Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-30

these questions earnestly and in the full be-
| lief that they are worthy of consideration.
| know that suitable employment should be
provided for those who are supported at the
| expense of the city, but believe that q
| farm sufficiently large to furnish pasturage
and produce the vegetables required by the
institution would supply all the work the
inmates are able to perform: For snch pnr-
poses a farm of IS or lGO acres would be
abundantly large, and in my Judgment the
ordinance should be so framed as to limit the
purchase accordingly.
Very respectfully,
n. !. GoURLEY, Mayor"
Controller Morrow's Letter to Councils.
Controller Morrow's communication argu-
ing the necessity of a popular vote on the
issue of bonds to pay street Improvement
contractors was as follows:
ITO the Select and Common Councils:
"GENTLEMEN-As your honorable bodies
are already aware, the Supreme Court has
strillen down the legislation of the years
1857 and 1859 relating to street improvements
in this city and have hereby imposed upon
the municipal corporation, not by 1mpIca-
tion only, but by their unquestionable die
tum, the liability for the payment OF the
cost of improvements made under said
legislation to a sum which will aggregate
not less than 81 100000. This decision OF the
Court was announced in March last and as
soon as its import could be correctly ascer-
tanned, the city authorities, through corpo-
rate channels and through the conference
and counsel of citizens called by the Mayor
in town meeting, took the necessary steps 10
procure from the Legislature such curative
enactment to supply the defects revealed
by the Supreme Court as was thought to be
expedient and feasible The City Attorney
is now engaged, as directed by resolution OF
your honorable bodies, in applying the
recently obtained legislation to the necessi-
ties of the occasion, and, while L believe
that the city will through this means derive
to meet the whole liability eventually, the
hope cannot be INDUCED that she will be
able from this source to satisfy the impend-
ing claims at once or even in reasonable
time The uncertainty in the public mind,
whether or not the new assessments re-
quired to be made will themselves be sub
jected to the gauntlet of the courts ana
possibly non-confrmed there, may cause
many persons TO withhold payment until
prospective legislation shall have been de-
termined.
Power and Recourse of the City.
"The right to obstruct or retard collections
is one of the corollaries of citizenship, but
will, in the end, prove beneficial in effeeting
a quietus upon disputed points and thus
determining at the outstart just what power
and recourse the city forever possesses. 1
have myself the highest confidence in the
practical righteousness and ultimate sta
bility of the citys contention to recover
every dollar of the old assessments by new
ones. In the meantime the contractors and
those who have supplied them with money,
are painfully deprived of large sums equit-
ably due and have no negotiable asset to
represent their claims. L am advised and
believe that they could proceed in court and
obtain Judgment, which would bear interest
at per centum and require satisfaction by
q direct tax levy upon the property of the
citizens at the next annual appropriation If
not sooner.
this years appropriations of about S40O 600.
More than double that of last year, which,
with the above claims or judgments of the
contractors, will require an increase of the
tax rate from Is mills, as at present, to not
less than % mills. Now, this is heavy bur-
den to impose upon the taxpayers at one
time, especially as the related benefits are
special, progressive and distributive, and
not applicable in any equitable ratio what
ever to the uniformity of the increased tax
eXacted from the rate payers individually;
whereas, if the city should use her credit in
the bond market and afterwards collect the
assessment from the parties directly bene-
fitted, the community is taxed for interest
and eased by accumulations in the sinking
fund uniformly, and in the end the costs and
expenses of the improvements will have
been at least paid by those whom law and
common sense intended should pay them.
Benefit of the Sinking Fund.
"Of course, if the curative legislation fails
to bring the collections as reported, the city
would have her bonds to pay, but the sink
ing fund could take half the amount required
to be issued, and she would SO far save the
interest on them. 1 was from the beginning
in favor of the city issuing her own bonds
and paying the debt direct because the Su-
preme Court has left no escape from the
liability therefor, but 1 thought with many
others that the Legislature, then sitting,
could afford equally authoritative and more
speedy means of adjusting our affairs than
any other means. The weight and authority
of opinions, however. developed after more
careful examination of all the facts, seem
to have no other conclusion than thata vote
of the qualified electors of the city will be
necessary to authorize your honorable bodies
to direct the issue of bonds, if you decide to
meet the emergency in that way.
'I submit herewith the draft of an ordi-
nance directing an election to be held for the
purpose of ascertaining the will of the elect
ors of the city whether bonds shall be issued
for the amount and purpose above referred
to. The date of maturity and rate of inter-
est of the proposed loan, while not essential
to be discussed at this time, should be init
mated to the people, and think n five-ycar
loan at or per cent interest could be
placed now. Very respectfully,
''E S. MORROW"