The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-26

the members OF the Lower braDcn
Needless Of the City Being Tied
Up for Want Of Money Cut and
Slash the Bill to Suit Their Every
whim and Fancy-Two Busy ses-
sions.
Select and common councils met last
night and pushed the appropriation
ordinance to final reading. Common
council, however. made numerous
amendments, and 1t will again go be-
fore the select branch.
Common council killed off all posi-
bility of voting the seventeen extra
councilmen into their seats by having
Mr.. Keller take the chair and entertain
a motion to seat them. which Mr.. Cal
pin had persistently ruled was out Of
order The motion was killed, and then
"a motion to reconsider the vote was
made and killed, which forbids another
motion to reconsider.
The Republicans brought this down
on their own heads Chairman Calpin
had all along refused to entertain any
motion to seat the extras. Some of
the Democrats regretted this, as they
wanted to settle the matter once and
for all. Mr.. Calpin could not very we'll
reverse himself, so he arranged that
the next time the matter was broached
he would call a Republican to the
chair. and allow the motion to be killed
and buried.
While waiting for the appropriation
ordinance to come owe: from select
council, Mr.. Keller suggested that they
take UP the matter of admitting the
extras. MIR. Calpin quickly called Mr..
Keller to the chair, and taking a place
on the floor, moved to seat the extras
Mr.. Coleman seconded it. The Demo-
Gratis, with the exception OF Messrs.
Calpin and Coleman, voted against the
motion, and it was killed by vote Of
eleven to eight. Then Messrs. Calpin
and Coleman having voted in the af-
firmative, moved to reconsider. and
again the motion was killed. Messrs.
Calpin and Coleman this time helped
to kill it.
SOME ASTOUNDING RULINGS.
Mr.. Keller made some astounding
rulings in an effort to defeat the trick,
but. under the leadership Of the ever
smiling Calpin. the Democrats each
time reversed him by appealing from
the decision OF the chair. Mr.. Keller
excused his action by claiming that he
was only following precedents set by
the Democratic chairman at reorgan-
ization. "T only wanted to give you a
taste of your own medicine" said he,
turning to Mr.. Calpin, when the smoke
of battle had cleared away.
"But Won want ia have tho yotes be-
hind you when you attempt that sort
of thing retorted Mr.. Calpn.
Mr.. Calpin introduced license tax
ordinance imposing tax of per cent.
Oh the gross receipts of trolley COM
panies, and 2 per cent. on the gross re-
ceipts of water. gas. steam heat, cleo
trio light. telephone and telegraph
companies.
The appropriation ordinance had five
votes against it in select council:
Messrs. Finn. Regan, Cosgrove,
Vaughan and McAndrew Mr.. Co.'S
grove voted against it. he stated, be-
cause Of the item of 1000 for the mill
tary companies. Mr.. Cemons ex-
planned that he opposed the increase in
the salary of the secretary to the re-
corder, but rather than hold up the or
When the ordinance went over to the
common council it was amended by
taking sS,627.59 from the judgments
and incidentals fund and appropriating
1t as follows: To increase salary OF
clerk of the director of public safety
from $3.50 to $1,000; for fire alarm box
at the corner of Church and Ferdinand
streets, Sl25: incidentals for clerk of
common council, s25; extras at Nay
Aug park. s1,O37.59; improving Third
street. $1,000; to settle claim of p. j.
Hickey. $12O: incidentals department
Of public works. $780,
MILITARY APPROPRIATIONS.
The $4,000 appropriation for the mill
tary companies was stricken off by a
vote of IA to and turned over to
judgments and incidentals. The $1S692
which was appropriated for paying the
city's share of the paving in front of
the Handley estate building on Penn
avenue was, on motion of Mr.. Cole
man, diverted to the judgments and in
cidentals fund.
Efforts were made to add appropria-
tons for city detective and four
extra patrolmen and $3.50 for heating
Providence station house. but they
failed. Messrs. Clark. Alworth. Phil
lips, Coleman and Roche We're the only
members to vote in favor of re-creat-
Ing the Office of city detective. Mr..
Roche was the only member to vote for
the extra patrolmen.
Mr.. Keller made a lengthy speech
against he motion to increase the sal
AIRY of Director Hitchcock's clerk. He
said he could fill the clerkship in city
hall with just as good if not better
men than We're now filling them for
from % to 80 per cent. less money. This
year, he Went on to say, the city has
100000 more money than last year. yet
there Is only $4,000 of this going for
improvements. The remainder is fritz
tered in increased salaries or other
things from which the city gets moth
ing substantial i'm return. He wanted
$4,000 to open Vine street, he said but
he could not even dream Of getting it,
although it was patent TO everyone
that inside of two years this improve
ment would pay for itself i'm increased
valuations consequent upon the build
ing up of new territory. A good por-
tion of this $4,000 of increased reve-
nue., Mr.. Keller, said, should go to
wiping out the floating debt of $3.50, 900
which the taxpayers will have to meet
next year by special levy.
Mr.. Keller's speech did some good
The original motion was IN incraaco