The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-24
THINKS There IS A SCHEME IN IT
Why 1t Would Be an Advantage 10 a
Bridge Company to Have Its Plan
Adopted-Reason Why Mayor Con-
nell Vetoed the Competitive Plan
Resolution-Select Council Not in
Favor of the Scheme.

OOulu huCCetu III uuNluR llS OWH plhub
adopted. and then secures the contract
for the construction of the bridges. it is
apparent that the bridge will be built
according to the ideas Of the bridge
company and not after the plans Of the
city.
Mr.. Phillips claims to have consulted
the best standard bridge specifications
to be had, besides being in constant
consultation with the engineers Of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
and Jersey Central railroads His plans
he is ready to submit to the scrutiny Of
the most exacting bridge expert that
the mayor may select, as is provided in
the ordinance. II iS no matter of per-
sonal pique that prompts him to dis
favor the common councils plan, but q
conscientious regard for the city's wei.
fare.
THE MAYORS VETO.
The movement for the securing Of
competitive plans was first started four
months ago, but the resolution provid-
ing therefor was vetoed by the mayor for
reasons made apparent in the follow
ing communication sent to councils at
that time:
April 90 1894.
To the Select and Common Councils, Scran-
ton, Pa:
Gentlemen: most respectfully return
without my approval the resolution which
authorizes the city clerk to solicit COM
petitive plans for the proposed bridges oyer
the Lackawanna river and Roaring brook,
as it does not provide for the repeal of the
resolution adopted by your honorable
bodies March s. 1894, which provides that
the city engineer shall prepare and perfect
the plans and specifications for the pro-
posed bridges and that the city clerk shall
advertise for sealed proposals for the same
Very truly yours.
W. L. CoNNELL. Mayor.
No steps were taken to revive the
project until two weeks ago, when
common council got hold of the bridges
ordinances aud tied them up in COM
mittee until the competitive plan
scheme should be acted upon. Select
councils streets and bridges committee
at Monday nights meeting decided to
report adversely upon tho scheme for
the reason that it is too late day to
take the matter into consideration.
The common councilmsn who favor
the scheme for competitive plans say
that they are actuated only by the best
interests. but the city engineer init
mates that there are other motives.
Between the cross fires, the bridges
ordinances may experience a delay
which will bring down unfavorable
criticism upon the city authorities, and
may lead to something in the sensa-
tional development line.
There was hot time in common
council last night over the bridge
plans. There were two very apparent
factions at work, the one headed by
Messrs. Battle and Sweeney and the
other under the guidance of Mr..
Roche, of select council, who car
ried on his battle from the spec.
tators enclosure. The Battle
Sweeney people are fighting the
plans submitted by the city engineer
claiming that they were made by the
Pottsville Iron and Bridge company,
aud Mr.. Roche fights the substitution
Of any other plans, fearing that some
bridge company will be placed in q po.
sition to bid on its own plans, all of
which would tend to the city's danger
of having foisted upon US a bridge
company's ideas of a bridge and not the
city engineers.
MR.. MLEAN AMENDED
The oall was opened when the Roar
ing Brook bridge ordinance came up
on second reading. Mr. Mclean made
some slight amendments to the section
providing for the paving of the ap-
proachss, after which Mr.. Battle sub
mitted an amendment summarily, as
follows; "In addition to the city en-.
gineer's plans the competing bridge
companies shall be required to bid
upon design Of their own, in accord
ance with the general plans and speci.
fcations attached to the ordinance and
provided by the city engineer
He also offered amendments provid-
ing that the bridge be compl eted within
aeven months after the date of the con-
tract instead of ten months as now
provided by the ordinance That will
crowd out the small fry companies,'
remarked Mr.. Nealis to THE TRIBUNE
reporter.
Mr.. MUir said he was neither for nor
against the amendments, but he could
not see what was to be gained by adopt
ing them. I'VE will get so tangled
up" said Mr.. Moir, Chat we will not
have any bridges at all. We now have
a set of plans that are ineligible to
any bridge builder, and even If we
should get twenty or thirty sets of
plans before US, what will we do? l
know as much as any membe of the
streets and bridges committee does
about bridges and l don't know any
thing. / can't get it into my head how
we are going to be benefited by those
amendments.
Mr. Battle arose to explain for Mr..
Moir's benefit and said. "The city
engineers plan may be as good as it is
possible to conceive, but isn't it well
to have the brains OF the bridge build.
ers of the country to aid us. We don't
have to- accept those competitive plans
unless we wish to- We have an expert
provided to direct us in this matter.
WOULD CAUSE NO DELAY.
Mr.. Battle in response to Mr.. Moons
allegation that these amendments
would cause delay, stated that such
would not be the case. All the plans
would have to be in the experts hands
at the same time that he would he
ready to act upon the city engineers
plans. Continuing. he said: Zone par
ticular bridge company has been ia
vored in the making of the plans. |.
believe in giving them all show"
Mr.. Howe-"We don't have to 20
outside the city to have our plans
made"
Mr.. Sweeney-"I beg to differ with
the gentlemen. We had to in this
case"
Mr.. Moir-"Whsn we have twenty
or thirty bridge plans before us, it will
be question Of which company has
the most glib tongued agent. One of
them might come around and sweet
heart me into believing that he was
good fellow and l thinking his plans to-,
to be the beat might vote for him"