The Portland daily press., 1872-03-12

to serve as an important medium of communi
cation between the principal parties in interes
the capitalist and the artisan, money anC
skill. The unfortunate misrepresentation il
regard to the Indebtedness of the city, to which
L have REFERRED have as l am informed by the
able Secretary of the Board, served to checl
the movement OF manufactures in this dlrec
ton. No person of enterprise, even though
free from taxation, cares to plant himself in
city under such circumstances. This prejudic
lal effect, we may presume, will pass away as
the facts become known. The work has beer
entered upon with spirit and vigor. 1t is to BIZ
hoped that, in conjunction with such assistance
as the city government can properly give, oul
enterprising citizens will see that it is carried
on with adequate resource and with persever
ance commensurate with the Importance of the
issue involved. Our case is not that of a city
proposing to enter upon a new and untried
field of labor, since our products of industry fol
the year 1870 were in excess of 80 000, 900. This
respectable aggregate we wish to treble, and
with it, in proportion, our population and
wealth, our resources at home, and our honol
abroad.
OUR SCHOOLS.
1t is with great pleasure l commend to YOU
consideration the very able report of the
School Committee, written by G. f. Libby
Esq For clearness and breadth of thought
and expression, for elaborate statistics well ar.
ranged and classified, it is a model document
"
citizens
By this report it appears that the present
condition of our public schools is in some re.
spects better than that of any past period OF
their history. The present number enrolled in
the schools is larger by three hundred and
lightweight than last year, and the average
attendance is greater by one hundred and thir-
ty-three. This increase is partially due to the
marked decline of truancy within the past two
years. confirmed by the reports of the teachers,
who estimate that the number of truants has
decreased from fifty to seventy-fve per cent
The number of city children who attend pri-
vate and Catholic schools is much larger than
has been commonly supposed. An examina-
ton Of the report will show that Portland has
not heretofore been fairly represented as to the
number of its children in the actual enjoy
ment of educational privileges. From the sta
tistics of attendance at both public and private
schools, contained in the report, we find that
the whole number enrolled is not less than
eighty-three per cent. of the school population,
or sixty-three per cent of the census number
of children between four and twenty-one years
of age, and that the number in our public
schools alone is sixty-four per cent of all child
rem between five and eighteen years of age in
elusive, (being the extreme limit of school age
in this city, or forty-eight per cent. of the
whole number. 1t would thus appear that the
former estimates of the number of truants and
absentees have largely exceeded the real num-
Der, and that the educational rank of our city
compares favorably with that of any other city
in New England. -
The report recommends the establishment of
a training class for the benefit of those gradu-
ates of our High School who intend to become
teachers. The plan suggested involves no
great expense, and would secure to our teach
ers and graduates many of the advantages of a
Normal School
L have been thus particular in details, that
you may see at a glance the position of our
school department. 1t is a leading interest and
70 money is expended more eheerfully by our
citizens than for that important purpose; for in
an educated people is always safety, while an
ignorant population is sure to engender mis-
chief and evil. -ti--'- .15 ~. r. l-
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.
In my last two annual Communication,
have called your attention to the pressing ne
cessity, of an industrial school for a certain
class of girls, who require, for their own good
and the public welfare. wholesome restraints
and reformatory influences. Portland has es-
pecial need of such an institution, and the need
every year becomes more urgent. A year since
the Governor and Council, by authority of the
Legislature, appointed three Commissioners, of
which had the honor of being a member, to
consider and report upon the subject After
several meetings, the commissioners prepared
and presented an Act incorporating certain
gentlemen and ladies, in various parts of the
State into a private Association with an ac-
companying resolve that the State would fur
movement when another and larger amount
should be contributed by private donations
The Act was passed, but the Resolve was re-
fused a passage. But the large affirmative vote
in its favor, encourages the belief that at the
next session of the Legislature, the aid of the
State will be given to this important measure.
1t is to be hoped that every prominent city and
town in the State will, in the meantime, ex-
press their wishes upon the subject, and that
our city especially, having the most important
10
heard in its favor. AS guardians of these un-
fortunate girls, our duty to them, as well as to
society, is obvious, plain, and unquestionable.
THE STREETS.
The Street Commissioner reports the amount
expended on streets the past year as $6S, 1853 "a.
The year previous the amount expended was
SS0,052 SO, showing large reduction in this
department.. L deem it proper to say that great
care and judgment have been manifested by
the Commissioner and the Committee on
Streets, and we may well be satisfied with the
result We are yet feeling in this respect the
effect of the great fire, and relatively large APP
preparations will continue to be necessary. 1t is
more economical in the end to keep our streets
in good order than to be compelled to pay for
damages resulting from defects therein. / re-
new my recommendation of last year that
Washington street, now one of our most i'm
portant thoroughfares, should receive your par
ticular attention. The city has paid in dam
ages on this street within the last few years
enough to have put it in excellent and safe con-
dition.
Good progress has been made in building the
marginal way from Geulds-Wharf to the
Grand Trunk Bridge. As soon as completed,
the Portland & Rochester Railroad Company
will lay their track thereon, and thus by a third
rail over the Grand Trunk line, have access to
Commercial street Although the cost has
been somewhat expensive the city, l have
seen no reason to change my opinion that
mo uvi1 n fol of
Importance. 1t is the beginning of what
must be the result sooner or later-the
laying out of broad street skirting
the eastern section, and connecting the Back
up to the public use the harboP of that section,
and making available for business and taxable
purposes the large quantity of at present waste
land on Its margin. -
H ..re FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Chief Engineer of the
Fire Department shows that every branch of
this department of the city government is in
good condition. commend to your considera-
ton his recommendation as to the needed
change of certain hydrants. l need not say to
you, gentlemen, that we have no interest in our
charge more vitality important than the Fire
have been so far as l know, uniformly faith
full. They have charge of the property of the
city, by day and night, in storm as well ais in
fair weather. and no money can be better ex-
pended than in this behalf. Their calls upon
us heretofore have been very moderate and
trust we shall be ready to respond literally to
any they may reasonably make hereafter.
RE-vALUATIoN OF REAL ESTATE.
The city council in the year 1870 provided for
a commission of three persons to re-value the
real estate of the city for the purpose of secur-
ing more equitable taxation, This provision,
however, was never carried into effect. l am
STILL however, as / was then, impressed
vii no inn to Of ocurn 40
suit would be to increase largely the taxable
valuation, and at the same time adjust more
equally the amounts assessed to the different
owners of real estate. As the matter now
stands it Is uncertain, unreliable, unequal, and
necessarily capricious. The assessors undonbt-
eddy do the best in their power, but l find on
consultation with them that they are as deeply
impressed as myself with the necessity of a
thorough and systematic re-valuation.
The real estate at the westerly section during
the last twelve years has greatly increased in
value, while in the eastern section 1t has hardly
maintained it's estimate of ten years since
The assessors have recommended that plans
of all the streets be taken in sections, say on a
scale of one ineh to every fifty feet-and the
size of the lots, their street numbers and own
ers be put upon the plans las illustrated in a
plan of Pearl street in the Assessors Otice)
and that these plans be bound in book form,
and always remain in the Assessors Office for
reference.
By this means when real estate is sold, the
assessors could at ONCE ascertain, on Investigate
ing, as is their custom, the yearly transfers in
the Registry of Deeds, whether the whole or
only part of lot had changed owners. Any
craftsman of fair business capacity could make
such plans and with the lots thus plotted out
and before them, the yaluators could arrive at
conclusions, upon viewing the property, much
more rapidly and definitely than by any other
method
1t is understood that one Of the reasons for
the failure to carry out the action of 1870 was