The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-29


on or before Feb. L. II will he known
whether Mayor Bailey has approved
the ordinance for opening Wyoming
avenue from Olive to Ash street. The
measure. which has passed the coun-
ellis, was delivered to the mavor yes
terday by the city clerk.
The law provides that the ordinance
must receive Mayor l5ailCy's final con-
sideration within fifteen days after it
has been presented to him. 1t can be-
come operative without his approval,
>.provided he does not veto it. IF he
etoes the measure it can become
" by only vote Of tWo-thirds of
)1stfie members of councils.
To q Tribune reporter yesterday
Mayor Bailey said: Il have not decid-
ed what action ] shall take. Even
though l had made up my mind |
should not care to Indicate what my
conclusion was, as the matter is one
of considerable importance and must
bear proportionate investigation be-
fore ] act finally.
YES | have received visits from
many of the property owners interest
ed-from fifty per cent. of them" he
said in response to the reporters in
cuiry.
DO they favor the Improvement
"All who have called on me favor it,
Following is the ordinance:
Section BE it ordained by the select
and common councils of the city of Scran-
ton, and it Is hereby ordained by the au-
thority of the same. that Wyoming ave-
nue., from Olive street to Ash street be
opened to the extent in the manner
shown upon the map hereto attached ana
for that purpose the land between the
dotted lines and indicated by shaded lines
on said map is hereby appropriated by
said city for the purpose OF opening SAID
Wyoming avenue.
ABOUT PRICES TO BE PAID.
Sec. 2-Immediatcly upon the passage
of this ordinance. the mayor, the city
controller and the city solicitor shall at
tempt to agree with the owners of the
property approI rated by the first sec
ton hereof upon the damages received
by them. In case no agreement can be
reached upon said damages or any of
them. the city solicitor shall apply TO the
court for the al pointment of viewers to
assess such damages according to law.
The map shows a thoroughfare sixty
feet in width from curb to curb, eighty
fee; between fence lines and 100 fee;
between building lines.
III Il ltlltI W CuullCllS tdllN III bt-
cember, City Engineer Phillips wrote
that he had secured options from sew
enteen property owners, amounting to
ST776, and that the options of three
property owners We're lacking, the
s Delaware and Hudson company, w
Gibson Jones and James Kearney
estate. The options given varied
from so cents to 81 per square
foot. The Kearney property is
on the east side of the proposed
new street line, which runs through the
front part of the property. The same
is true of three lots owned by w. Glib
son Jones on the same side of the pro-
posed avenue. but near Pine street.
The possible damages to the Della
ware and Hudson company has beer
one of the greatest impediments to the
plan. The tracks and switches occupy
the proposed avenue from point south
of Pine street to the Gibson street in
tersection. where they run northwest
toward the Capouse avenue crossing
The Delaware and Hudson company
owns the land west of it's tracks be.
tween Pine and Gibson streets, anC
friends of the ordinance claim the COM
pany could move its tracks off the pro.
posed avenue to its own land between
these two points at comparatively
small expense. According to the new
map the tracks, but not much Of the
Company's land, are now on the terri
tory that would be occupied by the new
avenue.
RIGHTS OF THE d. & H.
The question has been raised by those
favorable to the opening that the Della
ware and Hudson company has nC
right, except that acquired by occu
pancY, to the present location of il!
tracks. 1t is claimed that when the
streets on the flats We're decided to the
city by the Lackawanna Iron and Goa
company the railroad company had mo-
been given any possession or track
laying privileges. This claim seems t,
be supported by the copy of the deco
map now in the city engineers Office
1t shows only the lands of the Jone!
estate and few old highways, alonl
with the Lackawanna Iron and Goa
company. as being exempt from trans
fer to the city.
Opponents of the Improvement, who
by the way, do not deny that it would
be an Improvement base their obiec
tions not only upon the expense in
volved, but they argue that the ordi
nance is imperative and Illegal, be
cause no appropriation has been pro
vided for 1t, and that at the presen
time the city is not in financial con
dition to meet the expense by specia
levy, bond issue or otherwise.
All the arguments pro and con hav,
been laid before Mayor Bailey who /,
in nowise in doubt as to the many cir
cumstances surrounding the matter.