The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-10

houses. The extensive repairs to the
plum bling in the Butler and Chestnut
street school buildings, the floors in the
center ST., and fra escapes on that and
tne Monument ST., buildings, have al
ready been mentioned. A considerable
outlay has lso been made upon the old
eng inc house at the corner Of Spring
date the Veteran Firemen's Association,
which was removed during the autumn
from the City Building and installed
there, The Armory, the erection of
Which was begun III July, is nearly COM
pieted, and you will be asked for an APP
Precipitation to erect the proposed audi
torium adjoining. If this can be COM
plete1 in season to receive the exhibits
OF tbs New England Fair in August, 1t
will serve most useful purpose, and
perhaps determine the Association TO
hold it's fairs here in succeeding years.
Steps have been taken to dispose OF the
Quarantine Station to the United States
government, and letters have been writ
tan by me, in accordance with o recent
order, to our representatives in congress,
invoking their aid in the matter. Ii the
sale is onnsummated theHcity Will not only
recover the cost of the buildings, but also
free itself from the cost OF their main
Gena0CG, at inc S61lf3 GllI0, ule WUfk wall
doubtless be as well done by the United
States Officials as by our own.
would again recommend the enlarge.
ment of the duties of the Superintendent
OF School Buildings, So that he may have
the supervision of the repairs made upon
all public buildings, and also have some
oversight of thelr janitors, who / believe
should be selected for fitness rather than
for political service, and only after pas
sing an examination TO determine wheth-
or they are competent to take charge of
buildings heated by steam and filled with
children, as well as of good moral char
actef.
/ again repeat what I have formerly
said, that the
UNIMPROVED AND UNUSED PROP
ERTY
belonging to the city should be sold and
thereby converted into taxable property
as quickly as possible. A number Of lots
upon the new streets opened on the Poor
Farm have been sold the past year, and
special efforts should be made to dispose
of the remainder of the lots upon these
streets. The opening of these streets
has proved so successful that | would rec
ommend the opening of other streets in
You will see by the
REPORT OF THE HARBOR MAS
TER,
that he has performed much useful SER
vice, in moving vessels, breaking ice in
the docks, keeping the channel clear Of
distractions to navigation, and visiting
vessels. Duringaathe summer great dea
OF refuse timber is thrown into the docks
and allowed to drift about the harbor.
endangering the safety of the many small
steamers plying to the islands and along
the cOASt. This is much complained of,
and the present ordinance should be SO
amended as to make it incum bent upon
the owners of docks to keep them at all
times clear OF drift, and responsible If
they permit such material to float into
the harbor- Steps should De taken to
improve tie sanitary condition of our
docks, by removing the sewerage which
has collected in them, and by enforcing
the law against throwing refuse matter
into them, thereby rendering them often
slve and dangerous to health. In these
foul docks receptacles containing thou
sands of live Holsters are kept, which are
polluted by their foul surroundings and
rendered unfit for human food. The
Coef1A " AAOtheH, 0hOVCSb6sAu arc 10
call your attention to this in their report
You will also observe that the
REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF
MILK AND VINEGAR
shows that this fi Ger has been diligens
in the performances Of his duties; indeed
his report shows most commendable eff
ciency. 1t is more important than most
persons perhaps realize that the COM
modities placed under his supervision
should be pure, hence the zeal with
which he has performed his services to
the COMM unity should be recognized.
You will find the
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER
OF PUBLIC WORKS
of most interesting nature, owing to
the extent CT new work performed in his
department, much Of which is of per-
manent nature. The Commercial st.
sewer which has been so long in process
OF construction, has been at last complet-
cd as far rs the Hampshire St. sewer, its
eastern terminus as originally designed.
You will note that the Commissioner
recommends the building during the
coming season of a new sewer to connect
with the Hampshire street Sc wer.