The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-16

by an unanimous vote and at one OF 4
the most largely attended meetings it !
has held in years the board of trade |
last night adopted the following reso- .
luton:
Whereas, The condition uf our paved !
streets $50 called is absolutely disgracc- 3
ful, a reproach to our city. to every res /
ident therein, and especially to our muni- /
Cipal government;
Whereas, While our mayor is hesitat- :
ing as to the course to pursue. things /,
are rapidly becoming worse, and private |
property and the public confidence and |
credit are depreciating with awful rapid |
ity; and.
Whereas Regardless of the merits of !
different plans and methods. most Of /
them honestly suggested and advocated, /
there seems to be only one means of |
prompt ard fun relief, that is by exc !
cutting the contract with the Barber |
Asphalt Paving company. to take the !
place of those already executed but mis- /
laid, therefore he it
Resolved. That we respectfully request
and urge his honor the mayor, to sign
the contract above referred to at once.
believing that in so doing he Will greatly
advance all the interests OF our city. and
promptly relieve us from what is uni
Versally acknowledged to be Il burning
shame ard q continual menace.
CITIZENS ATTENDED.
About fifty citizens, not members of
the board, accepted the invitation to
attend the meeting and give the board
the benefit of their views on the as
phalt repair question. Among them
were Mayor Moir, and a delegation
from the West Side board of trade.
The latter were rahid anti-contract peo-
pie and they made no bones OF it.
In fact the feature of the meeting
was the part played by the leader OF
the delegation, William Farrell. He
/ was chock fun of talk and fight and
ideas.
At the close of the meeting when the
West Siders created a great tumult be-
cause they were not permitted to have
a vote in the boards deliberations, Mr..
Farrell was particularly vocifcrous.
Above all the din he could be heard
crying out against 'mOnopolies throt-
. tling the people" In the groups that
gathered after the meeting broke up,
he was quite as much discussed as the
subject of asphalt repairs itself
The resolution printed above was in
! troduced when the board had reached
new business" Colonel II. NJ. Boies
presented it, and when he had con-
cluded it's reading there was a hearty
outburst of applause. Captain w. A.
May moved it's adoption and Joseph
Levy seconded the motion.
Secretary Atherton read letters from
A. w. Dickson and F. r. Sturges ex-
pressing strong sentiments in favor OF
the Barber contract.
Then Colonel BOies spoke at length
on his resolution. He had no interest
in the Barber Asphalt company, he
said. He was simply moved by his in
tcrest in the city The question has
been ably discussed in the papers and
, everybody who reads should have q
thorough understanding Of every side
/ OF the controversy.
COLONEL BOIES' CONCLUSIONS.
The conclusions Colonel Boies drew
| from the discussion We're these: Prop
( erty is depreciating in value because
Of the condition of our streets and there
| is need of immediate repairs. The city
is not III a position to do the work at
( once, and even If the city was finan-
cially able to undertake the task on its
own account, there would be the de-
lays incident to legislation and further
delay can not be tolerated The Bar
her contract is the only relief offered.
: Councils have acted, The matter now
lies with the mayor. This resolution is
intended to bear upon the mayor and
induce him to carry out the will of the
councils and the people.
John NJ. Kemmerer, at this juncture,
asked if the city had a contract for the
repair of the pave and if so how did it's
terms compare with those in other
cities
Secretary Atherton produced copies
of the resolution awarding the con-
tract to the Barber Asphalt company
and the joint resolution adopted May
>, requesting the mayor to execute Il
contract under this resolution to take
the place of the one mislaid or lost.
Then came the discussion proper and
a hotter one never. probably, was re-
corded at a board Of trade meeting.
ON the side of the contract were: Hon.
William Connell Colonel II. NJ. Boies,
John Jermyn G. T.. Chittenden, Colonel
George SandersOn, Reese G., Brooks
Luther Keller, James II. Torrey, d. T..
Atherton. A. Is. Stevens, ]. Benz. Dim
mick. Against il We're: William Far
rell, eX-Counciman Joseph Oliver, eX-
Councilman Il. b. Jackson and c. Com
eggs, attorney for those who fought
the contract IN court
Hon. John r. Farr was opposed to
the contract because he thought ten
years too long Z term. Mayor Mor
who came in towards the close of the
meeting did not say whether ur not
under the present circumstances, he is
opposed 10 the contract He has voted
both ways on it and now says he will
sign it if given instructions TO do so
by councils. Personally he has been,
Of late, unalterably opposed to the
contract.
MIR. CONNELL'S VIEWS.
Congressman ConnelI opened the ball
by pointing out from figures submit
ted by Secretary AtheltOn that Wilkes
Barre with its municipal repair plant
pays 1925 per square yard for repairs,
while the BARRIER company proposes TO
do the work for 90 cents in this city
with its much heavier traffic.
The contract he went on 10 say, is
not a dear one apparently, but wheth-
er ii is or not Is not the question now.
These streets have got 10 be repaired,
4 nd af UNhig of 81 Ia,