The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-22
A Dutv Outlined.

Whatever may be the truth as to
the discovery of the missing asphalt
repair contracts. their disappearance
and subsequent history point a very
pregnant moral If these contracts
have been held for political oTperson-
al speculation or if their disappear
ance was due to carelessness in the
custodianship of city records and
papcrs, the condition is one of municl'
nal disease and the remedy is to be
found in a more rigid supervision by
the people of the work of the pubic
officials The incident has Illustrated
TO the taxpayers how loosely their mu-
nicipal affairs are conducted. 1t should
impress upon them the need OF instl-
tuting good many municipal reforms.
During the progress of this street
repair controversy there have heen
numerous charges of debauchery IN
connection with the granting of public
contracts ana franchises. Some or
these charges have been manifestly
made lnsinccrely; but the suspicion Is
nevertheless widespread that they
have had some basis of truth. For
ourselves. We have no evidence to sus-
tain such a charge and therefore DO
net make it. But if there are num-
Der Of substantial citizens of this town
who believe that corrupt influences are
rife in councils the time has certainly
como in the development of the city
when steps should be taken to investi-
gate this matter thoroughly. We have
seen in the item of street repairs how
carelcssly the public conveniences are
cared for and how difficult it is for the
people to get the attention from their
servants in Office which they have
right TO expect and to demand. We
have seen in the open letter OF tho
mayors private secretary what the eX-
ecutive department thinks of the meth
ods necessary to be used to influence
councils. We have seen in the legal
action recently brought against the
city by viewers endeavoring to en-
force the collection of pay for city
work done and we are seeing in the
public subscriptions made necessary
for the completion of the South Side
method of doing business reacts on the
individual citizen and how certain it
Is to lead the city into debt, disgrace
and litigation: and it ought not to re-
quire an extended recital of these pat
ent and notorious facts to justify the
opinion that it is time to enforce the
turning over Of new leaf.
hppnn0nG
convinced that some one in his employ
is neglecting his business, wasting his
money and otherwise acting in bad
faith, he takes measures to defend his
own. The employers business ability
is usually gauged by the success which
he achieves in organizing the labor of
his employees and in instituting checks
and safeguards to prevent robbery and
peculatiOn. The taxpayers of Scran-
ton in their capacity as employers of
official labor have evidently been too
lenient. They have permitted their
employees to do as they pleased and
even when suspicious that their own
interests have been betrayed they have
taken 30 steps to discover and punish
order of business ability and fidelity in
the municipal service. Now, when the
city is at a crisis in its history; when
great industrial changes are impend-
ing and when we are about to be
brought face to face with the prob
lem of taking vigorous measures to
preserve and to extend the CONNER
cial and industrial resources of our
community, the thing which stares us
in the face is the fact that the gov
eminent of our city is SO inefficient.
so negleCtful of ordinary business prin-
ciples, and so responsive to secret
manWulations or demagogic influences
that no reputable outside manufac-
turer or merchant. looking about for
new place Of residence and business
investment, would hazard a decision in
favor of Scranton.
This deplorable condition can be rem
edied if the substantial citizens of the
town will unite to remedy it. 1t will
rot cure itself.
AguinallO'S anxiety I, ba houo,bt i-