The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-29
Act or Be Crushed.

IF the city government of Scranton
is incompetent to draw up a contract
with the Barber Asphalt company
which will be fair and just to the tax
payers of the city it is incompetent to
manage a repair plant of its own. AS
things stand, the city cannot be trust
ed to clean the streets. let alone repair
them. In spite of the recommendation
and advice of the street commissioner,
councils stick to the old and rotten
system of ward appropriations, the
money needed for street cleaning is
frittered away and half of the time the
streets are abominaby dirty If coun-
ellis would put into the street commits
sioner's hands a lump sum equal to the
aggregate now appropriated under the
ward system we are convinced from
what has been done in other cities that
nc could not only clean the streets
thoroughly, every business day in the
year. but come out at the years end
with q snug balance into the bargain.
or, if councils would let the street
cleaning out to private contract we are
confident that it could get responsible
bids from reputable business men to
do the work one hundred per cent.
more satisfactorily than it is done to-
day a a substantial discount from tn"
present cost.
In the face Of this notorious incapac-
ity on councils part to deal in a bust
ncss-likc manner with so simple mat
ter as the cleaning of the streets, it is
the quintessence of folly to talk about
putting into councils hands the man
agement of an expensive asphalt repair
plant, which involves not only good
business ability but also technical
skill of a high order. The records in
American cities do not show single
instance of the successful management
of city repair plant. The nearest
approach TO a success is in the neigh
boring city of Wilkes Barre where, to
keep in repair Sl3 miles of asphalt pave
just out of bond has in two years cost
nearly $2S,O0Q. on this basis to repair
Scranton's more than II miles of as
phalt, 10000 yards of which would re-
uuire immediate rosurfaCing, would
cost not less than $4,000 year for ten
years. or nearly double the bid of the
Barber company at the recent open
competition. The suggestion OF a city
plant, under prevalent municipal con-
ditiOns, is simply bunCOmbe, and Meth
cr more nor less. The present council
manic government of Scranton is in-
capable of running successfully a pea
nj Il, n, aDtnrn,i-a On
intricate as a plant for large asphalt
repairs.
The outCry over the Barber contract
is not unnatural in view of the unSat-
iSfactory work Of this company in the
past; but the need of repairs has
reached such dimensions that some
thing has got TO be done at once--some-
thing radically different from mere
idle chattering or the vain mGkeshift
of trying to repair our rotten pave
mcnts with plnChes of sand and con-
crete. The Barber people were the low
bidders. Their contract was accepted
by councils. signed by the mayor and
sustained save in minor particulars by
The courts. it was and is a binding
contract, Ill Spllc Ol the llleSdl VETO 81
the appropriation. Business men who
have examined this subject and made
study of methods and figures in 9th
er cities are almost unanimously oi
the opinion that the price agreed upon
in that contract is as such prices run
a fair and equitable one for the city
provided the city holds the company
10 it's contract. If it is incapable o
doing that, don't blame the Barbe
company; blame the electors who pu
such represen- -atiVes into office.
At all events, the streets must b,
repaired and repaired thoroughly. On
this point public opinion is absOlutel!
unanimous and those who shall furthe
stand in the way of this opinion viii
simply be crushed.