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Office of Clerk of Committees CITY HALL MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS
2
PAUL H. PROVANDIE, MAYOR
CITY OF MELROSE MASSACHUSETTS
Annual Reports 1923
WITH
Mayors Inaugural Address Delivered January 2, 1923
CIT
REDI
LROSE
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CHARLESTOWN 1629 POND FEILDE 1638
· MALDEN·
NORTHEND 1649
1850
INCORPORAT
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY CLERK AND SPECIAL COMMITTEE
MELROSE HOME SECTOR Melrose, Mass.
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XPLOR
1628
INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF HON. PAUL H. PROVANDIE Mayor of Melrose, Massachusetts
JANUARY SECOND NINETEEN HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Board of Aldermen, Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are assembled tonight in this beautiful hall, dedicated to our herioc dead of a past generation, to inaugurate a new govern- ment for the City of Melrose. It is a momentous and solemn occasion, because upon the character of the government which we initiate here tonight depend in very large measure the safety, the well-being, and the happiness of our people for the next two years.
The oath of office which you gentlemen of the Board of Alder- men have just taken, and that which I have taken as Mayor, places upon us a grave responsibility. The people who put us in power have a right to expect that we shall employ those qualities of prudence and courage, economy and foresight, conservatism and progressiveness which, applied to the solution of our municipal problems shall, through the medium of our city government, bring the greatest possible good to the greatest possible number.
To measure up to this high standard of duty which we hold in common means hard work, patience, and sacrifice for all of us. It means that we must do away with all that is petty and mean, must cultivate a mutual tolerance and a desire to aid and understand one another. For my part, I ask you to bear with my shortcomings. I have a sincere desire to make this administration a success, and I realize that without your sympathetic co-operation I must fall far short of attaining that desire. I promise you to maintain an open mind on all matters: I shall need your advice, as well as the counsel of men outside this Board in whose judgment I have con- fidence; and I shall freely seek such counsel, both within and with- out, when need arises. I have no fatuous faith in my own political judgment. Moreover, the community should draw freely on the best available brains.
I hold myself particularly fortunate in having as recent pre- decessors in office the Hon. Charles H. Adams and the Hon. Angier
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CITY OF MELROSE
L. Goodwin. I must acknowledge here the great assistance which, already, they have been kind enough to render me. I shall upon occasion continue to seek their counsel, to the end that our City may benefit from wisdom gained in the exacting school of exper- ience. Let me conclude this thought by saying that I purpose to be mayor to all the people, that I shall always be receptive of suggest- ions, whether they emanate from the highest-placed or the humblest citizen.
Permit me to extend election congratulations to the new mem- bers of the Board. They provide an infusion of new blood which should prove stimulating, while the Board still retains a prepon- derance of men of ripe experience-a combination which should prove ideal for practical working purposes. The City, itself, is to be congratulated upon having attracted to its service men so strongly representative of its best citizenship.
Custom decrees that, upon such occasions as this, the Mayor shall submit a statement dealing with the condition of city affairs, with such suggestions and recommendations as seem to him fitting. This custom I shall adhere to in the main, dwelling upon those matters which are most pertinent at this time and leaving for future treatment matters which I desire opportunity further to investigate and study. Let us first consider our financial situation.
The total debt of the City, including temporary loans in anti- cipation of taxes, is about $1,400,000, and at some seasons of the year it runs even higher. On this total sum the City is paying interest amounting to about $68,000 a year. Against this debt the City has assets in the form of cash on hand, in Sinking Funds, amounting to more than $400,000; uncollected taxes of about $400,000; and various uncollected assessments, which reduce the amount of the debt to the net figures of about $375,000.
Auditor's Statement
Sewer Bonds
$394,000.00
Surface Drainage Bonds.
206,000.00
School Bonds.
78,000.00
Water Bonds.
116,000.00
Auditorium Bonds.
18,000.00
$812,000.00
Municipal Loan Notes
$209,790.00
Trust Funds.
7,883.79
217,673.79
Temporary Loan Notes
375,000.00
$1,404,673.79
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MAYOR'S ADDRESS
Less
Sinking Funds.
$422,831.93
Uncollected Taxes.
387,495.66
Uncollected Takings.
21,490.93
Uncollected Assessments
82,748.62
Uncollected Water Rates
4,702.71
$919,269.85
Cash on hand
106,645.41
$1,025,915.26
1,025,915,26
Net Liabilities
$378,758.53
The "Net" debt is so small as to permit us to deceive ourselves as to the actual situation. The fact is our indebtness is large and interest charges are a serious burden upon the taxpayers. The "Net" debt is our debt in excess of our current assets. But since we cannot turn these assets into money, and cannot collect immed- lately the taxes which are due, we are forced, at all times, to borrow this large sum, with an interest charge added to all our other burdens.
