The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-24
THE VALLEY COMPANY
GETS 3-YEAR CONTRACT
Common Council Awards City Light
ing Job for This Number of Years
Independent of the Mayors Veto
of the Same Long -Drawn-out ses-
sion of Commoners Before the Lon
ger Drawn Out Affair Ends-Coun-
ellis in Session Until 1890.


The city lighting contract, which
| seemed destined to remain in councils
until the approach of Carbondaic's
centennial. was finally awarded last
| night to the Lackawanna Valley Elec-
trio Light, Power and Supply company
| for period of three years. independ-
ont of Mayor Eilpatrick's veto of the
same on the ground that no was op-
posed to the principle of involving the
| city i'm any litigation which might
| prejudice its interests. as might be
! possible under a contract for more
! than one year.
Tho vctowas passed over the mayors
head by just the requisite number of
votes, eight. as follows: Kennedy, John
| Masters, Stone, LOTUS, w. II. Masters,
Puglano. Thompson, Murphy. Those
opposed were: Collins. Nealon, Whit
field and Evans.
! AS indicated in The Tribune of yes
tcrday. it was the vote of Mr.. Puglano
that was the decisive one. At the last
meeting he was absent, ana it was due
/ to this circumstance that action on the
veto was adroitly postponed by NOV
/ ing for adjournment and carrying the
motion, when Mr. Ncalon was urging
faction.
Last night will stand out as conspicu-
Gus for the length of time that it re-
quircd to bring enough councilmen into
the room To make a quorum. There was
n sufficient number to meet, in fact,
all of the councilmeu hut ono or two
We're in or about the city hall, but
through some apprehension over the
success of the evenings programme,
the adhercnts of the threc-year con-
tract kept aloof from the council
chamber
Finally, seven members driftcd into
the room and, recognizing this, Chair
man Collins called the meeting to
order.
| When the veto was called up, Chair
man W. H. Masters, of the light COM
lmittcc, was not present with the eX-
pected report. After some sharp COM
mcnt on the dilatory tactics of the
chairman of the committee, Mr.. Nealon
got the matter before the house for a
vote ON the veto. The vote would have
gone through and it would have been
sustained To the defeat of the electric
light company. but for the timely ar
rival of Mr.. Masters ard one or two
others of the COmpany's odherants.
| Then the report was submitted by
Mr.. Masters and there ensued a long
debate. Figures on the costs of light
here and there We're read by Chairman
Collins, which We're refuted by Mr.
clark, the I.aCkawanna' representa-
tive i'm Carbondale. who was given the
floor. Several members had something
to say, either for OF against the ad-
Visibility of Il long-term contract.
| At last it came to "A vote, but before
the members were recorded, two com
muniCatonS We're read. one was from
Mayor Fitzpatrick, suggesting that il
was illegal to award the contract by
resolution. and asking the city soliC-
itor's opinion thereon. The city sole.
itOr replied that, in his opinion it was
proper and legal for councils to act as
they intended.
The other communication came from
the Central Labor union. protesting
against the awarding of the contract
for more than one year, and suggest
ing that the votes of the members
would be carefully watched. This haC
no effect, for the veto was rejected anC
the contract awarded.
common council ConCurred in rcso
luton settling the Reese Hughes case