The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-28
REFORM WAVE has SET IN
First Step In That Direction Has Been
Taken by the Democrats.
nON DO you LIKE THE BRAND ?
It's Not What Was Expected BY o Great
Many but They viii Have to
Get Used to 1t Ordnance
Laid Out Cold.


wanted reform" and In the name OF
that much abused term turned the city
governments over to the Democrats
will, no doubt, be highly pleased at the
first step towards reform taken by the
Democrats at last nights common
council meeting. 1t Is a sample brick
of the kind of reform they may expect
for the next three years.
The reformers began work by killing
the ordinance regulating the deposit :
ing of city funds, which was druftsu
after much careful consideration by
the finance committee of select council
in conjunction with the city solicitor.
The excuse given for killing 1t Ia that
1t was a political measure designed to
embarrass and injure Treasurer-elect
Roland. Inasmuch as the ordinance
was framed and introduced before any =
one was nominated by either party Tor
city treasurer the weakness Of TINS
plea is strongly apparent.
The ordinance was killed on strict
party vote, every Democrat In the com
mon voting against the measure. here
are the names of the men IN whose
estimation party duty rises above thelr
duty to the city and their constituents:
James Gricr. John Rcsan. NJ 1. Giiroy.
Robert Robinson, p. j. Ncaiis, LOrenA
Iciilcr, Jamcs +. Noouc, u. }. Hickey
Thomas Norton and John J. Loftns.
That they We're acting under orders
was apparcnt from the fact that they
did not even allow the committee to
which IL was referred time TO give ths
measure any consideration. IheS III
sisted that II be reported upon rorth-
with, The committee was Democratic,
the report unfavOrable and thus the
ordinance died that was Intended 10
protect the city's money anu insure thc
collection Of every cent TO which she
was entitled. Among the members oil
the lobby VINO were working against
the bill prior to the meeting were men
whose words We're laws during the re-
cent reform" campaign conducted ny
the Democrats. The ordinance killed
last night reads as follows
An ordinance designating tle depoSitiiles
of city funds. In the hands OF the city
treasurer; providing for the verillcatiol
of his cash accounts ana Tor tne Teai-
ization of interest upon uneXpended cily
funds.
Section BE 1t ordained by the select
and common councils OF the city OF Scra!i-
ton, and IL is hereby ordained by the su-
thority OF the same. that IN coIhphahse
with the provisions of Article VIII, SeS-
ton ., of the municipal act OF May ~ 1851
the following named banks anu public ue-
poSitories are named as tne places III
which public moneys in the hands OF the
city treasurer shall and may be deposited.
to wit The First National bank, Third
National bank, Traders National bank.
Lackawanna Trust and Safe Deposit cen.
pany, the Merchants and Mechanics
bank. the Dime Deposit and Discount
bank, and the West Side bank; and the
city treasurer shall not at any time have
on deposit in any one of the said banks OF
repositories more than 20 per cent. of the
gross amount of all city funds in his
hands.
Section THE city treasurer shall. on
or before the tenth of every month. sub
init to the joint finance committee oil cou,i-
| cils and the city controller his monthly
cash accounts, which shall exhibit the
amount of city funds In each OF the sew
eral banks or repositories in which the
| same have been deposited by him, together
with the receipts and disbursements and
the condition of the several funds in his
hands as treasurer Of the city.
Section 3.--The joint finance committee
| Of councils. together with the city treas
urer and city controller, are directed to
arrange with the banks or public deposi-
| posted to secure for the city such amount
| Of interest as can reasonably be procured
| upon the funds therein deposited.
| Section 4.-The official bond of the city
treasurer shall contain q special clause to
| the effect that the liability of the suretias
| thereon shall be In no way affected ny
| the provisions of this ordinance: but shall
| be and remain in all respects the same as
| It would have been if this ordinance had
| not been passed.
Section SIT shall be the duty of the
| Joint finance committee and the city con-
| troller to Immediately report to councils
any failure on the part of the city treas
urer to conform to any Of the provisions
| Of this ordinance.
| OBJECT OF THE ORDINANCE.
Its object. as Is apparent, Is to pre-
vent any Partially being shown i'm the
matter of repositories, which will also
insure against the possible contingency
of the city being heavy loser by the
| failure of a bank which might contain
all or nearly all the municipal funds
| The second provision Of the ordinance
| merely provides for an enforcement OF
the other two. The third provision calls
| for a rigid enforcement of the law
which prohibits such officers as city
treasurer from realizing the interest on
city funds, uneXpended balances in
| Cluded.
| 1t il claimed that If the city should
be lax In this matter the city treasurer
| could turn to his own uses every year
about 5000, which should rightfully &c
| to the city, and this in turn would have
! a tendency to tempt u dishonest treas
| urer to block city improvements fol
| which money has been appropriated
so that this money might be carried
over from month to month. earning
interest for him and councilmen who
might be In league with him.
| The Democrats In common council
| however, did not take this view of 1t
| They believe IL to be scheme of the
! Republicans to make as much trouble
| as possible for Treasurer-elect Boland
| by depriving him of certain powers
which his predecessor enjoys, and when
! the meeting opened II was cut and
| dried that the ordinance would De
! killed.
| IL came before the body under the
| head of concurrent business and under
| the rules should be referred to its
| pl oper committee for reconsideration dur
| ing the two weeks interim between the
meetings. on motion Of Mr.. Reagan
| however. the committee was instructed
| to report forthwith. Messrs. Gflef,
| Reagan, Gilroy, Robinson. Nealis, Ieid"
Ter, Noone. Hickey. Norton and Loftuf
voted i'm the affirmative and Messrs
| Keller. Oliver, Seamans. M"tr. Godfrey.
| X r.. Thomas. Simon Thomas and
,yenye! voted against having the or
djnance reported forthwith. 1t was q
| strict marty vote. President Grier in
| trusted the ma tier to the finance com
mittee. COMPOSED of four Democrats
| and one Republican. There were only
| three of them present. Messrs. Nealis.
Zeidler and WenZel. but as two of them
are Democrats their object could be at
| tanned as well as II all five were pres
| ent.
| ARGUMENT WAS USELESS.
When il became apparent that the
| foes of the measure were intent on Kill
] ing il Mr.. Seamans pleaded with them
| to let it take its natural course that
| It might receive fair and full discus
sion. so that the members might vote
| intelligently on it. Captain Moir and
| Mr.. Keller also spoke against undue
| haste arguing that the ordinance was
| too important a measure TO be SO sum