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OF
CITY
RT
FOR REFERENCE
NOT TO BE TAKEN FROM THIS ROOM
CITY OF NEWBURYPORT.
THE
MAYOR'S ADDRESS
AT THE
ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT
JANUARY 5, 1885,
AND THE
ANNUAL REPORTS
TO THE CITY COUNCIL,
FOR THE
FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 20TH, 1884.
CITY OF NEWBURYPORT
TERRA MARIQUE MDCCCLI
NEWBURYPORT : WILLIAM H. HUSE & Co. PRINTERS, 42 STATE STREET. 1885.
CONTENTS.
CITY GOVERNMENT, 1885,
STANDING COMMITTEES,
Page 5 7
SUBORDINATE OFFICERS,
9
WARD OFFICERS,
10
MAYOR SIMPSON'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS,
15
REPORT of Committee on Finance, City Auditor,
.39 40 43
TREASURER'S REPORT of Receipts and Expenditures,
45
STATEMENT of Income and Expenditures,
City Debt,
Debt due the City of Newburyport.
50 50
TRIAL BALANCE of the City Treasurer's books, Dec. 20, 1884,
51
REPORT of the Commissioners of Atkinson Common,
51 52
SCHEDULE of Public Property,
DETAILED STATEMENT OF EXPENSES of the Poor Department,
School Department
Fire Department,
95 108
Sidewalks and Edgestones,
Incidental Department,
113
Public Property Department,
121
Expenses of the Police Department,
135
Salaries of City Officials, . 148
Interest paid on Notes and Bonds, 152
Expenses of the Fuel Department, . 156
Expenses for Lighting Streets and Public Buildings 160
Expenditures for Bridges and Culverts
163
Expenditures of the Committee on Bromfield Fund,
169
Expenses of the Public Library,
170
Promissory Notes Paid, 174
Expenditures charged to the State of Massachusetts. 176
Improvements of the Mall, 17
54 67 86
Highway Department,
46 48
TABULAR STATEMENT,
REPORT of the Collector of Taxes,
49
Account with the State of Massachuetts,
6
CONTENTS.
DETAILED STATEMENT OF EXPENSES of New Engine House, 178
Stone Paving,
179
Board of Health,
184
Printing,
192
Sinking Fund Commissioners.
195
Horton Fund,
195
Miscellaneous,
197
STATEMENT in Relation to City, County and State Taxes,
199
REPORT of the Overseers of the Poor
201
Dexter and Atwood Funds.
209
Board of Health,
213
Chief Engineer,
229
City Solicitor, .
247 251
Inspection of Kerosene,
257
Inspector of Milk,
258 260
Sealer of Weights and Measures,
Committees on Public Property,
263 266
Committee on Fire Department, .
271
Committee on Green Fund, .
272 273
Committee on Putnam Fund,
274
Committee on Lighting Streets,
275
Committee on Bridges and Culverts,.
276
City Clerk,
281
Board of Assessors,
Directors of the Public Library, 291
285
City Marshal,
Treasurer of the Follansbee Fuud,
Committee on Atkinson Fund,
CITY GOVERNMENT -- 1885.
MAYOR-THOMAS C. SIMPSON.
ALDERMEN :
Ward 1-ENOCH GERRISH, Ward 4-JOSEPH W. EVANS,
2-HENRY Z. WHITTIER, 5-WILLIAM R. JOHNSON,
3-T. H. BOARDMAN, 6-BENJAMIN F. STANLEY.
COMMON COUNCIL.
BENJAMIN G. DAVIS, President. THOMAS E. CUTTER, Clerk.
Ward 1 --- GEORGE O. NOYES, Ward 4-CHARLES C. STOKCMAN,
JOSEPH TORREY, JOHN G THURLOW,
PARKER M. LOUGEE, ANDREW J. HAYNES.
Ward 2-GEORGE H. PLUMER, Ward 5-ALBERT E. MOYLAN,
DAN'L A. GOODWIN, JR., JOHN BURKE. SIMON E. WILSON.
