The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-24
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE
Select Councilman Vaughan OBJ
jects to Way in Which Bureau
of Health Is Run.

Select Councilman ID. W. Vaughan
made sensational attack upon Super
intendent Allen, of >the bureau OF
health at yesterday afternoons meet
ing of the subcommittee appointed by
the estimates committee to cut down
the estimates submitted by the several
heads of departments.
In the estimate prepared by Director
of Public Safety r. l.. Wormser he
omitted the item of 5000 usually appro-
prated for police surgeon and added
1t together with another 800 to the
salary of the superintendent of the
bureau of health intending to have that
official act as police surgeon and also
as a department physician to exam
inc policemen and firemen reporting
themselves sick for the purpose Of pre-
venting any feigning of sickness.
Councilman Vaughan objected to in
creasing the salary of the superinten-
dent and declared that the bureau of
health is not up to the standard Of the
other city departments.
He declared that burial permits are
frequently issued from the bureau sew
eral days after bodies have been act
ually inferred and that complaints
go unheeded for weeks until the mat
ters are finally brought to the atten-
tion of the director of public safety.
Director Wormser who was present,
arose to defend Superintendent Allen,
and declared that he always attends
faithfully to his duties and that he, as
his superior, has no fault whatever to
find with him. The 5000 was finally cut
out by the committee, leaving the
,1,,,, 80 ~
same figure as last year.
The committee carefully considered
the items of SsO,624 and s6S,43 asked for
the bureaus of fire and police respect
lively and decided that not a single re-
duction could be made in them. Mr..
Vaughan took occasion to compliment
Director Wormser upon the manage
ment of the department.
ut is a pleasure" said he, "to ap-
propriate funds for this department
because we know that only what is ap-
propriated and no more will be spent.
Director Wormser has no deficiencies
of any consequence to meet and for
this reason he is deserving of great
praise. This is the first time in my
memory that there have been no police
and fire deficiencies to be provided for
and the man who has brought about
this reform is to be highly compli-
mented."
Mr.. Keller also congratulated Direc-
tor Wormser, who blushed and stated
that he didn't think he should be COM
plimented for simply doing his duty.
The item of $1,260 asked by the trus-
tees of the Scranton Public Library for
the laying of asphalt sidewalks about
the library premises was cut out with
out opposition. The item of $500 for
the assistant clerk in the department
of public works was increased to $3.50.
An item of $4,000 asked by Director
Roche for the fitting up of offices on
the fourth floor and the installation of
an elevator was cut out at the sugges-
tion of Mr.. Cemons who said that this
should properly be provided for in the
bond issue which is to be made. Items
Of $400, for the tiling of the corridor
on the fourth floor and of $3.50 for the
salary of an elevator operator were
also cut out.
The item Of $4,000 asked by Director
Roche for street indicating signs was
cut down to S., 1000 and the item of $25.-
600 for the cleaning of paved streets
was reduced to $4,000.
Some objection was manifested to
the items of $500 for the installation
of a stone crusher plant and of S., 400
for a new road roller but Director
Roche argued so earnestly and con-
vincingly in favor of them both that
they We're not disturbed. The MEM
bers of the committee will meet this
afternoon to complete their work.