The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-03-12

SiueIdtlOu VI Tue Important matters pertaining
to the foregoing departments, that I must
refer only briefly to the others.
/ call attention to the reports of the harbor
master, city physician, and city solicitor for
information concerning the affairs in charge
of these officers respectively. The report of
the city solicitor, especially will show that the
legal affairs of the city have been conducted
very efficiently, and with more than ordinary
success.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The personal and mechanical efficiency of
this department. continues. Members have
been found at their posts ready for duty, gen.
tlemanly in bearing and behavior, and their
engine houses and apparatus kept in good
order. To their efficiency in checking fires
at the outset, may be attributed in very con-
siderable degree our exemption from large
fires the past year. The smallness of the loss
has been most remarkable.
Whole number of fires in the city from
March l, 1877, to March l, 1878, 81
Extinguished without alarm, q
%
Amount Of loss as nearly as can be as 49,. 90,
Amount covered by insurance, 1852
Leaving the incensiderable net loss of 1920
A result which has not occurred for years,
if it has at all, in the history of the city since
it became such.
In this connection, attention is called to the
large and increasing number of wooden
buildings springing up all over the city, to an
extent exceeding the number before our great
fire. Combustible as they are, they endanger
the whole town by the facility with which
they spread flames in case of fire. 1t is mis-
taken kindness to the individual applicant,
and great wrong to the public, to grant per-
mission Unfortunately, and as matter of
course, to erect them.
POLICE.
The police force proper, numbers thirty
nine, consisting of marshal, two deputy
marshals, and thirty-s six patrolmen. Special
police powers, without pay, have been con-
ferred on large number of persons, mostly
employed by private individuals or corpora
tons as watchmen, whereby many points of
the city have been guarded, which. otherwise
would have been without protection. 49,
It due allowance is made for the extent of
work, and variety of duties imposed on the
regular force, in aid of general criminal JUS
tice, the detection, arrest, and conviction of
offenders, the protection of the rights of per-
sons and property, the preservation of order,
the regulation and control of questionable
vocations and practices, and the enforcement
more than usual measure of successful work
has been accomplished by officers and men,
as will appear by the marshars report.
attribute this result to the fact that the force
has been more harmonious than in former
years, and has thereby greatly gained in eff
fectiveness by concert of action. If it has
seemed to individual citizens that there has
been lack of duty on the one hand on the
part of members of the force, and excess of
zeal on the other, fuller information obtains ed
from the proper sources would often remove
the impression. It must be borne in mind
that all the virtues cannot be purchased at
two dollars day.
PRoMENADEs.
am very much interested in our two
promenade, one commanding an unrivaled
marine view, the other looking out upon a
landscape of beauty unrivalled, stretching
away to the everlasting hills; both a great
attraction to visitors from abroad, and the
resort of our own citizens seeking fresh air
and delightful prospects. They wear now an
uncared for and neglected appearance, entire
ly unworthy of their natural beauties, as if
unappreciated by the city they SO much adorn.
Nature beautifully has done her part; let
cultivation and art do theirs. I should be
glad to have small appropriation made to
employ skilled and competent landscape
engineer of the standing, for instance, of
Olmstead, to furnish plans and designs for
laying these promenades out, with view to
their permanent improvement and preserva-
ton, to shaping the grounds, planting trees
and shrubbcry, and to their ornamentation
generally, so that whatever shall be done in
time to come for their betterment and embel-
lishment, may be done in conformity with
some settled plan. 1t would need but a
small expenditure afterward to add wonder
fully to their attractions. Portland is fast
becoming place of summer resort, and in
every point of view it is for her interest in all
ways to encourage and attract visitors.
SALES OF REAL ESTATE.
There have been sales the past year of
vacant, unimproved real estate belonging to
the city, and bringing in no income, to the
amount of $3,l99l0, by which the available
resources of the city have been increased SO
much. The holding of unimproved real
estate not necessary for municipal purposes,
and yielding no revenue, is very impolitic,
inasmuch as the interest on the value of the
property is lost, as well as the taxes which
would would be assessed upon it in the
hands of individuals. And in this connec-
ton would call your attention to the market
lot, so called, bounded on, Market, Fore, Sill
yer, and Milk streets. containing 24.259
square feet, costing the city, in 1866, $780,
600, and which, with interest added, now
stands the city at $4,000, saying nothing
about the taxes which might have been as
sessed upon it, if it had been private property
during all this time. The market system,
with its large expenditures for buildings, has
become obsolete in most cities, and in our
pecuniary situation, there is no prospect of
using but small part of the lot, if any, for
market. There is no doubt in my mind
that this property ought to be sold by the
city sooner or later. The question is, whether
in the present depressed state of things, an
adequate price can be obtained. The whole
subject will be for your consideration, in
Guiding what shall be done with the dilapi-
dated wooden structure on the upper part of
the lot now used as poor apology for a
market.
l adhere to the opinion expressed to the
last City Council. that the statutes of the State
impose upon the assessors, as sworn officers,
the duty of making valuation of property
within the city limits for the purposes of tax
alton. Indeed, it is one of their principal
duties, as no tax could be assessed without
this preliminary step. They are chosen by
the City Council, the Mayor having no voice
in their selection, and therefore that branch
of the city government must be held respon-
sible for their fitness, and for the due dis
charge OF their duties. AS long ago as Au.
gust 1876, to facilitate new valuation, plans
and descriptions of all parcels of real estate
in the city were ordered. Four men in the
engineers department were engaged in max
ing the plans till some time in January last,
and Mr.. Hull has not fully completed the de-
scriptlons yet; all which, of course has, cost
the city very considerable sum. In addi-
ton, the last City Council chose three citizens
as valuation committee with authority to
employ a clerk. This committee not being a
body required by law, and not acting under
oath, can be considered only in the light of
assistants, or experts to aid the assessors in
their appropriate work, not to relieve them
from the duties imposed upon them by law.
The two boards should of course cooper
ate and act in harmony, so that with the
preparation by way of plans and
with three assessors, three
committee men, and clerk, seven officials in
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