DANIEL W. CATE,
Ward 3-BENJ. G. DAVIS. Ward 6-WILLIAM J. HUNT,
WILLIAM F. HOUSTON, JAMES ANDERSON, MOSES BROWN. CHARLES A. CARR.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
T. C. SIMPSON, Chairman, ex officio, N. N. WITHINGTON, Sec'y. CHAS. L. DAVIS, Vice-Chairman, STEPHEN COLLINS, Agent Ward 4-CHARLES L. DAVIS, HENRY B. REED, Ward 5-N. N. WITHINGTON,
Ward 1-WILLIAM E. CHASE, CHARLES H. BLISS, Ward 2-STEPHEN COLLINS, D. L. WITHINGTON,
WM. A. EASTMAN.
Ward 3-ELISHA P. DODGE,
Ward 6-JAMES PARTON,
GEORGE W. SNOW. JAMES M. JACKMAN.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR. CHARLES NOYES, LEONARD W. SARGENT, JOHN C. STEVENS. Clerk of the Board, WILLIAM H. BAYLEY.
8
CITY GOVERNMENT.
ASSESSORS. GEO. W. JACKMAN, JR., CHAS. C. DONNELL, G. W. GOODWIN.
BOARD OF HEALTH.
I. B. BOLTON, M. D., AMOS H. GEARY, JOHN L. DODGE. Clerk of the Board, GEO. H. STEVENS, Agent, JOS. M. TAPPAN.
City Clerk-GEORGE H. STEVENS.
Treasurer and Collector-JAMES V. FELKER,
Clerk to Treasurer-ARTHUR T. DAVIS.
City Solicitor-HORACE I. BARTLETT. City Auditor-EDWARD BURRILL. City Physician-I. B. BOLTON. City Messenger-WILLIAM H. JOHNSON.
Chief Engineer of Fire Department-EBEN S. DOLE.
Superintendent of Streets-ANDREW H. PETTINGELL.
Librarian of Public Library-HIRAM A. TENNEY. Assistant Librarian-EFFIE A. TENNEY.
Superintendent of Reading Room-MARTHA P. LUNT.
Sealer of Weights and Measures-JOHN HUSE.
Inspector of Milk and Vinegar-JOHN HUSE. City Marshal-CHARLES H. DEROCHEMONT. Assistant Marshal, Captain of Watch, IRA F. H. BLAKE.
SAMUEL W. TUCK,
Day Officers,
EDWARD E. TAYLOR, ROBERT C. BRAGG.
Night Patrolmen,
DANIEL RYAN, ROBERT G. ALLEN,
HENRY J. HIDDEN,
JOSEPH H. POST,
LEMUEL HICKEN,
ALBERT D. HALE, SETH YOUNG, JAMES W. MERRITT, BARTHOLOMEW SHEHAN, WILLIAM V. HEWLETT.
Constables,
CHARLES H. DEROCHEMONT, EDWARD E. TAYLOR, SAMUEL W. TUCK, ROBERT C. BRAGG, WILLIAM H. JOHNSON,
JOSEPH M. TAPPAN,
COMMITTEES.
STANDING COMMITTEES OF BOARD OF ALDERMEN ..
On Police, MAYOR, ex-officio, Aldermen WHITTIER and GERRISH. On Elections, Aldermen BOARDMAN and EVANS. Atkinson and Putnam Funds. Aldermen STANLEY, BOARDMAN and JOHNSON. On Licenses, Aldermen JOHNSON, BOARDMAN and STANLEY.
On Enrolled Bills, Aldermen EVANS, BOARDMAN and GERRISH. On Bromfield Fund, Aldermen GERRISH, STANLEY and JOHNSON. On Frothingham Fund, Aldermen WHITTIER, EVANS and JOHNSON.
On Green Fund, Aldermen STANLEY, BOARDMAN and GERRISH.
STANDING COMMITTEES OF COMMON COUNCIL.
