The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-09
WANTED TO LEXOW
THE COMMISSIONER
Common C0uncil Objected to Mr.. Gilr0y' S
Method Of Doing II.
LEFT IN THE HANDS OF THE MAYOR
Resolution Introduced to Have a
Committee Appointed to Look Into
the Charges Published Charging the
Street Commissioner with Using
His Own Teams on the Streets.
Communication From Ex.MayOr
COnuell.

Common Councilman Gilroy, at last
nights meeting, introduced the follow
ing resolution, written by City Editor
Nj. j. O'Toole, of the Times:
Resolved, That it is unlawful for the
street commissioner of the city to use on
street work, horses, teams or other ma
terial belonging to himself; and the presi-
dent of common council is hereby re-
uqired to appoint Il committee of five
members to ascertain If the present street
commissioner is SO engaged, and report
the same back to council.
Mr.. Nealis moved that it bereferred to
the mayor. Mr.. Gilroy then sprung
this bit of logic. Charges have appeared
in some of the newspapers against Mr..
Kinsley and 1t is the duty of council to
| make an investigation. Council was
not altogether willing to view the mat
ter that way much to Mr.. Gilroy's
chagrin. Mr.. Nealis thought the mayor
| is the proper person to investigate and
Mr.. Flanaghan agreed with the gentle
man from the Fourteenth.
Mr.. GilrOy got up again and en-
phasized the statement that council
has full power to look into the case, and
the findings should be laid before the
public. Mr.. NealiS went on then to eX-
plain why he wanted the mayor to go
| ahead with the investigation. Mr.. Kins-
ley belongs to the mayors cabinet, and
his Honor might be offended IL coun-
ellis should do anything before the
case was referred to him.
Mr.. McGrail arose from behind n
| dense cloud of smoke from black
wooden pipe and set the council cham
>ber agog with an assertion to the effect
that some OF the members are getting
virtuous right away in a hurry, after
| seeing similar actions for years back.
CAPTAIN MOIRS OPINION.
Captain Moir thought that the mayor
| should investigate the matter first;
or else If Mr.. Gilroy wanted council to
act, he should make his resolution q
concurrent one, and let both branches
have say In the matter, not make
| IL a matter for the common council to
take up singly. He questioned whether
the lower branch would be going about
it lawfully If it went it alone.
Mr.. Nealis' motion was put and
carried. the only dissenting vote being
Mr.. GilrOy's. Mr.. Zeidler then intro
| duced this resolution:
"Resolved, by the common council
| of the city of Scranton, select council
| cOncurring, that the mayor be and is
hereby directed to investigate the af-
| fairs of the street commissioners de-
partment and report to city councils
whether the business thereof is con-
Quoted lawfully"
1t ws also referred to the mayor. I'm
| der the order of business relating to
| communications from the mayor and
| the heads of departments the following
| communication was received and
placed on file:
To the Honorable, the Select and Com
| mon Councils of the City of Scranton:
| ] have this day paid over to the city by
| check to c. G. Boland, city treasurer,
| s6l2.94. representing the balance on hand
of the police court fines at the time of the
expiration of my term of office. This
| amount is made up largely of deposits
made by prisoners and forfeited, and ly
| witness fees and the serving of subpoenas.
which could not, because of the irregular
| periods at which they We're collected, be
| included in the monthly reports. This
| amount makes a total of $l0Sl727 collected
| through the police court and turned over
| to the city treasurer during the past three
years. l am, very truly yours,
W. l.. Connell.
Messrs. Keller. LOTUS, Oliver, Moir
and George Wirth We're appointed by
| Chairman Grier pursuant to the reso-
luton directing that a special commit
tee of five from each branch with the
| presidents of each be appointed to pre-
; sent to eX-MayOr Connell the resolu-
tions ordered engrossed by councils.
GRADING OF LARCH STREET.
The following bids We're read propos-
| ing to grade Larch street: Peter Null
ligan, $475; H. Menyetta, $i95; NJ. A.
Donahoe, 90 cents a cubic yard; Kress-
| Ter Bros, 90 cents a cubic yard. And
| for constructing a lateral sewer on CO.
| lumbia avenue in the First and Second
wards: Flanaghan & O'Horo, $1.S4 a
Null
| plete; =. j. Thornton & Co.. $1.92 a foot !:
NJ. j. Gibbons, $1.73 a FOOT, basins $1OO
| and manholes S15 extra; A. Menyetta.
| $3,S25 all complete. They were referred
| to committee with orders to award the
| contract to the lowest responsible bid
| der.
Captain Moir as chairman of the ju-
| dietary committee reported that the
| claim of Mathew Hayes against the
| city can be settled for $1,000 and the
| committee recommended that the set
| tlement be made on this basis. The re-
| port was approved. Mr.. Hayes has a
claim against the city of about 1,500
and he is willing to take 81 300 if the
amount be paid without going to the
| expense of a trial in court. City So
| licitOr TOrrey gave an opinion on the
case that Hayes claim Is a Just one
doubt, get it in full with interest and
costs. Under this condition the settle
| ment by the committee is saving the
| city good deal of money.
Ordinances which passed third read
ing We're: Providing for an electric
light midway on Linden street bridge;
providing for the construction of sew
er on Kellum court and Webster ave-
nue.; providing for an electric light at
the rear entrance to the Lackawanna
hospital; transferring $50 from the
surplus revenues of 1895 for payment of
the board of revision and appeals; pro-
viding for flagstone sidewalk and
curbing on the west side of Washing
ton avenue between Marion and New
street; providing for narrowing Null
berry street from 40 to "a feet between
MiGlin and Arthur avenues.