The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-17

Branch Sits Down ON Number OF
Common Councils Pet Schemes,
Including The Suppression of Lunch
! Wagons.
/ It was prophesied that last nights
select council meeting would be an in
teresting one and 1t was. 1t was more
! interesting than anyone had fore
shadowed. There Were several UNI
looked for developments and one of
them was of a sensational character.
When Clerk Lavelle had finished
reading the minutes, Mr.. Roche arose
and announced that he had a commu-
Iication which the mayor had asked
! him TO present under certain contingen-
cies These contingencies having arisen
he said. he would present the commu-
nicaton at that time if there was no
objection. There being none he handed
up the following which the clerk read:
To the Honorable the Select Council, City
Of Scranton:
| Gentlemen-At the request of the appli-
cant ] hereby withdraw from your con-
s!deretion the name of John c. Roche for
| James G. Bailey, Mayor.
On motion OF Mr.. Chittenden the
nomination was returned to the mayor.
A minute later, when the police COM
nlttee was making its report. Mr.. Roche
arose and said:
II wish TO call the attention of the
police committee to the fact that one of
their Republican patrolmen, Joseph
Block, was drunk and exposed his per-
son on Capouse avenue, the night OF the
| storm"
DO you make that in the shape Of a
charge" asked Chairman Sanderson.
Yes. lay it before the police COM
mittee." answered Mr.. Roche.
Mr.. Chittenden moved that the clerk
make minute Of the charge and notify
the police committee of it. This motion
prevailed.
Mr.. Roche then made some remarks
to the eject that lie would do it every
meeting" and left the council room in
anything save his usual cool. calm tenn
perament.
GEORGE HORN NAMED.
The mayor sent in the name of George
s. Horn to succeed Colonel e II. Ripple
OH the board OF health. Under the rules
1t went to committee for two weeks. Mr..
Chittenden suggested that the commit
tee confer with the city solicitor to as
certain If there was vacancy. but he
withdrew his suggestion when Mr.Wag-
ner explained that there was no doubt
about a vacancy in this case. as Colonel
Ripple's term had expired. Colonel
Ripple Is merely holding over until his
successor is appointed. Mr.. Chittenden
said he knew there was some difficulty
about vacancies and supposed he had
got this one mixed up with some other
case. referring possibly to DR.. Paine's
case.
The appointment Of Fred C. Karius as
patrolman was favorably reported by
the police committee and confirmed
without objection.
On the Recommendation Of the fire
department committee NJ. II. Bieseck-
er's nomination as engineer OF the
General Phinney Engine company and
George c. Bailey's nomination as stok-
er of the same company were unani-
mouly confirmed. ID. A. O'Connor was
confirmed as inspector Of the retaining
wall on Robinson street /: William
Dougherty as inspector of the lateral
sewer on Carouse avenue and William
Hetzroth as inspector of the Hyde Park
avenue lateral sewer.
The upper branch refused to concur
In the action Of common council in
depressing the lunch wagons. The
resolution was on motion OF Mr.. Will
liams indefinitely postponed. Mr..
Chittenden said that great many
people favored the lunch wagon and
yet 1t was not just to allow them to go
untaxed to compete against eating
houses and hotels that pay heavy taxes
and high rents. He ordered that tax
OF SO wagon be imposed. Mr.. Will
llams thought this would drive the
wagons out Of the business and he would
not favor anything that would tend to
discourage them. His motion prevailed
by large majority.
Another important resolution which
was Indefinitely postponed was the one
introduced in common council by Mr..
Flanaghan directing the city controller
to countersign warrants for labored pay
when the pay rolls have been approved
by the street commissioner and the
duuttihS tHuS oOlHS away
with the present practice Of compelling
these city employees to wait for their
money until both councils have ap-
proved OF the auditing committees re-
port. Mr. Chittenden made the mo-
ton that defeated the measure.
NEW STREET DAMAGE CASES.
The attempt which cmanated in COM
fs,. =
the New street damage claims on q
basis of eighty-tive per cent. also re-
ceived q setback from Mr. Chittenden.
Messrs. Mccain and Manley wanted to
concur in the action of common council,
but despite the lobbying Of some of the
Interested property holders, the select
men would not lend themselves to the
scheme to railroad the measure through.
1t was referred to the judiciary COM
mittee and the intimation was given out
that If it returns II will be killed.
Mr.. Chittenden secured permission to
present to the committee letter he had
received that day from City Solicitor
Torrey in response to some Inquiries re-
garding the case. This letter. from
which Mr. Chittenden quoted. states
that the basis of settlement Is too high
and that settlement should be made only
in cases where judgments have been
secured and not /, every case where
viewers have merely awarded damages
The city, he said, did s1I2 worth OF
grading on New street and now ii is
confronted with over s2,so0 damages.
Other damages have been awarded be-
cause the city ran O sewer through the
rear OF some of the lots, which sewer
was built for the purpose of preventing