The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-15

| in support of my position, present Pc
| tition headed by the Hon. W. W. Thomas,
| the largest single tax payer in Portland.
| in confirmation of what l say.
A diligent search instheslight of day finds
| no confirmation of the statement made in
] this building one week ago, other than that
! one discovers an unknown factor skilfully
marshalling certain contractors, jobbers
| and dealers in municipal supplies from va
rious wards, the men who have been de-
| pr1ved during the past year OF practising
| those principles that have depleted the
| treasury without giving proper results. and
who now seek a return to those good old
| times. One contractor seeks those good
| old times which would enable hiLI to carry
away large amount of surplus plank in
| cidental to the repairs of CLARK street
| bridge, and another seeks reimbursement
| inc idental to his construction of the Com
mercial street sewer by presenting to the
city government a bill for $500. which the
| commission refused TO consider, and which
| he had hopes of from the fact few short
months ago certain claim was approved
| which, if finally passed. would have con-
PEELED Portland to maintain furnace ire
| in every freezing cellar or the abandonment
of all plumbing inspection. which was the
motive of the promoters of that bill.
Perhaps l can tell you better than most
men why we don't want resumption of
old methods from the fact that the sewer
and street departments are in the line of
my pr ofesson and experience. For the last
fifteen years have made asspecial study
| the details in the methods of conducting
| these departments, and 1t is because have
become aware of the fragrant misuse of the
appropriation that ! am so earnest in the
| matter.
The comment in past years has been
"where are our results for S90,OO0?'' The
public could not tell and the commissioners
themselves have not known as evidenced by
| their reports in the years of 'S9, go and '91,
pages 1872, 1O2 Ind g, where, after giving the
details of expenditure on every street al
alphabetically arranged from A to q. the bal
ance struck under the heading of various
streets, S21. APT S25.217 and $19, 1885," being
respectively 81, 20 and 20 per cent of the
money expended in those years. How many
of you merchants would be for an instant
content with. an agents balancing his ac-
count practically with 'sundries, S25,000.'
| We don't want return of those good old
times when money was expended in this
fashion, or where the most political advan-
tage was to be obtained regardless of sys-
tenn and regardless of the Importance that
demands most expenditure where the traffic
is the heaviest.
Now.wLat has been done under the inteii-
gent management of this commission dur
ing the past year. claim that it is abund-
antly in evidence that they have.saved at
least $4,000 TO the city of Portland over
the year before.as indicated by the increase
of permanent improvement in highway. H.
U0U quare yards, with practically the same
appropriation to command. This act, as
truly stated by the commission cannot be
turned lightly aside with such assertions
cause 1t is not true.
Although it may not appear to most of
you where the money wasssaved with which
to do this extra work, and not neglect 9th
er places, tome it plain, saw it gathered
from the source that had alwa ays foreseen
would provide it if the mine was worked,-
namely. systematic and intelligent treat
ment of the whole subject upon business
rules and independent of political bosses.It
came largely from a full days labor per-
formed at a fair price; from the absence
from the pay roll of drones. hoisted upon the
/
came from the economies Il res ulting from
buying +, in the open market at prices that
you and pay, instead Of at a price that
kept some man solid or his party. or repaid
him for some ward work; it came by buying
grain by the car load instead Of by the bag;
it came by claiming the city's dues under
contracts; it came by ther exercising of
skilled intelligence in systematizing the
aloo IF cfr hot
what cost Sl7.977 previously, cost S1O.46s the
last year. And is here any man in this
city who has crossed and observed our
streets who Will not state. to you if he wants
the facts known. that they have beeen i'm
measurably better than in any former years.
1t was the aggregate of such economies
that came from intelligent planning and
supervision. that saved this sum, out of
which the city has paved Cross street from
Commercial TO Middle,-a much needed and
appreciated work-that paved Market street
and still others before the sum saved WAS
exhausted. The horsepower sweeping of
cross walks displaced many men that for
merly did that work, but they were further
employed doing permanent work with the
money thus sayed.
Mr.. Jordan then went on to show how a
make the superintendent of streets subordi-
nate to the commission. He also spoke
briefly of Mayor Matthews position. which
seems to sustain rather than condemn the
Portland plan, when carefully examined.
At the conclusion of his address, Mr.. Jor-
dan was loudly applauded.
CAPTAIN H. H. SHAW
said that he came in the simple capacity
OF a citizen. He WAS neither a road builder
nor an engineer. But he knew tho method
by which the streets had been managed in
the past. He described vivid]y the political
changes which put into the Office of street
commissioner men trained shoemakers
or carpenters, but did not even keep in
this material long enoughsforsit to become
acquainted with the WORK. Now you are
business men and you will allowsthat no
business man could keep his business afioat
by such methods. He would be stranded
right off. Now, friends, we have a commits
sion, which for one. have long desired. But
some say, 'sWhy go to the legislature?'' For
this reason In order to test this plan prop
erly. it must be continuous. for city gov
ernment may come in next year that will
not be friendly to the system. Legislative
aIa oiva he