The Portland daily press., 1894-08-03
THE CITY's POOR.
Is the Present Aims House a Suitable
Place For Them.

A dinner was given here Wednesday eve
ming by Edgar E. Rounds, one of the men,
bers of the board of overseers of the poor.
to members of the city government, and to
his associates on the board.
Before the dinner, the party, and other
gentlemen, visited the aims house, and
Greedy hospital and had their attention
called to some matters that seemed to Mr..
Rounds, and other members of the board
worthy of special notice. The idea was to
shows the aims house and hospital are not
in a proper condition, that the buildings
are not suitable, and that the entire system
of dealing with the poor of Portland is
sadly in need of marked, if not Immediate
change.
After dinner ~AIderman Joseph A. Nc
Gowan, called the guests to order and in
troduced Mr.. Rounds as the presiding
officer of the evening.
Mr.. Rounds, after welcoming his guests,
said that he desired as one member of the
board of overseers, to see some changes
made. He had objected to the holding of
the monthly dinners by the board at the
aims house, not SO very much on the score
of the cost, but because it seemed to him
that too large a contrast was involved.
willie d lTlu p0lI0V6T III SLTlCL SCOuOLuys
he also believed in new buildings, both for
the aims house and the hospital. He said
that It was his belief that if the members of
the city government would, in a body, visit
the aims house and hospital, and see for
themselves the real condition of both in
situations, and how impossible it is that
the poor can be made even comfortable, the
old buildings would be taken down, and
II
treated, but in his judgment they can't be
well served, or made comfortable. There
are abuses that must cease.
Hon. Charles 81. Chase. one of the MEM
bers of the board, said he was inclined to
defend the practice of the giving of a
dinner once a month to the members of the
board of overseers. and suggested that even
the members of the city government find
it necessary to visit the islands at the cost
of the city.
Mr.. Chase said that he had never adj
vocated providing anything of cheap
nature for the poor. To be sure some inn
portant changes have been made for the
better, but still they do net live as we'll as
they should. The table for the worthy poor
isn't set well enough. Poor old women
ought not to be asked to drink cheap tea.
To be sure good article adds to the bills,
but what of that? Mr.. Chase spoke in COM
plimentary terms of Mr.. Roberts, the keeper
of the aims house, but said that the best
of officials can do but little under the
circumstances to brighten the lives of the
poor of the city. Despite the fact that
many changes for the better have been
made, still the poor at the Portland aims
house, the worthy poor of the city, do not
live as well as do the consicts in the
Maine State prison.
DR.. O'Neil said he was pleased with the
appearance of the sick in the city hospital,
bnt could not speak from much personal
knowledge of their surroundings.
Mr.. Rounds said that it seemed to him
that the time had come for doing some
thing to improve the condition of the poor
of the city. 1t is disgrace 10 Portland.
Mr.. Snow of the common council. thought
that while much remains TO be done, much
has been accomplished for good within the
last fifteen years. 1t did not sseem to him
that the poor can be looked after, or the
sick treated to advantage under existing
circumstances.
Alderman Dam, said that it seemed to
him that there would be no such thing as
remodeling the present building. 1t must
be discarded. He spoke of the upper story
of the hospital, as being in his opinion IN
safe in the event of fire. He said that he
failed to see how anyone not acquainted
with all the windings of the aims house,
could escape in case a fire started. He
could not find his way out when he made
an official examination on another occasion.
Mr.. Dam pronounced the entire set of
buildings to be dangerous, and said he
should be only too glad to do his best to
help secure for the poor better and more
modern quarters.
Mr.. Rounds suggested that the city might
buy Little CLebeague island. The farm
there would go long way to help feed the
paupers, and the very best sanitary condi-
lions coud be secured.
Mr.. Henly and Mr.. Mcdonald, of the COM
mon council. spoke briefly in line with the
previous speakers.
DR.. NTH, acting city physician, made a
decided sensation when he declared that it
was time that there was a change in a
system that made it necessary for the
keeper to send ii poor old woman from the
house to the hospital. simply because it
seemed to be necessary to make some little
change in her food, such for example as the
addition of milk and cat meal to her diet.
1t is wrong to send persons to the hospital
for such cause, but under the present
system there is no other way.
He said that the fourth story of the
hospital is not fit place for sick person.
even with fire escapes. He did not believe
that a cent should be laid out on it, but that
if no more can be done, that building
should be built at once for the insane sick.
The building is not safe. and it is not fit for
the purpose for which it is designed. 1t
seemed to DR.. Smith, that the city govern
ment ought not to have taken $1,000 from
the poor fund in order to help another
and firmly established outside institution,
the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Mr.. Owen, of the board of overseers, and
chairman of the committee on appropria-