The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-07-27
THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.
street Paving Contract and Bond APP
proved Last Night,


A special meeting of the Borough Council
was held last evening for the purpose of
acting ON the street paving contract, and also
TO pass upon the tax exonerations on NJ. J.
Scanlan's duplicate for 1896. The Council
men in attendance were Messrs. Coakley,
Boehm, Shoemaker, Stnughn, Howells,
James, Bell, Harkins, Hand and Neiswenter
In the absence of President Mcclure.
Mr.. Stnughn presided at the meeting
Thomas Dove. Jr acted as secretary in the
absence of Mr.. COakley.
The contract for the street paving was read
and approved, aud the proper officials were
authorized to execute it, after which the
Lond of William J. Britt, the contractor, was
read The bond was in the sum of $40. 600,
with William Neiswenter. John j. Bobbin,
John Wagner, A. Womer, Frederick Keithan.
T. II. VanDusen, i. J. Wilkinson and Daniel
f. Brennan as sureties.
Mr. James objected to the bond because the
name of William Neiswenter, q member Of
Council, appeared upon it as surety.
Mr. Coakley said the Borough Solicitor had
stated that a Councilman could 20 on the
bond as well as anybody else.
Mr. James said he did not dispute the right
of Mr.. NeiswenteI to 20 upon the bond, but
he thought it improper for a Councilman to
place himself in that position, as it will
make the Councilman an interested party.
Mr.. Coakley's motion that the bond be ac-
cepted was carried.
On motion of Mr.. James it was decided
that the contractor be instructed not to start
the North Main street paving until Council
gets something definite in writing from the
Schuylkill Traction Company, relative to
what the company purposes doing as to its
share Of the paving.
Mr. Coakley named W. G. Gregory as sup
eIvising engineer of the street paving work,
the recompense to be three per cent. of the
contract amount, or about 5000. Mr.. Gregory
was elected.
Mr. James then moved that the contractors
bond be recorded and hot debate followed
during which Mr.. Neiswenter strongly op-
posed the proposition. Mr.. James
said he wanted the bond recorded so
that it would be in place of safe
keeping in case it should be needed for
future use. Mr.. Neiswenter said he did
not want it to appear on record as a lien
against his property for five years. 1t was
explained to him that it was not intended to
have the bond recorded as a judgment, but
simply have it filed in the Prothonotary's 3
office. as the bonds Of Tax Receivers are filed
Mr.. Neiswenter wouldn't accept any ex-
PLANTATION and, in answer to one of his re-.
marks, Mr.. Bell said the bond OF the water
superintendent was recorded,
Mr.. James said the opposition to the filing
of the bond sustained the position he took
against Councilman Neiswenter going upon
the bond, that the Councilman had made
himself an interested party and was speaking
for himself, and not for the best interests of
the Council and the taxpayers.
Mr.. Neiswenter retorted that there was q
scheme to defeat street paving. He added
that he would see that Contractor Britt
carried out his contract that it was his
duty to do so, because he was on his bond
That's just it," exclaimed Mr.. James,
because you are on the bond, and not be-
cause you are Councilman. What 1 am
looking at is, what will be your position
should any trouble arise between the con-
tractor. his bondsmen and the borough ?
That is why 1 objected to your name being
ON the bond"
The motion to record was finally put and
defeated and Mr.. Harkins followed with a
motion that the bond be placed on file. Mr..
James offered an amendment that the bond
be given to the Borough Solicitor, to have it
entered up.
The amendment was defeated, Messrs.
Coakley, Shoemaker, Neiswenter, Hand and
Harkins voting in the negative and Messrs.
BOehm, James, Bell and HOwells voting in
affirmative. Mr.. Harkins motion was carried
by a similar vote. and Messrs Boehm, James,
Bell and Howells asked to be recorded in the
negative.
The 1895 tax generations were not acted
upon, as the respective committees were not
prepared to make report, not having been
able to compare the lists with the duplicate.
The following is the statement from the
Secretary Of Council as to the amount of
money expended thus far this year by the
respective committees, and the amou mt each
has to draw upon
Committees Appr. Expended Bal