The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-05

Maine-Passed Lower Board But Held
Up By Aldermen-salary BiIl Tabled
July 4th Appropriation-Other Mat
ters.
The April meeting of the city council
is usually long one and that held last
evening was no exception to the rule.
The salary bill was presented but was
not acted upon being tabled for week.
The naval reserve has received the en-
dorsement of the city fathers. A move
ment was started in the common council
looking to the erection of a monument to
the dead seamen OF the Maine but it was
not acted upon by the aldermen. Alder
man Rounds wants the ordinances re-
vised and Is anxious for the placing of an
ambulance at the police station. He
spoke on all these subjects which were
among the prominent ones in the long
list considered.
THE ALDERMEN.
All the members were present. the
mayor presiding.
THE NAVAL MILITIA.
Alderman Smith brought up the matter
of naval reserve by introducing a reso-
luton that the Governor be asked to
license the organization of enough men to
form two divisions of naval militia in
Portland with the right to bear arms and
parade.
Alderman Rounds said he thought we
ought to have one division before we
started in to get two. He moved that the
matter be tabled for week. 1t w.s SO
voted.
Alderman Smith said that there was
more coming and presented an order au-
thorizing the mayor to accept the custody
of the arms and equipment for two
divisions of naval reserve if furnished by
the national governments.
The mayor stat,- that Lieut.. Com
mander Rush, U. S. n, Adjutant General
Richards and Col Kendall had been in
conference on this matter during the day.
They would meet again today. The
mayor suggested that it would be good
thing to wait and seq just what was
wanted.
Alderman Rounds said, GIVE seen a
good deal in the papers about this ad-
jutant general-Richards, is that his
name-being opposed to the naval militia.
T would like to know if that's so?''
The mayor responded that he under
stood that the adjutant general was
heartily in favor of-a naval reserve if it
could be procured in a proper way.
Then the motion of receiving the arms
and equipments was tabled for a week
ard the matter was closed until that
time.
Later on motion of Mr.. Smith the
resolution asking the Governor to license
the reserve was taken from the table.
Alderman Rounds was promptly on his
feet. This time he was afraid that two
divisions might quarrel between them
selves and that the armory might have to
be enlarged.
1t was explained that two divisions
would number about 100 men and that
the national government would require
action by the state authorities before is
suing the equipments. The resolution
was thenspassed.
THE QUESTION OF AN AMBULANCE
The recommendations of the city mar
shall were read and that brought up the
great question of whether the people with
broken bones and the people with con-
taQious diseases are in the greater need of
an ambulance and whether they can be
safely carried in the same ambulance.
Mr. Rounds suggested that an ambulance
recently purchased and now kept at the
almshouse be tran sferred to the police de-
partment. Mr.. Rounds thought the am
bulance was under control of the over
seers of the poor but it was explained that
it was purchased for the use of the board
of health in cases of contagious diseases.
City Clerk Dyer, secretary of the health
board said that the ambulance had been
used on an average of two or three time
week. Last fall it was used nearly every
day Mr. Dyer expressi vely shrugged his
shoulders when asked if the ambulance
could not be fumigated.
Alderman Merrill favored placing an
ambulance at police headquarters where
it could be available in case of emergency
but Mr.. Merrill was not particular what
ambulance it was
Alderman Rounds in the course OF
some further remarks wanted to know
if that pest house built at the request OF
the board of health six or seven years ago
had ever baen used. Why, he exclaimed,
we thought the small pox was just out
side Bangs island and was coming right
up to the city and we amt had a case
since. Mr. Rounds then presented an
order for the purchase of an ambulance
aud it was referred to special committee.
ragn THE SALARY BILL.
AAA
Alderman Smith presented the salary
bill. 1t makes no changes in the present
salaries. The petition of the police patrol
men for an increase of pay from $225 to
50. so a day was also presented by Mr..
Smith, Alderman Rounds moved that
the salary bill be tabled until next Mon
day and it was SO voted. The bill is as
follows: