Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-09


ditions in foreign section.
Some startling disclosures concern
ing the conduct of Steelton's borough
water department were made by the
borough auditors to Steelton council
last evening.
The auditors, David j. Bechtold, Eu-
gene f. Seal and Oscar c. Mace. sent a
letter in which they demanded that
some reforms be inaugurated imme-
diately in the water department.
This department, the auditors de-
clared. has been carrying on a sale of
meters and other supplies to consum-
ers for years. This business is con-
Quoted in such a manner, it was said,
that there is no way of telling what
becomes of the money. The auditors
were evidently at a loss to understand
why council allowed such business
methods and demanded that a careful
system of checking and accounting be
instituted at once.
The auditors further exposed the
delinquent water list and limited
that someone was negligent in allow
ing hundreds of dollars of the tax
payers money to remain uncollected
for years.
Unpaid. or delinquent" water bills
during 1913 alone amounted to
$9S3.S6. the auditors declared. Since
November l, 1908, delinquent bills
amounted to an additional $90S,75.
This brings the total amount of un-
paid water bills up to something less
than $4,000.
bills are collectible and would sug-
gest that council take steps toward
collecting the same" the auditors de-
clared.
Council Is Shocked
That the borough auditors should
expose such conditions semed to
shock the borough council so greatly
that few of the members could gather
their wits together in time to take any
action.
Mr.. Nelley, of the First ward. was
the first to recover from the surprise
and rose to ask the chair what right
the auditors had to question councils s
methods. No one answered.
Finally council lodged RESPONSE
bility by requesting the borough sec
retary to have the water board take
up the auditors letter and act upon it,
This unprecedented action of the
borough auditors has created a furore
in Steelton politics and everyone is
wondering why the reforms were de-
WlliiOuN ilISl
so that there would be no publicity.
Slaughter Police Plan
After council recovered from the
jolt handed 1t by the auditors it pro-
oeeded to kill Burgess Fred Wigfield' s
efficiency police plan. as had been ex-
pected. Mr.. Nelly in a rambling
speech quoted figures which, he said,
showed that the tax rate would soon
have to be increased if expenditures
were not reduced.
Although he probably didn't intend
to do so. Mr.. Nelly showed by his
figures that, with increased pay and
better working conditions, the police
department is less efficient now than
1t was in 1913. In that year, he said,
the police brought eighty-two cases
before Burgess McEntee, while last
year all they brought before Burgess
Wigfield was forty-six. Mr. Nelly did
not mention the recent actions of the
borough fire patrol in reference to a
former speech in council. In conclud-
ing his speech he moved that the
efficiency plan be laid on the table.
There was not dissenting vote.
Call Special Meeting
Council. after receiving a petition
against paving Conestoga street. de-
cided to discuss paving projects thor
oughly at special meeting next Mon
day evening. The paving of Elm and
0Ndldld 6lfEGlb Will NC ulSCuSSGO
Mr. Capella asked council to CO.
operate with the foreigners in the
upper West Side so that they may Sc
cure better sanitary conditions. He
told council that the Rev. George
PopoVich had spoken of sanitation
from the pulpit of the Bulgarian Or
thodox Church recently
A committee from the Steelton Mer-
chants Association asked council to
revise the present venders license or
dinance. Louis Lehrman and b. f.
McNear, Jr. ,spokesmen for the COM
mittee, pointed out that Harrisburgs 8
annual license fee is s100, while in
Steelton it is only $5. Mr.. Shelley, of
the ordinance committee was instruct
ed to meet with the Merchants Asso-
citation in time to report on a new
license measure before next Mondays
meeting.
Want Land for Gardens
The Steelton Civic Club sent let
ter to council informing it that the
club contemplates asking the owners
of unused ground in the borough to
permit the Civic Club to give out the
land for cultivation to needy people.
The club also asked council to plow
the ground and furnish fertilizer from
the firehouses. No action was taken
on the letter except to grant the club
the fertilizer provided the club re-
moves II IFOIn the HTenOuSeS. Ine
Civic Club declared many people were
in straitened circumstances.
Eiare-b back
After council resumed its smoothly
running way and shortly before ad-
journment Mr.. Reisch threw the men
bers into another furore by demand
ing to know why the traffic ordinance
recently passed on first reading was
not brought up for final action This
1t seems. was doomed to die
because 1t was introduced at the re-
quest of Burgess Wigfiead. Most every
one thought that even the funeral was
over but Mr.. Reisch was obdurate.
Finally someone brought out the old
excuse that the ordinance had been
referred back to the borough solicitor.
$50 1t was: so it was mumhled one
of the councilmen. about four months
ago" Then Mr.. Reisch was told that
the ordinance would be resnrrected