The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-27
CITY DEMANDS
License MONEY
NOTICE SERVED ON COUNTY
TREASURER SCRANTON.
He Is Still Holding the $17o, 900
Realized from Liquor Licenses.
City Solicitor Watson, City Treas
urer Robinson and City Controller
Costello Made Formal Demand for
the Money Yesterday-If He Don't
Paw It Over Case Will Be
Brought in Court.

At a conference held yesterday MORN
ing between Recorder w. l.. Conneii
and the members OF his cabinet, IL was
decided to make q formal demand on
County Treasurer j. A. Scranton for
the payment to the city at once OF the
$4,000 liquor license money which ne
owes the municipality.
City Controller p. w. Costello, City
Treasurer i. j. Robinson and City So
ljcitor George M. Watson were ap-
pointed as committee to make the
demand and conference with the
county treasurer was arranged for yes
terday afternoon.
All three of the city officials above-
mentioned explained to Treasurer
Scranton that there are no funds in
the city treasury at present and that
1t Is absolutely essential that the liquor
license money be paid over at once.
City Solicitor Watson said that he is
convinced that the money must be
paid over. to the city at once, under
the law.
Treasurer Scranton said that his at
torney, S. B. Price, has informed him
that he has the right to retain the
fore he cared to make a formal reply
to the city's demand, he desired to
consult further on the matter. He
would try to see Attorney Price today,
he said, and would perhaps be able to
make formal reply this afternoon.
WILL GO INTO COURT.
The county treasurer. through his
deputy, David Jones, informed City
Solicitor Watson last week that he
proposed retaining possession Of the
liquor license money until September l.
Should he persist in maintaining this
position, the city will go into court to
compel the payment Of the money be-
fore that time, and is prepared to take
the case to the Supreme court, If
necessary, so that the question may be
finally settled.
The county treasurer of Allegheny
county at first decided to hang onto
this years liquor license money until
September /, and draw interest on it
until that time, but he changed his
mind last week, when City Controller
Larkin, of Pittsburg, served formal
notice on him that the matter would be
taken into court If he didn't pay over
the funds at once. He paid over the
money without a murmur when this
demand was served on him and when
he had looked carefully into the law
on the subject. This Is taken as fav-
orable to City Solicitor Watson's con-
tention that the money must be paid
over at once.
Unless the funds are turned over
within week, the city will be obliged
to borrow money to meet it's current
expenses and money borrowed under
such conditions can generally be OBJ
tained only at six per cent. interest.
There isn't cent in the treasury at
present and there are several thousand
dollars wor. lof warrants outstand-
ing. Controller Costello has announced
his intention Of refusing to counter
sign any more warrants until there is
money in the treasury to pay them.
WON'T GET THEIR PAY.
Big pay rolls from the department
Of public works are accordingly held
up and the policemen, firemen and all
city officials will have to go without
their salaries for May unless the liquor
license money is paid over.
The funds in County Treasurer
Scranton's hands are all that the city
has in immediate sight. The tax du-
plicates won't be ready until August
/, and no taxes of any consequence
will be collected earlier than Septem-
ber or October. The amounts turned
In by delinquent tax collectors are in
consequential and the money to be
realized from the peddlers and huck-
ster's license tax ordinance will be
only drop in the bucket.