The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-10
AN AXE FOR COUNC|LMEN
Trouble Brewing Over Alleged Illegal
Contracts with the City.
PENALTIES ARE PRESCRIBED
Law Says Companies Containing City
Officers Cannot Make Agreements with
the City Several Such Contracts
May Now BE Nullified.

Trouble is brewing in the city hall
for certain corporations which are pre-
pairing to bid or have bid on furnishing
supplies or performing contract work
for the city. Recently several bids for
furnishing supplies to the city have
been recommended by councils and are
now awaiting the signatures Of the bid
ders and city officials. There are two
city ordinances, however, which pro-
vide that officers of the city shall not
be interested in an agreement creating
a debt and that councilmen interested
in a measure must not vote on the
same. The latter ordinance prescribes
severe penalty.
In the recently issued digest of city
laws appear the following:
Page Z, Section Is, Officers not to be
interested In agreement creating a
debt, etc.-No member of councils or
other officer Of such city, shall, either
directly or indirectly, be a party to or
in any manner interested in any
contract or agreement with such
| city for any matter cause or
| thing whatsoever by which any
liability or Indebtedness is in any way
or manner created against such city,
and if any contract or agreement shall
be made in violation of the foregoing
provision the same shall be null and
void and no action shall ever be main
tained thereon against said city"
Shall Forfeit His Office.
Page g. Section 10, Councilmen in
| terested in a measure not to vote.-A
member who has a personal or private
| interest in any measure or bill proposed
or pending before councils, Shall dis
close the fact ITO the branch of which
he is a member, and shall not vote
thereon, nor take part in the discussion
| of the same. If such member shall
vote without disclosing his interest in
such measure or bill, and the same be
carried by his vote, he shall forfeit his
office, and such measure or bill shall be
void"
| When asked If the last mentioned
section did not nullify the section pro-
hibiting councilmen from being inter-
ested in city contracts, City Solicitor
Torrey was disinclined to give his
opinion to Tribune reporter. He
finally said that neither ordinance had
any bearing upon the other; that the
first related especially to contracts, and
that the scope of the second is wide in
its relation to councilmanic measures
and contains a specific penalty. A
perusal Of the two excerpts will show
that the city solicitors real opinion is
that no company in which council
man is interested has right to make
a contract with the city.
Mr.. Torrey refrained from a detailed
consideration Of the matter on the
ground that he would soon be obliged
to render an official opinion on the sub
ject.
There are at present several con-
awaiting execution. but which will be
affected by the ordinances mentioned
Mayor Connell is of the opinion that ii
a member of council makes known his
interest in bidding company or cor.
poration, such action prevents the con
tract being nullified. City Controller
Widmayer and Mr.. Torrey hold to tht
opposite opinion.
Several councilmen are said to have
silent interests in paving, building ant
other contracting firms, which fol
years have held municipal contracts
Two such firms now have agreement!
with the city, but 1t is anticipated tina
the present consideration of the mattel
will result in more restricted con
tract-letting policy in the future.