On Elections and Returns, Councilmen STOCKMAN, GOODWIN and WILSON. On Bills of Second Reading, Councilmen HAYNES, CARR and BURKE. On Enrolled Bills, Councilmen ANDERSON, HUNT and MOYLAN.
10
CITY GOVERNMENT.
JOINT STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
On Finance, The MAYOR ex-officio, Alderman BOARDMAN; Councilmen HUNT, GOODWIN, MOYLAN, BROWN and PLUMER.
On Accounts,
Aldermen GERRISH and WHITTIER; Councilmen HOUSTON, CARR and BROWN.
On Public Property, Aldermen EVANS and WHITTIER; Councilmen CATE, STOCKMAN and TORREY.
On Highways,
The MAYOR ex-officio, Board of Aldermen; Councilmen NOYES, GOOD- WIN, HOUSTON, STOCKMAN, CATE and ANDERSON.
On Fire Department, Aldermen JOHNSON, EVANS and GERRISH; Councilmen ANDERSON, CATE, HUNT and BURKE.
On Bridges and Culverts, Aldermen STANLEY and BOARDMAN; Councilmen NOYES, THURLOW and HUNT.
On Lighting Streets and Public Buildings, Aldermen JOHNSON and GERRISH; 'Councilmen CARR, LOUGEE and WILSON.
On CLAIMS, Aldermen STANLEY and JOHNSON; Councilmen PLUMER, TORREY and HOUSTON.
On Fuel. Aldermen JOHNSON and STANLEY; Councilmen BROWN, TORREY and HAYNES.
On Ordinances, The MAYOR ex-officio, Councilmen LOUGEE and HAYNES.
On Almshouse and Poor, Aldermen EVANS and STANLEY ; Councilmen CARR, MOYLAN, BURKE, THURLOW and TORREY.
11
CITY GOVERNMENT.
On Public Instruction, The MAYOR ex-officio, Aldermen BOARDMAN and JOHNSON; Council- men The PRESIDENT ex-officio, ANDERSON, WILSON, PLUMER and NOYES.
On Printing, :Alderman WHITTIER; Councilmen CATE and HUNT.
On Sawyer Fund, Alderman GERRISH, Councilmen MOYLAN and BURKE. On Brown Fund. Alderman BOARDMAN, Councilmen LOUGEE and THURLOW.
On Atwood Fund.
The MAYOR ex-officio, President DAVIS ex-officio, and Treasurer FELKER ex-officio.
Special Committee on Horse Railroad, Mayor SIMPSON, Aldermen WHITTIER and JOHNSON, Councilmen HUNT, ANDERSON and PLUMER.
Special Committee on Water Suit, Mayor SIMPSON, Alderman STANLEY, President DAVIS, and Council- men MOYLAN and NOYES.
Special Committee on Essex Merrimac Bridge Award, Mayor SIMPSON, Alderman WHITTIER, President DAVIS and Council- men HUNT and HAYNES.
Special Committee on the 250th Anniversary of Old Newbury, Mayor SIMPSON, Aldermen JOHNSON and GERRISH, President DAVIS , Councilmen MOYLAN, CARR and BROWN.
Clerk of Standing Committees of City Council, GEORGE H. STEVENS.
12
CITY GOVERNMENT.
SUBORDINATE OFFICERS-1885.
SURVEYORS OF LUMBER.
John T. Fillmore,
James Kimball,
Daniel M. Felch,
George W. Marston,
Ezra Lunt,
Charles H. Carr,
Hervey Kimball,
Charles Perkins,
John E. Bailey,
Joseph W. Evans,
Joseph L. Johnson,
Charles S. Lovejoy,
William J. Currier,
Edward Perkins,
William H. Morse,
William Thurston,
George W. Jackman, jr., John L. Tobin,
William B. Coffin,
Samuel Pettingell, jr., William J. Hunt.
MEASURERS OF WOOD AND BARK.
Philip H. Creasey,
Hervey Kimball, Charles H. Carr,
William J. Hunt,
Edward E. Varina, George P. Balch,
Fred L. Atkinson,
Benjamin F. Atkinson,
John Puse.
Patrick H. Collins, John Collins,
MEASURERS OF CHARCOAL.
Hervey Kimball, George P. Balch, Fred L. Atkinson,
Philip H. Creasey, John Huse,
WEIGHERS AND MEASURERS OF CITY FUEL.
Hervey Kimball, Leonard W. Coker, John Huse,
MEASURERS OF GRAIN.
Paul Titcomb,
Cornelius Shea,
Charles B. Knight,
Moses H. Rolfe,
INSPECTOR OF MILK, VINEGAR AND COAL OILS. John Huse, GAUGERS.
Charles W. Hale, William A. Little.
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
John Huse.
WEIGHERS OF COALS, HAY AND OTHER MERCHANDISE.
Charles C. Stockman, Philip H. Creasey,
George W. Warner,
William Noyes, Leonard W. Coker, George J. Warner,
Henry M. Cross, John C. Stanley, Edward E. Varina,
William A. Little, William Conley,
William S. Coffin, John Conley,
Fred L. Atkinson, Benj. F. Atkinson, George P. Balch.
George W. Funk, James R. Conley,
Rudolph Jacoby, Harry W. Bayley,
Fred L. Macintosh,
Michael Carey, Tim. P. B. Houghton,
William G. Cheney,
Patrick H. Collins, John Collins,
13
CITY GOVERNMENT.
INSPECTOR OF COAL BASKETS. John Huse.
FENCE VIEWERS.
Hervey Kimball,
Henry Morse, E. Porter Sealey.
FIELD [DRIVERS.
Thomas Coffey,
James W. Welch, Jeremiah S. Parker,
Luther Ordway,
Thomas G. Dodge,
POUND KEEPERS.
James Atwood, No. 1, Auburn st., Luther Ordway. No. 2, Wesley st.
CITY CRIER.
Enoch 'C. Flanders.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
[OF
HON, THOMAS C. SIMPSON,
MAYOR?
NEWBURYPORT PUBLIC LIBRARI
ADDRESS
OF HON. THOMAS C. SIMPSON,
MAYOR. - -
Gentlemen of the City Council :-
An election has just been held. By a majority vote of our fellow citizens we have been chosen as the trustees of their interests for the ensuing municipal year. The vote which has placed you and me in our respective official positions must not be misinterpret- ed or misunderstood. It is not exclusively a vote of personal confidence in us. It does not entirely indi- cate a vote of personal preference for you or for me. It is a vote given in commendation of a certain plat- form of principles ;- a certain set of resolutions posi- tive and unequivocal in their terms, committing you and me to a policy of economy and efficiency in the administration of the city's affairs. The responsibili- ty is a weighty one. It means a year of diligent la- bor. It means a deliberate, intelligent and unbiased
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
consideration of every matter essential to the city's welfare upon which we may be called upon to pass. We have voluntarily become the exponents of these principles, and the people who put us here will cer- tainly judge us critically and exactingly by that test. We are pledged to a definite line of action, to ac- complish certain desired ends in our city's affairs, and our good faith and our competency are at stake upon these issues.
FINANCES.
I first invite your consideration to the financial statement of the city. Below is the amount of ap- propriations and expenditures, in detail.
TABULAR STATEMENT OF THE APPROPRIATIONS, EXPENDITURES, AND BALANCES
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 20, 1884.
Departments.
Appropriations.
Income.
Total Credits.
Expenditures.
Undrawn.
Overdrawn.
Poor.
. $14,000 00
$ 3,568 05
$17,288 05
$18,427 26
$ 1,159 21
School.
. 21,000 00
1,146 87
22,146 87
26,219 69
4,073 12
Fire ...
· 9,000 00
401 84
10,001 84
7,978 98
2,022 86
Highways.
