The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-26

Senator J. c. Vaughan, who returned
home yesterday from Harrisburg,
stated to a Tribune man that 1t was
his belief that the Muehlbronner "rip-
per" bill for cities of the second class,
which has just been introduced in the
legislature, would not be passed either
by the senate or by the house until
the people of this city had a chance to
make known their wants and until
certain amendments favorable to the
needs OF this city had been embodied
in IL.
The BILL" he said, has been re-com-
mitted to committee and hearings on
1t will be held either next week or
the week after. Delegations of citi-
2ens are expected from Pittsburg and
Allegheny to be heard on the measure
and l believe that a delegation from
this city should go down there and
present to the committee crystaliaa-
tlon Of the views OF the citizens OF
Scranton on the charter.
1T is hard to tell just at this time
! what the senate will do with the bill.
Very few of the senators, including
myself have had time to give il n
careful study and i must say that I
have heard very few expressions OF
| opinion on 1t. Senator Finn and the
| other insurgents are opposed to the
bill.
ABOUT A COMPROMISE.
Just whether Senator Finn will
| agree to a compromise or not I cannot
| say positively. but am inclined TO the
| belief that he will. Just what the
| terms of such n compromise would be
| cannot say. He has upon several oc-
| casions said to me that he would favor
| the appointments of the heads of de-
| partments by mayors in case the term
| of the chief executive was limited to
| two years.
"One thing is certain, and that is
| that this city doesn't necessarily have
| to be ground between the mill stones
| of factionalism, as many people believe.
| 1t should be thoroughly understood
| that it Is not a party measure. No
| senator can be expected to go into
| caucus and pledge his support to
| bill like this one l know that would
| not do so and | am sure that the rest
| of the senators feel the same way.
! 1.-THE question of centralizing nearly
all authority and responsibility in the
| mayor ! have not given much thought
! to. but there Is one feature of the new
| bill that | think should be amended
and that is the provision regarding the
| election of select and common council
! men. | don't favor the election of Sc
| lect Councilmen at large, nor do I
| favor the idea of permitting the ANAL
| gama ton of wards for the election OF
| common Councimen in case a ward
hasn't got the requisite number of tax
| ableS.
| "rhc latter plan would in this city
| practically eliminate the minority and,
| while / favor the rule of the majority
| l am also a champion of minority rep
| resentation. | am altogether opposed
| TO the destruction of a minority rep
| rcsentation which Is oft-times the best
| check against the extravaganza OF
Legislative bodies. l favor the plan of
| electing councilmen provided FOR in the
| present second class charter.
COMING CONFERENCE.
"The conference which I have ar
| ranged for next Wednesday between
| Senator Finn, City Solicitor Bureigh,
of Pittsburg, and City solicitor Nos-
burg, of this city. is principally for the
| purpose of discussing Nh Vosburg' s
contention that u third class city en-
tering the second class will continue to
operate under it's third class city laws
where those laws are not superseded
by news laws under the second class
| charter.
Both Senator Finn and Mr.. Bur-
leigh take issue on this point and
claim that when q city enters the Sec
ond class it entirely repudiates its third
class city charter. If this is true many
| amendments will have to be made TO
the new bill to MI omissions in the
present law which are now filed by
special acts applicable to only Pitts
burg and Allegheny.
You can say that l believe that
amendments To this bill can be agreed
| n,nnn Aul,inh N.ill Ia cn iic "a ,,r,,- Il, Iho