Government.—The Pittsburgh charter of 1816 vested the more important powers of the city government in a common coun cil of 15 members and a select council of nine members, and until 1834 the mayor was appointed annually by these city councils from their own number. By the Wallace Act of the State legis lature in 1874 a form of government was provided for cities of three classes, and Pittsburgh became a city of the second class (population between Ioo,000 and 300,000) ; under the Act of 1895 a new classification was made, under which Pittsburgh re mains in the second class. An Act of 1887 had amended the pro visions of the Wallace Act in regard to second class cities by changing the terms of select councilmen from two to four years and of common councilmen from one to two years. In 1901 a new act was passed for the government of cities of the second class. It provided that the executive be a "city recorder"; this provision was repealed in 1903, when the title of mayor again came into use. By act of legislature 0910 the former common and select councils were superseded by a small council of nine members, elected by general vote of the entire city. The mayor, elected by the people for a term of four years, continued to ap point the heads of departments (public safety, public works, as sessors, treasurer, law, welfare, health, supplies, etc.), and the comptroller also continued to be elected by popular vote. By a
two-thirds vote the council may pass resolutions or ordinances over the mayor's veto. The department of public safety controls the bureaux of police, fire, building inspection, electricity and general office; the department of public works controls the bureaux of water, highway and sewers, property, parks, recrea tions, tests, lights, deed registry, bridges and construction. The mayor appoints the members of the civil service commission. Through a city-planning commission, recommending zoning ordi nances and through a board of adjustment, the height and char acter of all buildings are controlled. A bureau of traffic relief and a traffic commission were created in 1924, and in 1925 a depart ment of city transit, charged with the regulation of traffic con ditions and with the matter of recommending subways and a comprehensive system of rapid-transit lines for the entire city. In 1936 the taxable valuation was $620,695,530 for land and build ings and the tax rate was 20.6o mills on land, 10.3o on buildings and 11.25 for schools. The water supply of Pittsburgh is taken from the Allegheny river and pumped into reservoirs, the highest of which in Highland park is 367ft. above the river; the supply is filtered. For the history of Pittsburgh, see PENNSYLVANIA.