Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-28
STOOD BY THE MAYOR.
Common Council Lays Over All the
Street Improvements.
ALLEGHENY TO OHANE AN AUDITOR.
There Is Scheme in 1t to Lay Out
Auditor John McKirdy.
BIGGER is SCHEDULED FOR THE PLACE

Allegheny Common Council last night
sustained Mayor kennedy's position on
street improvements There will be no
more street or sewer ordinances passed un-
til some way is provided to raise the money.
The intention still is, however, to force the
issue to a vote. The leaders want to spend
$1,000, coo in fixing up the streets. There
Is only s45, coo for street improvements, and
three ordinances sggregating about $50, 600
were passed. All the others were laid over.
Mayor Kennedy said empha:ically he
would veto every one or them.
The Auditor ordinance passed with
scarcely any opposition. The unsnimity of
opinion. was something wonderful. Both
the reform and the Hunter factions were
for it The secret was that the latter ele-
ment was aiming blow at Auditor Nc
Kirby. The ordinance provides only for an
auditor, but does not allow him any assist
ance, not even a clerk. As soon as the
Mayor signs the ordinance special meeting
is to be called to fix time for electing an
auditor. He will be chosen as early as pos
sible, and his name is T. W. Bigger, who is
in charge of the present audit
a Plan to Lay Out McKirdy.
This programme will of course throw Mr..
McKirdy out, while under the present sys-
TEN his place would be good for eight
months or a year. One of the Hunter
members stated last night they would
oppose any attempt to give the auditor
clerk He did not believe there was any
need for one. ..
After this had been attended to, Council
presented Treasurer Macferron with clerk
at 5000 a year. When the auditor ordi-
nance was called up for action, Mr.. Arm
strong made flowing speech against hav-
ing an auditor The point was raised that
the Controller was the auditor of the city,
and also that the ordinance conficted with
the city charter. This started flow of ora
tory of about 500 0-pounds-a-minute pressure.
Mr.. Dahlinger stood up for the ordinance
and claimed an auditor was a necessity.
II e said nearly all large cities had one and
even railroads and other corporations have
an auditor as well as a controller
Mr. Patton recalled a resolution passed
some time ago asking the Legislature to
pass law that any citizen can go into
court and ask for the appointment of an
auditor in cities of the second class during
January of anv year He said this would
answer and believed the relief should come
from the State rather than the city.
The Controller Couldn't Do the Work.
Mr. Gerwig-There is no question about
this ordinance being constitutional. 1t
does not conflict with the powers of the
Controller The Controller has charge OF
all the city's money, and that is enough for
him to do. If he were the auditor, no one
would have supervision over his books. Do
you suppose the Controller would find any
fault with his own books? The idea Is
ridiculous. Everybody realizes the worth
of the audit to-day, and why not keep it up.
If it was in the hands of the Controller
clerk would have to do the work.
Mr. Schondelmeyer-Ths is the best piece
of legislation ever before this body, but it
does conflict with an act of Assembly.
Mr.. Gerwig-It only conflicts with an or
dinance.
Mr. Dahlinger-It conflicts with the
charter ordinance, not the charter itself
Mr.. Schondelmeyer-Then say let her 60.
Mr.. Mercer then mentioned that the cleo
tion of an auditor would reduce the cost
81, 200 year. The present auditors are not
under bond, while the auditor to be elected
would be under $40, 900 bond.
Nh. Paulin objected because the ordinance
did not specify any requirements. The vote
overruled all his objections, and the only
ones who voted against it were Cruikshank,
Knox, Patton and Paulin
Mayor Kennedy Calls q Halt.
As had been expected, Mayor Kennedy
had a little communication for Councils
warning them not to pass ordinances for
street improvements whsn there was no
money. His letter was as follows:
GENrLEMEN-I would respectfully ask that
your honorable body would not pass the
street ordinances OF repaving now before
you from Select Council until such time
the money is ready and transferred to the
street improvement account.
These ordinances can be called up at any
time the money is ready, and will not cause
any delay by simply holding them where
they are now and not acting on them
Yours respectfully,
W. NJ KENNEDY.
A list of the streets referred to, the
intended improvements on which are re-
grading and repaving, was given. They are
East street, Cabinet street. Main street, Al