1933 WB Record Almanac, Luzerne County in 1932
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Interest centered on local banking circles for some time during the past year.  As in 1931 a number of consolidations took place.  North End State bank of this city was consolidated with Wilkes-Barre Deposit and Savings bank.  Merchants and Miners bank of Luzerne was consolidated with Luzerne National.  In April directors of the Tanners bank of Noxen and Wyoming National bank of Tunkhannock met here and voted to merge.  Union Savings bank and Trust Co. was consolidated with Wyoming National bank.

Two banking institutions in the county were taken over by the State department of banking.  They were Plains State bank and People’s Savings and Trust Co. of Duryea.

Meanwhile receivers for the various closed banks in the county went about their work of liquidating the assets of the closed institutions and depositors in some of the banks received a partial payment of the money they had on deposit.  Late in the year the closed banks were consolidated by Dr. W. A. Gordon, State banking commissioner, for reasons of economy.
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A large number of changes in pastorates of Luzerne county churches took place during the year.  Wyoming Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church transferred a number of pastors.  Bishop T. C. O’Reilly, head of the Scranton Diocese of the Roman Catholic church, also made some changes locally.  Deaths and resignations among the clergy were responsible for several vacancies in pulpits during the year and several of these had not been filled when the Almanac went to press.
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Relief of poor and needy families became a vital subject in the county during the year and drastic efforts were made to take care of the situation.  Gov. Gifford Pinchot appointed as members of the Luzerne County Emergency Relief Board Charles B. Waller, chairman; Mrs. Charles Long, Michael Hartneady, Rev. H. R. Taxdal, Dr. J. J. Koeyan, Monsignor P. J. Boland and E. C. Marianelli.  This board was appointed to handle distribution of money released by the Talbot relief bill.  Under the supervision of the board many municipalities of the county were able to do work within their limits and the board paid the men employed with food orders.

The Community Welfare Federation held two drives.  The first was in February under the chairmanship of Franck G. Darte and $500,816.36 was raised.  In November the second drive was held with Neil Christman as chairman and $549,438.10 was raised.

Because of poor working conditions locally and the scarcity of money municipalities and school districts found it increasingly hard to collect their taxes.  The part payment plan of paying taxes was inaugurated by a number of school districts, whereby taxpayers could pay their taxes in equal sums over a period of several months with no penalties added.  Time limits on penalties were also extended and in some districts taxpayers were allowed to pay all back liens without the penalties being added.
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Four members of the Warrior Run school board were ordered removed from office by Judge W. A. Valentine on charges that they failed to perform duties imposed by the school code and also that they violated laws of the Commonwealth.  They were George Harrison, Cornelius Boyle, Edward J. Jones and William Wilkins.  The new directors appointed by the court are Charles Wagner, Philip Cyphers, Joseph Richards and Edward Richards.
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Affairs in Hanover township were again to the front with the school board and board of commissioners sharing the limelight.  A number of taxpayers brought suit against the school board to have that body reduce its tax rate.  After hearing considerable testimony Judge. W. A. Valentine ordered $138,000 cut from the budget and ordered the tax rate reduced from 13.1 to 10.3

A movement was started to oust four members of the board of commissioners and fifty-seven specific charges were brought against them. Hearing of the charges was started twice before Judge W. S. McLean and was not finished when the Almanac went to press.
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Death removed many prominent Luzerne county residents during the last years.  Lawyers headed the list with seven deaths; clergymen, nine; physicians, six; and dentists, four.

Among those who died:  December, 1931—Rev. Thomas H. Reseigh, Parsons; Martin I. Freeman, real estate man; Judge Henry A. Fuller, Dr. A. J. Baker, Duryea physician; Dr. Ellis M. Santee, Huntington Milles, former New York State health official; J. E. Coons, merchant.

January—Dr. Herbert R. Smith, Drums, dentist; Attorney Patrick J. Manley, Mayor James G. Harvey of Hazleton, Hugh Jones, Edwardsville undertaker.

February—Attorney Edmund E. Jones, city; Dr. John L. Batterton, Forty Fort physician; Dr. A. A. Sincavage, Sugar Notch dentist.

March—Margaret L. Morgan, principal of Hill street school; George Nicholson, manufacturer and banker, William g. Harding and John R. Martin, business men.

April—Max Friedlander of Hazleton, county assessor; Dr. Alexander Armstrong, White Haven; Rev. Harry Daniels of Shickshinny; Attorney Franklin C. Mosler of Pittston; Dr. William G. Dietz, Hazelton physician.

May—Charles D. Linskill, veteran newspaperman; Maurice C. Gaertner, former local poor director and banker who died in Madison, N. J.; Rev. Clinton B. Henry of Shavertown; Rev. E. S. Jenkins, city; Dr. Albert J. Houlihan, Avoca dentist.

June—Attorney Charles P. Stroh of Freeland; John J. Stickler, Hazelton mine inspector; Attorney John J. Boyle of Larksville; James F. Marley, undertaker and former county coroner.

July—Dr. H. L. Whitney, Plymouth physician; Rev. Anthony Pavco of Hazleton; Edgar A. Conroy, Plymouth business man; Attorney John B. Morissey, city.

September—Dr. Raymond L. Wadhams, physician of this city; Mrs. Mary Sordoni, fort court interpreter and mother of Senator A. J. Sordoni; Thomas J. McLaughlin, Avoca banker; Robert L. Dalley, real estate man and Sister Mary Bernard, superintendent of Mercy hospital.

October—Attorney George R. Wright, city; Attorney John E. Jenkins of Kingston; Rev. David L. MacDonald, city, Thomas J. Williams, mine inspector; John D. Jones, mining engineer; Attorney Oscar C. Foster, deputy county prothonotary; Rev. M. H. Corgan, retired and Rev. Alfred L. Rowe, retired, both of Nanticoke.

November—Dr. John R. Taylor, Hazleton dentist; Attorney Leo Robbins, lumberman.

During the year occurred the deaths of Frank Ward O’Malley, famous newspaperman and author, in France, and his brother, Dr. Austin O’Malley, scientist and author, in Philadelphia, both natives of Pittston.  Rev. John G. Davis, prominent Philadelphia clergyman and native of Plymouth also died.
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Fires caused considerable damage in the county during 1932.  In January a business block on South Main street, near South, was damaged to the extent of $100,000 and in March there was a $100,000 fire in Hazleton.  The home of A. J. Parks at Dallas was badly damaged in May, the loss being placed at $20,000.  The biggest fire f the year was the Stanton breaker of Glen Alden Coal Co., which was totally destroyed, the damage being estimated at nearly $1,000,000.  The abandoned Conlon Coal Co. breaker at Hudson was burned at a loss of $50,000 and $45,000 loss resulted when the Independent Baking Co. plant at Duryea was destroyed.  Another breaker burned was that of Harris-Denly Coal Co. of Exeter.
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Transcribed by Joanne Case, January 19, 2009