The Portland daily press., 1895-11-26
SUSTAINED FIRST REPORT.
City Council Adopts Health Board $
First Advice.
CHANGES TO BE MADE In BUTLER
AND CHESTNUT STREET SCHOOLS.

Urged by the Board of Health-The
Air Ducts i'll the Butler Will Be
Changed-Many Citizens Are Heard
Experts, Doctors and Parents Talk.
The special meeting Of the city govern
ment, held at p. IN. yesterday was
devoted to school house matters Mayor
Baxter and ali the aldermen were present
except Mr.. Smith Of Seven.
D Mayor Baxter at once placed the bust
ness before the board. 1t was voted that
Thomas L. Talbot, ESQ.,, of the school
committee be heard in relation to the
school house matters
Mr. Talbot sad that the school COM
mittee at its meeting at noon had adopted
a report, which he proceeded to give.
(This report in full will be found in
the report of the school committee meet
ing, published in another column.
Then Mr.. Talbot cited the first report
of the Board Of Health, in which they
had recommended that all the drains Of
the Butler school be taken up the foul
earth removed, and the cement pipe be
replaced by iron; that the register boxes
be cleaned, etc; that there be certain
general plumbing changes; and closed by
saying that they believed thewater closets
system to be safe as far as the health of
the pupils was concerned.
Mr.. Talbot further said that he had
seen members of the Board of Health and
DIR. Merrill and DR.. Cummings had said
that the reports Of their attitude made by
the Daily PRESS were correct. Therefore
Merrill of the Board Of Health had said
as reported in the PRESS of Wednesday,
November 81. The substance of what
Mr.. Talbot read went to show that the
Board of Health thought their first report
abundantly sufficient
Mr.. Randall then made the report from
the committee on public buildings, which
they had made as result of their meet
ing on Saturday. The committee had
decided to report in favor of carrying out
the supplementary recommendations oil
the Board of Health, these recommends
tions favoring the substitution of iron
pipe for cement, replacing the water
closets with others of type like those il
the High school, replacing the trough
system with urinals, and finally making
changes in the radiators.
just as this report was made, CLERK
Mitchell, of the Council, appeared and
announced that the Council wished tt
hear what was going on, and asked thai
{. joint convention be held.
The aldermen at once acceded, an6
when the joint convention had met, Mr.
Talbot again went over the ground which
he had gone over before the aldermen.
Mr. Talbot then said that the commit
tee on public buildings had said thai
they wished to be governed by the judg
ment of the Board of Health. Now tn,
Board ofHealth had said in their origina
report and bad reiterated it since. that tht
trough system was not dangerous. i
might not be aesthetic, or ornamental
but it was safe. 1t was true that they
had subsequently said that in Difference
to public sentiment they would recon-
mand urinals and water closets. But they
did SO merely as private Individuals; an(
it must be conceded that this opinion ha(
no force so far as safety, rather thai
ornamentation was concerned.
MI. Talbot read from the report of th'
State Board of Health for 1891 to shov
that the trough system was there recon-
mended as the best for school houses.
Mr.. Talbot then emphasized the desir
of the school committee that the school
should be opened as soon as possible, a
they believed the delay detrimental.
Alderman buddy then said he should
like to hear from Mayor Baxter.
MAYOR BAXTER
being called On said that he believed tina
our school houses should be put in th
best possible sanitary condition. Thi
should be done for all our school houses
without distinction All that is necessary
to be done now, should be done at once
then during the summer we should make
the permanent changes needed. Tht
Board of Health had made recommends.
tions that certain things be done in re-
gard to the Butler school and Chestnut
street school. These recommendation
should be carried out.
Councilman IllSley DfOugnG UP Gnt
difference between the written and verba
reports of the Board of Health and asked
which should be followed.
Alderman Dam called attention to the
Monument street school, which he con
sidered one Of the worst, from sanitary
ipoint of the school houses of the city.
Hon. Charles +. Libby, referring tt
Mr.. Talbot's report and argument, sale
there were those present who did no
agree with Mr.. Talbot, and would like tt
be heard.
1t was voted that Mr.. Libby and other
be heard.
Mr.. Libby then sl oke. Referring t.
the fact that Mr.. Talbot had referre,
only to the first report of the Board 0
Health on theButler schookhe said in tina
report the Board had overlooked tn
worst fault in the Butler school, viz, th
fact that a hot air shaft ran directl
through the enclosure of water closet
md