The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-19


on third and final reading in select
council last night, but when Clerk La
velle had finished reading it. Mr.
Vaughan moved Unexpectedly that ac-
ton be postponed until the next meet
ing. and the motion was carried by a
vote OF eleven to nine. Behind this un-
expected action lies a story.
When the ordinance was first called
up, MIR. Clemons moved That council so
into committee Of the whole for the
purpose OF amending it so as to reduce
the salary of the mayors secretary,
who. he said. was not entitled to $1.500
year. as the duties pertaining to the
office would now be less than they
have been in the past. The motion was
defeated by the following vote:
feas--Finn, Morgan. Merriman, Cosgrove. Oil.
yer, Clemens. Vaughan---7.
Nars--Costcllo, Rcgan, Melvin Wagner Shea,
Schneider. Coleman. O'Bovle, O'Mallcy, Mean.
drew. Chittcnolcn-ll.
Clerk Lavelle then began the reading
or the ordinance ana while he was
doing so some one whispered to Mr..
Vaughan that a plan was on foot to
strip the city clerks Office of all duties
except those of merely clerical ma
and issuing city warrants in the hands
Of the mayors clerk.
ACTION POSTPONED.
Mr.. Vaughan immediately proceeded
to skirinish around for sufficient votes
to secure a postponement OF action
on the ordinance until the next meet
ing and that he was successful can
be seen by the vote on the motion to
postpone. which was as follows:
ieas--Finn, Ross, Evans, Morgan, Regan. Mer.
riman. Cosgrove. Oliver, Clemons, Vaughan,
OMalley--ll.
Nays-Costello, Melvin, Chittenden, Schneider,
Shea. Schroeder, O'Boyle. Mc!Andrcw, Wagner-9.
The reason for the postponement of
action was explained after the meet
ing by one of the members who voted
in favor of II. He said that an at
tempt would be made between now
and next Thursday night to secure a
sufficient number of votes to recon-
slider action and to so reduce the sal
airy of the recorders secretary as to
render it unlikely that he would agree
to take upon himself the work Of
drawing warrants and paying them.
He said that q reduction of the salary
to $500 might even be considered and
stated that the friends of City Clerk
Lavelle could be expected to rally to
the support of such a proposition.
The ordinance awarding a franchise
to blle Central Rapid Transit Street
Railway company passed first reading
after the amendments offered by the
railway committee, and exclusively
mentioned in yesterdays Tribune. had
been adopted.
THE AMENDMENTS.
These amendments provided that the
work OF construction shall not be be-
gun until an agreement has been signed
with the Abingdon Turnpike and
Northern Boulevard companies by
which the latter shall agreed to let
the tracks extend out Market street:
that the right to impose a license tax
not to exceed five per cent. of the
gross receipts shall be reserved by the
city; that failure to complete any
par' Of the road shall work a. for
felture of the franchise for the entire
system: that at the end of forty
years the franchise shall revert to the
city and that cars must be started
from terminal POINTS at least every
twenty minutes.
When these amendments had been
adopted as Il whole, Mr.. Finn moved
that the time for the reversion of the
franchise to the city be made twenty
five years instead OF forty. but the
motion was defeated
Mr.. OMalley then offered an amend
ment providing that the company
should charge not more than three
cents as IL rate of fare. This amend
ment was defeated without discussion
BY the following vote:
Yeas-Regan, Schneider Cossrore. ONlalicy,
McAndrew--j.
Nays-Ross, Finn. Costello, Evans, Morgan.
Melvin, Wagner, Shea. Nerri,nan, Oliver. Schroe.
der, Clelnons, oBoylc, Vaughan, ChttendeIr--IS.
Mr.. Vaughan moved that action on
the ordinance be indefinitely postponed
that the amendments might be printed,
and The motion was carried by q unanl-
nous vote.
City Solicitor Watson sent in Il batch
of opinions, and all We're read and re-
ceived without comment. The most i'm
portant one, mention OF which has al
ready been made in these columns, de-
clared the ordinance providing for the
paving of Providence road and Court
street to be Illegal. because of the
omission OF Diamond avenue from tn"
list of streets TO be traNersed.
THE TURNPIKE PAVE.
Another opinion set forth that the
city would have no legal right 10 conf
pei the Abingdon Turnpike company to
pave West Market street at the conf
pany's expense. The company, he said,
was bound by the terms OF it's contract
only TO keep The road In good repair
Still another opinion declared that
the action OF the recorder in ordering a
special election to ill the vacancy
caused by the resignation of Select
Councilman John Il. Roche was strictly
in accordance with the law.
Adjournment was taken, on motion
of MI. Vaughan, until next Thursday
night.
Committees from the Central Labor
union and from Typographical union,
No. liz, We're active around the corri-
dor towards the latter end OF the meet
ing, lobbying against the passage of the
street railway franchise ordinance, be-
cause of the opposition to it manifested
by the Colliery Engineer company,
which is q strong friend of organized