The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-20

year, the water commission, through the
Hon. Geo. +. Emery, represented to the
city government the need of an appro-
priation for the purpose OF having de-
positions taken in other cities, in order
to establish before the referees the fact
that the water rates charged by the
Portland Water company were excessive
in comparison. Fifteen hundred dollars
were appropriated for that purpose, and
the able counsel employed to present the
city's case, which it is now expected will
be heard here next month, will also have
to be paid. Deeming the burdens too
onerous for our people, in December last
T advised the City Council to annul
the CONTRACT made on September "a,
1870, by the city, to pay $4,000
a year for water furnished for hydrants,
engine-houses, sewers and other
strictly municipal purposes, which I'M
der the original charter and ordinance
agreement, claimed that the company
were obliged to furnish without expense
to the city. The willingness of the City
Council to submit the question of the
legality to the court, has been delayed
by the sinister actions of the Water Com
pany 1t is enough that the city is
obliged to fight its way extensively for
relief of water takers from exorbitant
TdlcS WITHOUT ldyiLlG Jul 1AOlO blolO
money under an Illegal contract of
previous city government who have also
rendered the Water Company excep
tional and discriminating financial fav.
ors, and permitted fcontinued violations
by that company of the city ordinances.
At this date the taxes of this company.
due in September, amounting to S12,000
still remain unpaid. learn that it has
been the custom under administrations
to allow discount of l per cent, when
paid in January, the same as if paid be-
fore November LIST, and to charge no in
terest as is the rule with other parties.
The difference amounts to several hun
bred dollars, and the fact of the compa-
ny's continued delay in paying this
years taxes, is suggestive of an effort, ON
the part of that company, for like favors
from the next administration and which
this refuses to grant.
congratulate the voters of Portland
on the just, able and equal division of the
wards proposed for their approval and
on the general commentator it has re-
ceived for fairness even from the ablest
Republican paper of this city. Gerry
Wandering is a most cowardly and con-
temptible method of cheating the people
out of their political rights and of OBJ
tanning and keeping power. 1t has been
shamefully practiced by the Republican
party in Maine. That the Portland
brethren have been experts in the device
needs no farther evidence than that of
the returns themselves. Since 1860, with
but slight exception, till this year,
skillful gerrymandering has saved the
city government to the Republican Of
ficials, through the most palpable VIOLA
ton of law which requires division of
the wards once in ten years or oftener,
the last having been made in 1872. The
plain duty of the present city govern
ment, therefore, was to do what the pre-
vious administration has left undone.
Let every voter also remember to vote
''Yes'' upon the adoption of the careful
ly prepared and equitable division of the
ward lines.
While the Republican solons at Angus
ia are doubling whether druggist can
be trusted to sell an ounce of whiskey.
their newspapers here are disconsolate
because under Democratic management
the liquor agency is providing revenue
instead of deficit 1t is too much for
their equanimity to see it's profits applied
to extraordinary municipal measures
in making our parks attractive, for pre-
venting the introduction of contagious
diseases, for purchasing modern police
signal system, for building school houses
and the establishment of free evening
schools for both sexes. 1t is spectacle
to make the gods weep when our Repub-
lican friends go back on their favorite in
stitution, become iconoclasts, and threat
en- the destruction of the very temple
their own hands reared, all because the
wicked Democrats happen to have sue
cessfully administered at the altar on
business principles.
At the conclusion of the Mayors speech
Chairman Hanno W. Gage made few
brief remarks, urging the necessity of
harmony in the ranks. He spoke of the
division of the ward lines and the recent
action of the legislature in regard to the
move to make it necessary to obtain a
majority of the registered voters of the
city to carry it, and not the fair and i'm
partial way, by the number who voted.
In that case, he said, the city will have to
give majority of over 1000 votes for the
ward lines, as there are are over 5000
registered voters in the city.
The following ward committees were
then chosen:
Ward John E. Ward, j. H. Conneen, M. A.
Welch.
Ward 2-William H. Lowery, Michael c. Nc
Cam, Thomas Hassett.
Ward 4-H. L. Farnsworth. M. F. Hicks
Ward flames s. Gilliatt John E. Robinson,
| Francis d. Melaugh.
Ward 81. H. Bradley, Alvin D. Sweetsir
| Henry @. Gay.
Ward 6-George l.. Knight, Thomas A. Dona
hue John j. Lynch.
Ward 7-George L. SWEET, Nathan Clifford
| E. w. Hunt.
T-N-M Ns-44