The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-10
PRUNING KNIFE
EFFECTIVELY USED
Estimates Committee of Councils Per-
forms Some Heroic Work.
BUT FEW DEPARTMENTS ESCAPED
Police, Fire, street and Park Depart
ments Fared the Worse, but the
Committee Slashed Into All but
Four of the Twenty Sections to APP
preparation Ordinancc--S91,5 ,535 so
Topped Into the Waste Basket.

Last nlBnt was DeSun at tne city nall
as one of the most responsible and
as one of the most responsible and
laborious Of the duties contained in the
municipal catalogue. The Joint esti-
mates committee began its task of par
ing down the estimated expenditures for
1897 to fit the revenue in sight.
Each of the ten committeeman was
present and after two hours of patient
and continuous labor succeeded in over
coming the $SS,1l619 deficiency with
So, 800 to spare.
The fact that the committee took up
seriatum 233 lines and nearly as many
items contained in the ordinance in
little over two hours, probably beats the
record of any previous committee. The
eXpedency was due to a secret caucus
recently held by the six Republican
members at which time the action for
last night was outlined. On all import
ant voting the Republican division stood
solid
In the reducing, the members from
the beginning appreciated that action
had 70 be heroic and the axe was WELD
ed in a general and impartial fashion
that will give the tlutterS to the heads
of fourteen of the twenty departments
represented in the ordinance. An idea
of the shaving is indicated in the taking
of $2G,4lS from the street department,
$1,000 from the police. S21, 800 from the
fire department, $17,797 from the parks
and corresponding reductions through
out the ordinance.
WAS A BIG DEFICIENCY.
The committee began it's work con-
fronted with estimates to the total
amount of $37S, 10, to meet which the
city controller estimates a revenue of
$2S5,oOO. The deficiency of $SS,l16.19 was
more than provided for last night by re =
ductions amounting to $9l, 53550, or
| $3,41931 more than the condition de-
!, manded. There was, however, sent to
the committee by the city engineer a
| batch of nine resolutions representing
| $14.53O.41 of estimates, but which need
not necessarily be included in the final
appropriation.
Following is a summary of the most
pronounced reductions made: Street
commissioners department. $75,225 to
| $4S,S07; city assessors department, $12,-
$50 to $1,000; police department, $63,2lo
to $52,0lO; fire depal tment, $577e7.61 to
| $50, ,4G761; board of health department,
| $977O to Sc. $50; Nay Aug park, $lS 56o
to Sc, 600; Connell park, $4,97S to $1,000;
board of revision and appeals, $2,S25 to
| $1.02J. Besides those reductions, the
| estimates of S74,42 for general city .eX-
penses was Topped to the extent Of 5000,
| all but 5000 of which was taken from
| the $50, 600 estimated for inCidentals and
| judgments.
Other departments whose estimates
were reduced bat not to such a degree
as those already mentioned We're the
| following. Mayors department, $,25O
to $3,S00 city treasurers department,
$605O to $3.50; city controllers depart
| ment, So, ESQ to SO, $50; maintenance of
public buildings and grounds $3,957 to
$5,557; city engineers department, $1O
$50 to $40, 27O; Woodlawn park, $500 to
$3.50.
ONLY ONES TO ESCAPE.
Out of a total of twenty sections con-
| tanned in the ordinance, the only foul
which escaped the merciless scalping
We're these: City solicitors depart
ment, $3,1OO; city clerks department
$3.50; building inspectors depart
ment, $1,5S5; Scranton Public library
$ll 400. one section of the ordinance
containing sixteen deficiencies for 1896
amounting to S36O9, was let stand as
The work began with the mayors de-
partment, the clerks salary being re-
duced from the 81 200 asked to 5000, the
same as last year, and $50 each being
Topped from the stationery, incidentalS
and printing items. A total of $425(
was wanted.
The city treasurer's department
which asked $6O5O, escaped with only
a cut of S100 from the $4OO asked fol
books, printing and stationery.
Included in the city controllers esti.
mate of $3.50 was clerk hire item in.
creased to 81 500 from $1,000 last year
| The increase was negatived.
The estimates of $3,l00 by the city so
lcitor and $3.50 by the city clerk were
not changed.
Out of $3,957 asked for maintaining
the city hall and grounds 500 was eX
plunged from the $500 for lighting, ant
$500 from the $500 for repairs.
But one change was made in the city
engineers request for $l0,55O. Instead
of 81, 900 for an office clerk, the item
was fixed at $720, the same as las
year.
The real activity came when thC
street department was reached. Every
item but one was reduced or entirely
wiped out. 1t was handled without
gloves and at the finish $26,41S had beeI
shaved from. the $75,225 asked. The
reductions We're: Cleaning asphalt
$lS, 900 to $l1 600; ward street appropria,
tlons, $2l, 900 to $l6,732; repairs tt
bridges and culverts, $4,50O to $500
cleaning sewers, $500 to $4,000; clean
ing pavement other than asphalt
$4,000 to $1,000; sewer repairs, $4,5OO tC
$4,000; asphalt repairs, $500 to $4,000
repairs to Abingdon turnpike, $4,000 L
$1,000. There We're other and minor
reductions.
WOOD INSTEAD OF IRON.
Five thousand dollars was asked fo