Cemeteries.— The cemeteries of Pittsburgh of which there are 23 are beautifully laid out and abound in noble monuments of those who have lived and died here. The most beautiful and extensive are the Allegheny, the Home wood and the Uniondale cemeteries, the latter on the north side on one of the high hills over looking the city.
Government.—The city of Pittsburgh is divided into 27 wards. The administration is entrusted to a mayor, elected quadrennially, and to the officers under his authority known as chiefs of departments, or heads of 'bureaus. The legislative power, the power of making ap propriations and fixing the annual tax-levy is entrusted to a council composed of nine mem bers, elected by the people and receiving an nual salaries, judged sufficient to enable them to devote their entire time, if necessary, to the public business. The old system of unpaid representatives, divided into two houses, form ing a "Select Council,' corresponding to the Senate, and a "Common Council," correspond ing to the House of Representatives of the nation, was a number of years ago adjudged by the people to be cumbrous, inefficient, and useless, and was discarded, after a number of the so-called *representatives° of the people had been sent to jail for theft, perjury, and other offenses. The method of government by a small body of truly representative citizens, re ceiving compensation, and obligated to bring to their tasks their best powers, has proved far more satisfactory than the old method of employing a miscellaneous assemblage of irre sponsible parties, the majority being *ward heelers,° taking their orders from self-con stituted *bosses.° The general supervision of all financial matters is under the care of the city controller, a very important officer, who acts as "the watch-dog of the treasury.° The revenues of the city, including the balances from the previous year, amounted in the year 1917 to $19,397,035.16; the expenditures were $16,118, 606.52. The total assets of the city, as a cor poration, on 31 Dec. 1917, were $43,489,714.98, of which amount $33,199,300 represented the proceeds of the sale of municipal bonds in former times. The net bonded debt of the city
at the same date, deducting the amounts in the sinking funds, was $32,737,851.16. The assessed value of taxable property in 1916 was $782, 563,920.
The principal departments of administra tion are that of public safety, having charge of the police, the bureau of fire, etc. The police force is large, well drilled and com manded. There are 61 engine-houses in the municipality, and with an abundant water supply at command, the Underwriters Associa tion of America has expressed itself as hold ing that in this respect the city is as well pro tected as any other in America. The depart ment of public works has charge of the high ways, bridges, sewers, waterworks and also of the public buildings and parks. The depart ment of law, at the head of which is the city attorney, attends to all legal matters, in cluding the prosecution of offenders in the courts. There is a considerable body.of magis trates, who are under municipal appointment, whose business it is to take cognizance of cer tain offenses against municipal ordinances. The department of public charities has charge of the various eleemosynary agencies of the munic ipality, including the homes for the destitute and aged, which have been provided. The bureau of public health is well equipped and manned by scientifically trained officials, pro vided with abundant laboratory facilities. The city in June 1919 voted for the sale of $20, 000,000 of bonds with the proceeds of which to build a new boulevard from the eastern por tions into the centre, to be called, "The Boule vard of the Allies," to construct a subway, with which it is hoped to relieve the congested traffic at the centre, and to make various other improvements which will add to the beauty of the place and promote the comfort of its Inhabitants. The seat of the government is in the so-called °City and County Building," jointly erected by the municipality and the county of Allegheny, and occupied by certain of the officials of both. It is a huge pile, covering the block between Grant and Ross streets, flanked by Fourth avenue and Diamond street, adjoining the Allegheny Courthouse.