The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-06
WHEN WILL THAT
PAVEMENT BE LAID
Mulberry Street Residents Want Many
Things Incorporated in Ordinance.
ALL OF WHICH MEANS GREAT DELAY
There Is No Likelihood from Present
Indications That Mulberry Street
Will BE Paved This Year..SOme of
the Things That the Property
Owners Are Asking For with Refer.
ence to the Preliminaries

There is little likelihood OF Mulberry
street being paved this winter The
property holders. who are taking an in
terest in the pave such as no set of
property holders ever before evinced in
any Improvement. have determined up
on so many and such important
changes in the plans submitted by the
city engineer that the cold weather will
be here before the necessary legisla-
ton can be passed and this will pre-
clude the possibility of starting the
work before springtime.
a committee consisting of George II.
Jessup and +. A. Newing, acting for
the property holders. waited on City
Clerk Lavelle yesterday for the pur-
pose of learning something as to the
method Of procedure in securing the
amendments they have i'm mind. First
of all, they propose. at Thursday
nights meeting of common council, tn
introduce the necessary Legislation. for
the narrowing of the entire roadway
from Miiilin avenue to Taylor avenue.
CHANGE OF PLAN
A resolution will. also. most likely be
introduced, directing the city clerk to
refrain from advertising the schedule
of assessments. This is with view of
changing the entire plan of assessing
At present the assessment is made ac-
cording to the foot front rule, the cost
of the whole street being divided
among the property holders according
to the number of feet of property they
have abuttitng on the street 1t Is
now proposed to assess each block sep
arately.
Property holders who have street car
tracks In front of their houses feel that
they are entitled to the full benefit of
the rebate which comes from the Trac-
tion company paying for the paving be-
tween the rails. and are not willing to
share this benefit with people on other
blocks who have not the annoyance"
of street cars and street car tracks.
Another reason is that the owners of
corner lots, who have paid for paving
on one side of their properties and con-
tributed to the paving of the street in
tersection, believe they should not be
called upon to help pay for other street
intersections and are consequently
making a vigorous kick, which will
have to be needed.
1T WILL BE TOO LATE.
BY the time all these matters are set
tied upon and Incorporated in the speci-
fications and the amended ordinance
goes through the gauntlet of councils
the season for laying concrete will
doubtlessly be passed and the paving
Will have to go over until spring.
Another feature of this paving con-
tract Is that church properties have not
been exempted from the assessment. In
making out the schedule, City Engineer
Phillips was in doubt as to the meaning
OF the recent supreme court decision on
this matter and asked an opinion from
City Solicitor Torrey. Mr. Torrey stated
the supreme court had ruled that church
property was only exempt from regular
taxation and was liable, like any other
property, for assessments for special
improvements such as paving, grading.
sewering and the like. The city engi-
neer thereupon included the church
property with the Others. Inasmuch as
the city has all along assumed the pay
ment for paving and like improvements
in front Of church property, it will. it
is expected, make no exception in this
instance.