The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-15

amount of outstanding bills against the
| lectible accounts in order that we may
arrive at a point from which to take a
| new departure.
Schools and School Buildings.
The report of the school committee
show that our schools maintain high
standard of excellence and there is no
reason why our children should not &C
quire good education if they are ready
to do their part to obtain it. would
call your attention to the committee re.
port, page 81, and also to the report OF
the board of health, page GO, in regard to
the high school building and recommend
| that you take such measures Jas may be
thought best to remedy the present de-
| fects of heating and ventilating SAID
building.
| If we are to exercise due care in re-
gard to the health of our citizens, this
matter must receive your careful atten-
tention and I urge you to take such
steps as shall lead to the construction OF
a thorough system of sewerage for the
thickly settled portion of our city.
Streets and Sidewalks.
Our streets and sidewalks should be
kept in good repair, and in order that
this may be done you may find it unnec-
cessary to increase the usual appropria-
ton for this purpose, as the streets OF
the eastern section of the city where the
sewers were laid last fall from present
indication), are likely to be in very bad
condition this spring.
Fire Department.
Since we have become city we should
not lose sight of the Importance of main
tanning and increasing the efficiency of
this department., for as the buildings
multiply the danger from fire increases.
Let us learn wisdom from the experience
of other cities that have not been careful
to provide suitable means to fight fire
until after they have suffered severe
losses thereby.
Care of the Poor.
It is with feeling of modification
that I quote from the town report as
follows: The present aims house is, in
our opinion, standing monument OF
disgrace to the town. What the town
needs at once and must have before its
poor can be assured of at least COM
Portable place to die in mot to mention
living inI. is a new aims house so planned
and constructed that the inmates can be-
separated or graded the decent and wor-
thy poor from the indecent. This recon-
mendation ought to meet with your APP
prevail and with the approval of every
good citizen. Remember the poor will
always be found among us and it is our
duty to care for them cheerfully and not
grudgingly.
Division of the City.
Section fifteen of the city charter pro-
vides that it shall be the duty of the city
council, as soon as may be practicable, to
cause division of the city into seven
wards, in such manner to include as
nearly as may be, consistently with well
defined limits, an equal number of voters
in each ward.
Section six provides that the city coun-
Gil shall elect on the second Monday of
March, or as soon thereafter as may be-,
three assessors, one to serve one year,
one for two years and one for three years.
I would call your attention to the neces-
sity of complying with the requirements
of this section at an early day. The as
SCISSORS shouldi be men of good sound
Judgment and strict integrity, men in
whom the taxpayers will have confidence,
feeling that fair and equitable assess
ment of taxes will be made and that ev-
erything will be done to equalize that
which seems to many to be the burden
of life, paying of taxes.
Appropriations.
do not feel called upon at this time
to recommend any specific sum to be
appropriated in any department of our
expenditures. AS you investigate the
needs of the several departments requir-
ing appropriations you will understand
these needs better than | can possibly do
at this time. After full investigation
of what the needs of the city require,
make such appropriation as you deem
best, and as far as in my power l shall
hold to strict economy in their expendi-
lures.
Appointments.
The appointment of all the city
officers, with few exceptions, devolves
upon you, and trust you will use your
best endeavors to appoint men having
capacity for the offices they are to fill,
men who will do their whole duty for
the city. Let not the pressure of outside
influence from the friends of any candi-
dates warp your judgement, but after a
careful investigation as to the fitness of
the applicant for the position, make such
appointments as shall, in your judge
ment, seem to be for the interest of our
city.
In the matter of salaries, trust you
will aim to make them adequate to the
duties performed. If established too low
[ think it will be found far easier to in
crease them then it would be to reduce