Fundamently the City is in a sound financial condition-as sound as any in the Commonwealth. In addition to the assets already mentioned we have City property represented by our public buildings, the fire stations, the library building, schoolhouses, parks and other public grounds, a water system costing about $300,000, a system of sewerage which has cost between $500,000 and $600,000- a total of unmortgaged assets of over two and one-half million dollars.
The expenses of the City are about $800,000 a year and in the expenditure of this large amount of money drawn from the tax- payers there should be the utmost economy, prudence, and faith- fulness in order that the tax-payer may feel that he is getting one hundred cents value for every dollar.
In the assessment of real estate, the valuations placed upon property by the Assessors have not been increased to correspond with the market or selling values of the property. Examples are not rare where property has changed hands during the past two or three years at sums more than double the assessed value. This means that the tax burden upon the property owners has not, in all cases, been equitably distributed. Neither have the valuations been increased to correspond with the increased rental values, and
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CITY OF MELROSE
instances are common where rentals have been more than doubled without any corresponding increase of change in the assessed val- uation of the property.
The demands for public improvements and services make it necessary to find revenue by increasing the valuation of real estate.
In the last twenty years there has been but slight increase in the total valuation of land in Melrose, as shown by the Assessors' reports, in spite of the enormous increase of public benefits that have been enjoyed during this period and of the increase in our population. It, therefore, seems absolutely necessary for the progress of the Community that there shall be a revision of the real estate valuation, in order that the City may have sufficient revenue for the public services and additional benefits demanded by the citizens. It is clear that taxes in Melrose, in proportion to the benefits enjoyed and the public services rendered, are less than in any other suburban community near Boston.
Tax Rate and Fiscal Policy
No subject is of graver concern to our people, as a whole, and to property owners in particular, than our constantly increasing tax rate. The majority of our citizens will endorse the statement that the time has come to call a halt in all expenditures not abso- lutely essential to the well-being of the City.
A number of elements that enter into the fixing of the tax rate are beyond our power to alter, such as State, County, and Metropolitan taxes; payments on our own debt; and interest charges. In general, high taxes are the result of economic condi -. tions over which we have little control. If we are to continue to function as a progressive, forward-locking city, we can retrench only to limited extent. There is it seems to me, a golden mean in this matter-a middle course between parsimony on the one hand, and extravagant expenditures on the other. Such a course pre- cludes a certain type of economy which is penny-wise and pound- foolish, but it does not prelude a true economy which takes into consideration not only our own present needs, but an appreciation of the rights of the future generation.
Many public improvements are desired which we cannot have if taxes are to be kept at their present level. Proposals for new thoroughfares and extensions of existing streets and boulevards, and the undertaking of new public projects generally, should be most
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MAYOR'S ADDRESS
carefully weighed before receiving our approval, bearing in mind always those principles of true economy to which I have just i.lluded.
Certain projects for the beautification of our City, or designed to promote the social welfare of the citizens, should, it seems to me, fall within the sphere of philanthropy and public subscription rather than of city appropriation. I here refer to such projects as the creation of an enclosed athletic field, the building of a pavilion at Ell Pond, and similar desired improvements. I believe that willout in any way committing the City to expenditure we can stimulate public-spirited citizens of means as well as the people generally, to finance such projects. I shall consider it one of my duties as Mayor to lend the prestige and power of the office to further such movements, and shall be deeply appreciative of the azs.stance of your Honorable Body.
It may well be that economy of administration can be advanced by the consolidation of certain city departments, bringing about some reduction in the number of paid officials and of overhead costs generally. Certainly much can be accomplished by coordinat- ing the work of certain departments, such as the wire-inspection, the plumbing-inspection and the building-inspection departments; the park, the public works and the school departments; and the school, the health and the library departments. Then there is the matter of business methods. Duplication of work, idleness, and the performing of unnecessary tasks must be eliminated in the interest of the tax-payers.
A tendency is ever present in all municipalities unnecessarily to increase the number of employees. The growth of this personnel overloading is insidious and hard to resist. The reasons for this state of affairs are not difficult to understand, and they need no explanation here. Employment with the city carries with it many advantages, including certainty of pay, vacations with pay, and, in most departments, pensions. All city employees are entitled to just treatment, and to continued employment in so far as the interests of the city permit; but there is present on their part an obligation to render willing, courteous and efficient service. Those who are unwilling or unable to give a day's work for a day's pay, and give it courteously, willingly and loyally must expect to be the first to be dropped under any regime of retrenchment. While I am very far removed from advocating that machine-like, heartless type of efficiency which gives no recognition to humane considerat- ions, I have, nevertheless, a very firm conviction that the appli-
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CITY OF MELROSE
cation of true efficiency to our several departments will result in pronounced economics of administration.