. 3,000 00
93 40
3,093 40
6,095 65
3,002 25
Incidentals
7,000 00
20,720 33
27,720 33
18,478 22
9,242 11
Public Property .
7,500 00
1,309 60
8,809 60
19.858 25
11,048 65
Day and Night Police.
18,000 00
1,902 92
19,902 92
19,099 47
803 42
Lighting Streets, etc ..
6,500 00
78 74
6,578 74
7,128 06
549 32
Salaries.
4,800 00
4,800 00
5,179 20
379 20
Fuel ..
5,000 00
7 18
5,007 18
5,020 45
13 27
Public Library ...
1,200 00
679 90
1,879 90
2,004 23
124 38
Printing .. .
1,500 00
179 50
1,679 50
2,090 19
410 69
Culverts and Bridges ..
3,000 00
3,000 00
3,972 71
972 71
Board of Health.
400 00
400 00
1,491 24
1,091 24
Sidewalks and Edgestones ..
1,000 00
593 02
1,593 02
3,441 95
1,828 93
Mall Improvements.
1,000 00
[ 258 80
1,258 80
1,237 85
20 95
Interest ...
23,500 00
3,776 70
27,276 70
27,204 62
72 08
Stone Paving ..
5,000 00
5,000 00
3,996 08
1,003 92
Abatement of Taxes of 1884
1,000 00
767 46
1,767 46
1,805 45
37 99
$134,000 00
$35,184 31
$169,184 31
$180,709 90
$13,165 37
$24,690 96
.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
17
18
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
From this statement it will be seen that there is an overdrawn balance of $12,113.90. In addition to this there remains unpaid bills on account of paving to the extent of nearly $4,000. A possible bill of $1,200 for repairs on steamer No. 3. A claim on ac- count of the new Deer Island bridge approximating $26,000. And the bill of the Newburyport Water Company, aggregating $18,000. It will also be seen that no appropriation for the sinking fund was made last year-the usual appropriation of $3,000 being omitted. From the above statement you will see that the work before us calls for the wisest and most eco- nomical management. It is to be hoped that our la- bors will be successful, and enable us to make a cred- itable showing at the end of our official term.
HORSE RAILROAD.
The Newburyport and Amesbury Horse Railroad was originally incorporated under chapter 53 of the acts of 1864 The charter was renewed by chap- ter 165 of the acts of 1871, under which the road was built. By chapter 319, of the latter year, Newbury- port was authorized to subscribe $25,000, and Ames- bury and Salisbury $10,000 each, to the capital stock of the road. Newburyport duly subscribed, but the towns never subscribed. The capital stock as origi- nally fixed, was $60,000. This was subscribed for in full, including $20,000 referred to hereafter; but ex-
19
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
cluding this $20,000, only $37,500 was paid in full, and only 375 shares were originally issued. There is also some reason to believe that a portion of the $12,- 500 outside the city's subscription was at least not available as cash. The directors contracted with Col. J. E. Gowen to construct the entire road for $35,000 cash and $20,000 of stock, for which he duly sub- scribed. Gowen proceeded with his contract and the shares were duly issued to him, but before its com- pletion threw up his contract, and the road called up- on E. G. Kelley and W. C. Binney, the sureties on his bond, to complete the contract, which they duly did, or at least, did to the satisfaction of the direc- tors. When this had been done, instead of settling with them according to the original contract, apparently the entire cash which had been received from the sub- scriptions to stock was paid them, and they also re- ceived the notes of the road for $10,000, without any final settlement. Matters remained in this shape un- till May 19, 1875, when a settlement was had between the directors, of which board E. G. Kelley was presi- dent and W. C. Binney, treasurer, and E. G. Kelley and W. C. Binney, constructors of the road; J. E. Gowen whose sureties E. G. Kelley and W. C. Bin- ney were, and certain creditors of Gowen, by which E. G. Kelley and W. C . Binney received the notes of the railroad, payable in 4 or 9 years, at 7 per cent, signed by E. G. Kelley, president, and W. C. Bin-
20
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
