Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-15
ASKS LOWER SALARY.
Mayor Kennedy. of Allegheny, Says
He Should BE Reduced,
IF RELIEVED OF POLICE WORK.
Ordinance for Police Magistrates Finally
Agreed Upon.
A LIVELY SESSION ON PUBLIC WORKS

Ooumlttee, having In cbarge the ordinance
for the creation of police magistrates in Al
legheny, last evening succeeded in agreeing
on form of ordinance and unanimously
recommended it to the Finance Committee.
This ordinance has been under discussion
for several months. 1t was originally
drawn up by Mayor Kennedy, and was
based upon the Pittsburg ordinance. At
the last meeting of the committee it
was referred to the City Solicitor, to prune
and correct, In some way an ordinance on
the same subject, prepared by member of
Councils, got into the Solicitors hands,
When the committee met last evening and
Mr.. Elphinstone presented his carefully
corrected draft, it was found that he had
worked over the wrong ordinance. The
paper drawn by the Mayor was found, and
the Solicitor went at it, cutting out
number of sections which were covered by
statute.
The general terms of the ordinance have
been published. There are to be five police
magistrate districts. The first district COM
prises the first nine wards and the Thir-
teenth ward, the Tenth ward is the second
district, the Eleventh ward the third, the
Twelfth ward the fourth and the new Four
teenth ward the fifth. The magistrate for
the first district is expected to do all the
hearing of police cases. the other Offices
being merely honorary and created to COM
ply with the law. On the motion of Mr..
Simon the salary of the magistrate for the
first district was increased from 81, 200 TO
81, 500 per year.
Ready to Reduce the Mayors Salary.
Mr.. Henderson said he would agree to
that increase with the understanding that
the salary of the Mayor should be reduced.
Mr. Simon pledged himself to vote for such
a reduction, and the other members of the
committee, Messrs. Dahlinger, Eschelman
and Lewis, expressed their opinion that
there ought to be cut in the Mayors
salary.
Mayor Kennedy was present, and he said
that he believed his salary ought to be cut
down. The creation of the Office of police
magistrate, he said, would very greatly re-
duce the Mayors work. He had talked
with the City Solicitor on the subject, and
had been informed that the salary of the
Mayor could be reduced during the term OF
office. He was willing to sign an ordinance
to reduce the salary during his own term, but
would not feel like signing one to reduce
the salary of his successor without affecting
his own.
On motion of Mr.. Henderson the salary
of each of the outside magistrates was re-
duced from S1OO to $50. The time for re-
porting to the Mayor all the cases disposed
of was changed from daily to weekly. The
magistrate for the first district is required
to file with the Controller bond for 81, 900,
and each of the others a bond for $780, As
amended the ordinance was unanimously re-
commended.
Improving the Streets of Allegheny.
The Allegheny Committee on Public
Works held lively and long session last
evening. The subcommittee on streets re-
ported large number Of ordinances for the
paving of streets with asphalt block. The
committee amended by inserting a pro-
vision that the paving might be Of other
improved material, and in that shape ap-
proved the action of the. subcommittee.
There was, however, lively opposition
to the approval Of the ordinances.
Mr. Kaylor insisted that more time
ought to be taken to investigate the condi-
tion of the various streets. Some of them,
he said, did not need paving. Messrs.
Knox and Gerwig spoke at length against
authorizing large expenditures without
having in sight the money to pay for them.
Mr.. Knox said: "You are depending upon
the issuance of S., 100000 worth Of paving
bonds, but you cannot depend upon that.
1t is dimes to nickels that the people of
Allegheny will vote down that bond propo-
sition." Mr.. Gerwig expressed the same
opinion, but the ordinances were all recon-
mended to Councils.
The resolution to direct the Chief of the
Department of Public Works to buy %
mast arm for electric lights from the Key
stone Mast Arm Company, created long
debate. This resolution was once approved
by the committee, but was returned by Sc
lect Council. The keystone Company was
the lowest bidder, the next bid being by R.
w. Danver.
Discussing the Best Mast.
1t was claimed by those who desired to
give the contract to Dsnver. that his mast
arm was much superior in operation to that
of the keystone Company. MI. Parke said
that the Danver arm represented inventions
made by some of the employees of the
city lighting plant, and be thought
Mr.. Gerwig said that it had become
too common to reject the lowest bids even
when they were regular. If the persons
who were expected to get the job did not
happen to have the lowest bid, some sort of
technical objection was raised and efforts
were made to get Reimbursement The
committee finally voted, by 9 to 6, to sus-
tain its former action.
The contract for the grading of Fleming
street to James street was let to James Nc
Afel; the grading of Bridge street was let
to Carson & Orr the grading, paving and
curbing of Windsor street was let to Sloan