The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-04-25

~ wv Poi10ct, is not passing upon 1t an
un1flendly criticism. So far as they go,
our pubic schools have accomplished for
the people a great work, greater indeed
than we are apt to realize: but the pres
ent system of education is fitting our
| youth to enter upon business and pro-
fessional, rather than upon industrial
careers; hence I believe that it's scope
| should be enlarged so as to embrace
manual training. The problem is not a
novel or difficult one to solve. It's solu-
tlon has already been practically accom-
| pllshed in Boston and in other cities,
where the great value of manual training
| can be tested by all who will take the
trouble of studying it.
Time will not permit an exposition of
the details of this important branch of
public education. 1t is sufficient to say,
that it not only ennobles labor and breaks
down those artificial barriers which in
terfere with social equality, by closely
associating in a common pursuit the
children of the poor and wealthy, but it
enables its beneficiaries to set foot in the
industrial world sufficiently equipped to
enter upon careers of usefulness to them
selves and others. 1t is my hope that
during the year before us thoughtful at
tention may be given to this Important
subject. | am, however, aware that the
financial demands which will be made
upon the treasury for educational and
other purposes will be so large, that it
may be deemed unwise to appropriate
the funds necessary to make a practical
experiment of manual education. am.
however, SO fully persuaded of it's great
usefulness to the community, that shall
place my salary for the year at the dis
posal of the school board to be used in
such an experiment, if they deem it wise
to attempt it.
For number of years our citizens
have been agitated by reports of the I'M
These reports have hardly been exagger-
ated, and | believe the time has come
when prompt action is necessary. The
demand seems to be general, that we
must have new school building, or prac-
tically such; and that it must be construc-
ted in manner to secure the best sanitary
results. An appropriation of ST., 900 will
be asked for this purpose, which added
to the amounts required for salaries
and ordinary expenditures makes a total
Of $196, 100. This important subject will
require prompt action.
should be remiss in my duty, If I
failed to call your attention to our eve
ming schools, of which Mr.. Levi Turner,
Jr., is principal, and Mr.. Barton, Mr..
Gately and Miss Beck assistants.
These schools are doing most useful
work by teaching the illiterate the com
mon rudiments of education In the
principal school in the City building. boys
and men, ranging from thirteen to fifty
years of age gather nightly during the
school term, to the number of nearly
hundred, where they are taught, not only
to read, write and spell, but some of the
higher branches of education.
SO earnest are these people in their
work, that the principal reports that
there is no necessity for anything like
formal discipline" Besides this school
there is another for young women in the
CascO street school house, where over so
have been registered the past winter.
The Importance of these schools for
considerable number of our citizens is
apparent.
In this connection, 1 should call your
attention to the public library. The city
has recently acquired by exchange of
the hall in the second story of the Libra
ry Building the large room occupied by
the Maine Historical Society. This
room is to be devoted toreference books.
which will be Of great assistance to our
citizens, but especially to our public
schools. The library now contains 81, 607
volumes, and the average number of
books withdrawn daily is 296 volumes.
The number of volumes delivered for
home use during the year is SO, 1856. The
usefulness of the library is constantly
increasing by additions Of valuable
works, and the trustees will spare no
efforts to make it what it's name implies,
a public library, free for all citizens.
Liquor Agency.
One of the questions which have agi-
tated the public mind in the past, more
perhaps than any other question, is the
liquor agency. My predecessor in office
stated in his inaugural last year the ex-
act purpose for which the agency was
established, namely to supply liquor to
citizens for medicinal, mechanical and
manufacturing purposes only;'' and he
called attention to the fact that under
the previous administration, the sales of
the agency for the year amounted to the
considerable sum of $53, so, which, to
use his own words "seems to suggest an
inquiry whether the privileges of the
agency are not abused" The sales the
past year have amounted to the large
sum of $40, 410.62. By comparing these
figures with the sales Of $780, which dur
luB tIldI year amounted 10 %Z0, lO5. %, you 4
will observe that the business of the
agency since then, has increased nearly
three-fold, showing most satisfactory
to our citizens, if they desire the traffic
in intoxicating liquors to be enlarged for
the purpose of pecuniary profit; but |
am quite sure that they do not desire
this. On the contrary, / am of the
opinion that they would have the bust
ness of the agency confined to supplying
liquors of the purest quality for ''medic-
inal, mechanical and manufacturing pur-
poses and no other" as the law creating
the agency plainly prescribes. and /
adopt and repeat the very pertinent in
quiry of my predecessor, whether the
privileges of the agency are not abused.s
Attention is asked to the account of the
agent, marked B.
Civil Engineer and Street Commission.
The consolidation of the offices of civil
engineer and street commissioner has
been subject much discussed during the
past year or two. The project was in
troduced in the common council in 1890, |