The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-04

partment The public school is the great
disseminator OF those contagious diseases
peculiar to children, Notwithstanding the
precautions taken by the superintendent and
teachers. The sanitary conditions should not
only be made perfect I'm the schools tn em
selves, but also I'm their neighborhood.
The school committee are better qualified
to know the needs and requirements of the
schools than any committee of the City
Council be their ability more or less. The
school committee should have entire and
complete control OF the care and mainten-
ance of the schoolsS Repairs would be made
with more dispatch ant there would be no
political or other necessity OF giving the
work To any particular man or set OF men.
AS the City Council Is well known To give
more thought to economy than To politics
they can well afford To forego one of their
perogatives.
l would call your attention also to the
amount OF truancy and irregular attendance
OF many school children. The Truant Ofcer
should be active, diligent and constant In
the performance OF his duties. The small
salary paid could be added to by appointing
him one of the school census takers. By so
doing a man could be found who could well
afford to give the time and work necessary
for the successful working OF the truant law.
1 again advocate that portion OF the
premises or yard surrounding the different
school houses be set off as a playground.
Vacant lots are now scarce i'm the city and
the streets certainly are no place for the
children I'm which to play. In the city of
Providence some of the school yards are
used during the long summer vacations for
play grounds, custom which we should
follow here.
Police Department.
The discipline and efficiency of the police
department has been much improved during
the past year although there is yet room for
Improvement Another patrolmen should
be added To the force. The beats of the men
are too long and cannot be covered many
times during the hours of duty. In case of
sickness or attendance at the courts or the
taking of prisoners to the state institutions
at Cranston or suspensions, or when for any
other reason one of the men Is away from
his post the force Is very often short of one
or two men, and this of necessity leaves
some part of the city entirely unprotected
both day and night The taxpayers should
be given that which they pay for.
There should also be appointed a small
number of police constables to act as a re-
serve to be called upon when needed, so that
the force may be kept up To Its full capacity
every day in the year.
BY the adoption of a city charter and the
appointment of apolice matron the needs
and work of the department have greatly in
creased the past two years.
The accommodations for the police and
prisoners at the present police station are
well known. The building has outlived its
usefulness as police station. There are no
accommodations for the police, while the
cell room for the prisoners is reproach to
the city. 1t is now proposed by the City
Council, through its proper committee, to
make some changes and alterations i'm this
building by which the police matron will
have room with cells for women prisoners
and offices for the chief of police and a room
for fha afrol cb al "a N aea
sary, no doubt, but the basement containing
cells for the prisoners Is to remain unal
tered. These cells are made of brick walls
with no openings for ventilation except the
door, poorly heated and infested with YER
min, with sanitary arrangements of the
poorest kind, and without sewer connec-
tions, and in such places we confine men,
women and children for varying periods of
time and often times for trivial offences.
Fire apartment.
The buildings and apparatus of the fire de-
partment continue to be in good condition.
The efficiency of the department has never
been so well demonstrated as during the
past year, when with the largest number of
calls, the loss has been confined to an ex-
tremely small amount.
] The number of men in the force Is amply
sufficient and the discipline maintained is
excellent The department should be sup
piled with 800 feet of new hose. The reel
hose cart should be placed i'm reserve and a
new hose wagon for two horses supplied in
its place.
Highways and Sewers.
The highways of the city are in good con-
dition and should not need any unusual out
lay the coming year. AS far as possible the
work done should be of a permanent nature
There is no economy in top-dressing street
with light soil or gravel to be washed away
by the first rain. AS / have said before
streets should be brought to grade and
Strengthened before being accepted by the
city. The department should render n
monthly statement of work done and the
cost of same and the estimated cost of pro-
posed work
| call your attention to the fact that sum
mer street has not proper outlet on Illi-
nois street from the west, and recommend
that the Balcom estate be purchased, the
street Strengthened and made continuous to
Washington street.
Lonsdale avenue from the cemetery to
Pond Tavern, so called should be macadam-
lied. This Is one of the worst pieces of road
I'm the city during the winter, due as have
mentioned elsewhere to the amount of space
taken by the street cars.
The construction of sewers by the city
under the direction of the board of public
works the past year has proved very sue
cesssful. The expense has been kept well
within the appropriations. There has, how
ever, been a great deal of dissatisfaction
expressed by laboring men at the method of
employing help. While residents and citi-
zens of the city only were employed they
claim that the matter of selection was i'm
proper and UNJUST that a man to obtain
work must have political friend or infiu-
ence, while others who had been promised
work could not obtain 1t when sought. This
is matter for investigation by the board OF
public works.
would suggest that.the board of public
works keep a book i'm which men desiring
employment could register their names and
addresses and that they be given work by
direction of the board itself instead of leav-
ing the employment of labor to the superin-
tendent
1t will be necessary to build sewers each
year until our sewer system Is more or less
complete which will I'm time necessitate an
other expenditure for. the erection of
pumping a station or some other arrange
ment by which the sewage which now
empties into the Blackstone river can be
otherwise disposed of. The question OF the
,nIut;o,, of tho Rlo kat ri Ia one w btch