The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-25
may They REST IN peace
Fridays Meeting TOlled the knell of
Many an Improvement.
PROJECTS THAT HAVE TO WAIT
COntc mplatcd Improvements to the
Extent Of Si3s.OOO Shcived by
Reason OF the City's Lack OF
the Necessary Wherswith.

NcuSOu Oh the Nlty LuGh VI
the Necessary Wherswith.
Contemplated Improvements to the
extent of about $i35, 900 will go IA beg
ging this year as a result of the scar
city of city revenues Some OF them
can we'll be disregarded, some can be
gotten along without very nicely, some
are necessities, which must be pro-
vided for at some future time ana
great many more are crying necessities
which. if they are not provided for, VIII
raise a howl in one quarter or another.
Each of these contemplated improve
mentS has one or more councflmen at
its back, and they vow dire things II
their pet schemes are not considered
The estimates committee after prOvid-
ing for the running expenses OF the
municipal government finds that there
Is just $4,000 with which to satisfy the
demands of these Councilmen. and 1t
tells them you are welcome to what :
left and much good may it do you.
This kind of language is not relished Dy
the councilmen in question and as Il
consequence it is very likely that the
estimates committee may have some
trouble in fhaving their appropriation
ordinance approved when it gets into
councils.
The Fourth ward men will be up in
arms because $500 was not set aside Tor
the culvert over the Mt. Pleasant ra-
vine. connecting the present culrert
over Main avenue with the covered
drain built by the Mt Pleasant Coal
company, An ordinance for SewelsnG
portion of the Fourth ward. north of
Lafayette street Is one of the measures
recently pushed through councils by
the Fourth ward men, The plans
specify that the sewer shall empty into
this raVine The board of health has
set itself against permitting this un-
less the ravine is covered over. so, un-
less the cuvert Is built. the sewer is
an impossibility. The culvert won't be
built. at least not this year. and ergo,
the suffering residents of the contem-
plated new sewer territory will howl
OPENING Up OF PRICE STREET.
Up in the higher portion OF the
Fourth the taxpayers will make
themselves heard when it Is seen that
they are again denied the boon they
have been asking for ten years back
the opening of Price street, between
Bromley and Sumner avenues. Every
wear almost the councilmen or that
ward sometimes backed by citizens
committee, have appealed to the city
IOT ihoi"s W. N'''''
through this improvement. Each time
they have been told to wait until next
wear. Their hopes We're raised to a
high pitch this year when they learned
that options had been secured on the
property needed for opening the street
and in order that the project might not
suffer from neglect or be possibly over
looked citizens committee with At
torney G.. r. Pitcher at its head was
appointed to haunt the estimates COM
mittee and keep prodding 1t until 1t
could not we'll say nay. But the esti-
mates committee did say nay and Price
street will not be opened.
Then along comes Joe Oliver the
commoner from the Fifteenth, with
demand. not request. but bold un-
mistakable demand for $3.50 to finish
the botch work grading OF LuZerne
street. which botch work was the result
of the city's failure to require the con-
tractors to finish the job according 10
specifications IF we don't get the
two hundred and fifty say these I.u-
zerne street people. I'VE will have the
grand Jury on you" But they won't
get it unless the estimates committee
amends its work of Friday night, and
there Is a pervading feeling among the
members of this committee that 1t is
best ito leave well enough alone
THAT SOUTH SIDE SEWER.
The South Side will suffer as much.
if not more. than any other section of
the city. Pittston avenue and the
other periodically flooded portions of
the Nineteenth ward wanted, or at
least "a majority of the property hold
ers wanted to build a sewer and new
district was designed to accommodate
them. and plans were made for sewer
ing the portion that was in need OF a
sewer. Owing to the fact that the
Iackawanna Iron and Coal company
would have to pay big share of the
expense it had the system of assess
ment questioned in court. and as every
body knew 1t would be, the system was
declared illegal and the sewer was
knocked in the head, court maintain
ing. in line with recent supreme court
decision that the whole sewer would
have to be built at once or at all events
the cost of mains and laterals through
out the entire district should be di-
vided pro rata among all the property
holders of the district.
This fool law or construction of the
law of course killed the new sewer
as 1t practically kills the construction
of sewers in this city for all time to
come or until such time as the law
is repealed. which will probably be
done at the next Legislature There
being no clause i'm the Supreme courts
decision that will enioin water from
running down hill and lodging in low
level places, the people of this district
who suffer much damage and no end
of annoyance after each rain storm
have. through their representatives in
councils. asked the city to build a pipe
drain to carry off the water and con-
vey it 10 Stafford Meadow brook. This
will remedy the evil to great degree.
City Engineer Phillips considers it
good plan and says it will only cost
S71OS26. The estimates committee has
been asked to take cognizance of their
modest request. but the estimates com
mittec's stereotyped answer is met
with. "lf you can take it out of $4,000,
it's yours
PIPE CULVERT Is WANTED.
Then. again down i'm the Twentieth
ward they want a 2i-inch pipe clllyert
at the intersection of Cetiar avenue and
Beech street. which City Engineer
Phillips estimates will cost s2S6. so.
They also want the city To pay 81. 800 for
the grading of Palm street, which is
one of the worst eyesores in the city.
Two new bridges to cross Stafford
Meadow brook are also provided for
by ordinance. one on Washington ave-
nue. flats and another up at Irving ave-
nue. The first will cost $1,000: the lat
ter will cost several times $1,000. but
the exact figures cannot he stated vet
as the city engineer has not figured it
out. All these things the South side
will get not. and from the South Side
will come a wall.
Down Bellevue way there is also oc-
casion for kicking. There is little
item of S11 900 for "a retaining wall
along the east side of Third street i'm
the Sixth ward. which the people there
about say they cannot get along with
out Mr Nnnnn nrnmisel To hiIiId