Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-04-07
MAYOR LIBBY
OUTLINES WORK
FOR WATERVILLE

Mayor LiDDN DIT lIkG regular ulcNN~
ing of the Waterville city government
last eveAing outlined at some length
the program of work which is to be
carried on throughout the, city dur
ing the summer months and it was
plain to see that the various depart
ments were to be kept busy. He men,
toned particularly the needs of the
street departmnt and the ACCESSIBILITY
OF laying a concrete paving along a
part of Water street, the collection of
refuse and the demand for economy
is running the city's affairs.
The city charter prescribes that
the Mayor shall. from time to time.
communicate to the city council such
information and recommend such
measures as the business interests of
the city. In his opinion. require
While | am acting upon this require
ment, l am also asking the privilege
of thus addressing this joint session
that those of you who are serving on
less active committees during the
month may be as well Informed about
matters pertaining to the city as
those of the Council who happens to
be serving on the more active ones.
Several orders of importance Will
| be presented at this meeting dealing
| with the Street Department. I ask
| that you act upon them favorably in
sofar as your judgment warrants
| you in doing So
| In the first place. some provision
must be made at once for the proper
! housing of such machinery and ;oOls
| as are now owned by the city and
| used In the Street Department.
| About every department of the city
is now advantaged by necessary clerk
hire with the exception of the Street
| apartment and the Pauper Depart
mnt. And yet no two departments
carry on a greater volume of WORK
| and no two officials put in longer
hours than do the heads of these two
departments. The Street Department;
! is handling at times so to 100 labor
ers, with weekly pay offs, and with
a large amount of bookkeeping nee
! essary to keep account of labor and
material. l have spent good deal OF
time in the office of the Street De-
partment, and I never return to my
own Office that l do not feel that the
clerk to the Mayor, even though this
clerk is kept reasonably busy for hah
of each day for which she is paid, is
/ something Of a LUXURY. The Street
| Commissioner feels, and l agree with
| him, that better system of handling
| the details of his office should be
worked out that greater efficiency
may result l want to urge that some
clerical assistance be provided the
Street Department.
| Last year the coal for the city's
school buildings was bought by COM
petitive bidding, with provision OF
=. analysis, and this year it has seemed
wise to your Committee on Public
Buildings that the coal used liz the
Citv Hall. Armory. fire station, and
| Public Library, should be purchased
| in the same manner. Bids have been
/ advertised to be submitted by April
! 10. An order will be presented at
! this meeting to refer the matter of
/ awarding contract for the coal 10 a
committee. with power to act in con-
{ junction with the Board of Educa-
] ton. AS this is in the interests OF
/ economy. in price and quality of coal
I trust the order may receive favor
able action.
| In the matter of the collection of
| refuse. l desire to call your atten-
| ton to the fact that the truck used
| in the work of collecting refuse, for
which the sum of $2750 was paid last
year, is now frequently in the repair
| shop because of hard usage in deep
| SHOWS. No truck can be used
throughout the winter months in
| hauling heavy loads and last long.
! The sum of $1,000 for upkeep of
! truck must therefore be added to the
total expenditure each year for this
! work of cleaning out private cellars.
In March, 1925. the collection of re-
fuse cost the city the sum of S45S.30,
and in March, 1926 it cost the city
$669.49. Up to date in this fiscal
year the collection of ashes has
easily cost the city very nearly $1,000.
1t has been suggested that bids be
asked for the collection of refuse
within the city limits. should anti
cipate endless troubles in having
! such contract as might be made pro-
perly executed; and 1 cannot fore
see any great saving to the city. /
am unalterably opposed to continuing
this work, except where made nee
essary by fire hazards. because l do
not believe the City Council has any
moral right to spend an ever increas-
inc amount of money zach wear in