Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-05-02

4 1sANCAD1xR, PA, NAY 2, 1859.


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Cosncils Dclngs.
The councils at their meeting last
&ht did large business In the way OF
S6dlue money, but nothing unlaw-
nv q perhaps even unwisely, save In
tjrupriating e2oO for Decoration Day,
flch n undoubtedly unlawful and
erly unwise this appropriation has
I'm generally condemned by public
otlment and by the press OF the city
I'd was deliberately made by councils
I'M . full knowledge that II was ex-
ealng its authority and weakly yield
klnw to the unjustifiable demand Of the
TN who have assumed the burthen
~ taking charge Of Decoration Day and
&&ollecting Its cost and who have tired
5sof the trouble and cost. When Decora-
(ion has to resort to the public treasury
\ e shows clearly enough that Its animate
ling spirit has gone and that Its OBJ
) reryance has come to be burthen In
& oeead Of a privilege and pleasure, as 1t has
been claimed to be. When the people
oxe taxed to pay for spreading flowers
upon soldiers graves, the deed has lost
& - grace and there is no honor to those
who do 1t.
The purchase of the triangular plot
N &hetWeen Broad street and the reservoir
4 grounds Is well enough II 1t can he had
3 1or its real value, which is very small.
The expenditure Of $4,000 for GEN.
S tral market house may be wise or
Otherwise. In the lapse of time the To-
cation Of the central market is likely to
be outgrown by the city, whose resi-
dences will all be gradually removed
llom the central blocks. 1t Is not likely
that the new market house will stand
Il lbr twenty-five years ; which will make
= cost Of 81, 900 year in addition to the
&lnterest charged on $1,000, or total Of
o2 900 year to be charged against the
1nvestment.
We note that the councils had nothing
y 70 say to the street committee relative tc
NJ the condition of the streets which were
nacadamized last year and that the
eUmmittee Is left to Its own devices fol
X this year, although II has shown its pur
/ pose to persevere In putting soft stones
upon the street, by undertaking
10 move the stone crusher tC
another part of the same quarry In
r. which It now stands and this moi
y with view to getting better stone, but
70 get larger space to accommodate the
y broken stone. II is fact, Of which the
n ccmmittee IS fully aware, that these
stones are entirely unfit for repair work
and fortop dressing, for which use only
h the stones need to Ike broken so small m
they are intended to Ike made by the
breaker though we notice on the first
4 oquare on East Orange street, which Is
low receiving top dressing, that many
\ of the stones are six or eight inches In
length which shows that the breaker
does not break.
We regret that the street committee
Il shows no great disregard Of what II
knows well to he the city's interest as t.
have determined to keep the stone
& breaker Mt Its present quarry; and that
councils shows no disposition TO interfert
II with this disposition. 1t is q matter OF
prime importance TO the welfare of the
z city to have enduring and clean road.
3 ways; which 1t never can have while
their covering is Of the slaty stone that
u now provided for them. The COM
! mittee propose that the stones shall he
8 picked and that the softest stones at
Engle's quarry shall be rejected but this
4 h not done, as the stones now being
spread ON East Orange street show; and
2 " twas done 1t would be ineffective, as
the hardest stone in the quarry is wholly
Z unfit to put on the surface Of roadway
Y that has any travel upon II.
A resolution passed to forbid the
isnuing Of a writ to revive city lien
unttf within six months OF the expira.
s hon, was n very proper one though we
4 should be sorry to credit the statement
With which tho mover of the resolution
4 accompanied it, that 1t the habit was of
L the city solicitors office to issue writs of
Hviyal with unnecessary frequency, and
thus accumulate costs upon the debtor,
4 for the only purpose Of securing the So
attorney fee, that is taxed as part Of such
+ costs. This would he very dishonorable
Z and unprofessional conduct and such as
/ should attract the attention Of the Bar
4 nasaciation and the discipline OF the
3 court. We do not credit this charge
against the present reputable solicitor,
but It's refutation demands his attention.
sE This $3 attorney fee Is little thing
that calls for abolition. 1t has survived
Y lts usefulness. There may have been a
time when $3 was something like re-
I quttal OF the service Of the lawyer of the
successful suitor; but such a time has
long passed, and it is but flea bite now
20 the lawyers mouthful. If the losing
I eade should pay the winning side his
aawyer's cost, the S3 must be multiplied
- present 1t serves 10 purpose but to
swell the bill Of costs. 1t does not take n
penny off the lawyers charge to his
Silent; few OF whom know that he gets
Il this little bite of the other side.
Clothes and Cannon.
During the great military parade the