The Portland daily press., 1888-01-31
CITY GOVERNMENT.
snecIai Meeting OF tho Board OF
mayor and Aldermen.
The Street Sprinkiing Company
Authorized to Lay Pipes.
Discussion and Prompt Action on
Gen. pow's Charges.

A special meeting of the Board of Mayor
and Aldermen was heldyesterday afternoon.
All the members were present.
The committee on drains and sewers re-
ported that they had estimated and assessed
scch sums of sewer assessments on lots loca-
ted on Cove, Gilman. Gould, Hammond,
Portland, Congress, st. John, A. B. and G.
streets, as the lots or parcels of lands on
those streets are benefited by the sewers,
and offered an order for the city clerk to give
notice of hearing on the matter of sewer
assessments on these streets to be held
| March 9th. 1888 at 7.30 p. M. at.the Board of
| Mayor and Aldermen's room. The report
was accepted and the order passed
STREET sPRINKLING.
This order in reference to the Street
| Sprinkling Company was read by the Mayor:
Ordered, That permission is hereby given for
| the Portland Street Sprinkling Company to lay
| down from the head of Cross street through Mid
| die street to Congress, and through Congress
| street easterly to the Eastern Promenade and
westerly TO Pine street, and thence through Pine
| street 10 the Western Promenade, a six inch cast
| iron pipe for the purpose OF conveying pure salt
water for sprinkling streets, and TO erect stand
| pipes communicating with said main pipe one in
/ The vicinity of the engine house on Munjoy Hill,
| one or Mountfort or Washington street, on, near
| Lincoln Park, one near the head of Elm street,
/ one near the neau OF CdScO street, one near 81.
| Stephens church and one near West street. The
exact places for said stand pipes to be hereafter
| designated and approved by the Board of Mayor
| and Aldermen and all said pipes to be laid and
| maintained In manner satisfactory to said
Board.
| The permssonlhereby ;granted shall continue
until the Board of Mayor and Aldermen shall 9TH
| erwlse determine, but the work Of laying down
said pipes shall not begin until the said Portland
Street bprinkling Company shall have deposited
with the city clerk bond in the sum of ten thou
sand dollars, with suretes approved by the
Mayor to hold the city harmless for all loss, cost
damage, expense or liability in any way arising
from laying down or maintaining said pipes and
stand pipes or from the use TO which they shall
be applied, whether from the streets being made
defective by reason of any act or default of the
Portland Street Sprinkling Company in the prem
Uses and liability thereby resulting, or however the
| same may arise.
Said stand pipes to be Of the form and construc-
| tion which shall be approved by the Board of
Mayor and Aldermen and to be set and main
tanned In all respects as said Board shall direct,
| and the surface of said streets and all paving
| thereon which shall be removed in laying or re-
pairing said pipes to be replaced by said Street
| Sprinkling Company in perfect condition to the
satisfaction of said Board.
| This permission is granted upon the express
| condition that the rates to be charged by SAID
o e cy net &C. the
| rates now charged by said company for sprink-
ling streets in the central portions Of the city.
| press condition that the said company be gov
| erned by the regulations and restrictions pre-
| Portland Water Company.
Mr. Briggs was opposed to the order in
| the form in which it was presented. In the
| first place he demanded that if this company'
or any company, sprinkled the streets they
should use pure salt water, and he had been
informed by the Board of Health that the
water that had been used by the Street
Sprinkling Co., was not pure and was dele
terious to health. Then again it seemed to
| him the nature of contract, not of an
| order. He thought the company should be
liable for any and all injuries that might re-
suit from the carrying out of the order.
Mr.. Marks thought the liability of the
company should be increased to $4,000.
| Mr.. Smith took the view of the matter that
Mr.. Briggs did.
| Mr.. Kicker thought it would be better for
| the pipe to run through Cumberland, rather
| than Congress street, and thus obviate the
necessity of taking up the paving on the
latter.
Mr.. Wilson believed in having the hydrant
| committee committee of arbitration for
regulating prices and disagreements between
| the city and company.
| Mr.. Smith didn't understand there was
any fixed prices for sprinkling.
Mr.. Briggs objected to any fixed amount
for the extent of the company's liabilities.
| He thought an ordinance like that Iegulat-
ing the Portland Water Company's arrange
ments with the city should be in force in
this case, and that the company should
sprinkle the city property free.
Mr.. Galley offered an amendment to the
order, making the rules governing the
Water Co. apply in this case, and the order
as amended then had passage.
GEN BOWS CHARGES.
made publicly by Gen. Neal Dow that af-
fected the character of the officials of the
city. When Gen. Dow makes the charge in
the public prints that two policemen of this
| city have been guilty of taking brides, it is
| to be presumed that man of his position
knows what he is talking about, and that
| charge becomes grave one. If Gen. Dow
| knows the facts Of the case it is his first du
| ty as citizen to at once report the case to
| the authorities and bring forward his evil
| dence. Until he does so he places every
| man on the police force under the ban.
think it is the duty Of the General, said Mr..
Briggs, to come forward and specify his
charges so that this board can act l under
| stand that the Mayor has called upon Gen.
Dow, and he can state what took place at the
meeting.
The Mayor stated that his attention was
called to the statement of Gen. Dow in the
Temperance Herald, that he, the General,
knew of two policemen who took brides
from rumselers, and he called on him that
morning to ask him for the policemen's
names. Gen. Dow replied that he was not
at liberty TO give the names until he could
get the consent of his informant. The May
or said he told the General that the Board Of
Mayor and Aldermen would hold a meeting
at 5 o'clock and that they would like to have
him and his informant appear and give all
the facts in the case The General replied
he could not as his informant was out of the
city. The Mayor further said that the
charge made by Gen. Dow that Officer Stew
ems, who had been suspended, was under
pay, was untrue.
Mr. Smith said he saw the article in Satur-
days Temperance Herald referred to by Mr..
Briggs aud the Mayor, and as a member of
the committee on police he wrote note to
Gen. Dow, asking him to bring his evidence
in relation to this policeman before the COM
mittee. Il have tried" said Mr.. Smith, ito
do my duty faithfully as an alderman. Twice
have seen articles grossly offensive to this
body published over the signature of Gen.
Dow, charging us with bargaining with
rumsellers in order to get their votes If there
is no more truth in these charges as regards
my colleagues than there is in regard to me,
there has been nothing said since the days OF
Ananias that will compare with them. II
General Dow has any decent evidence to
prove his charges against policemen let him
bring it forward, and / don't believe any
member of this board will hesitate to vote tc
discharge the offenders. l think there is a
design in this movement that is taking
place not in the interest of temperance.
think we should take such action here thai
will compel people to prove the charges they
make or be branded as falsifiers."
Mr.. Kicker didn't think the public took
stock in these charges.
Mr.. Wilson thought it would be well fol
| the General to be requested informally to pro.