Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-05-14

special meeting was held Thurs
da/eyening by the Augusta board OF
health at City hall, for the purpose
of cooperating with the local branch
Of the National Civic Federation in
the work Of Clean Up week and 70
take action 10 improve whatever IN
sanitary conditions were reported At
! the meeting by the Federation. The
meeting was presided over by DR.. r
L Mckay. chairman Of the board
! of health and was well attended by a
| large delegation OF prominent Angus
| IA ladies, members of the National
| Civic Federation. and other interested
| citizens. Alton s Pope. district
| health officer of the State department
! of health was first called upon and
| after presenting TO the board list Of
/ houses that should be and could be
obliged to connect with the city sewer.
| spoke briefly concerning mis- investi-
cation of sanitary conditions in Au-
! gusta- referring especially TO the IN
sanitary condition OF the house at y
Scott street. the letting of which the
Titcoinb Real Estate association has
| charge. He described the house as IN
! fit for human habitarion and that the
board of health should order it vacat-
/ ed until it should be put in proper
sanitary condition.
Mr.. Taber Of the board OF health
here stated that action regarding this
property had already been taken by
| the board that; Wednesday morning.
comb not TO allow tenants 10 move
into the house until it had been put
in proper shape and that Mr. Titcomb
had given his word that the order
would he obeyed. but failed TO do as
/ ne agreed, as that every afternoon
Mr.. Titcomb permitted a family 10
! move in. Hereupon Mr. Titcomb re-
Piled that he had given orders to have
the house put in sanitary condition
| and supposed il was all right.
Mrs. Summers, director for the
Federation, was called on and gave
most illuminating and minute re-
port Of her investigation of all prop
by the Titcomb Real Estate Associa-
ton She told Of inspecting the prop
erty at IL Scott street that after
noon; that she found two families
there, one of which had moved in the
day previous in spite of the order
forbidding it, issued by the board of
health; that she found the house unL
sanitary. filthy and absolutely unfit
FOR human habitation. She then
reported in detail regarding the re-
mainder of the Titcomb Real Estate
property. The substance OF her re-
port was that she found many of
their houses unconnected with the
sewer and unfit for human habita
ton and should be ordered vacated.
A few she declared were beyond re-
pair and should be torn down. Some
she said were in a sanitary condition
and fairly good state But nearly all
their houses. she declared. needed
painting and repairing inside and
out
Anne Casavant said that he found
that it paid to keep his tenements
clean and in good repair for a bet
ter class of tenants were secured and
the increase in rent more than off,
set the cost of keeping the property
IN good condition. Mr.. Casavant
urged Mr.. Titcomb to adopt a like
policy, that he would get more in
come from the property by so doing.
that his" tenants would take more
interest in keeping their rents clean.
and that the property of the Titcomb
Real Estate Association would be a
much greater credit to the city.
The question Of the city extension
of sewers was discussed to much
length. Mr.. Taber Of the board Of
health stated that there was unques-
tionably a pressing need Of immedi-
ate extension Of the sewerage sys-
Il m. that a sewer was greatly needed
in Royal Park. on lower State street
and many other localities. That dur
ing the past three or four years the
board had asked the city government
to provide for such extension and
that action had been promised. But
owing to war conditions and scarcity
Of labor it had been impossible to
secure anyone to undertake this
work and as yet no one could be
found to do il.
The need of A city sanitary inspec-
tor was discussed and it was an I'M
animous opinion that man trained
in such work. to be hired by the year,
who would devote his entire time to
investigation of sanitary conditions.