The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-04
M|N00KA Cannot enter.
Select Council Refuses to Receive the
Annexation Ordinance.
STRONG LANGUAGE IS USED
President Chittcnden and MIR. Roche Did
Not Mince Their Words TO Each Other.
I. II. ClcIrons and A. +. Con.
nell Resign.

scranton. BY vote or IL to select
| council last night refused to consider
the annexation which was passed on
| third reading Wednesday night in the
common branch.
Technically the ordinance was killed
by Mr.. Finn's motion to postpone In
definitely" and cannot be reconsidered
in the future unless such a course is
desired by any two members who last
night voted to postpone. The death of
the ordinance was witnessed by the
common branch members who. after
| their brief session had adjourned, went
| over into the select chamber to see what
| would befall Minooka.
During a portion of the proceedings
attending the action upon the ordin-
ance President Chittenden resigned the
chair to MIR. Schwenk, of the Eleventh.
Strong but decorous language was used
| in debate and the ruling of Mr.. Chit
| tenden on an important point of order
| was vigorously protested.
When was read the title of the an
| nexation measure Mr.. Finn made mo-
| tion. seconded by several Republican
| members, that the ordinance be in
| definitely postponed.
MIR. Roche Entered Protest.
Mr. Roche, the Democratic member
from the Seventh. who arose from
| sick bed to attend the meeting, was i'm
mediately on his feet to protest such
motion, which he said smacked strongly
| of partisanship and was of nature
| new to the deliberations Of select coun-
Gil.
Mr.. Lauer followed with similar re-
marks and added that when the ord!n-
ance for annexing BELLEVUE came into
councils there was no effort made to
block its consideration.
President Chittenden at this point re-
signed the chair to Mr.. Schwenk, a
| Democrat, and presented figures calcu-
lated to argue against the proposed an
nexation. His position in the matter
incensed Mr.. Roche and after Mr.. Chit
tenden had concluded there ensued be-
tween the two q veritable war Of words
In which neither gentleman minced his
meaning Mr.. Chittenden said:
| Value of the Property.
| THE present assessed valuation of
| the district proposed for annexation Is
100000, which. by a 10-mill levy would
contribute $1,000 to Scranton, assum-
ing that the annexation was made. 1t
will thus be seen that the whole five
| square miles involved compares only,
for example, with the Hand property at
the corner of Washington avenue and
Spruce street. Under these circum-
stances it would be well to ascertain
how the 81 500 in taxes would compare
with the expense Of maintaining the
district.
1T would cost per year for electric
lights s4,50O; for fifty fire hydrants,
$1,000, and for maintaining and repair
ing them, $l,250; for ten policemen, to
cover an area one-fifth as great as the
present area of Scranton, $4,000; for
streets, $1,000; for culverts, $1,000, and
for a fire alarm system and service,
several thousand dollars. Altogether
for the mere benefit of $1,000 we are
asked to pay $4,000 or more per year,
and / think this body should and will
decide that Minooka Is not eligible to
enter the city"
| Reply by Mr.. Roche.
Mr.. Roche, as he arose to reply to Mr..
Chittenden. was visibly angered. He
said: "The position assumed by the
president Is on par with his attitude
on every similar question which has
come before this body since he has
been a member of it. He is shamefuly
PARTISAN and has a rare audacity to
assume the position he does; he favored
the annexation of Bellevue simply be-
cause it Is a Republican district, and
yet Bellevue for geographical reasons,
II for no other, Is not half as much en-
| titled to be part of Scranton as
| Minooka. Bellevue was not self-sup-
porting and today lies down a pre-
cpice and is utterly inaccessible to the
city at large. If Mr.. Chittenden so
loved Bellevue he puts himself in a
very bad light in opposing Minooka."
"I would like to ask the gentleman
from the Seventh how he voted on the
Bellevue annexation" queried Mr..
Chittenden.
For 1t, SIR" replied Mr.. Roche, "but
not on the political ground nor in the
spirit with which you are opposed to
annexing a much more desirable Sec
tion."
"The gentleman's reply" tersely said
Mr.. Chittenden, 'is my argument and
does not call for further comment" He
then resumed the chair and the mo-
ton to postpone indefinitely the ordi-
mace was carried. 1t was purely
PARTISAN vote. as follows:
Ayes-Ross, Finn. Thomas, Williams
Durr, Chittenden, Wagner Sanderson
Fellows, Kellow. Westpfahl--ll votes
Nays-Kelly, Clark, Roche, Schwenk
|
votes.
Mr.. McCann raised the point of order
that a two-third vote Is required tc
postpone action on an ordinance before
the meeting.
THAT Is true" said Mr. Chittenden
but this meeting has voted not to con
slider this particular ordinance; conse
quently l shall rule that the point |:
not well taken"
Two designations Read.
The designations of F. H. Clemons, o.
the Seventeenth ward, elected sheriff
and A. r. Connell of the Twentieth
ward, elected to the legislature, wert
read and accepted, and later in tn,
session Mr.. Sanderson's resolution pro
yiding for a special election to I'LL tn,
vacancies and to be called by tn,
mayor, was adopted.
The streets and bridges committee re
J ported adversely on Mr.. Lauer's resolu
ton providing for commission t
make plans and specifications for al
overhead viaduct over the Lackawanns
tracks on North Main avenue. The re
port was adopted.
An ordinance regulating the wages o
employees Of contractors performing
city contracts was received from com
mon council and referred to committee
| as waa also an ordinance prohibitn,