Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-16
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 10 Is.

marked. Kennebec bridge is the best
lighted long bridge in Maine. This
change in the system cost the city MOTH
ing. The cost Of lighting is just slo
year more than under the old system.
AS a result Of nearly years effort, all
the wooden poles have been removed
from Rines hill, leaving that handsome
thoroughfare clear Of this unsightly fea-
ture. The old leaning wooden poles on
Winthrop hill and in Library square nave
also been taken away. A contract was
made with the Postal-Telegraph Capie
Co. for a hitch of a single cable TO the
iron lighting poles in consideration OF
the payment of so per pole. Thus Tar
the company has paid the city $40. A like
agreement has been made with the L.
A. & w. ST. Ry. for its use OF THESE IRON
poles on the basis of $50 per pole. AT the
present time the company is using 10 OF
these poles and has already paid the city
$3.50 The next step should be to conc.uoe
a contract with the l.. A. & w. st. ny
for it's use of the poles on Water street
at the same price per pole
Poor Department.
The Poor department is in splendid
condition. In the early summer the
overseer combined his office with that oi
the superintendent of the farm he mas
lived there and taken full charge OF all
the operations at the farm, and has con-
Quoted there the business of the depart
ment. This change saves the salary OF
a Superintendent. Although the year mas
been in many respects a hard one, and
the demands large this department Will
finish the year we'll within the appro9rla-
ton. To the appropriation or $50 the
department has earned credits 10 the
amount of about 5000. The farm is III
splendid condition and is we'll stocked
Last spring the department bought
heavy pair of draft horses at the very
low cost of $3.50. This team has worked
on the streets both summer and winter
besides doing much farm work. In ad-
dition to the horses the department
bought machinery and tools, furnishings
for the house, and made repairs on the
buildings, all amounting to sHsl,
Parks.
Augusta is short on parks ana PLAY
grounds. Care of Monument path
and the Edwards park. both Wen
patronized and appreciated by the
public, and in the park deVeiopmeA!
at the top of Rines hill the city spent
a total of s129.62 The cost of the I'M
movements on Rines hill are small
vet these two spots reclaimed from
the travelled way, will grow in value
az they increase in beauty lhes"
little parks, protected from traffic by
solid concrete curbing, are more than
for show. Park settees should De
placed there in the summer. Marcy
shrubbery be set out. the grass kept
we'll cut. and these small reservations
be made useful as we'll as ornamental.
While the city IS mending sewers anu
building streets it should also give
heed to those things which please the
eye. add to the comfort of the peopi"
and give a touch OF charm to the city.
Adjustment of Salaries.
In the beginning of the year a spe-
cial joint committee on salaries ana
fees was appointed. The committee
consisted of Aldermen Bassett and
Motherwell: Counciimen Martin.
Brown and Young. The committee
gave much time and attention to the
salaries of other Maine cities. Wh@h
ready to report. the committee unani-
mously reported a small increase in
the salaries of the city marshal, dep
uty marshal the regular police Of
| ficers the street commissioners and
the drivers Of the city teams. The
report was accepted without dis
! senting vote. and a belated act of JUS
| tee was done hard working city Of
| ticials.
Attachments Edwards Manufacturing
! Company.
! Many citizens. among whom are the
citys largest tax payers, early in the
! year petitioned for a partial abate-
ment OF the tax OF the Edwards
! Manufacturing Company. The tax
, OF this company as assessed is about
500 q day. The petitions were gem
orally signed and were presented 20
, the assessors, asking for an abatement
| for one year amounting TO $4,000
| Every member of the city council
, joined in the petition. The assessors
! did abate $4,000 of the tax. the com
pany paying about $4,000 instead oi
business Of the city determined 10
| keep the tax rate unchanged and con-
! tinue the doing of permanent works
! regardless of this loss of 100000 The
| financial showing will prove how we'll
! We have llusbanded our resources and
| done the work Of the city without in
| creas,ng the tax burden Of the peo-
| pie.
| Fire Department.
No large special expense attaches to
this department for the year The
! equipment. however. has been we'll
maintained. one pair of heavy
matched horses were bought in the
early part of the year to replace the
| pair returned because the horses We're
not satisfactory. This handsome pair
of young horses cost the department
$500. The signal system has re-
ceived a good deal of attention, Yet
without great cost. The big COM
| pressed air tanks in the basement of
the City hall have been inspected by a
| boiler expert, and the tanks insured
| for period Of three years to provide
| for careful inspection three or four
times year.
| In the month of November Charles
G. Hunt succeeded John A. Buckley as
| fire chief. An ordinance was passe