The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-03-15


the streets of Portland. Some symptoms
of it were seen yesterday in the clean
corridors about the Office of Street Com
missioner Staples. He gave an order
early in the day that all who wished to
apply for places ON the force should re-
port to the stables of the street depart
ment, which are made temporarily the
headquarters for the hiring of new men.
This is only temporary, however, for as
soon as arrangements can be MADE the
whole street department is to be put up
on new basis.
This new system, which is one of the
most important fruits of Mayor Baxter's
administration, was provided for by the
action of the last city government IN
establishing the street commission.
Henceforth this commission is to be the
main factor in the management OF the
streets. Commissioner Staples is to be IN
a sense the executive officer of.this COM
mission. They are to plan and he is to
execute. Mr.. Staples enters heartily into
the spirit of this arrangement and will
undoubtedly make valuable official in
carrying out the new street policy.
City Civil Engineer Fernald, who.with
Messrs. Adam P. leighton and John l..
Brackett, form the commission, was
asked by the PRESS yesterday. in re-
gard to the progress which the commits
sion was making. He said that, as they
had been recently appointed they had
not yet had the time to formulate any
extensive or systematic scheme OF work.
For few weeks things must necessarily
90 on in the old way until the proper
arrangements can be made. The first
step will be in regard to the employment
of the laborers. This step will be in the
direction of doing away with favoritism,
and the employment of efficient work
men. AS soon as the necessary books
have been arranged all laborers will be
notified that if they wish to be employed
on the streets they must fill out blank
card, which will be given them, specify
ing the kind of work they wish to do,
age, occupation, habits, etc. This card
is given to the clerk of the commission.
who enters the man on the books. Once
entered on the books, his name remains
on this list until the street commissioner
notifies the commission that he wants
certain numb Der OF men, say five PAYERS.
The commission will send him eight or
ten of the men registered as PAYERS. He
will select the five whom he thinks best
adapted to his work, and send the others
back to await another requisition. In
this way every applicants record will be
known in short time. and it is ex-
pected that
Only the Most Efficient Men
will be employed.
Beyond this classification Of the labor
ers the commission have hardly made
any plans as yet. Their first step will
be to ascertain the actual condition of
| the streets of Portland. No Satisfactory
record exists Of the work which has been
done on Portland streets. Hitherto the
committee on streets and the street COM
missioner have had exclusive control of
| the work. This committee, made up
| from the continually changing member
| ship of the city council, has not general
| ly had any continuity of policy or pur-
pose. The commissioner, also elected
from year to year, and often changing at
each election, has also had no policy ex-
cept to keep things patched up as well as
possible. The very nature of his position
tended to make him afraid to launch up
on any lasting WORK, for fear of making
an expense not absolutely demanded at
| 81 ole yuhan ha has
attempted to do any work for the future
his successor. from jealousy or from lack
of understanding as to the plan, has
allowed it to go to ruin.
MIR. Fernald and his associates propose
first to
Examine Every Street
and make plan and record OF it's con-
/ dition whether macadamized or paved OF
neither, the state of its sidewalks, ETC.
These plans will be well made and will
| form the basis upon which the work Of
improvement will begin. AT tirst o.
| course, the commission can do llttlt
different from what has been done Ill thu
past, as they must gradually graft tint
new system upon the old. But wher
they put in piece of new work they
will aim to have it Of the best to star,
with, and then they will make it theil
policy to keep it in thorough repair by
taking stitches in time. This policy viii
probably tell best in the matchmaking
Hitherto this work has been done princi
pally by those not thoroughly &C
quainted with it, and. when it has one
been done, it has been abandoned tt
take care of itself. Now the whole theor!
of matchmaking presupposes pains
taking construction to start with ant
theh assiduous, but not expensive lie
pairing ever after. For instance, If Their
appears in the smooth and well rounded
macadam road the slightest indentatlol
in which little pool of water is foun'
standing after shower, that 1ndenta
ton must at once be scraped CAREFUL.
| out and filled with fine rock. The car