all the members OF Select
Council. Even if the wards are divided
Mr.. Elphinstone saws there will be nc
change in the representation In Common
Council.
The Committee on the Division of Wards
met last night and decided that as Mr.. FL
phinstone'S plan offered possible solution
for the difficulty it should be followed.
The new bill will be submitted to a special
meeting OF the Finance Committee tonight.
Another meeting of the Committee on the
Division of Wards will consider the bill as
reported from the Finance Committee. After
that a special session of Councils will be
called Monday night.so the bill eau be for
warded to Harrisburg on Tuesday.
at the opening OF the meeting last night
Chairman Lare explained the necessity oi
action. He then called on City Attorney
Elphinstonc, who stated that he had con-
sidered the questions put by Mr.. Cochrane
at the committees last meeting, and in re-
ply to the irst question would state that
there will be no change in the membership
of Common Council. That body will remain
the same as now.
Another Problem Yet TO BE Solved.
The other question involved school dis
tricts, and while Mr. Elphinstone had made
up his mind on the subject the other coun-
sci had not. therefore it could not be
answered just at-present.
Mr.. Hartman kanted to know if the COM
mittee was safe tN 20 ahead and divide the
wards.
Mr.. Elphinstos -. said that there could be
nm harm done - no ahead
Mr.. Hubley v -fed TO know that, should
the committee divide the wards, could not
the ward be made into school district with
out additional expense.
Mr. Bader wanted to know if the men,
hers had consulted their constituents on the
subject, and he desired that vote on the
question be taken just to show how the
members stood.
Mr.. Dahlinger said that at the last meet
ing il was decided to have Councilmen pre-
pare some ordinances on the subject, and if
anv had been prepared they should be pre-
sented at once. That would show how mat
ters stood.
Mr.. Elphinstone said that he had pre-
pared an act that he thought was constitu.
tioual and could be gotten through the Leg
islature before the coming election. This
bill provides for the sane representation in
both branches of Councils as at present, to
be continued for two years. At the end of
that time Councils could be elected as pro-
vided for by the laws governing a second
class city. The object OF this hill was that
sine may be gained, so that the wards of the
city might be evenly divided, and not with
rush, as was the case at present.
Plenty of Time Before Election.
There would then be plenty of time to
make ali arrangements for the change which
could work along smoothly. The bill could
take the place of Mr.. Rynd's bill, which is
No. Is on the calendar, aud could be
passed in plenty of time before the election.
Mr.. Lare stated that a consultation of the
members from the Fourth ward had been
held yesterday and they thought it highly
improper at the present time to divide the
wards, as it was too close to the time of
election and would work great harm 10
change the polling places at present.
Mr.. Hartman could see no reason for de-
lay. The wards should be divided immedi-
ately and legislation on the subject is for
future consideration. The division could be
done with less trouble now than six months
hence.
Mr.. Suaman thought that some wards
could easily be divided, while others could
not. This was particularly so of the wards
in the center of the city, which contained
only one schoolhouse. To divide the wards
now would mean to get into a muss tina,
would take two years to get out of. The
work should be done in a business like wav.
and the advice of the City Attorney should
be followed.
After some further discussion on the matter
it was decided bv Mr.. Snaman to call a
special meeting of the Finance Committee
for tonight to take action on Mr.. Elphin-
stones bill and also to call a special Join,
session of Councils for Monday night to ap.
prove the bill so that 1t might be sent down
10 Harrisburg at once and placed on the
calendar with the Councils Endorsement.
The committee then adjourned to meet on
Monday night before the meeting of Coun-
cils.
WAITS of Arequipa is the subject of Fam