Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-11

How to increase efficiency in the
various borough departments. to in
crease the payroll and yet to spend
| the taxpayers money more economi
cally. was the knotty problem with
which Steelton's council wrestled un-
til nearly midnight last evening.
Plans for installing modern appa-
ratuses in the fire and garbage col
lecting departments were discussed,
1.-THE borough solicitor was requested to
draw up a set of building regulations,
the Shade Tree Commission was given
funds with which to start work and
steps were taken towards greater ef-
| lficiency in the sanitation and health
| departments.
| Several borough officers were ques-
toned sharply as to how various
things were done in their department
and steps were taken that, it is be-
| lieved, will mean the dropping of one
borough empioye from the payroll by
July 1.
Mr.. Capella, the Democratic men,
ber from the Fourth Ward, sprung a
surprise when he offered a motion to
appoint Edward Lewis, former bur-
CESS and councilman, to the office Of
secretary of the Board of Health, sec
retary of the sanitary committee of
council and plumbing inspector, a
combination of officers which Mr.. Ca
Ipella proposed to make. The salary,
Mr.. Capella thought. ought to be $15,-
| a month.
Mr.. Nelly Immediately objected to
the motion saying, we must have
economy" and then suggested that the
offices be 'bulked with the health of
| ficer, too. and that the new officer
be called the sanitary officer Mr..
Waggenbaugh also protested saying,
II agree with Mr.. Nelly and ] think
| further that Mr.. Lewis was favored
before when he was paving inspector. -
Mr.. Henderson also agreed in protest
ling against the salary raiser but said,
Il am glad we can get a man like Mr..
Lewis l would rather take his judg-
ment than that of any plumber. He
| is a good man and 1 would be glad to
do anything can for him." Mr.. Har-
Ian finally "crimped" the discussion
when he declared that the present
health officer was "only a fifth wheel
on the wagon" and that he never saw
him doing any work. Mr.. Sellers. Mr.
Capella and Mr.. Reisch also paid high
| tributes to Mr.. Lewis abilities.
Mr.. Henderson then amended Mr.
Capella's motion SO that it read to
allow the Health Board to spend SIS
a month, instead of $50 as at present,
flor the salary of its sanitary officer"
lThis is taken to mean that Mr.. Lewis
will become the new sanitary officer,
succeeding Eber Butler, the present
heath officer. He will have the du-
ties of secretary to the Board of
Health, sanitary committee and will
| be the executive officer of the Health
department. The board is given to
July / to bring about the changes.
President Reynders, as chairman of
the finance committee. reported that
l$767.92 worth of delinquent water
bills have been paid up to May 1, that
fn
filed against delinquent renters and
that $231.63 worth of delinquent bills
were in the hands of the borough So
llicitor for collection. He asked that
$4O0SS worth of delinquent bills be
iexonerated. Mr.. Waggenbaugh asked
several questions relative to the
method of collecting these bills and
Mr.. Capella also asked to be shown
the lists. After these councilmen saw
the lists, the bills were exonerated.
This leaves $714.96 of the S1lS92.61
delinquent bills due January l, still
Ito be collected.
Wants Motor Apparatus
Councilman Sellers started lengthy
discussion of proposition to buy mo-
ltor apparatus for the fire department
Instead of horses. Two new horses
Iare now needed. Steelton's fire de-
partment is closely allied with its sys-
tenn of garbage collection and this
icomplicates the motor truck proposi-
tion greatly. At the end of the dis
cussion a motion passed asking Presi-
dent Reynders to appoint a special
committee to study the subject thor
toughly. Mr.. Reynders will appoint
this committee within a few DAYS.
After a report by President Reyn-
ders that the borough would save $500
a year by repairing a Aeak of $4,000
gallons of water daily from No. slow
litter, council authorized the finance
lcommittee and water board to borrow
ls3. 900 with which to make the neces.
sary repairs.
Mr. .Capella of the sanitary commit
Itee objected to paying bill to the dog
Icatcher for dogs killed during the
month because, he declared, they were
mot properly buried. The sanitary
committee chairman questioned Bor-
ough Secretary Feidt as TO why ths
bill had been paid. Mr.. Feidt ex-
Iplained that the chief of police signs a
voucher to the effect that each dog