I am aware that there is dissatisfaction among certain of our city officials over the salaries they receive. This has resulted largely, we are told, because of a material increase in one official's stipend without a corresponding increase in that of others. It is only natural that such an incident should be detrimental to the morale of our officials, most of whom feel that they are equally entitled to consideration. No matter how much we may sym- pathize with the difficulty our public servants experience in making income square with the cost of living, we must, at this time, go slow in making any further such salary increases.
In this entire connection I desire to state that it is my intention, from time to time, to seek such expert assistance as may be neces- sary to place our various city departments upon the most efficient and economical basis possible.
School Department
During the progress of the mayoralty campaign I expressed myself freely and unmistakably in favor of better school conditions and that, if elected mayor, I would not only support but would work for the accomplishment of this pupose.
These pre-election promises were not intended to be void and meaningless pledges made for the purpose of decoying the elector- ate, only to be forgotten as soon as the election was over, but, on the contrary, were prompted by an honest and profound desire on my part to become a mayor who would combine with his interest in other city departments an intimate and sympathetic under- standing of the school needs, and helpful co-operation with the School Committee in carrying forward the work of education.
One of the first tasks to which the new administration must give its attention is the school building program- a problem so pressing for solution that further delay would not only be an outrage to our children, but a positive disgrace to our city.
No matter how much we may differ on the ultimate building needs, we are all sufficiently together on the initial steps to enable us to enter immediately upon the first stage of action.
All extensions of our elementary school curriculum, the health and perhaps the very lives of our children are in our hands and depend upon the swiftness and success of our deliberations.
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MAYOR'S ADDRESS
What we need to ask ourselves is not whether one group of people want a building more in one section of the city than another group in another section, but rather, considering the funds avail- able, what items in a comprehensive building program should be taken up first, and what items can be left to future building appropriations.
To my mind there are three outstanding needs in the matter of school buildings, all equally pressing, and the consummation of all entirely within our means.
I am, therefore, iaying before you for your immediate con- sideration the following three building projects. I mention them not necessarily in the order of their importance, but in the order in which conclusions have shaped themselves in my own mind.
Project No. 1. I recommend that four rooms be added to the Washington School to the north, in the form of two wings, which will preserve the architectural balance of the building and be easily adjustable to the internal arrangement of the present structure. I also recommend that the Sprague and Fernald lot, opposite the school building on Potter Street, be acquired for playground pur- poses. The purchase of this land will, with a small expenditure, give to the Washington School a much needed play area, and will also serve as summer playground for the children in this section of the city. These wings will free the two-room portable, which should be moved to the Ripley School lot, which, with the room already there, will take care of the Swain's Pond children, do away with the barge, and still further relieve the congestion at the Washington. This arrangement will give us time and opportunity to watch the growth of the population in the southeast section with the plan in view of later erecting a four-room building if we find that conditions warrant it. This building plan at the Washington can be completed by expenditure of less than $50,000, and is, to my mind, educationally sound, economical of operation and mainten- ance through the years, and a square deal to all the children south and east of the Washington School.
Project No. 2. This building project has to do with the school on Warren Street. In approaching a consideration of this project I know that both official and unofficial consideration of this building has taken the form of an addition to the present Warren School. But the more thought I give to this proposal the less I believe it to be the forward-looking solution which ought, at this time, to characterize our efforts. First of all, permit me to call your attention to the type of building at the Warren, to which an
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CITY OF MELROSE
add.tion is proposed-a wooden structure; the lowest type of school building both from the standpoint of construction and fire hazard, badly planned, insuff.ciently and improperly lighted, poorly ven- tilated and with unsanitary toilet facilities. Is it wise for us to attempt to put a modern addition to a building of this type, and make a feeble effort to have the old building conform to modern standards at a cost nearly as great as the amount needed to replace it with a new modern building; or shall we plan to do now that which, eventually, we shall wish we had done, namely, the erection of a new eight-room building with an assembly hall, either on the enlarged Warren Street lot, or on a site near at hand? There is only one answer to this question in my mind, and that is in the form of an endorsement of an entirely new building. Such a building will be an ornament to the neighborhood, a credit to our City, and best of all will be the discharge of the long-overdue obligation to the children in the Highlands district. Therefore, in view of my belief as expressed above I recommend that an entirely new building be erected in the Warren School district. Its cost will not be more than $100,000.
Project No. 3. My third building project is embodied in a recommendation to replace the Sewall School with a four-room unit, properly located on land to be acquired in the rear of the High School building. This unit may form the nucleus of a central grade building, which may be enlarged upon as the need arises and the money becomes available. This unit may be used for any type of school purpose which our future school organization may call for.
