Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-13
AUDITOR BIGGER REPORTS.

The California Avenue Assessments In
Doubt-Solicitor Elphinstone Is Willing
to Make a Test Case-Tal1ng Advantage
of Pittsburg's Curative Legislation.
Auditor Blgger's report was taken up
at last nights meeting of the Allegheny
Auditing Committee. That portion OF the
report pertaining to the City Solicitors
Office covered the time of the present in
cumbent, Mr. Elphinstone, from 1883 to
November l, 1892 1t shows the following
amounts of assessments turned over to the
City Solicitor for collection, the amounts
collected and turned in to the City Treas
urer, and the uncollected:
Assessments for grading, paving ana
curbing, sll562l 50; collected, S42,sIO II; un-
collected, s72, ,65l p; fees and commissions on
same collected and turned IN, .4s1 II
Assessments Tor sewers, $2l,2E "a; collect
ed, Sl6,65S l2: uncollected balance, S4,54 ~:
fees, etc., on same paid IN, sISs oa: q, ,so 97.
collected, S9ll so; uncollected Dalance'
$3.50 AZ; fees, etc, S. 6S.
Delinquent taxes charged. s9.97l "a: inter,
est ADDED. $500 25; total, Sl0,56l 59; coliecSeo
by solicitor, 81, 1926 81: collected by De'in-
ouent Tax Collector. s2. .S65 O9 balance un-
collected and practically lost. $500 3d.
The total amount collected by the City
Solicitor was So, 295 75, and it has all been
turned into the city treasury.
Chairman Gilliford asked City Solicitor
Elphinstone, who was present, why such
large amount of the street assessments, over
$4,000, was uncollected, and if liens had
been filed in all cases
Mr.. Elphinstone explained that good
portion OF it was for new work, and had but
recently come into his hands. About S45,-
Oogi n for 10
ing and curbing of California avenue. This
is still unsettled. When the ordinance tor
the improvement was pending, he warned
Councils that they could not collect the as
sessments for it. Since the last session OF
the Legislature, however, he believes that,
under the curative legislation passed
to relieve P:ttsburg, the city can
collect from the property improved the
amount the property is actually benefited,
but they could not make an arbitrary fs-
sessment and collect it. Collecting the as
sessments, be proposed to have test case
made and get decision from the Supreme
Court
The remainder of the Auditors report
showed the following receipts from various
Offices, which have been accounted for and
paid over:
Mayors office, September and October, re-
ceipts So 4S5 %; Police Magistrate Brinker,
October, fines and costs Sl9; Department. Of
Charities, March to November l. 1892, re-
cefpts, S2404 49, Bureau Of Police, amuse-
mcnt licenses, $3.50: Health Bureau. Septenl-
Der. permits S279: Water Bureau, March l to
November l. receipts, 4,075 80; Clerk OF
Markets, Ocr oher, - l07 0S; Bureau or En-
gineering and Surveys, September and Oc-
tober, SIP; weighmaster OF Diamond scales,
September and October, 1885 80; Four h
ward scales, March to November l, $l20 "a;
wharfmaster March l to November l, S522 n;
lor, Il trad l i
Sl.SOs 81: Carnegie Library. March l to No
vember ], SAG
In conclusion the Auditor said that the
audit is completed up to November l, 1892,
except completing the accounts of the City
Treasurer, Controller and Delinquent Tax
Collector. These he expects to finish
within two month";