ney, treasurer, for $24,000, they agreeing to surrender the former notes of $10,000, to pay $1,500 to Gowen, in satisfaction of his claims, and to pay $3,000 to set- tle the claims of Gowen's creditors, and return the 200 Gowen shares. The mayor, through counsel, caused an injunction to be procured from the Su- preme Court upon the issuing of the notes. As will be observed, instead of $35,000 in cash, already $37,500 had been absorbed, and instead of $20,000 in stock, not worth then over $5,000, $24,000 in good negotiable paper was being paid, but by the advice of the mayor, who in his message to the city council, June 5, 1862, upon the advice of counsel, urges the city not to sue the railroad, three-fourths of which it really owns, but to sell the stock, the injunction was dissolved, and thus the matter subsided at that time. The road was leased, as is well known, for ten years, to Mr. E. T. Northend for 2 1-2 per cent on $60,000 for five years, and 4 1-2 per cent for the second five; and it is needless to recount the nu- merous complications between him and the city. July 12, 1883, his lease expired, and shortly previous to this, bids were called for. A number of bids were re- ceived, and an ineffectual effort was made at a meet- ing of the stockholders to instruct the directors to make the lease to Mr. E. P. Shaw at 6 per cent, he be- ing the lowest bidder. A long contest followed in the old board of directors, the lease being voted to J.
·
21
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
M. Greenough at 8 1-4 per cent, and then its execu- tion refused, whereupon Mr. Greenough brought a bill in equity to compel the execution of the lease, the matter being finally settled, so far as the lease is concerned, by the assignment of the lease to Mr. Shaw, who entered into the operation of the road. The board of directors, by a vote which the railroad commissioners say is marked with improvidence and favoritism, and for which no sufficient reason is given, voted Mr. Shaw a sum of $1000 for effecting this transfer. An iron-clad contract was executed with Mr Shaw to put the road into first-class condition, its en- tire length, for the round sum of $3,300. At the very same time a committee of the old board settled with Mr. E. T. Northend for the same repairs which he had failed to do, for $300; the committee which did this thing being Hon. William A. Johnson and Hon. Nathaniel Pierce and Moses H. Fowler, (who did not sign the receipt, however), Mr. Northend having, I have reason to believe, previously offered a much larger sum in settlement of the claim. Soon after this, at the annual meeting, five new directors were chosen. The new board defaulted on the interest of the notes November 19, and at the same time extend- ing the road to Shaw's wharf at an expense of be- tween one and two thousand dollars. This board also practically rescinded the contract with Shaw, having voted to pay him up to May, 1884, $5,882.93 for a
22
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
contract which Mr. Shaw testified before the commis- sioners was only three-fifth executed. In addition to this, $1,900 of rent, due from Mr. Northend, under the lease, was left over, and for more than a year no steps were taken to collect it. Recently, however, a suit has been been brought to collect this rent. De- cember 15, 1883, Mr. Shaw made a proposition to the city to buy its stock for $10,000, in response to a call for proposals. This was declined by the city. Im- mediately after the inauguration of the new city gov- ernment in 1884, the mayor sent in a message accom- panied by a communication from Mr. E. M. Rand, acting for certain holders of bonds, and the city so- licitor, urging the sale of the stock, in order to leave the city free from liability to the bond-holders. Bids were called for again on January 15, to be sent in the next day. The only bid was that of E. P. Shaw- $13,000, which was again rejected. Having failed by purchase to secure the city's interest, Mr. Shaw, to- gether with Mr. Shepard, the treasurer of the board, and my predecessor, procured from their associates the issue to them of the two hundred Gowen shares then in the treasury, for $20,000 cash, This appar- ently good financial transaction, which would have given the road almost money enough to pay its bonds, was immediately more than counterbalanced by what the commissioners term a " most remarkable transac- tion "-the purchase by the road, which has not a
23
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
single dollar of rolling stock, and which was under a seven years' lease, of a stable from Mr. Shaw, which he testifies to have cost between $5,000 and $6,000, for $21,750, the stable being immediately leased to Mr. Shaw for $800 per year, the $1,750 being obtained by the sale of twenty-five shares, paid for only in part. These transactions were not made public; but the city council, suspecting something of the kind, finally, af- ter a veto by the mayor, appointed a committee and appropriated $500 to investigate the affairs of the road since July 1, 1883. This committee employed counsel and summoned the directors and lessee before them with their books and papers. They severally declined to answer. The petition was filed with the railroad