Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-09

department we'll manned and well
equipped, and well housed. This Is
not luxury but necessity. There
are some things the fire department
needs, such as immediate repairs on
the Central station and additional
hose. The city must find means to
meet these two demands.
I'm making the rounds of the de-
partments last week I visited the Of
flee of the assessors. To my way of
thinking 1t is the most important Of
fee of them all. 1t is the source Of
what revenue we have. Let it be
laxly handled and thousands of dol
lars are lost in use to the city. let it
be efficiently handled and thousands
can be saved. in all the years to come.
Whatever may be needed in this office
to make it more efficient, 1 personally
favor. I want to see the assessors
introduce a system Of land plotting on
maps. with. complete card index sys-
tenn, that will allow the checking up
Of every available piece of taxable
property. An appropriation sufficient
to meet these needs should be made.
There is one other matter that
wish to mention before I am through,
and that is the lease under which this
opera house is given into the hands Of
private citizens. The lease was drawn
in 1909 or 1910, I think, and has been
renewed every three years since. 1t
calls for the payment of $4,000, and 20
free nights. 1t will come up for re-
newal again this year. ] want to see
the city break the contract and do one
of two things: Either enter into a
lease with parties desiring to do so
at sum that will net the city good
rental, with the stipulation that more
free nights will be available for the
demands of citizens, or that the house
be given into the mans cement of the
city government to be used by citizens
as they desire. The rental at the pres
ent time is $4,000 year. The lease
stipulates that when the opera house
is returned to the city it will be in as
good condition as when first taken over
by the leaseholder. figuring in the
elastic provision of Ordinary wear and
tear There has been steady deterior-
alton. 1t will cost thousands of dol
lars to put this house into first class
condition. 1t costs the city annually
fully as much as the rental paid
There is, therefore. no pecuniary adj
vantage to the city in continuing on
under this lease, and certainly there
is nothing but inconvenience and ex-
pense to those desiring to use 1t.
have been told that the contract can
not be broken. I do not believe it.
do not believe that any committee rep
resenting any city government can
lease city property to private indi-
viduals under conditions that must en-
dure to the end of time. / know /
bespeak the minds Of hundreds of our
citizens when I say that the time has
come when way should be found to
restore this house to it's rightful own
ership. And in saying this j am not
thinking Of the individuals who are
parties to the contract, all good citi-
zens and good friends of mine, but
solely of the welfare of the city.
Il bespea1 for this administration
now entering upon year of office your
fullest and most active and most intel
1igent cooperation. Nothing is to be
gained by needless fault-finding and
pickering and sneering at costly mis-
takes that are bound to be made by
any group of men who are trying to
do things. Everything is to be gained
when differences of opinion become
matter of serious discussion, and when
bad mistakes that are being made are
your administrative officers
Personally, I promise faithful at
tention to the city's needs. vigilance in
protecting every individual in his
rights. and an earnest desire that at
the end of the year we shall be in a
little better condition than We are
today"
The meeting adjourned to the
council rooms for the election of city
officials. A committee was elected to
sort and count ballots but it was
promptly discharged when Alderman
Page stated that the Democrats
would not present slate of officers.
for which he was thanked by Mayor
Libby as 1t facilitated matters to a
decided degree. The meeting moved
quickly and tremendously to a close,
the city clerk casting q single ballot
for each officer as proposed. The
council rooms were more than filled
to capacity with citizens much inter-
ested in the election of officials and
as the more important offices were
disposed of the crowd began to dwin-
die and by the time tat the commit
tees had begun to be appointed mem
bers of the new government were al
most alone.
ltiStiSoiiv VI Tie OlllCcIS dI e
the same as last year the most i'm
portantc hange being that of the cleo
ton of new street commissioner.
Changes were made in the offices of
Superintendent of burials, Inspector
OF Plumbing and Inspector of Build
ings and new assessor was elected
to take the place of Fred Holland.
The orders customary for the first
session of the new government were
disposed of at this meeting. The po-
lice officers and city hall janitors will
be given one Sunday off each month
and one weeks vacation in a year
with pay.
An order was passed authorizing
the City Treasurer to pay to Joseph
Micue the sum of S. a week to be
charged to aids and allowances. 1t
was voted to appropriate $500 for the
Maine Development association.
Poll taxes will be So and will be
payable on May as usual. The city
treasurer was authorized to make
temporary loans not to exceed $780,
900 at any one time.
An order was passed inviting ex-
mayor Baird to present portrait OF
himself to the cit yto be hung in the
mayors office along with the pictures
of other mayors and it was voted to
send a copy of the order to DIR. Baird.
The aldermen sitting as municipal
officers elected the following officers:
Clerk to the overseers of the poor,
Henry Butler: city marshal. Franklin
D. Gaskell; deputy marshal, Alfred
Poirier and Albert NJ. Thibodeau.
The mayor and aldermen elected the
following officers:
Inspector Of buildings, Albert Wade;