The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-03-17

To the Editor Of the Press:
Our new city government was inaugurated
to-day. From the address Of the Mayor it APP
pears that the debt of the city is 191 1865 ;above
resources. $1s2, 1886. Increase of debt during
the year $26,064. The value of the property
owned by the city is 5000, 900 being an increase
of $4,000 during the past twelvsmonth. This
estimate is based upon the cost of the prop
erty.
The expenditures for schools during the
year were $24 ,952; for school buildings $33, 308
The Mayor urges that there be no delay, on
account of cost, in the erection of needed new
scheolhouses.
The amount expended on streets during the
$4,000, and expenditures for support of the
poor were $6,123.
During the year the police seized and con-
fscated 1900 gallons of rum, gin and whiskey,
and 20 bbls of ale.
The City Council, in joint convention elect
ed D. Farrar, as City Treasurer; w. P. Frye,
Solicitor; DIR. R. R. Kicker, City Physician;
Vim. P. Pennell, Auditor of Accounts; David
Farrar, II B. B rtlett and William f. Garce-
Ion, Assessors; Hersey Day, David Farrar and
e. P. Tobie, Overseers Of Poor; William Lyd-
ston, Street Commissioner; Isaac G. Curtis,
Chief Engineer; Edward Sands, w. w. Wood,
81. II. Richardson and A. B. Nealy, Assist
ant Engineers. @5i
The new primary schoolhouse, of brick, To-
Gated on Bates street is nearly completed. I
understand there are to be,dedication services
on Wednesday. The building costs about $685.
600; lot and fencing.will carry the cost up to
about $50, 900. Where the character Of the
building is considered, the cost is thought to
be unusually low. Will Accommodate 500
scholars, with ten teachers In addition to
this there is quite a large hall, which can be
readily converted into school rooms 1t is not
probable, however, that they will ever be
wanted for primary purposes, as the bringing
together, under one roof, SO large a number of
small children, would probably require that
some of chem should walk too far for that age.
In the basement of the building is a ward
room for voting purposes. I hardly think
there is another SO fine building for primary
schools to be found in the State. If it fails in
any particular, it will be found, an usual, in
the difficult matter Of ventilation. ~
Every man who believes in public education
and has taken the trouble to inform himself
as to the miserable, retrograding character of
the common schools of this State, will rejoice
NJ tuestaIuy acGlUH W rsraGure csuaD-
fishing County Institutes and County Super
visors. With the exception, perhaps, of dog
en- towns. think there will be no reasonable
dou BIT that throughout the State the schools
are twenty five per cent poorer than they were
fifteen years ago. This is a sad confession,
but it is true. Great credit is due to Superin-I
tendent johnson for the wise zeal which he
has displayed in the good cause the past year.
1t is to be hoped that the press and the good
people of the Stats will give him warm SYM
pathetic support.
The health Of Calvin Record Esq, is improv-
ing. Rev. DR.. Cheney, President of Bates
College, has just returned from Florida. His
health is not good. BARLOW.