The Portland daily press., 1886-09-01
CITY GOVERN M EMIT.
Special Meeting of Both Branches
Yesterday.
The School House Appropriation
increased.

Z .ty government was called yesterday after
noon to take action in reference to the
new schoolhouse building on Carroll street.
In Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
The Board was called to order by Mayor
Chapman. Absent, Mr.. Kicker.
The Mayor stated he had called the Board
together in regard to the matters relating to
the new school house, and explained every
thing that had been done in the matter, and
informed them of the bids received. He
read the following report and order which
he suggested should be passed in order that
the committee on public buildings might go
ahead with the construction of the school
house. The following is the report and
order
The joint standing committee on public
buildings, who were authorized by order of
the City Council, approved August 10th, to
execute contracts in the citys name and
behalf, for laying the foundation and COM
pleting the exterior of the new school build
ing on the corner of Neal and Carroll streets,
report that said committee advertised for
proposals for said foundations aud exterior,
and find that the lowest bid exceeds the
amount of appropriation for said school
building as follows: Amount of appropria-
ton, $4,000; cost of land, s., 1850; amount
unexpended, $S,534.2O, The bid approved
by the committee was in the sum of $13, $50,
and the committee ask to be authorized to
contract for said work at the sum of S13,l50
according to the following order:
Ordered, That the committee on public build
ings be authorized to expend $1S,150 in laying
the foundation and completing the exterior OF the
new school building, on the corner OF Neal and
Carroll streets.
Alderman Briggs asked how much had
been charged against the appropriation.
The Mayor gave the figures of the cost of
the lot on Carroll street, and the amount left
for the erection of the school house and
said there was about $4,000 needed to meet the
bid which it had been decided to accept. In
making their calculations, the committee had
excluded the sum of several thousand dol
lars they had expected to receive from the
sale of portion of this lot to Willston
church, and also from the sale of the old
school buildings; sum of about $1,000,
which they expected to receive at some time.
The committee thought it false economy to
attempt to scrimp on ventilators and other
needful sanitary features. He referred to
the fact that he had been member of the
city governments that constructed the But
Ter and Smaller houses, and if the same poll
cy had been pursued then it would have
been better for both of these buildings. The
contract made by the city is favorable one,
and will leave the building already to be
plastered in the spring
Alderman Sawyer wanted to know what
the cost would be next year to complete the
building.
The Mayor said he had not consulted the
41,,% IL
priation would cover very large part of the
whole cost of the building.
Alderman Briggs said that for one he had
been very much opposed to building on the
proposed site, because there was too much
discount ON the future. He cited the debts
entailed on the city by discounting the fu-
ture in the cases of the loans to the Ogdens-
burg and Rochester roads. The committee,
he said, at first only wanted $4,000, as they
said and then made a raise to $4,000, and
now they come here and ask for this addi-
tional appropriation, and even then there
will probably be $4,000 or $4,000 more wanted
for heating and other details. Pm not in
sympathy with the proposed plan, said he,
and shall vote against it,
Alderman Marks was in favor of the
prosecution of the work. He had been
astonished at the closeness of the several
bids, and thought the contract bid the best
that could have been accepted and said the
committee was unanimous in favor of it.
Alderman Wilson said his opposition was
to the $4,000 increase of appropriation. The
committee had given the Board to under
stand that they had money enough to get
the roof placed on the new building, and he
thought the committee had better proceed
with the work to that extent and then stop
there.
The Mayor said the committee would go
on as far as the $500 of the original APP
preparation would carry them, but if they
did, the work would have to be done by the
day, and not by contract The committee
believe it cheaper and that better work will
be accomplished by contract, and by going on
with the masonry and carpentry at the
same time; and that by so doing the tax levy
will be left in better shape for next year.
There has been no draft yet on certain I'M
expended balances said he, and these had
better be used in the construction of the
school house. That however was. for the
City Government to decide.
Alderman Wilson asked if the committee
had advertised for contract which went
so far as to simply put up the walls and
cover in with the roof.
The Mayor said the lowest maSonary bids
amounted to $500 and the carpentry to So
00O The Mayor referred to the fact that
three gentlemen who opposed extra appro-
priations when the Butler and Smaller
schools were built always regretted it.
Alderman Briggs had always understood
that the architect in the case of the Smaller
school figured on an estimate of $4,000. In
this case he thought some Of the committee
meant to have $4,000 one and didn't come
forward in a manly way in the beginning
and say so.
Alderman Beale didn't believe in insinua-
tions against the honesty of purpose of the
committee. He had had a good deal to do
with contract work and he knew the best
fgurers were often caught when they got
down to detail. He said we were not obliged
to have Ogdensburg or Rochester roads but
we did have to have schoOlhouses. he
thought the children should be considered
and the best of work put into building they
had to occupy.
Alderman Briggs said he didn't oppose AL
derman Beale's ideas, but he did oppose the
principle CT committee asking for certain
sum for a!specifc object and enscoming in
at the end of the year and asking for more
money.
Alderman Marks thought the remarks of
the Alderman from Seven unfair, and moved
the passage of the order.
Alderman Briggs said it had been stated
in the open board, or in joint convention,
that the $4,000 originally asked for, should
be used for the erection of the new school
house and leave some other City Govern
ment to pay for the land
The Mayor said he made that statement
but it would be remembered that when the
original order, drawn by the City Solicitor,
was presented in the Board, on motion of
Alderman Wilson, it was amended SO that
the land had to be paid for out of the $16,-
600. Of course, said he, we should have OPP
posed the passage of this order if we had not
supposed we were to have the $4,000 made
up to us in the construction of the school
house.
The order was then put on its passage and
received favorable action. Messrs. Beale,
Sawyer anG Marks voting yea, and Messrs.
Wilson, Mcmahon and Briggs nay. The
Mayor threw the casting vote in the affirma-