The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-14

dinances on Third Reading.
Common council had a very exciting
meeting last night, The cause Of all
trouble was the board of revision and
appeal. Council went on record as
granting that body back salary
amounting to 5000. when only Il week
ago 1t decided that the board would
not get It.
The matter came UP when the ap-
preparation ordinance was called on
third reading. Mr.. Zizelman moved
that council go into committee of the
Chairman Keller took the floor and
gave the chair to Mr.. Grifiths. Mr..
Zizelman then offered an amendment,
taking $60l from the judgment and in
cidentals appropriation and making q
new item of that amount for the pay
ment of 1899 deficiency in payment Of
the board Of revision and appeal.
WAS CUT OUT ONCE.
1t must be understood that an item
of $500 was asked for in the estimates
submitted for that department for the
payment of this deficiency and was
cut out by the estimates committee.
The ordinance passed select council,
as submitted by the estimates commit.
tee and ut the last meeting Of common
council an amendment was offered taxi
ing out $500 from judgments and incl
dentals and creating this new item
The amendment offered last night
provides for the taking out Of S80l.
This 81 was added on SO that the letter
but not the spirit of the rule prohibit
ing the bringing up of similar amend
mcnt twice might be carried out. Mr..
Keller at first rose to a point Of order,
saying that this was the same amend
ment that had been offered before. but
upon being told of the 81 difference. by
M. V. Morris he stopped talking along
this line and spoke of the board in gen.
eral.
Mr.. Keller was very much in earnest
He said:
''This board ought to be abolished
It's the biggest outright steal that has
ever been placed upon this city. 1t is
yearly taking money out of the city
treasury that shouldn't be taken out
of it. I've always contended that this
board should meet only during the
first three months of the year and I
think that that's what the law con-
templates. but these men come here
twice a week, sitting sometimes only
fifteen or twenty minutes at a time,
and yet this city pays them SO for every
time they sit. It's an outrage and
there's no reason why 1t should be
permitted"
MORRIS ON HIS FEET.
When Mr.. Keller had ceased speak,
ing NJ. " Morris. who is a member Of
the board. was on his feet in a mo-
ment. He was very wrathy and his
voice also rang out so loudly that the
physicians meeting in the next room
was temporarily adjourned so that the
doctors could hear what was going on.
Mr.. Morris said:
AS member OF the board Of re-
vision and appeal, I want to say that
the gentleman who says that the board
meets only fifteen or twenty minutes
some days deliberately lies before this
| body. If he don't like the board, let
him go down to Harrisburg and get
the law creating it repealed. Let him
also read the opinion of the late Judge
Gunster. who decided that the board
could meet every day in the year II
| they wanted to and three times a day
| too. 1t would also be well for the
| gentleman from the Seventeenth tC
think Of the travelling around the board
has to do, also. ] would have pre-
| ferred to say nothing, but when he
attempts to shove down anything like
he has said tonight. ! must protest"
| Mr.. Keller said, in reply: There
should never be councilman appoint.
| ed on the board. If it was composed
of five ordinary citizens, we wouldn't
have this deficiency of $500. l know
that with members Of the board ~
councils it's impossible to pass an,
measure tending to correct any of tn
abuses growing out Of it. I want t;
say. too. that I haven't word to TAX,
back"
During all this harangue and argu
ment Mr.. Grier had been making des
perate but futile attempts to call tn,
attention Of the chair to the fact tina
all the remarks We're out of order, bu
when Mr.. Keller had ceased his sec
ond speech he insisted that the amend
ment he put and put it was. bein,
adopted by the following vote:
| Yeas ZiZelman, Naegeli Smith. God
shall Watkins. Griffiths. Reese, NJ. v
Morris, Phillips. Il. F. Morris, Norton
Ruane Monaghan, Grier-14
Nays - Keller. Tcwkesbury. Harvey
Calpin-4.
DIVISION ORDINANCE KILLED.
The ordinance providing for the di
vision of the city into four districts
for the Ostensible purpose of dividin
the ward appropriations more fairly