commissioners, and the full facts brought out. The report of the commissioners, a strong and vigor- ous denunciation of these last mentioned proceedings, with the evidence taken before the commissioners, have been published. In the meantime, by chapter 159, acts of 1884, the road had been authorized to issue $30,000 mortgage bonds. These bonds the road was unable to float; but the mortgage to Hon. John J. Currier, as trustee, has been put upon record, having been given to protect the directors from per- sonal liability. Upon filing the commissioners' report an attempt at a settlement was made, but without re- sult, and a bill in equity in the name of the city has been filed in the Supreme court, which I am informed
24
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
is defective, and has never been pushed. The various holders of the notes, excepting Mr. Shaw, have brought suits against the road, which suits are now on the trial lists of the Superior court, and a hearing on a motion for an early trial was recently had. In ad- dition to this, there are some $7,000 of disputed notes which are undoubtedly forged; upon $4,000 of which a suit has been brought against the company in Suf- folk county. Excluding these notes from the compu- tation, had the original contract been enforced, the road would have been built for less than its capital stock. ($60,000) and to-day the city would be receiv- ing 7 per cent upon their stock. Had the new board enforced the contract with Mr. Shaw, and not pur- chased the stable, the commissioners find that the stock would have paid 7 per cent, or even paying Mr. Shaw the gratuity of $1,000, and the $2,882.93 extra on the contract, a dividend of 6 7-10 per cent could have been earned. Instead of the cost of the road now standing at the original contract price, ($55,500). it stands on the books with no new assets, excepting certain real estate of a market value of about $6,600, at $94,678.26.
I would therefore recommend that a joint special committee be appointed, with full powers to deal with this important question, and to take all necessary legal measures to enforce the city's rights therein.
25
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
WATER QUESTION.
It is not my purpose to discuss this important question in detail. It is too recent in the minds of the people. We all know that under Chapter 235 of Act of 1880, and subsequent Acts, the city was authorized to contract under the conditions therein named, for a supply of pure water; that pursuant to that authority a contract was made with the New- buryport Water Company, whether good or bad, has been a matter freely canvassed by the public. The present aspect of the question is this. Under the contract made, a suit has been brought by the Water Company to recover the rental, specified in their agreement with the city. This suit is now pending in the hands of referees agreed upon by both parties, and now what shall be done? I cannot see how the city or the Water Company is to gain by further delay. If nothing is due, an immediate decision can- not hurt the city; if anything is due the sooner we know the extent of our liability the better. I am in favor of an immediate hearing on the merits of this question and of bringing the matter to a speedy close. I would therefore recommend that the counsel for the city be instructed to call up this matter at once and to pursue the same with all possible speed, consistent with the city's interest, to a final termination,
26
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The fire department is justly a source of pride. Its members are active, faithful and competent. Its discipline is all that could be desired. The fires which have occurred during the past year have been efficiently and ably managed. I have always been impressed with the promptness and earnestness with which our department responded to a fire in any part of the city, in any season of the year, at any time of night. It is a conspicuous example of devotion to duty and unselfish regard. Our department is prac- tically a volunteer department. The compensation received is insufficient to pay for the clothes worn out in the service, and in no way commensurate with the labor done. I hope the time may come when each member will receive a fair annual remuneration and not be asked to render a gratuitous service. I have only one further suggestion now, and that is that since the adoption of the electric alarm some system be devised, so that the whole department should not respond to the first alarm, and thus cause unnecessary expense to the city.
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