The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-07

BY \ CONTRACTOR WHO HAD
DONE BUSINESS WITH TIE CITY
HE WAS FINED s1,aOo AND EN-
PELLED FROM oFFICE-OTHER IN
STANCES OF CIVIC UPRIGHTNEss.
Writing to the Chicago Record from
Sydney, New South Wales, Trumbull
White, who is making a tour of Aus
tralasia for that paper, offers an in
teresting description of civic moral
standards in that colony. There are
some people here, says he, VINO COM
plain of the municipal government,
just as there are in Chicago, but the
proportion to the whole population 49,
from all ! can learn, not more than
one-tenth what it is with us. NOR 90
the criticisms take tn" same FORM.
There are charges of cXtravaEance in
the expenditure of the tax PAYERS
money. ii is true, but they very sell
dom imply anything worse than an
error of judgment one does not near
suggestions of jobbery, theft, failure
to administer the laws, colusion with
the violators of law and other implica-
tions that are familiar to the residents
suit of maladminlstratiOn. sometimes
the result of partisan prejudice. The
press seems as Watchful of the inter
est Of the public as it is elsewhere but
its criticisms of the local government
as of the colonial government, are di-
rectcd against matters of policy. Al
dermanic campaigns are fought be-
tween the opposing candidates in rcia-
tion to their position on matters of
public policy. and not on party lines,
party apparently having little innu.
'nce in the municipal campaigns. Can
6idatcs are careful what they say i'm
stump speeches, and the papers ar"
no less careful IL their own express
sions.
CORRUPTION CHARGES RARE.
"A definite cher9e that a public Of
ficcr, an alderman or a coterie Of al
dermon had prolitcd i'm any way at
the expense of the public" said high
government of1ic al to me- would he
met with prompt and careful investi
cation. If from any respectable source
came the suggestion that such per-
son had been Influenced in his official
acts by his relation to contractor i'm
the public service. he would certainly
have to clear his skirts of the suspicion
at once or suffer forever from the ef-
feet of the charge | do not know the
facts, but | have heard that charges
of official corruption in your munich
palities and even i'm your state legiS-
Iatures are made so frequently that
they are almost ignored by the people,
and that such a charge scarcely be-
comes a handicap if an official be-
comes a candidate again. If that is
the case. your people are more lenient
than ours would be-" My informant
continued:
'T remember two cases i'm which pub
lie officials have been charged with i'm
proper conduct and have been brought
10 trial for 1t. one was a case in which
contractor did some work for the
city, and after it was finished sent a
load of material to the home of one of
the aldermen and built a gate for him
without charge 1t was never shown
that the alderman know that this was
to be done when the contract was
granted nor was it implied that the
prospect of getting a gate free had
influenced his official action or that the
city could have done better by dealing
with some other contractor Neverthe.
less, the alderman was punished 10y a
heavy fine-G3OO, think-and has
never been in office since. The Other
case was that of member of the colo.
nial parliament. a contract was award.
ed to a firm for some government work
by a committee of which he was 9
member. 1t was afterward learned thai
he was a member of the same firm
He had nothing to do with the bust
ness, being a silent partner, the con
tract was given to that concern as the
NNTas, NO 1at
that any one else would have done the
work any better or as cheaply. In spite
of this, he was expelled from parlia
ment and fined very heavily. We ar,
rather severe about such things.
have never known of charge that any
public officer had been influenced by
money in his official actions in the pub
lie service of this colony, or this city
and as / was born here and have beer
i'm the midst of affairs throughout my
manhood, | would have known at onc
If such charges had risen. OF cours
We have had cases of theft of none,
by men who were handling the funds
There are thieves here as elsewhere
In the old regime of the crown colon.
there were some cases of official knaV
cry in connection with land grants ant
the sale OF liquors. That was in tn
early days OF the century, W nat
mean is that We have been fortunat
i'm our officers in authority, the repre-
sentatives of the people, and that tn
people would be prompt to resent an
violation of the trust they hav
granted.
SEVERELY PUNISHED.
Policemen Wei. you know on
police force is a colonial force and no
municipal A mans appointment doe
not depend on any local influence. n
cannot be kept on the force or turnc,
out by any local influence, and in
measure he is free from the tempta
tions that beset the police where the
are under the authority of the munici
pality, and aldermen and the mayor
1t is quite possible that individuals il
our police force accept money fror
certain dsreputable elements to Undue
them TO wink at infraCtiOns of the law
and in fact such charges have bee
made on few occasions and the of
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