The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-08


erty pays all of the highest rate. The
highest rate of tax necessary to be
assessed is fixed each year by coun-
ellis after the assessors make their re-
turn of property classification. The
actual cash value of property is the
basis of taxation.
The city auditor looks after the ac-
counts of all city officers, making
monthly report of his work to coun-
ellis
The director of public safety is APP
pointed by councils for four years. lie
has supervision of the police force,
public health, fire department, city
telegraphs, fire-escapes, police stations,
patrol houses, fire houses and fire ap-
paratus. He appoints the superlntend-
ent of police, superintendent of the
bureau of fire and all policemen and
flremen, the building inspector, super
intendent of the bureau of health and
the like.
The board of health under q second
class city charter will be supplanted by
a bureau of health, which shall consist
of a superintendent and such employees
as may be deemed necessary.
PUBLIC WORKS.
The director of the department of
public works has charge of the depart
ments now governed here by the city
engineer, street commissioner and park
commissioners and has charge of all
realty owned by the city. He appoints
the heads of the various bureaus in
his department, such as superintend-
ent of engineering and surveys, super
intendent of the bureau of highways
and sewers, superintendent of the
bureau of water, superintendent Of the
bureau of public parks, superintend-
ent of the bureau of public libraries.
Under the Act of June 16, 1891, which
was enacted at the time Allegheny
passed from a third to a isecond-cla ass
city, the office of director of the poor
in cities of the second class was abol-
ished, and the power Of directing the
work Of charity was vested in de-
partment of public charities. 1t is
understood that this act will not apply
to Scranton.
The law governing the apportion-
ment of common councilmen in cities
of the second class reads as follows:
1T shall be the duty of the assess
ors of each ward to return, under oath
| true and exact return of resident
taxables to the president of the COM
mon council on or before the first day
of July in each (fourth) year when an
| apportionment is to be made, and at
| the first meeting of the councils there
| after, a Joint committee of five, two
| from the select and three from tho
| common council, shall be appointed
IL,
and divide the whole number of tax.
ables by forty and the quotient shall
| be the ratio of representation for the
| members of common council: Provided
| That should any ward have an excess
of three-ffths more than the ratio OF
taxables, 1t shall be entitled to an ad.
ditiOnal member; and provided further
| that each ward shall have at least ont
member of councils"
REPRESENTATION OF WARDS.
The total number of taxable inhabi
tants in the twenty-one wards o.
Scranton was 2i,14S, according to th'
assessment figures for 1899. Allowing
| las for the number of non-residen
taXabes, and to make round numbers
the ratio of representation in commo,
council would be 600. On this basis
the different wards would be repre-
sented as follows:
First ward 3: Second ward. 3: Thirt
ward, /; Fourth ward. 3; Fifth ward
3; Sixth ward, >; Seventh ward, I
Eighth ward, l; Ninth ward, 9; Tent
| ward, l: Eleventh ward, 2; Twelfth
ward, /; Thirteenth ward, 2; Four
teenth ward, /; Fifteenth ward, .
! Sixteenth ward. l: Seventeenth ward
2; Eighteenth ward. L. Nineteentl
| ward, 3; Twentieth ward. 2: Twenty
first ward, /. Total. 3S. The figure
for the next assessment will be some
what higher. and will determine whicl
of the wards will get the addtiona
councilmen to make up forty. TIL
| Eighth, Fourteenth and SlXteentl
lacked only few taxables of the mum
Der necessary to entitle them to tw
common cOuncilmen. Liquor license
will cost s11O0 instead of $3.50, as a
present.
The showing with reference to tn
census of Scranton makes it certai
that Lackawanna county has a popu
lation of more than 100000, which wi
put the offices on the salary basis an
gives Lackawanna an Orphans cour
judge, controller and prison board 0
three, who will relieve the sheriff O
all duty in connection with the man
agement of the county prison. 1t wi
probably be some time before tn
population of the county is officiall
determined, for the reason that tn
census department is first devoting it
energies to getting at the population
of the cities of the country.