The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-25
COUNCILS DEAL WITH
/ SMALLPOX SITUATION

After a Most Animated Meeting, in
!. Which Common Z Council Pitched
Into Select Members for Not Con-
firming the Board Of Health APP
pointees, It Was Voted to Sustain
Mayor o'Neill in What He Had
Done Towards Employing a Doctor
!. and Nurse.
). AT IL special joint meeting of coun-
ellis last night, which. be it candidly
said, was far from in keeping with the
gravity of the situation, 1t was voted
to sustain the action of Mayor O'Neill
in employing II doctor and nurse to
look after the Thompsons, the two
smallpox patients. and in providing the
family with food. etc.
Councils also adopted a motion, which
emanated from common council. direct
ing the judiciary and legislation COM
mittee OF select council to act in con-
junction with Sanitary Policeman Mof-
fit in continuing the precautions and
provisions taken by the mayor in treat
ing and contining the disease.
What Mayor O'NeiH did after the
outbreak occurred, and which councils
at this meeting sustained and directed
to be continued as the committee saw
f1t, was the employment of physician,
at a compensation of $50 per day; the
employment OF a nurse, at $50 per
week: the employment of night and a
day watchman, and providing the af-
flicted family with necessary eatables.
Ill,
taken, after an hour was wasted in an
animated discussion, an exchange of
feelings and at times a display of lev
ity which. it would seem, should have
no place in a meeting which was called
to deal with grave emergency, one
which SO affected the public welfare,
regardless of the personal feeling of
the members.
The failure of select council or cer
tain members thereof. to either confirm
or reject Mayor ONefll's appointees of
the board of health, was the element
that was responsible for the disturb
ance. The members OF common coun-
Gil were of the one mind that it was
the delinquency of select council that
brought them face to face with the
task of dealing with smallpox, and
pitched into the select branch for all
they were worth. They sought to throw
the whole burden on the select men.
claiming that since common council had
nothing to do with the appointing or
the formation of the board of health,
it should not now be compelled to act,
when it was due to the failure of select
council to act on the mayors APP
pointees that this meeting. asking for
councils to act as board of health,
had been called.
The common members fairly bristled
with opposition to the suggestion that
they deal with the situation and they
stood united in every subterfuge that
was put forth to throw the work onto
select council. They succeeded, finally,
after defeating several motions from
select council, to adjourn and had the
work put on the shoulders of the judic-
iary and legislation committee of Sc
lect. The members of this committee
are John f. Mannion, DR.. w. w.
Fletcher and John b. Davis.
Mr.. Humphrey. of the Second select
council. was made chairman, on motion :
of DR.. Fletcher.
After Mr.. Humphrey had taken his
seat, there arose a misunderstanding as
TO the object of the meeting. Common
council members would not brook the
suggestion that councils We're to act
the part of the board of health; while
Mr.. Mannion of select, explained that,
as he comprehended Mayor O'Neill, the
purpose was to draft an ordinance ap-
money from among several
funds to defray the expense of this
MI. Thompson opened up the fusl-
ade on select council by sharply con-
demnng the holding up of the mayors
of the board of health and
said he was willing to take some ac-
tion "to stop this injustice when dis
eases like smallpox We're flying around"
Mr.. Masters said he could see no
reason for common council taking any
action in this matter. since only select
council had anything to do with the
health board. 1t was clearly select
councils business and duty to deal,
alone, with this situation.
Mr. Stone said councilmen had enough
responsibilities without acting as
board of health. 1t was only right to
place the blame where it belonged on
select council.
DIR. Fletcher's voice was the first to
be heard from select councils side. He
cohcurred in what the comnoners said
about the delinquency in confirming the
appontees. 1t was a dangerous busi-
ness, this halfway, suspension-like
and could see no reason whv
MS body, select council, did not act on
lhe names two months ago. He be-