The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-13
CONVENTION At READING
Plans Proposed for the Improvement
Of City Government.
NIX. TORREl MAKES 4 REPORT
Opinions Advanced by Various students
OF Municipal Governmcnt - Colonel
SandcrsOn's Resolution -- \umer-
uus schemes for Improve ment.

Reading, Pa. March 12-The second
days session Of the Municipal cunven-
tion was called to order at $50 this
morning by President keppeln!an.
James II. Torrey, of Scranton, chair
man of the committee on organization
and rules. read a lengthy report which
called for the appointmeni of commit
tees to have charge of the various de-
partments of the municipal affairs of
the state. Upon motion of Griffith w.
Jones. of this city. the report was adopt
ed as whole.
The roll of cities was then called. IN
order tn have them express their SEN
timents ON the law of May ~, lNS?,
governing cities OF the third class. W.
W. Brown, city solicitor of bradford.
deprecated the proposed attempt To an
nul this law, and said that while II
was not perfect yet it is NOR" perfect
than the decision of the supreme court.
and stated that these decisions nav"
set more municipalities ut sea than
anything else. Mr. Brown made an
eloquent plea for re-cnacfnent ol
the law with remedial legislation ana
suggested that the duties of the mayor
be enlarged. and that h" he eligibl"
for reelection, while the city treas
urer should not be ineligible for re-eler-
ton.
Thomas PaSkett. of Erie. thought that
the present act was good as far as 1t
went. but thought it did not go iar
enough. He was especially in iaVof OF
relieving the mayor in the duties ui
police Justice Politics mix in too much
in tn. police department The mayor,
he said, should nominate the police
and rhr councils should confirm. and
the mayor should have the right To
honnce Tor derrlict "l uu,S ',r 'u,,.
1 t' ~, 'n". .''..,and hin,s,lf and thc city
t,..., .,.,,,.o, ,I.ct.d fu,. nna term only He
1,l'nt,d :, hn,rJ or nublic works
w." ~ L,n,,oi,,.,n stated ,hnt the
at ,,n,h,. !. maj tho laws, are not
a9,.,Ii,it .,,nn.h We shouId have laws
.Ni'.', - I'm, - n.,r A n and
,''', N - un ,.itni thn sewer complica-
,i,,., 80 ,i,,nn, ',nd Ccndinr as the ul-
,i,nt ~ ,nu,. ,hnt were tnn trchnicai.
'' c,nhrnn nf chester advocated
ava ,.hnnuin, nr ,h,, law tn onnnwcr the
tr NV, .nti,. rontrn nr thc no.
,;~n r,roo ,,,ithn,,t tbo advice and con-
', ~, lf o,,,n,,us IL. strnnplv odyocat-
-, th,. ,a,nn,.inc nf the nowcr Of conn
'.i,.. Wv ~ i,,,aa.n s,,,,.ins nf officials dur
;, n, ,,i, ~ H." ,,.,,,, nr ,'t,icn In The matter
20 49,, ,,,,,,,,. fn,, n,, tnr ,,,d elec,rir
,;rh,s Iva bnnad th,t the sunrcme court
I'LL Ia,,ia, favnrab,v In the matter
w, ;,';I sa,,,.,,,, rnr mo nnIire force Nr
Ea,.t,rn. saiL II mot win th, hearty
,.,,r,h,,tinn ,f mo aiffarcpt plpmbers
- H., nnnvontion nc If tnol, the policr
n,,, nf nnIit;rs and gave in. civ more
siio,t nr,taction
ni,,.nrln,nct n.vid saItzn,an nf Erie
.,nntn STRANGELY on re,noyjnu uoliticoI
linos in an az tb, dan.rtments of mu-
uirinal work
MORE WAtDS NtEl'f.b
CITY Clerk Charles Miller. of Harris
burg, held that the great need of cities
of third class was the power to- enact
laws and legislate for themselves. He
advocated the creation of IA new ward
when the population of any ward
reached 900 voters and that there
should be Il precinct to every 30 voters.
The courts are willing To- divide the
wards but the politicians are not
Charles F. HILL of HaZleton. wanted
the scope of local government enlarged.
and councilmcn-at- "a large elected. and
said that more effective legislation
- ,i fo ,,,,.oJ ,,,,.,,
Hi.n"i" " ''"' ~ in,, ,,,
L. u Joiies' WY aoi''''' w wv N''H
port. made Il plea for the revision OF
the law of 1889 and held that the city
solicitor shouId he the sole legal adviser
80 no ,,,,,ni.;noI;ty TINS disnI,,iny tho
w ~. H. 'hani hn,,.l ,. ,ha,
SoiicIt'' VI Wv - ','' ", ~ .' 80
oiten coh''ici Win the 'i'I attorney
w. kerper stevens, ol TINS CITY, want
ed the ieSlsla'ure " grant 'he 'itIes az
much nome RUE as can pe suarahteeu
by the constitution, ana stated that ue-
partments OF work be estapliShed, with
responsible mead. MI. stevens
strongly advocated Il police commission