The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-11
MOIR SAYS HE
DOESN'T CARE
HAVING DONE HIS DUTY HE
NEED NOT WORRY.
Claims It Is Now Up to Councils to
Put Reorganization Ordinance in
Legal Shape by Passing the
"Chaser" and Appropriating Money
to Meet Its Demands--No Reclas-
sifcation Of Real Estate This Year.
Difficulty About Classifying Coal.
Applicants for Fire Department.

Speculation was rife yesterday as to
whether or not Recorder Moir would
revoke his revocation Of the reorgan-
ization ordinance veto as a. means or
clubbing the estimates committee into
making appropriations for the officers
provided for In the charter.
The recorder has fifteen days in
Which to pass upon a measure and in
this instance seven days still remain.
When he vetoed the ordinance, he was
prompted, so he says, by q desire to
have it's ihadequacies supplied and its
illegalities corrected. After the veto
message had gone to City Clerk La
velle he had Il conference with the then
director of public safety, Mr. Clenons.
and Director of Public Works Roche,
leaders in the two parties in city coun-
ellis, and as a. result of the conference
the recorder recalled his veto, with
the understanding that the ordinance
would be amended to suit his ideas by
means of a supplementary ordinance.
This Chaser has been introduced
and is now before committee in select
council. AS Is generally understood. it
provides for delinquent tax collector,
a. city detective. four additional pa
trolmen and several other things the
recorder wants. The estimates com
1nittee at Tuesday nights meeting en-
tertained motions for appropriations to
meet the expenses of these various Of
fees. hut by an overwhelming vote
each was in turn defeated.
DOESN'T CARE A FIG.
PERSONALLY" said the recorder yester.
day, 81 don't care a fig what they do.
AS recorder / did my duty in having
| the supplementary ordinance intro
| duced, and as recorder ! am desrous
| that the offices in question should be
| provided for. The action of the csti-
| mates committee, however, cannot be
| tortured into a slap at me, because ]
| am in no wise concerned now that I
| have done my full duty VIII l recall
my recall of the veto of the re-organ-
| ization ordinance? Certainly not. 1t
is All incomplete and, in certain feat
ures. illegal measure. but have point
ed out a way of curing it's defects, and
; it. is now up to councils to act. On the
side let me say that the chaser" will
pass. fell certain that a majority Of
| the councils will see the light in due
| time
| Before bowing the reporter out, his
| honor in an interrogative rather than
! declarative way remarked something
to the effect that it was not impossible
to compel councils by mandamus to
make provision for the delinquent ta&
| collector.
| 1t has been practically decided by
the city officials that there will be no re-
classification of real estate this year
| The assessment made by the old board
| of assessors will be taken as the basis
| of the levy. and next year a new and
complete assessment will be undertak-
en- according to the second class city
laws. Attention has been called by SO.
licitor Watson to the fact that Scran-
ton cannot be content with a classified.
ton contemplating only three classes
Coal is a separate estate, under thc
law, and must be assessed separately
1t cannot be classed as built-up, subur.
ban or agricultural property, nor car
it be included in the personality col
umn. The second class city laws say
there shall be three classes; no more
no less. Solicitor Watson is at loss
as to how to advise the assessors. Some
think that unless remedial Legislation
is passed the assessors will have tC
neglect the assessments against coal
1t is safe to say the owners of Goa
beds will not protest.
HEARING APPEALS.
The asst ssors began work yesterday
as a board of revision to hear appeals
from the assessment made by theil
predecessors. Ninth ward property
holders We're heard. Today appeals
will be heard from the Eighth ward
and tomorrow from the Seventeenth
ward. April 10 has been fixed for the
Twenty-iirst ward. The assessors viii
EN a special hour for hearing appeals
from taxpayers who own over ten prop.
| critics.
Applicants from the Crystals, Nay
Aug and Hook and Ladder companies
tor places as bunk and call men, were
examined yesterday by the board ap.
pointed by Director Hitchcock and
Chief Zizclmann. Fifteen candidates
were put through. This number is moi
enough to fill the quota allotted to thcsf
three companies. Each candidate was
examined separately. Questions were
ssked orally to lest his knowledge ol
fire fighting. Dr. Fulton, the police
surgeon, will examine them as to thei,
physical qualifications.
The examining board has decided tC
hold its sessions hereafter at the Ma,
Aug engine house in the evening, in,
stead of az the chief engineers Office
in the afternoon.
Tonight the board will examine ap,
plicants from the Niagara, William
Connell and Relief companies Friday
night, Phoenix, Columbia and Century
Saturday night, Neptune, Franklin anc
Liberty; Monday night, Eagle, Cum
herland. Excelsior and General Phin-
ney. The full paid permanent men vii
be- examined at date to be set later
The seventeen rejected common coun-
cilnen will renew their demand for
seats at tonight's meeting. They hope
that q majority Of the twenty-one seal
ed members will vote To let them in
Chairman Calpin said, yesterday, thai
a canvass of the Democrats. who mum
her thirteen, shows that they are moi
intending to recede from the position
they took at the reorganization meet,
ing.
| ,