Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-25
ON ALLEGHEN Y'S PLAN
The Pittsburg Reformers Mean to
Audit the City's Accounts
AFTER FEBRUARY'S ELECTIONS.
An Address Will Re Issued on the Objects
of the Movement.
ENLTSTISG BUSINESS MEN QUIETLY

The citizens who are intent upon obtain
ing an audit of Pittsburg's civic accounts,
as Councilman O'Donnell stated was prob
able, have definitely decided to await the
result of the February election. In part
this is because they hope to see Mr. Gour-
ley elected Controller, and q thoroughly
sympathetic atmosphere created in that
office, and in part because there are i'm
portant city officers to be elected and it
would be bad politics to raise too many is
sues at the same time. Nevertheless there
have been several informal conferences be-
tween the most active of the business men
interested in this movement since THE
DISPATCH published Mr. O'DonneiTs out
line of their plans, and quiet canvass of
the most substantial taxpayers of the city
and new recruits are coming in rapidly.
The movement is modelled upon the very
similar undertaking of the Reform Associa-
tion in Allegheny, and until the organiza-
tion is completed certain amount of Sc
crecy will be maintained. When the bust
ness men of Allegheny planned their
tack on City Hall the same tactics were
adopted, and the decision to procure the
audit of>the books, which had such import
ant consequences, was reached in the Sc
clusion of Mayor Kennedy's parlors, where
the committee which inaugurated a revolu-
tion met.
Won't Give Away Their Plans.
The Pittsburg business men feel that
nothing is to be gained just now by pub
lication of their names, and some of them,
including several manufacturers, believe
that they would render themselves liable
to considerable annoyance if they were
known to be taking part in this movement
Mr.. O'Donnell is ready and willing to con-
vince any citizen, whose aid is considered
desirable, that the object OF the movement
Is in the interest of good government and
nothing else, and that the men behind it are
men having large interests in the city.
1t is realized, however, by several of the
gentlemen who are determined that an
audit of Pittsburg's accounts shall be made,
that however good the intentions of the
Controller, and no matter who he may be,
his powers are limited. They say that they
do not expect Mr.. Gourley to carry out the
far-reaching investigation they desire, nor
do they wish at all to reflect upon Mr. Nor
row for not inaugurating it. The Control
Ter has not the force of clerks at his COM
mand to undertake such q tremendous task.
The same difficulty confronted the reform
ers in Allegheny and they accordingly
planned an independent audit by skilled
accountants, with what success is known.
That is why the Pittsburg reformers do not
fatter themselves that Mr.. Gourley or any
other man in sympathy with them, can do
more than assist them in the undertaking.
They Will Assist the Controller.
The real work will be entrusted to ac-
countants hired for the purpose. Hence
the need for fund, which by the way is in
sight at this moment
The plan now crystallizing is that as soon
as the city elections are over a meeting of
all interested IN the movement will be
called. 1t will be semi-public meeting,
perhaps, although the degree OF publicity
desirable cannot be known until the time
for the meeting arrives An address to the
public will be drawn up and issued through
the newspapers, and probably the courts
will be asked 10 sanction an audit of the
city's books, including all the departments,
at once.
In every step to be taken the Pittsburg
retormers expect the advice of their allies
in Allegheny, as the latter's experience is
of course of great practical value. 1t will
be discovered before very long that many
of the Allegheny reforners are involved in
the campaign on this side of the rivec.