The Portland daily press., 1895-03-12


this important department, and your at
tention is called to the reccr,' ticns
made by him. In acGornna ma Il
petition from citizens dwelnA- e.. the
vicinity that an alarm bell be placed on
Portland street i'll the vicinity of Mellen
street, the subjecr was considered at a
recent meeting of the committee on cleo
trical appliances, AID it was decided to
recommend the erection Of an alarm on
the northerly side of Portland street
within the park. A plan had been made
for an ornamental and inexpensive struc-
ture, which will serve for support for
an alarm bell. and, at the same time, be
useful and ornamental to the Park.
Faithful and diligent attention has been
paid to this department by the COM
mittee having it in charge.
REPORT OF THE CITY MARSHAL.
The report of the City Marshal shows
large increase in the number of arrests
over preceding yeaTs.-more than double
the number of 1899 for drunkenness, and
indeed like proportion for all offenses
com b1ned / do not believe that this
shows proportionate increase in crime,
but greater vigilance in the depart
ment, which I believe to be we'll organ
lied and in an efficient condition.
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
The report Of the City Engineer is in
all respects satisfactory, and calls for
your careful consideration. You will see
by 1T that large amount of work has
been done in this department. The Com
mercial street sewer has been so far ex
tended during the past season that it can
be easily completed before the coming
| autumn. In accordance with a petition
from the citizens residing in the vicinity
of Back Bay asking for an improve
ment in the sanitary condition of that
locality, the Sewer Committee. in con-
junction with the Board of Health, gave
the subject careful attention, and Mr..
Rudolph Herring of New York, widely
known as an expert in sanitary engineer
ing was engaged in connection with the
ity Engineer and MIR. E. G. Jordan to
formulate plan of improvement. Mr..
Herring and his associates have taken a
deep interest in the subject. and their
report will soon be ready to present to
the City Council, when the subject l
doubt not, will receive careful cons:dera-
tion. The catch basins, to which special
attention was called last year, have been
managed in q more efficient manner
than heretofore, as will be seen by the
account, which shows that nearly twice
the number of cubic yards of material
were removed as in the preceding year.
In connection with the report OF the
Engineer it is proper to speak of the
work of the commission. of which he
WAS the official head. This commission,
esta olished by ordinance, entered upon it's
duties at the beginning of the last NUM-
cipal year, and has been in operation
until now. During its term of office 1t
10 10 q or off inr,-
cy of management, and taithfulness to
public interests, which cannot be obliter-
ated. 1t is plainly to be seen, by any
one who examines lntelligently the re-
suits which it has achieved, that it ac-
| cGmplished a much larger amount Of
work, with a considerably smaller appro-
priation of money than was accomplished
during either of the two preceding years
under the old system. If the new COM
mission accomplishes as good results
| as its predecessor it will establish its
right to live.
REPORT OF THE CITY SOLICITOR.
he report of the City Solicitor exhibits
in detail the work which he has accom-
plished. Several important cases which
have been pressed against the city for
several years have been finally adjusted
In the courts, and a number otherwise
disposed of. The Boyd claim for dam
ages to considerable amount for gravel
taken from certain lots on the southerly
slope of Munjoy, in alleged breach of
contract between the city and the claim
ants, which has been before several city
governments, was settled by the pur-
chase Of the land in question. [ recon-
mend that this land, which adjoins Fort
Sumner Park, he placed in charge of the
Park Commissioners.
REPORT OF THE CITY LIQUOR
AGENCY.
The report of the city liquor agency
shows a remarkable decrease in the
quantity of intoxicants sold during the
year; the sales for the ten months pre-
ceding March ist are less than $40. OOO,
and for the municipal year will not
probably exceed one-quarter the amount
sold during the year 1892. Opinions upon
this subject differ 30 greatly, that it is
useless to comment upon it. This, how
ever, appears certain to me, that it is
the duty of the committee having charge
of the municipal liquor establishment
to strictly follow the law, and to confne
it's sales, SO far as human Judgment per-
mits. to persons whom the committee
believes require liquors for medicinal
II mechanical purposes. This it has
been the laudable aim of the committee
to accomplish, and it may well point
with pride to the fact that under it's
management the sale of liquors in a sin
lie year mas been reduced nearly $40. 900.
This should meet the approval of all
good citizens.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
During the year a great deal of neces-
sary work has been done on our public
buildings. The front and roof of the
CITY Ruildino had reached a conditinn