The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-18
TROUBLE FOR HATTON.
Street Commissioner Kinsley Is Not
Pleased with the Clerks Action in
Giving Traction Co. the Permit.

There is bother in the stree. COM
missioner's office over the issuing of
the Traction company permits. Clerk
Hatton is in bad odor with his chief.
and there Is just a possibility that Mr..
Kinsley will have him arrested.
Mr.. Kinsley AYERS that Hatton had
no right TO issue permits, and that In
signing the street commissioners name
without authority he was guilty OF
forgery. though the clerk signed his
own initials under the street commits
sioner'S signature.
Mr.. Hatton holds that, In the abb
sence Of the street commissioner. the
clerk has charge of affairs in the Of
| flee and that he was only exercising his
| prerogatives accorded him by ordin-
ance. when he issued the permits. At
all events. Mr.. Kinsley feels that he
| has been placed in n bad light be-
! fore the public. and that the only way
lie can square himself is to have his
clerk arrested and show TO the world
that it was not only against his wishes
but contrary to his express orders that
the permits were granted.
Before going on his vacation, Mr..
Ktnsley was besought by the Traction
| company to issue the permits. He re-
| ferred the matter to the city solicitor,
intending TO take it up again when he
returned from his vacation He left
orders with his secretary. Charles DE
| Long. who has charge of the permit
| book. not to grant any Traction COM
pany permits until he returned Mr..
! DeLong had no opportunity tn either
obey az disobey these instructions for
I the Traction company Went to Mr.. Hat
ton with their request Mr.. Hatton
| hrsitated but when the mayor and city
solicitor advised him that the company
was entitled to the permits he granted
| them.
| Mr. Emsley was decidedly wrathy
when he returned and found the Trac-
tiOn company at work ON Washington
avenue. As soon as he could get the
| Abingdon Turnpike matter of his
hands he set 10 work To look after the
permit business. Yesterday he went
| to the first block of Washington ave-
nue. where operations are now being
carried on. and ordered work to stop
AT once. 1t didn't stop, however. Gem
cral Manager Silliman followed Mr..
Kinsley to his office and conferred with
him for hair an hour or more. just
what they did is not known. The
| permit book. however. shows that all
the permits issued by Hatton, except
| the one for Washington avenue were
nullilied by the street commissioners
evidently without any protest from Mr.
! Silliman. for he gave over his original
permits and took the duplicates made
out by Mr.. Kinsley. The mayor hasn't
signed them as yet. and possibly wont
and in that case Mr.. Silliman will he in
Il hole
WAS AFTER INFORMATION.
| a Tribune reporter met Mr.. kinsley
and Mr.. Siliman in the mayors office
cause of Mr.. Kinsley's action Of an
hour or so before in ordering the Trac-
ton company to cease work. The an
swer was that the company was not
exercising sufficient care i'm keeping the
roadway open for traffic. Later Mr.
Knsley told the same reporter that he
had stopped the work in order to find
out whether or not the Traction COM
pany had given sufficient bonds to COW
er the cost of the asphalt that was be-
ing torn up.
Mr.. Hatton, when seen regarding the
affair." said he had heard he was to be
arrested and would be glad if the street
commissioner would take such a step