The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-11
MUNICIPAL REPORTS.
Annual Report of the Overseers of ths
Poor.


| The annual report of the oversaers of
the poor has been filed with the city
clerk. The report states that never be-
fore in the oity's history has the demand
been SO great for help as during the
past year, owing to constant increase
of the number of those whose age pre-
vcnts their doingsssslittle or anythingi4 for
their support, the cost of insane cases.
contagious disease cases that have been
attended to in the isolation ward, and
aid for the outside poor. The
humber in the hospital and almshouse
has been somewhat .aboye the average,
but not such as to warrant the largely
| increased expenditures. The best efforts
have been made to do what was right
and keep within the appropriations.
These were the monthly expenditures:
March, 81, 4sI. O4; April, S., lG5. Al; May,
S., 1872 IA; June, So, 106.10; July, ss,121.4l;
August, 50, 394.S5; September, 1885. 70;
October, s., 623 So; November, S2,755. 49,;
December, $4.ls5.6a; January, $4.s56. 4s;
February, $927.77. The total expendi-
ture for the municipal year have been
$3.50, $40. 80, exceeding the amount of pre-
vious years by So, 599.67.
| Number of families of outdoor poor,
$40; increase in families, SO; number of
persons represented in above families.
| 1,779; increase in persons. 245; widows,
| 1877; wives deserted by husbands, 30;
| husbands in prison, Is; men with sick
ness in families. 142; old or disabled men,
3g; men with too large families to sup
port, 3; men out of work, SO; men guilty
of intoxication and idlenesss, 29.
| Those who have received fuel only, 81;
provisions only, 4; medical attendance
and medicine, only 147; fuel and provis-
ions only 1876; fuel and medicines only
| IS; fuel provisions and medicine, l41 !;
provisions and medicines only Q; clothing
only at expense of town, /. Whole num-
Der who have received fuel, 356; provis-
| ions, 2S2; medicines, 3O3. Settlement of
outside poor in the city, 3l3; in other
towns in the state. 81; no settlement in
the state, $780,. The nationality shows;
| American, 1861 Irish, 261; English, E45;
German, II; Russian, IL; Scotch. II; col
ored, II; Swedes, 2; Portuguese, 8; Poles,
6; Danes, 4; French g; Italian, 8; Syrian,
IL; Norwegian, 1; native, 115; foreign,
395. The average amount of supplies to
each family was $lS.26. During the year
ending February rs, 1897 there were ., 142
orders given out to II ,3a5 persons as
against 1880 orders to 1928 persons the
past year. The cost Of the outside. poor
was s9,31l.95 or 50, 58s.22 over the year
previous.
| In the almshouse March I, 1897 there
were 1873 persons, and March 1, 1898, 1854.
The daily average was 1856. or four more
than the year previous. The cost Of the
almshouse was S12, 973. rs, or 81. S3 Ia per
week for each inmate. The Greedy hos
pital has been well cared for, but it's
privileges have been abused by people
coming from other towns in the state
and even adjoining provinces. The
cost of the almshouse maintenance was
s., 213.0s, an average of 1895 per week for
each patent. The isolation ward has been
grievous expense. or $3.50. so. There have
been 30 patients taken there, 10 with
diphtheria. There were 81 insane per-
SONS in the hospital March /, 1897, the OK
pense OF six being paid by friends.
| Twelve have since been committed.
There have been 1858 persons reoeiv
| ing all kinds of aid from this department..
Homes have been provided for II chill
dren.
| The finan cial statement.
RECEIPTS
Appropriation for financial
| year, $5U, uuO.uU
Addition insane persons quar-
ter ending Nov. 80, 21S.54
ations, 3,s43. 90
S34. 061. IA
CHARITIES. 10000
| $50, SOLE
EXPENDITURES FOR II MONTHS.
Subsistence, $40, 3s4.15
Repairs on house and buildings, 699. 90
Repairs on hospital, 1o0.O0
| r pairs on steam and water
works. $780, "A
| poooirc ~, c1othino and haddiDp 524 50