The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-06-12
TOPICS OR THE TIMES.
The SO-Called Deadlock in the
Borough Council.
WHY IT CANNOT STAND LONG
No Councilman VIII Assume the
Responsibility of Preventing the
Operation of the Public
Water Works.
WHY IT CANNOT STAND LONG

There is considerable speculation as to
the course the Borough Council affairs will
take since Mr.. Meluskey has resigned from
the body and apparently left the members
evenly divided 1t seems to be generally
conceded that they stand seven to seven and
further events will be awaited with con-
siderable interest One thing seems quite
certain, and that is there will be no cleo
ton to fill Mr.. Melus1ey's place unless the
aid of the court is in some way invoked,
or one of the seven "brealls" At the last
meeting there were eleven Councilmen
present when an attempt was made to fill
the vacancy. The Citizens members de-
feated the move by vacating their seats
and Withdrawing from the Council leav-
ing less than quorum of members present
Whether this procedure will be resorted to
in the future is not known. If it is the
vacancy will not be filled until next
spring, in the absence of interference by
the court, or some unforeseen mea sure.
Some people who have given the subject
considerable thought say it will make little
difference to either of the parties whether
the vacancy is filled, or not. Were a tie
vote to exist before an organization the
situation would be quite different. AS it
is the only matter upon which the Council
men can be divided upon have a bearing
on the peoples interests and if
any of the COuncilmen jeopardize, delay,
or otherwise tamper with those interests
the people will make it very unpleasant for
them. The most important measures COM
ing up for consideration in the near future
are the fixing of rates to be charged for the
water supplied by the public water works
and determination of the question as to
whether or not the people, or the borough,
will pay for these connections. 1t will be
readily seen that any. .Councilmen who at
tempts to postpone action on such import
ant matters simply because his political or
personal views do not coincide with those
of other Councilmen will commit
political suicide. This being the case
there is little fear of the so-called deadlock
proving as troublesome as many people
suppose it will. Deadlocks as a rule have
only significance with regard to appoint
ments to be made by the bodies in which
they exist. There are no appointments to
be made by the Borough Council until the
next organization, unless a vacancy occurs.
All the borough offices are filled, the water
superintendent is appointed and there is an
engineer and fireman for the public water
works. 1t may be necessary when the
works are ready for operation TO appoint an
additional engineer and fireman. In such
an event, what Councilman will place
himself before the public as the
stumbling block to the operation
of the water works when the people are
clamoring for return for so much OF their
money that has been expended? 1t will
be a trying position for any man and the
odds are overwhelming in favor of the
prediction that a deadlock will not last
long on such an issue. The circumstances
surrounding the deadlock of several years
ago were entirely different from those
which attend the present situation. Dur
ing the former one there was no great un
dertakjng in the hands Of the Borough
Council and the main thing dependent upon
the breaking of the deadlock was the
adoption of a slate of appointees to fill the
Council offices, serve as supervisor, police
etc. This time 100000 or more of the
peoples money is at stake, The Council
men are duty bound to put the water
works in operation at the earliest possible
moment, so that it shall begin to earn &
revenue by which at least the interest OIL
the bonds issued for their construction car
be paid.