Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-05
SIX FIGHTS ON HAND,
Controller Morrow Is Waging
Warfare in a Quiet but
Determined Manner.
A LIVELY TINE PROMISED
To Those Gentlemen Who Oppose His
Ideas of What Is Right.
CITY OFFICIALS AGAINST HIM.
A Pretty Dispute With the State Treasurer
Over Taxes.
A LIVELY TINE PROMISED
CITY OFFICIALS AGAINST HIM,
OPPOSED TO THE GARBAGE ORDINANCE

Controller Morrow is Just now experien-
cling much unrest of mind over number of
differences he has with other officials at City
Hall and elsewhere. Sitting in his office the
other dav he said: 81 have six fights on
! hand, and if don't win them all will give
those who oppose me very lively time of
it."
Asked to explain, he declined to discuss
or enter into details on his coming battles,
and his listeners were left to guess them out
as best they could The first correct guess
made was the fight between the
Controller and the department ohiefs
over the use of electricity in
the public buildings. The Controller
stands entirely alone in his opposition to
electricity, even the clerks in his own office
being on the other side The details of
this controversy have been repeatedly dis
cussed in print.
Has Desire to Save Money.
The Controller, while admitting that gas
is interior to electric light, insists that as
the Pittsburg Gas Company is bound to
furnish Il, 500, 900 cubic feet of gas free to
the city each year it should be taken advan-
tage of and used, thereby saving 81, $50 for
the city, The other officials maintain that
the discomfort and dirt caused by the gas
more than offsets the saving that would
come from using it, and that since the free
gas would not be sufficient to furnish one
third the light necessary the saving would
be but trifie after all. This fight will be
settled within the next 80 days.
Fight No. 2 is that over the approval of
contracts by the Mayor, upon which the
Mayor and Controller stand together,
though the latter says he intends to conduct
it himself henceforth, and will carry it into
court if need be, where he says he is sure to
win. The subject was introduced by the
Mayor at the last session of Councils in
letter. advising that in order to avoid any
question of legality of contracts entered
into by the chiefs of departments, they
should be subm tilted for his approval and
signature.
Turned Down by City Councils.
Councils turned the letter down on the
ground that the charter did not require the
Mayors approval of contracts, claiming
that if he had the approval of them it would
be virtually giving him the power to let
contracts. Against this reasoning the
Mayor and Controller argue that all laws
contemplate the Mayors right to officially
approve or disapprove the acts of Councils,
whether they be ordinances, resolutions or
contracts and that while the section of the
charter act may not specify his approval of
contracts it is understood and legally re-
quired. The Controller declares his inten-
tion TO fight this point to the courts, though
he expects to make it interesting for the
opposition before the matter gets that far
bv refusing to recognize any contracts not
signed by the Mayor, and refusing to draw
warrants to pay for work done or materials
furnished under them. When this question
will be settled can only be con jectured.
Buclking Up Against the State.
The third fight on the Controllers list is
with the State Department at Harrisburg,
and is over the payment of interest on the
citv's bonds. Under acts of the Legislature
all ihe various issues of Pittsburg's bonds
are exempt from taxation, but the present
administration has signifed its intention to
disregard the exemption and compel the
city to pay. The same question was raised
six or seven years ago, but the Controller
fought it out and won. He expects to re-
peat the performance this time, though a
settlement of the question cannot be had
until next October, when the attempt to
collect will be made.
The garbage ordinance presented in
Councils recently and opposed by all the
other officials, is advocated by the Con-
troller and he is making, or intends to
make, fight for it, He refuses to discuss
the matter, however, and the only explana-
tion he makes for his attitude is that while
the ordinance as presented is not perfect, it
is a step in the right direction, and could
easily be amended to make it perfect if
Councils so desired. What steps he pro-
poses to take in this matter he declines to
say.
Rather Averse to Talking.
Another dispute in which the Controller
is interested is the opening of portion of
Mckee place, in the Fourteenth ward. Nc
Kee place is the name applied to the street
which has been partially opened, but the dis
pute arises over its continuation. 1t had
been expected to make Ward street a part
of it, but property holders in another direc- |
tion secured the opening of another street |
which eventually became part of Mckee |
place. Those interested on Ward street are |
bitterly opposed to the change OF plans, as |
Mckee place is the most important street |
and it would have benefited their property |
TO nave become part OF It, Ihe Controller |
declines to state his position in this matter,
and as the City Attorney, who is on the |
other side, is equally reticent, but little |
could be learned, though the Controller was
in an indignant frame of mind over it last |
night.
Fight No. 6 is against the street railways. |
As has been frequently stated, street rail- |
ways only yielded 5000 to the City Treasury |
last year and but little more the year before |
There are but three street railways in the |
city liable to taxation, and even they have |
failed to pay their assessments properly for |
several years The Controller will go to |
court direct in an effort to collect the back |
assessments, and he has plans laid for fol- |
lowing up the advantage he expects to gain |
by winning in the preliminary suits which |
will benefit the City Treasury considerably. |
The Controller last night declined to talk |
for publication on any of bis flights" but |
promised that when the proper time came
he would furnish some interesting reading |
matter for the public.
Pittsburg Delegates to Chicago.
Il Il II