The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-13

discussed and commented upon.
Under the second class city law thre2
executive departments are created, as
follows: Department of public safety,
department of public works, depart
mcnt of charities. The heads of these
three departments are elected by
councils and whether they must he
elected by the old councils or by the
augmented councils is the principal
one which is causing discussion.
In a second class city the number
of common councilmen is based upon
the number of taxables from eacl,
ward. A committee of common and
select councilmen is at present en-
gagged in apportioning the number of
councilmen to be allotted to each
ward, so that due notice of their cleo
tiCn may be included in the mayors
election proclamation prior to the Feb
runry election.
Now the question which arises Is
this. Can the present councils elect
the three heads of these departments
as soon as the city Is declared to be
officially a city Of the second class,
or will ii be necessary to wait until
the new councilmen have been elected
and have taken their seats?
OPPOSITE CONVENTIONS.
There are those who contend that
the present councils cannot elect
these heads of departments, and there
are others who contend that they can.
The city of Allegheny became a. city
of the second class on the first Mon
day of April 1891, but it's heads Of
executive departments We're elected by
councils on the second Monday in
March Of the same year, in other
words. before the additional common
cOuncilmen had been sworn in. Thus
it would appear that precedent favors
those who say the present councils
can elect.
In order to do this however, it was
necessary for the councils of Allie
gheny to pass an ordinance appoint
ing the aforementioned especial time
for electing such heads of depart
ments.
The committee of select cOuncilmen
recently appointed to prepare and sub
nit for the consideration of councils
all necessary legislation to be passed
before the transition of the city from
the third to the second class can be
properly effected, will, it is UNDER
stood. submit an ordinance providing
for the election of these heads of de.
partments by the present council.
Among the necessary legislation
above referred to will be the passage
of an ordinance providing for the abo-
lition of the present board of health
and of the poor board on and after
certain date which date shall be
the one on which the city shall en-
ter the second class. 1t will also he
necessary in include in this ordinance
provisions for the abolition of all po-
sitions at present existing under the
following departments: Fire, police,
city engineers. street commissioners
and parks.
WILL BE JOINED.
This will be rendered necessary. in
asmuch as all these departments will
be joined under one or the other of
the three great departments above
mentioned. The department of public
safety has charge OF the care, man
agement, administration and super
vision OF police affairs, and all mat
ters relating to the public health, to
the fire and police force and the in
SpectlOn or buildings.
The specific duties of the head of
this department and also of the other
two departments, must be laid out by
ordinance and such an ordinance is
now being prepared by the special
committee above referred to. 1t will
be based largely upon the city ordi-
nance governing the duties of these
heads OF departments in the city of
Allegheny. which Is very little larger
than Scranton.
All of the various b-departments
under each of these three great depart
mentS are known as bureaus, as.
bureau of health or bureau of police.
The heads of these bureaus are, under
the act of assembly, to be appointed
by the heads of the departments, so
thta the heads of these three depart
ments Will have deal more appoint
i've power than the mayor, who can
only name the police magistrates.
The bureaus at present existing un-
der the department of public safety
in the city of Allegheny are as fol-
lows: Bureau of health, bureau of
building inspection, bureau of cleo.
tricity, bureau of fire and bureau of
police. All of thes must he provided
for in this city. with the possible eX-
ception OF the bureau of electricity,
which in Allegheny has supervision OF
all fire alarms and police signals.
Under the department of public
works there are included the following
bureaus in Allegheny: Bureau of pub
lie lighting, bureau OF engineering and
bureau of street commission
er, bureau of highways and roads, bu-
reau of water, bureau of public parks
and bureau of library buildings.
Just as many of these bureaus will
he provided for i'm this city as councils
shall deem fit. The bureau of water
will not have to be provided for, mas
much as this city does not own its
own water works. Several of the 9TH
er bureaus could he eliminated, as
for instance The bureau of lighting
and the bureau of streets and high
ways.
In Allegheny the street commissions
nr has charge only of the repairs to
he streets, while the superintendent
Of highways and sewers has charge
Of all street cleaning. These two bu-
reaus could easily be combined in
city OF this size.
The department of charities has
charge of the care, management, ad.
and supervision of the
charities and almshouses, 1t is in
charge of an official known as the
chief of the department of charities.
The special committee. OF which
John f. Roche is chair
man, expects to be able to report
about the middle of December.
An Acknowledged Fact.