The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-10

If such thing can be brought about
through legislation, the heads of de-
partments of the city government will
ere long have office hours prescribed
for them and they will be compelled
to be in their offices during those hours
or show a good and sufficient reason
for not being there.
At least SO declares Councilman Nor
ris, the Eighteenth's aggressive young
representative i'm the lower branch
Mr.. Morris is a brcklaNer by trade
The present inClenent weather pre-
vents him following his daily oCcupa-
tiOn and for several weeks past he has
spent a good part of his enforced leis-
ure about the city hall, with the laud-
able desire of improving his knowledge
of municipal affairs, that he may the
better serve his constituents and his
city.
In his visits to the various offices he
could not help but note the large num-
Der of persons who daily make futile
attempts to see city officials.
ADAILY OCCURRENCE.
'Is the ------. in?"
Just stepped out"
"How soon do YOU expect he will be
back?"
Cant say positively but l hardly
expect him back today. Anything
can do for you?"
"Well, J don't know. I wanted to
see him about that matter Of so ana
so--cau YOU attend to it just as well?"
mo, I'd rather you would see the
- himself about that. He always
has to be consulted in those matters" ."
1,
time will he be in tomorrow"
"Why, generally, he is here at
o'clock. I'll tell him you called"
And then the next day.
rs the ------ in?'
The ------ mas just stepped out. Oh,
yes. you were here Yesterday. If YOU
were here two minutes soUner You
would have caught him You NAV be
able to find him at his -" (store
office, home, hotel. or whatever the
case may be).
Conversations like this between citi-
zens who come to transact business
with their literally paid servants. and
deputies, clerks, secretaries or Other
underlings who are doing their own
and their chiefs work, or such por.
tions of it as they care to or are capa-
BILE of, have been listened to time and
again by Mr.. Morris and they have set
him to thinking
One conclusion at which he has ar
rived is that the thing is radically
wrong. Another result of his cogita.
tion is a determination to right that
wrong.
SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE, ETC.
Recently councils passed a resolution
directing the secretary to the chief of
police to put in so many hours per
day at his office. If this can be done
in the case of one city official it is
not unreasonable to suppose that il
can be done in every case, Mir. Morris
reasons.
There is no question in his mind but
that the city officials, with rare eN-
ceptiOns, are not devoting to the city's
business, the time, labor and general
interest that would be anything like
commensurate with what they are re-
Ceiving in salary. They take it for
granted-it is notorious too--that a city
office is position entaiing only a
superficial supervision of the DEPART
mental work and the pOcketing of the
difference between the salary and what
it costs to run the office by proxy.
MI Morris said yesterday IN con-
Guiding the conversation in which he
vented the above.
Il do not want to pose as a reform
er. Neither am I seeking any cheap
notoriety. | simply feel that the may
or has authority to compel the heads
of departments to do their fun duty
and that | would be grievous!y dere
liCt in my duty to the taxpayers of
this city if / ignored the duty that
my observations point out to me-"
SCOPE OF THE RESOLUTION.
Mr.. Morris resolution will cali atten
ton to the act Of assembly giving the
mayor power to supervise the conduct
of city officials. and direct him to take
the necessary measures 10 remove this
constant cause of complaint If the
law in the case will permit Mr.. Morris
Will go farther and designate certain
hours, at least six a day, during: which
the heads of departments shall be at
their respective offices.
The recent public uttcrance Of one
city official 10 the effect that he at
tended to the affairs Of his depart-
ment often times 10 the neglect of his
private business is opportune in this
connection.