The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-03-13

| a similar notice, and after an examlna.
| tion of the bridge by the City Engineer,
| it was found that it would be necessary
| to rebuild the entire structure IN order
| to comply with the demand made upon
| me. This fact was communicated to
| the United States government, and far
| ther extension of time asked in order to
complete surveys and plans, and an eX-
| tension of another year was granted.
| During the past winter, this work was
| completed, and few days since walt
| ed upon Colonel Hams, United States
| Engineer, and laid the plans before MN,
| explaining the impossibility of doing this
work the present season. | hope to obtain
| from the government farther extension
| of year but even in this event it will be
necessary, before the year closes, to make
preparations for beginning the work IN
the spring, unless, before that time, a
farther extension of time can be procured.
The cost of a suitable bridge to replace
the present structure will be fully nun
dred thousand dollars, and TO borrow
this sum, for it would be impractlca Die
to raise it in single year by taxation,
it Will be necessary to procure au6horlUy
to do SO from the legislature.
Upon the financial sta DIZZY OIL
our CITY rests the prosperity
of all our municipal lnstltu-
ions. The most important OF these IS
Public Education, and during the past
year this has received earnest attention.
Acting upon my recommendation to un-
dertake the construction of a new build
ing for our High School, the past city
wise liberality which characterized all
it's acts, granted the appropriation for
which asked, and the result, | believe,
will justify it's action. Portland now
possesses building for it's High School,
which has been pronounced..ssby. experts
of .widesexperience, to be second to none
in the country for the convenience. COM
fort and health of it's occupants.
MY recommendation with respect to
the introduction of Manual Training In
to the public schools was also adopted,
and two schools were at once esta bllshed,
one in the North and the other in the
Butler school, and placed in the charge
of Mr.. Rudolph Schuerch. Under the
management of this accomplished teacher,
these schools have rapidly gained in
public favor, and may be regarded today
as completely successful. In the death
of Mr.. Schuerch on Feb. 9th, the school
lost an earnest and faithful instructor;
but it has been fortunate in securing a
worthy successor to him in Mr.. VIM. G.
Holden, from the Manual Training
School of Cleveland, Ohio. At present
manual training is confined to boys; but
it is equally important to girls, and |
hope during the coming year to see it's
benefits extended to them. l commend
this to your careful consideration. The
school for the Deaf likewise suffered a
severe loss in the death of Miss Ellen l..
Barton, which occurred on Jan. 3rd. AS
in the case of Mr.. Schuerch, 1 am happy
to say, that an accomplished successor
to Miss Barton has been secured in the
person of Miss Elizabeth R. Taylor of
Philadelphia. The expense of this
school to the city raised the question
after Miss Barton's death, whether 1T
would not be best for Portland to aban-
don it, and send her deaf children to
some institution out of the State. AS
the State of Maine has assumed the ex-
pense of educating this class of unfortu-
mates, it was argued, that Portland ought
not to be burdened with SO large por-
ton of the expense of the school,. On
the other hand, the friends of the school
reasoned that State pride demanded It's
continuance in the State, and that the
parents of the pupils should not be su b.
jected to the Inconvenience or sending
them out of the State.
Believing that the school should be
kept in the State, and made as efhclent
as possible;. and, at the same time, that
Portland should not be compelled to
bear more than its just proportion Of
expense, | went to Augusta and laid
the matter before the. Governor and
Council, fully explaining the situation
to them. I have reason to believe that
an additional appropriation for the sup
port of the school, will, at an early date
be granted by the State.
The Evening Schools have been we'll
attended during the winter, and COM
Merssrs. j. A .Milliken, Chas.G Caswell,
A. B. Duran, T. HI. Gateley, Miss Lizzie F.
Walsh and Miss LIN. Knowles, for their
faithful devotion to the welfare of their
needy pupils. Among these no one was
more. faithful than Augustus B. Duran,
ESQ.,, whose recent death is deeply felt
by all with whom he was associated.
During the year the sub ject of introduce
ing kindergarten instruction into the
schools has been much discussed. That
| such instruction is..needed, and will be
of great benefit to those pupils to whom
| it is adapted, there can be no dou bit,
and | shall ask for small appropriation
| to enable the School Board to employ
suitable teachers to undertake the work.
For some years an officer has teen
employed annually, to take the census of
| children of the school age living in the
city. An examination of the subject
discioses the fact, that considerab bic
number of children belonging to igno-
| rant and neglectful parents, are without
school advantages As seeking out these
children and compelling their attendance
the Truant Officer, the Superintendent
recommends that the officer employed
during portion Of the year to take the
census, shall be employed through the
entire year, and that in addition to TAX
| ing the census, it shall be his duty to
seek out neglected children and see that
they are placed in school. Simply as
a measure OF economy this is advisable,
for such neglected children help to fur
nish inmates for our Aims House, and
to this institution and its annex, the
Greedy Hospital, I desire to call your at
| tention.
During the past year you will observe
| that the expense of conducting this es-
Ia blishment has been somewhat IN
creased, the reason for which Will appear
| by an.sanalysis of the accompanying re,
| port. While the strictest economy should
be practiced in this department. as In
all others, and supplies purchased at
| wholesale so far as practicable, am
sure that our citizens would not desire
to withhold any necessary comfortssfrom
the inmates of this last refuge OF the
miserable.
You will see by the accompanying re-
port of the Chief Engineer of the Fire
Department, that the city has been for
tunate in escaping any. extensive confia-