The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-09

OF for Couple Of Weeks-Tour Of
the Fire Department Houses Also
Postponed--solicitor Watson Deliv-
ers His First Opinion.
Because superintendent of Police
Robling and n number OF other MEM
berS of the force are tied UP in crinli-
| nal court. 1t is likely the recognizing
of the police force will not take place
| for two weeks yet. Director Hitch
cock said yesterday it would be
week at lecst. When he figured on
having the affair take place tomorrow
he had not taken into consideration
the fact that criminal court would
| be on.
The director also failed to make u
| tour OF the fire department houses
yesterday. as was announced he would.
He decided to postpone his visit until
some future day. and further he has
| decided that when he does make the
inspection he will not herald his COM
ing. The fire companies had every
| thing spick and span yesterday, in
expectation Of the visit of the new
director, and they were much disap-
| pointed that he did not come.
The director and Chief Zizlamann
spent a good portion of the day pre-
| pairing a new set OF rules and reyula-
tions for the government OF the de-
partment. This is mado necessary by
| its coming transition from a volunteer
to a paid department. The regulations
| obtaining in various cities where the
bunk and call-men auxiliary system
I O.. Il 1aHp a
Zizlemann and are being: made use OF
in drafting the rules for the Scranton
department.
TO co oUT OF SERVICE.
Chief Zizlemann has been notified by
the Lacakawanna Iron and Steel COM
pSny that the blast furnace is to be
moved to Buffalo and that with 1t will
go the big gong that has for so many
years sounded the firv alarms. The
chief will endearor to make an ar
r6ngement with the Dickson Manufac-
turing company to have city gong
stationed at either the Penn avenue
works or the Cliff works.
George NJ. Watsons first opinion as
city solicitor is appended. 1t is In re-
sponse to an inquiry from City Clerk
Lavelle as to what should be done with
the assessment books that were in the
custody of the city clerk as clerk Of the
board of revision and appeals. This
board went out of existence March Z.
but did not know this officially until
March q. In the interim it corrected
and revised the assessment books Of
sixteen of the twenty-one wards. City
Clerk Lavelle was in doubt as to
whether or not these alterations should
be erased before turning over the
books to the new board Of assessors,
and sought advice from the city solic-
itor. The following is the advice:
wATsoN's OPINION.
Scranton, Pa. April s. 1901.
Mr. Martin I. Layellc, City Clerk of the City Of
Scranton
Dear Sir: In response to your inquiry as to
your duty in relation TO the custody Of the
assessment books OF the city OF Scranton for the
year 1901, ! make the following reply:
BY the terms OF Article VI oi the act Of
March !, 1901. five asscssors to be appointed
by the recorder. upon the act becoming opera
tive, TO wit, on the first Monday in April fol.
lowing.
The assessors appointed by virtue OF said act
became the board of revision and appeal, and it
becomes their duty to revise and hear appeals
upon said assessment.
u WIS CItdTlN lnc lH'PntlOH Ol tN' dCI tldI
the assessors so appointed, should have the Gus
tody OF the assessment books, in order to carry
out these provisions.
The act having become law OF this COM
monweaith on the seventh OF March, 1901, the
rights Of the board OF revision and appeal under
the third class city charter were superseded by
the asscssors appointed under the act Of March Z,
1901.
1t is my opinion that the old board OF revision
and appeal could not proceed lawfully after the
act OF March Z, 1901. became law and that
you, as their clerk, have no authority to amend,
correct or in any wise change the assessment,
that duty being in terms delegated by the act
OF March !, 1901, to the board Of five assessors
believe it to be your duty to deliver to tho
custody OF the assessors appointed by the recor-
der, by virtue OF said act, the books containing
the assessment OF the year 1901, as soon as they
are appointed and qualified. I am,
Very truly yours,
G. NJ. Watson, City Solicitor
The new assessors will at once enter
upon the task of revising the assess
ment taking advantage of such alter
ations and Corrections made by the
board of revision and appeals as they
may see flt.
APPEAL DAYS.
Appeal days have been fixed as fol-
lows: April 10, Ninth ward; April II,
Eighth ward: April Il, Seventeenth
ward; April Is, Sixteenth ward; April
16, Thirteenth ward; April II, First
ward; April lS Eleventh ward.
Solicitor Watson has drafted a bill.
to be presented to the legislature by
Sc nator Vaughan, which will meet the
difficulty disclosed by the city clerks
inquiry. 1t provides that the boards OF
assessors in second class cities shall
take the 1901 assessment. made by its
predecessors. as the basis of assess
ment for that year; the new board
10 correct, alter, modify or classify
it as the law may direct.
Mr.. Watson is very anxious to avoid
any of the entanglements that might
result from an invalid assessment and
because of the supreme Importance OF
the matter proposes to take no half
way measures to meet 1t. Because of
the fact that the bill proposed by
Solicitor Watson Is a very necessary
one and wholly free from anything
savoring of SNAKE" the legislature
can be counted upon to put 1t through
before the end of the session.
The estimates committee will hold
it's first meeting tomorrow night. Un-
less a snag is encountered in dealing
with the matters on which the re-
corder and the councils are at variance
the committee should be able 10 frame
it's report in one sitting, the old esti-
mates committee having attended to
all the routine work and left an Or
diIance behind ii which is practically
complete.
lx;.