Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-29
Mayor Gourley's Objections to That
Sidewalk Ordinance.
SAYS IT is AN OCTOPUS MEASURE,
Which Invites Monopoly in the Sidewalk
Paving Business.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AMEYvAcATED


mitted by His Honor since he became
Mayor two years ago 1t was passed over
his veto without a corporal's guard sup
porting it in either branch.
The first veto acted on yesterday was that
relating to the vacation of Armstrong alley
in the Tweutv-first ward. The opposition
failed to secure enough votes to pass the
ordinance over the veto and when recon-
sidered later failed again. The other was
Chief Bigelow's sidewalk ordinance which
was opposed so bitterly in committee by
Councilman Ferguson. Its title is can
ordinance designating the kind and quality
of sidewalks, the kind and quality and the
setting of curbstone, laying OF boardwalks
and fixing the width and regulating the re-
pair of the ssme.'' In his veto the Mayor
says:
Needs to Be Carefully Studied.
This ordinance must be not only read,
but carefully studied, to be fully under
stood / am sure it was not drawn by
member of Councils, nor do / believe it was
prepared by the Chief of the Department of
Pablic Works. 1t is far-reaching, exacting
and comprehensive in its scope and char
acter and touching the matters embraced in
its provisions, it coafers absolute power
upon the Department of Public Works
There is but one right clearly and spe-
cifcally reserved to the people, and that is
the inalienable right of paying the expenses
attending the improvements contemplated
by the ordinance.
may have been or may be paved with
asphalt, rectangular, Ligonier or granite
block stone, or paving brick sidewalks, shall
be laid with f1agstone, artificial or grano-
lIthic stone or asphalt. On streets which
have been or may be paved with irregular
block stone or cobble stone the sidewalks
shall be laid with fiagstone or brick This
section clearly provides that brick side
walks shall be limited to streets paved with
cobble stone or irregular block stone. Under
this section it is within the power OF the
Department of Public Works to compel the
property owners to remove the brick side
walks on all streets paved with rectangular
block stone or asphalt, and put down in
their place flag stone, granoi1thlc stone or
asphalt pavement in accordance with the
pl loyisions of this ordinance. On Wood
Street, Fifth avenue, Wylie avenue, Penn
avenue, Shady avenue, and on other streets
too numerous to mention, brick sidewalks,
which have been used in this city for CEN
tury and which are very generally used in
all the cities of this country, must now or in
visions OF this ordinance, and flagstone,
granolithic stone or asphalt pavement must
be constructed at the expense of the owners
OF abutting property as provided.
COnferrlng ArDltrary rover.
1t is but fair to state that the Chief of the
Department of Public Works disclaims any
intention of effecting such an unreasonable
revolution in the character of sidewalks, and
further says it was not the intention to have
the ordinance confer such arbitrary power.
But the language of the section cited will
bear no other Interpretation, and that such
is the meaning and intent of the ordinance
is made manifest by a clause which says:
tclno 70, N1o,
the present sidewalks and curbstones they
shall be replaced by the owners OF the
premises abutting thereon in the manner
and of the materials provided for in this or
dinance for the laying and setting of new
sidewalks ana curostones and in accordance
with specifications herein contained"
The Chief of the Department of Public
Works. under this ordinance, is the arbitrary
judge as to when it shall be necessary to re-
move the present brick sidewalks and con-
-truct in their stead the fiagstone, artificial
estimated. Whenever, in his Judgment, he
deems it necessary, he gives the property
owners 20 days notice to discard the brick
and substitute the new materials, and If the
thorized to execute it himself and collect
the cost and expense from the owners of
abutting property according. to law. Such
Is the power bestowed upon the Department
of Public Works by the second section of
this ordinance. If ruthlessly used, the help
less people may well exclaim: "Who shall
Afraid of Creating a Monopoly.
do not charge, 1 do not even intimate
that this ordinance was prepared in the in
terest of a limited number of contractors
but that it will excite their admiration and
command their approval there can be no
possibility of doubt. 1t creates monopoly
by practically restricting the laying of side
walks to few individuals who construct
pavements under high-sounding names and
at a temperature of from $50 to $50 degrees
Fahrenheit. Under this ordinance the brick
layers and stone masons, who have for more
than century been putting down sidewalks
in an acceptable manner, are not "in it"
Their occupation is gone. Competition is
strangied. The unhappy property owners
contractors who are familiar with the quail |
itative and quantitative analysis of 'Seuch- |
atel asphalt, "Seyssel rock asphalt, - "Trin- |
idad asphalt" Standard sheet asphalt and |
specially refined asphalt" |
The ordinance treats specifically of the |
kind of foundation upon which these diver |
sified asphalts shall be laid; and very much |
doubt whether any member of your honora-
bic body can produce the specifications of a |
building which describe the foundations
with such minuteness, or which require |
this ordinance for the ordinary foot-walks |
along our streets. True, the ordinance does |
not require piles driven or retaining walls |
to be built, but the ordinary mechanics who |
" d
time might just as reasonably engage pile |
driver as employ q chemist, and assume the |
risk of having the Department of Public |
Works condemn his Quantitatiye analysis or |
reject his work upon the grounds that the |
temperature of the materials was above or |
below the number of degrees, Fahrenheit, re-
Quired by the specifications.
Discriminating Against the People.
1t is proper and right to provide for and
require the construction and maintenance
of suitable and substantial sidewalks, but
this can be done without compelling the
people to employ the professional skill and
machinery contemplated by
this ordinance. Upon the foundation and
binder so elaborately described in the ordi-
nance, the Trinidad asphaltum pavement
shall be laid one inch in thickness when
compacted by rolling with q roller of not
less than 800 pounds weight.
Ihls pavement shall be composed of the
following, to wit: Refined asphaltum, 100
sand and not more than per cent of hydro
sllicate of alumina; fine powder OF carbonate
of lime.
The composition of Trinidad uulcanite
asphalt pavement is also given at length as
above, and the Mayor resumes:
You will pardon me for referring to this
ordinance with some degree of particu-
IarIty. 1 want II possible, to show You how
visions. the work of constructing payements
will drift into the hands of two or three
persons or firms. 1t creates an octopus
whose arms will ultimately reach out and
embrace the sidewalk of every property
owner in this city. 1t discriminates against
the people and transfers to the few an i'm.
portant branch of public work which has al |
ways been open to the many. 1t brings into |
prominence materials which, when used in |
our street pavements, have always been
high-priced, and very often short-lived, un- |
substantial and unsatisfactory.
Important to All Property Owners