Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-04
OUR MAIL POUCH.

The Stirring State of Affairs In Allegheny
Mr.. Wachob Asks What Has Become
of Large Sums Due the City.
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
Since 1 was not allowed to explain at o
citizens meeting the reason why Allegheny
Is away behind in the way of public i'm
provements-judging from the tone of your
editorial in Tuesnay's DIsPAToH-you might
feel willing to allow me to ask our city au-
thortties to explain some little matters per-
tanning to our finance before next Tuesday,
at which time they ask us to mortgage our
property for the little sum Of $2,250,O 900, and
that, too, without any definite plan or esti-
mate as to the actual cost Of the improve
ments which they contemplate to make.
Perhaps by the time they spend 81, 25O, 900
they may request us to spend So 600, 900 more
or lose what has been spent. Perhaps the
Improvements might turn out like the cleo
trio light plant, when Councils undertook
to light the heavens instead of the earth.
In looking over the reports of the experts
of the Auditing Committee find that there
is due the city from the various street rail
roads the sum of $23s, ,079 q; from the various
natural gas companies the sum of S49, $40 81;
scrap metal-which was not found by the
experts on the books, but where it had been
sold-to the amount of 8, ,s5s IS, and other
bills too numerous to mention, such as the
items Tor printing, where one item had been
| charged II times and another 13times. There
| is another little matter some of US would
like to have Information on. The book of
the Controller shows that during the year
lsss our treasurer put into the hands Of the
| delinquent tax collector the sum of $101,-
| 322 20: in 1889 the sum Of S107,5 ,5H 81; during
1880 the sum of Sl34, 1857 10; during 1891 the
sum ofsl95,2l5 IS. The sum total during tho
| four years above mentioned is $53S, ,480 Oh.
From the best information 1 can get, the
| Controllers annual reports-which, / con-
| fess, are to say the least hard to understand
nothing like this sum has been paid back.
| Now, ask: Where is the balance? Is it
| in the hands OF the Collector or is 1t out
| standing-not collected? This Is what tho
| taxpayers would like to know; ana for one
would like to know the facts in the case.
Our tax collector certainly cannot claim
the same excuse as our Controler-that he
could not do the work because he did not
have sufficient help II he collects all that
Went into his hands during 1881 his salary
and commission would be over SIS 900. That
| ought to be sufficient to command the help
required. Take the commission on the $780,
2!5 75 put into his hands by Treasurer
McFerron for the year ls9l. Upon this
he gets per cent This would net him
the nice little sum OF S9,76O 49, The sum
1891 was So. $40 "a, upon which he has a COM
mission of IL per cent, which would make
him the additional sum OF 81, 564. There are
still two additional sums TO be heard from,
VIZ, s., 500 straight out OF the treasury of
the city, also $500 for services as clerk OF the
Sinking Fund Committee, which IL is said
only meets once year.
desire to be fair in this matter. The
$l9o,2l5 IS put into his hands by Treasurer
McFerron in 1891 was all against property
$50 says McFerron). The $36 $40 "a received
from the County Treasurer against
people OF Allegheny, was in part personal
tax, and would no doubt in part be lost.
All we now desire is to have fair state
ment to show just what amount has been
paid back to the Treasury and what amount
is still uncollected. l would suggest to our
worthy Mayor that while he presses so
heavily with the right hand on the bond
question, he gently press with The
left the claims I have mentioned, and If he
succeeds in collecting them he will have the
100000 which he proposes to spend per
annum on the streets by the issue OF bonds.
He will not only have the amount he asks
for, but will have money to loan to some
worthy object
And il he will impress upon the minds of
Councils the Importance of charging the
street railroads iair compensation. as we'll
as all other corporations having privileges
from the city, he will find sufficient funds to
more than repave the streets, which he de-
sires to do with the proceeds of the bonds.
THOMPSON WACHoB. o.
ALLEGHENY CITY, Nov. 8.