I consider the children compelled to go to the present Sewall School building no less unfortunate than those crowded into attic and basement rooms, or placed upon a part-time schedule. If such attic or basement rooms have the elements of safety they at least have something which the Sewall School has not. As Mayor and physician I condemn this school unfit, unsanitary and unsafe, and if I find that it is within my power so to do I shall forbid the use of this building for school purposes after the close of the present school year. Is it going to be necessary to have a fire in this building to bring us to our sens 3, after which this community, in sackcloth and ashes, would be forced to see the cost of its delay and neglect ? To replace the Sewall Schoo; will cost us not more than $50,000.
These three projects are not offered as a complete solution of our building needs. 'They are but a beginning and as such attempt to provide for only the most pressing deficiencies. It strikes me
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MAYOR'S ADDRESS
as very important in these initial steps that we cover as much ground as possible looking to the safety and health of our school children. This program, if carried out. will remove children from all basement and attic rooms, eliminate the necessity and incon- venience of barge transportation, and at the same time do away with two of our worst buildings and replace them with modern structures of the most up-to-date type. Best of all, these buildings can be built exclusive of the land within the $200,000 already available. The construction of all three can go on simultaneously, and the machinery incident to the acquiring of land and getting the work started should be set in motion at once.
While we are considering the purchase of land at the Wash- ington, Warren and Sewall sites I recommend that land also at the Winthrop and the Livermore be acquired. At the present time, land contiguous to all of these buildings can be purchased at reasonable prices, and it would be in line with good business practices to make our purchases before it is too late or prices advance.
All of us view with some concern the constantly mounting cost of running our city, the largest single item of which is for schools. This always has been, and doubtless will continue to be so. From the very nature and magnitude of the business it is right that it should be the largest item of expense to our taxpayers. We find by comparison, however, that Melrose spends no larger proportion of its income on schools than most of our neighboring cities and not as much as many.
I am aware that here and there is an individual who charges that money is being wasted in our school department. This is said of all departments and may or may not be true. On the whole, however, I believe the finances of the school department are being handled as efficiently as in other departments of the city.
The question of teachers' salaries has recently been before the people of this city. There is no mistaking the drift of popular opinion on this question. It is the undoubted wish of our citizens that we appropriate sufficient money to obtain and hold in service competent and loyal teachers. In order to do this we are com- pelled, through the force of competition, to pay salaries comparable to those paid in cities around us. It is not necessary for us to go beyond this point, and the school committee must not ask it of us.
The conditions under which the inembers of our school com- mittee receive their offices confer upon them broad powers. The very fact that they are elected by the people in the same manner
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CITY OF MELROSE
as we ourselves should make them answerable only to those who called them into official existance. I believe it is fundamentally wrong for the School Committee to b. compelled to depend upon the Maror and the Board of Aldermen for its appropriations. The school problem is sufficiently large and important to demand separate attention by the people. The efficient management of city schools demands that the educational, business and financial affairs of the school system be left with the School Committee, and that it be entirely independent of all other branches of the c ty government.
The experience of cities where the tax determining power for the support of schools has been taken from the city government and placed, within certain legal limits, in the hands of school committees has been entirely favorable. The Commissioner of Education of Massachusetts, Payson Smith, advocates it. I am not sure but the time is ripe in Melrose for action of this sort. I speak of this not in criticism of our Boards of Aldermen or Mayors, but because of my deep-seated interest in our schools, and a desire to surrond the administration and operation of them with every condition favorable to their progress and improvement.
Clarification and Modification of City Charter
The city charter is not clear upon some points. Legal author- ities differ materially concerning the meaning of certain passages. Clarification on these matters is urgently required. I recommend that your Honorable Board take sucn action as may be necessary to secure Legislative relief, to the end that our charter may be more in keeping with charters granted to the younger cities of the Commonwealth.
There is, I believe, a growing demand on the part of our people for certain changes in our city electoral procedure. The belief is generally expressed that we should adopt a primary system, where- by all candidates but two for each office shall be eliminated, thus simplifying issues at the polls.
Another change which is in the public mind concerns the advisability of reducing the number cf Aldermen from twenty-one to nine, seven, or even five. Opinions differ as to whether such a Board should be elected at large, from the several wards, or by a combination of both methods as at present. The argument is that a smaller Board will make greater efficiency in handling the city's business, make less demands upon the time and energies of mem- bers, and result in a greater degree of satisfaction in service.
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MAYOR'S ADDRESS
Still another change, either by charter or ordinance, would be the creation of a licensing commission having authority to grant permits and licenses now issued by the Board of Aldermen, whose hearings in connection with which absorb so much valuable time. It is said that fully one-third of this Board's time is taken up con- s.dering such relatively unimportant matters as issuing permits for cutting down trees, for erecting garages, etc., and the licensing of common victualers, peddlers, junk dealers, etc.
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