The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-03
Mr.. DIVERS LARGE idea
Wants the City to Spend $l5O,O0O
for a Viaduct.
PLAN SPRUNG IN COUNCILS
Ordinance Provides for Purchase of
Property on tho South Side of West
S.ackuwnnnn Avenuc-Ailowcd
to Pass First Reading.

fifty thousand dollar viaduct scheme
started last night in select council
where, after much wrangling. II was
passed one reading and then sent to the
streets and bridges committee TO be re-
ported again next Thursday night
only eleven of the members. Just a
quorum, responded to the roll-call.
President Westpfahl was absent and
Mr.. Sanderson, of the Thirteenth ward,
was unanimously chosen president pro
tenn. on motion of Mr.. Lansing. Dur
ing the reading of the minutes five
tardy members entered the chamber and
made the total number present sixteen.
The ViaduCt ordinance was presented
by Mr. Williams, of the Fifth ward. Its
title provides for increasing the city
debt for the purpose of procuring land
for and constructing a viaduct parallel
with West Lackawanna avenue from
Seventh street to Ninth street and sub
uniting the question OF such increase to
a vote of the electors thereof" The
body of the measure reads:
See. l. BE 1t ordained, That for
the purpose of constructing q viaduct
upon the southerly side of and contiguous
to West Lackawanna avenue. from Sew
cnth street to Ninth street, in the Four
tecnth ward, and for the payment Of conf
pensatiOn for property to be taken, in
jured or destroyed thereby, an increase of
the city debt. by issue of city bonds In the
+,
subject, nevertheless, to the consent of
the electors of the city of Scranton as
herein provided.
See. q The question of asserting to the
above proposed increase of the city debt
shall be submitted to a vote of the electors
of the city of Scranton at the next en-
suing general election occurring not less
than thirty days after the passage OF TINS
ordinance.
Sec D. After the passage of this ordi-
nance, and at least thirty days before said
election. the mayor shall publish a notice
OF the election hereby authorized in three
daily newspapers of the city, and the
statement required to be published in such
notice shall be furnished by the city con-
troller.
Referred to Committee.
The ordinance being printed, Mr.. Will
liams moved it be referred to the streets
and bridges committee to be reported
forthwith, which proposal created a de-
termned objection from Mr.. Chitten
den, although favorable action was
taken by a vote of 10 to 4, as follows:
Ayes-Members Thomas, Williams,
Clark. Roche, Sanderson. Burns, Coyne,
Lauer. McCann and Fellows; nays
Durr. Chittenden. Schwenk and Manley.
Further objection was made by Mr..
Chittenden after the committee had re-
ported favorably and Mr.. Williams
moved its passage on first reading. Mr..
-
been secured on affected property and
that it was poor business policy to rush
through an ordinance providing for an
expenditure of $150,000. even though il
was to go no farther than q second read
ing. Mr.. Mccain referred to the resO-
luton of the common branch directing
the city engineer to make plans and es-
innate the cost. the estimate to be based
upon options secured by a committee
Of hn 1la,
and city solicitor.
City Engineer Phillips was in the room
and asked if his estimate had been based
on options. He replied partly i'm the af-
firmative and partly in the negative and
explained that he had made his report
in compliance with the resolution i'm
view of the fact that the committee of
officials had not reported to him. Mr.
Williams motion that the measure pass
first reading prevailed.
Mr.. McCann opposed Mr.. Chittendens
motion that the ordinance be referred
to committee for further investigation
of cost but was satisfied when Mr. Chit
tenden stipulated in his motion that the
committee make it's report at next
weeks meeting.
Shiffcr Claim Referred.
On motion of Mr.. Chittenden the bill
of the Shiffer claim was referred to the
judiciary committee for investigation.
Ordinances reported favorably by the
license committee imposing an annual
license of $50 on peddling business and
$I5 for auctioneers were referred for
printing. 81,
An important rule was adopted upon
the recommendation of the committee
on rules. 1t provides that all ordi-
nances introduced i'm select council and
referred to committees shall be printed
and placed upon council files before the
report of the committee. and that the
select council may proceed to the con-
sideration of such ordinances on first
and second readings in the third order
of business
The streets and bridges committees s
recommendation that the name of Fel-
lows street be changed to Luzernc
street and LuZerne street to Fellows
street was unanimously adopted.
For the sewers and drains committee
MIR. Thomas introduced an ordinance
for lateral sewer on Capouse avenue
near New York sreet. The committee's s
recommendation that p. r. Mulligan
be awarded the contract for building a
lateral sewer on Penn avenue between
Green Ridge and Delaware streets for
$685. was approved.
The nomination by the mayor of w.
7. Smith and S. G. Logan for trustees
of the Scranton library for five years
from JAN was confirmed. The mayor s
nomination of j. w. Lisk for permanent
man Of General Phinney Engine com
pany was confirmed.
The street commissioners reouest
that $1,000 be transferred from some
source to the exhausted APPROXIMATION
for sewers and drains was referred to
the sewers and drains committee with
instructions to prepare an ordinance
providing transfer of funds IL nos
sible.
A communication from City Engineer
Phillips. sent at the request of Common
Councilman Keller. of the Seventeenth
ward. stated that the approximate es-
innate by the foot front rule for the
Irving avenue sewer failed to include
the corner lot No. IL, Block 81, liable for
S103, which increased the assessments
of forty foot lots $1S.72. which the own
ers refuse to pay. Because Mr.. Min
nick. owner of the lot. had been preyi-
ously assessed for n branch sewer the
city engineer recommended that the city
pay the last assessment. The letter and
it's accompanying resolution was re-
ferred to committee.
Plans for woman's Ward.
Plans for a woman's ward and cells
in the police department in the base
ment of the city hall were submitted by
Building Inspector Nelson with an es-
innate of cost of $3.50. The matter was
referred to the public building commit
tee.
A recommendation that the Barber
Asphalt company be released from its