The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-23

Select Councilman Charles T.. chit.
tenders attack on City Controller
Howell, at Thursday nights counci
meeting. has stirred up every bit OF
fighting blood in Mr.. Howell's veins
ana he gave out for publication yester.
day afternoon Il letter replying to The
remarks of the gentleman from tn.
Ninth.
Not only this. but he is seriously con
sidering suit for damages.
| II feel" said he yesterday TO Il Tri
bune man, that have excellent
grounds for a suit for damages Presi
| dent Chittenden has seen fit to slande,
me in an entirely uncalled for name,
, and to make certain absolutely false
charges against me in u public place
II | car prove his charges to be false
and / am positive that / can, j could
win out in court. have not yet ar.
rived at any definite determination in
, the natter
The controllers reply to Mr. Chitten.
den is contained in the following letter:
Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: have been told that Mr.. Chitendcn wa:
u candidate at one time for legislative liouo,s and
'Iat his success as n candidate phenomenal
in that he succeeded in clccting his opponent b,
| an overwhelming majority. Tie man has honored
me at divers time with attacks on my personal
integrity and constancy to public duty, going
80 Tar at one time as to seek to impeach me in
office; at another cssayng TO hold me up to
public fdicule by assuming that | was unable
to cope with the affairs Of my office. have pb.
licly challenged the man TO make any charge
OF dishonesty or incompeency. only to see hin,
shrink out Of sight or. like the proverbial bi.
valve, close up.
do not Know the man. but know the name
iron, the fact that 1t there appears as somewhat
regular debit against the fire bureau item. '.mcdi.
cine for horscs,' for whici, item councils annual.
~ appropriate money. Credits for carboys re-
turned by the city lind at % cents each below
the price charged on his bills. have not found
time to compare his price VIII: Others, but have
been asked TO do SO, and told that | would find
some surprises.
have been told that he nose, as a watch.
dog OF the treasury. political economist. as It
"erc but have not been informed that he lost
any adpose tissue in an chort 10 restore to the
city some $1,000 unawfulIy retained by an eX.ofti-
cill OF the city.
have never heard that he cheated Morpheus
IN an effort to ascertain whether the special
street improvement account, OF the city were
not correctly kept when as matter of fact
nearly every such account appearing Oh the books
OF my department prior to my iIcumbency in
office were in a condition bordering on Chaos
and remained so even after I had drawn the
attention OF councils to the matter. With the
data lying in the hands of committee OF the
councils. of which Mr.. Chittcndcn was at various
times member. | know Of 10 instance record
where it appears that Mr.. Chitendcn, with his
wontcd concern for the city's welfare. wasted any
energy in attempting to hx the responsibility for
SS3I. .05 in over.drawn accounts.
With the city burdencd with an annual cost of
81, 100 for Use Of, and annual of 2,44O for
maintenance OF some eightyfour fire alarm boxes,
approNimating some $4,000 or thcreabonts for the
term OF fourteen years, paid TO the Gamewcll Fire
Alarm company, an offshoot Of the Pennsylvania
Telephone and Supply company. in which
company am informed Mr. Chittcnden is stock
holder, when as a matter OF fact the whole alarm
outfit can be purchased from the Star Electric
company of Binghamton N. V. for the sum Of
5000, at annual cost of S2.s4 per box. saving
to the city thousands OF dollars, ! have never
heard it said that Mr. Chitcnjcu. in this pnrtc,l.
lar matter. displayed any anxiety for rctlencil.
lncnt.
! am informed that he is ,hc originator of the
famous innovation by which city judgments are
paid in the order of priority. The taxpayer may
be pleased to learn that this piece OF legislative
Juggling cost the city nearly 500 in loss Of in.
terest caused in making the search TO determine
the priority" OF Judgment claims from certified
list about which the less said is. perhaps. the bet.
ter. II will be seen that while no savins: could
result 10 the city, the interest on an old jldG.
ment being no greater than on new one, the
city was called upon to assume cNcesscs which
were wasteiul. wanton and Ridiculous. Besides
this, many holders OF city judgments. unable to
keep up the interest payments to the banks that
carried the Judgments collateral, are needless.
mcns, and are content to wait until provision is
made for their payment, are virtually forced to
take their money. As a result warrants Tor
S5,4ls.22 are drawn and remain uncalled for since
Sept. 2l 1901. at date OF Nov. l. 1901
have been informed that the austcrc sage from
the Ninth ward had in mind the purpose of break.
ing mp a practice that. in his fertile imagination
he conceived obtained in my department. namely
that of favoring the payment Of certain bills, but
in an incauious moment ] find him importur.
ing my clerks to 'get in on the list for an addi
tional appropriation two large claims OF friends.
Mr.. Chittcnden has seen tit to charge me with
being absent from my duty and falling to perform
my official duties. do not recall Al this time that
any person bearing his name ever entered my
private office, where | perform my work. Ny
clerks inform lac that he has entered the Office
but thrice in three ycars
With regard TO the statement that warrants
admit that this is possible. It had been dore
by my predecessors in Office, Ii will happen TO
any man in business. lie diverted the assistant
city clerk from his regular duties 10 ascertain
this, in search covering nearly months time,
10 make grand stand play.
Now, il Mr. Chittenden is really sincere in lis
that the methods employed in my Dc
parment are slack and slovenly, invite him TO
omc to my office and bring with him any five
ti.an u.t,y l.t.p L. i'm Ia,
order avalanche ot irregularities ,thc
result oi two and one halt wears search, covering
periods Of time beyond legal hours, with more
ct to come, which have uncovered, II it is this
sort of work he indorscs, but one clerk, ~. per
laps, none, is sufficient, but the taxpayer, fear,
Will not agree with him,
As to the other statements publishcd in the
,apcrs as emanating from him, rcIain from dig
,iiying them with reply. | cannot -toop TO The
al l.nfI I.nin hmm, lnl.