Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-23
When Deposited in Accord.
ance With the Rules of
Bakers Ballot Law.
THE STATE MUST SETTLE
For the Expense of Building Suit
able Polling Houses.
M'KINLEY Is SURE OF SUCCESS,
He Says Harrison Will Undoubtedly
Carry New York.
LOCAL POLITICS BEGIN TO WARN UP

"Besides being intricate as q Chinese
puzzle, the Baker ballot law will prove an
enormous expense to the State" Commits.
sioner Mercer said yesterday.
The lobby of the Court House is, and for
several weeks has been, crowded with
ballot boxes, the panels for the voting
booths and other paraphernalia necessary
for holding the election under the existing
law.
In the collection are 467 ballot boxes,
each of which when delivered in the dis
trict where it is to be used, will cost the
State just So 80, requiring an outlay of
over s., 900 for the boxes alone. Already
Controller Grier has issued warrants for
$40, 500 to pay for the wooden part of the
election booths. The expense OF distribut-
ing the booths to the districts in which they
are to be used has not yet been incurred,
and cannot therefore be computed.
Cost Money to Distribute.
'It will cost good round sum to get this
stuff properly distributed" Controller
Grier said yesterday while speaking of the
booths. He could give no estimate
of what amount of money would
be necessary for that purpose, however.
The iron ground rails to be erected
around the voting booths at every election
district have not yet been supplied to Al
legheny county. The Commissioners have
no idea of the cost of the rails when they
do arrive. 1t is believed, however, that
the iron post of the election apparatus will
cost more than the wood or as much
at least, which would make the out
fit cost when delivered at the Court House
nearly $3.50
THAT, however, is only part of the e1-
pense that will be necessary to get the cleo
tion machinery of Allegheny county in op-
eratIon," Commissioner Mercer said SIT
will be necessary for US to build several new
buildings in the election districts where
there are not now buildings large enough to
accommodate the number of election booths
allotted to the number of voters For in
stance, the Commissioner went on, "the
Second district of Braddock has over 1000
registered voters, and, according to the ar
rangement, that district will be allowed q
booths.
VIII Have TO Erect Voting Houses.
"We have just received a report that in
tnat district they do not have building
large enough to accommodate that much of
the election machinery and a new building
must be constructed there at least The
Braddock case has only raised the question
of space and it is highly probable that
further inquiry and investigation will
develop other places where new buildings
will be necessary. The Forbes street school
house, it has been said. is also too small for
the number of booths necessary in that dis
trict"
All the apparatus and the buildings neces-
sary will be supplied this year by the State.
In the future the county must bear all the
expense Of the new system. The State tax
required to supply the new voting arrange
ments is collected off the money at interest
in the State.
Already there is talk among the politi-
clans of having the Baker ballot law re-
pealed at the next session of the Legisla-
ture, but should such effort prove success
full the election outfit for the State at an
estimated cost of So, 900, coo will have been
bought and paid for before the Legislature
meets