The Portland daily press., 1889-01-21
oEERINc CITY CHARTER.
The Meeting OF Its Advocates satur-
day Evening.

The subcommittee that has been at work
several days in vacant room on the top
floor oil the city building, drafting city
charter Tor the town of Deering, reported on
Saturday evening to the town committee Of
eleven which met at the residence of Joseph
Hutchings, ESQ.,, Deering Centre. When the
roll was called Messrs. Joseph Hutchings L..
b. Chapman, d. d. Chenery, Adam W. VIII
son, A. +. Berry. Isaac l.. Elder and Ruel
Small responded. 1t was reported that +. o.
Bailey was unavoidably out Of town and
Lemuel w. Dyer had moved away since the
committee was appointed last spring The
other two members could not be accounted
for
The copy of the charter presented seems to
have been prepared with good deal OF care.
IL contains about fifty sections. 1t provides
for mayor and council Of seven members
the hrst to be elected at large, with an audi
tor and three members each year Of school
committee of nine, the last from the seven
wards, into whieh the bill provides the terri
tory OF the town shall be divided. A salary
OF 500 annually is provided for the mayor,
which sum cannot be changed till the larse
of five years, and the council to serve with
out pay.
A department Of streets, with street CON-
missioner, who shall be under bonds for the
faithful discharge Of the requirements OF the
| position Is provided for.
The ofices OF city clerk, collector Of taxes
ana treasurer are united II deemed advisable
and lawful.
The charter creates a place for a city
solicitor with salary not to exceed $500.
n uu xr ~ .1tfaf N fra 6arAa .k.
ment The chief officer of which may be
the chief engineer of the Portland fire de-
| partment.
1t makes the mayor chief of police till
| department Is created.
lt provides for municipal court that can
| try civil suits when the amount involved
| does not exceed 500.
1t provides that city hall cannot be built
without a sanction by the people qualified to
vote at q general meeting Of the citizens Is
When the section relating to sewers was
reached in the reading of the bill, which was
| the last, an animated discussion was INDUCED
In. The gentleman who constructed this
| section said he had consulted various special
acts OF the legislature relating to town drains
| or sewers, ordinances of cities, particularly
| those of Portland, and in all cases
the abutters pay .two-thirds or three-fourths
OF the expense OF construction. The section
of the town In need of drainage, the cost OF
constructing the same, and statement Of
the amount of expense that would fall upon
each lot and parcel of land, then go DAYS af
ter the publication of the results of the sur.
yey and estimates of costs to lot owners, and
the town at large, work may be commenced
provided the portions of the town claiming
drainage want 1t then. with provision thai
the owners of unimproved land may not pay
the assessments until the land is improved
for building purposes; and with few slight
alterations the draft was accepted. A vote
was then passed to have clean copy of the
bill made at once and present the same to the
legislature through the representative of the
town, Col. Edward Moore.
The members present expressed the opin-
ion that the committee was not raised to CD.
pose division of the town, nor annexation
only to provide way to change the munich
pal government by obtaining an act of the
legislature to allow the town to do SO. pro
vided a majority wish 1t.
Ii the bill passes the legislature it will
then have to be ratified by majority of tn,
voters at a meeting called to vote on tn,
matter. before 1t can come into effect which
may be done any time within five years, ac
cording to the provisions of the bill.