The Portland daily press., 1898-01-01
THE REPORT OF THE ANNEXATION
COMMISSION.

AkAA4 RAlI OIS oE LII Il AN ia n LION
COMMISSION.
The report of the commission appoint
ed to determine the terms and conditions
of the proposed union of the cities of
Portland and Deering is made public this
morning. The commission was provided
for by an a assed by the legislature of
1885, in case a certain number of citizens
of Deering and Portland petitioned for
its appointment. Three of its members
Prof. II. L. Chapman, Hon.W II. Newell
and Hon. A. NJ. Spear, were appointed
by Chief Justice Peters, and the other
two were selected by the two cities, Hon.
George NJ. Soldiers being the Portland COM
missioner. and Hon. Myron e. Moore,
representing Deering. 1t was no part of
the commissions business to consider
the wisdom or propriety of an
nexation; its province was simply
to determine upon what terms
and conditions union would be equita-
bic and just to both. The commission
met on December 18th, and organized
with Prof. Henry l.. Chapman as per-
AA-oLN'iU Otietll l1ldiiy fsilA LAO1Is 06OEBS M
Soldiers as permanent secretary. The
commission held sessions on eight differ
ent days and heard testimony from the
officers of Portland and Deering and such
citizens OF both cities as chose to present
themselves in response to a public in
vitation, upon the following subjects
Location of ward lines; equalization of
debt; fire department.; sewerage; contracts
for city water supply; contracts for cleo
trio lights, police; streets and bridges;
paupers and public property. The task
before the commission was very much
simplified by the fact that it appeared on
Investigation that the debt of Deering and
the debt of Portland were in proportion
to their valuation practically the same,
differing only fraction Of one per cent.
and thus one of the most difficult
problems, that of equalizing the debt,
was entire eliminated. Ward lines ooou-
pied much of the commission s attention,
and various recommendations were made
by the gentlemen who appeared before it
The decision of the commission to allow
the Portland wards to remain as at pres
ent and to divide Deering into two wards
to be known as Ward 8 and Ward 9, ap-
peared to be the most feasible and equita-
BILE arrangement under all the circum-
stances. SSNeither- of these wards contains
as many votes rs any ward in Portland,
so that at first behring's representation
in the city council Will be proportionate-
ly larger than Portland's, but it is antici-
pated that behring's more rapid growth
will soon remove this disproportion. The
commissions report contains no provis-
ions in regard to fire department., police,
streets and bridges, water supply, electric
light or paupers, though all these mat
tiers were considered, and all of them
are to be arranged by the city govern
ment of the united cities. With regard
to schools it is provided that one of the
terms of annexation shall be
that the present school facilities
of Deering shall not be abridged
and that the present Deering
High school shall be maintained as an
independent or branch school on an
equality as to privileges and standards
with the High school of Portland. On
annexation the Deering municipal court
is to be discontinued and its jurisdiction
added to that of the Portland municipal
court. The charter of Portland and its
ordinances are to apply to the enlarged
city, except wherein they are inconsis-
tent with some of the terms of annexa-
ton, and in these particulars they are to
be amended.
The plan arranged by the commission
is exceedingly simple, and it seems to be
as fair to both cities as any that can be
devised. 1t may have generally been ex-
pected that it would deal more with de-
tails, and that arrangements would be
made in regard to many minor matters
such as police, fire proteo ion, streets,
etc., but on second thought most people
will agree with the commission that these
matters must necessarily be left to the
government of the enlarged city to Ste
tie.