Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-11
JUST LIKE COMMON.
The Select Branch Fights Over the Ordi-
nance for More Than Two Hours, and
Passes 1t Unchansed-Another Wordy
Battle on the Hi-h-Tax Question

The Select Branch Fights Over the Ordi-
nance for More Than Two Hours, and
Passes 1t UnchanEed-Another Wordy
Battle on the HiSh-Tax Question.
Select Council got together at 7:45 in the
evening. As in the Common Branch there
was considerable opposition to the appro-
priation ordinance, but there was the same
solid front of votes against the amendment
of even letter of the bill President Ford
read the ordinance, and the discussion
opened
Mr.. Gillespie The increased taxation
and the depressed state of the iron business
have been the headlines in the newspapers
for several weeks. This is serious business,
and the ordinance should not be gone
through hurriedly. but item by item. If it
were our own business we would be more
careful and economical. believe in progres.
sion, bnt do not believe e1travagance is
and small quantity OF natural gas.
If our industry, iron, is in a state
men will also be affected. 1t has been
said that no firm is going to remove its
works from the city on account of an extra
mill or % two OF taxes, Bnt s they have before
ton, Charleroi and other towns making them
offers to go.
The Increase in Taxation.
Continuing, Mr. Gillespie cited the case of
one man whose factory had been assessed
. per cent higher this year and his home
l2j per cent. and said the people were in no
mood for excessive appropriations He was
opposed to the ordinance in its present
shape, objecting to the park appro.
priation and the item for the
Ben Venue bridge. In the park
matter he thought 500 600 would be sufficient
for improvements. Nature had been lavish
and should be allowed TO do something
TOWARD improving it. He did not believe in
taking one-tenth of the tax levied for park
purposes.
As to the item of 5000 for bridge over
the Pennsylvania Railroad at Ben Venue,
he wanted to know if it was to enable the
people of Bloomfield to get to Schenley
Park. He wanted the leading highways
improved before the cross streets.
Mr. Warmcastle here moved that they
take up the ordinance seriatum. His motion
was adopted, and at the first item Mr.
Warmcastle said he would like to ask Mr.
Heating, as a member of the Finance Com
mittee, what the gross valuation of the city
would be. The ordinance was based on an
estimate of S240 0O0 0O0, but he would like to
know. if possible. the actual valuation.
Mr.. keating-The ful assessment would
be about S26S 100000. The Fourteenth,
Twentieth and Twenty-second wards how
ever, have not been fully completed and
classified, but if they are the same last
year, and allowing for valuations by
S239. 600 900. II the assessors be sustained in
their position in the classification it will be
in excess of that amount, but how much no
man knows. We have taken S240 600 600 as q
safe basis for estimating.
The Percentage of Increase.
Continuing, Mr. Heating said he had pre-
pared table showing the percentage of in
crease in the assessments in all the wards
He defended the assessors in increasing the
assessments, referring to increasing values
pie themselves, he said, differed widely ON
the question of the value OF piece of prop
erty. He then read the following table
showing the percentage of increase in each
ward:
First ward, 80 per cent; Second ward DC $40
per cent; Third ward, 40 per cent; Fourth
ward, 80 per cent; ~ hth ward, A $40 per cent;
Sixth ward, IS pertcent; Seventh ward, l3
per cent; Eighth ward, 10 '>ar cent: Ninth
ward, 10 per cent; Tenth W. !, u per cent;
Eleventh ward IL per cent; -welfth ward,
First district, 4-l0 per cent; Second district,
gper cent; Thirteenth ward, % per cent;
Fourteenth ward, p per cent; Fifteenth
ward, l3 per cent; sixteenth ward, IA per
cent: Seventeenth ward, per cent; Eight
centh ward, l5 per cent; Nineteenth ward, 80
per cent: Twentieth ward, 56 per cent;
Twenty-first ward, First district, 80 per
cent; Second district, 50 per cent;
Twenty-second ward, First district, II per
shird ward, a per cent: Twenty-fourth ward,
Is per cent: Twenty-Fifth ward, 80 per cent;
Iwenty-slxth ward 20 per cent; Twenty
seventh ward, 40 per cent; Twenty eighth
ward, 20 per cent; Twenty-ninth ward, %
per cent; 1hirtieth ward. 81 per cent; Thirty
first ward, A. per cent: Thirty-second ward,
70 per cent; Thirty-third ward, decrease OF