USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1936 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31
City of Quincy
1625
QUINCY 1888
1936
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 with funding from Boston Public Library
https://archive.org/details/inauguraladdress 1936quin
City of Quincy Massachusetts
CITY GOVERNMENT OF 1937
TOGETHER WITH THE
ANNUAL REPORTS
OF THE OFFICIALS OF THE YEAR
1936
4K 352 QUY 1986
MANET I
QUINCYS 1888
CITY DOCUMENT NO. 48
FROM THE COLLECTION OF THOMAS S. BURGIN QUINCY, MASS.
AN INDEX OF THE REPORTS APPEARING IN THIS VOLUME WILL BE FOUND AT THE END OF THE BOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Inaugural Address 4
City Officials for 1937 14
Report of Auditor of Accounts . 18
Report of City Treasurer . 94
Report of Woodward Fund, Treasurer 100
Report of Adams Temple & School Fund. Treasurer 102
Report of Retirement System. Treasurer 105
Report of Retirement System 106
Report of Assessing Department . 116
Report of Collector of Taxes . 118
Report of Health Department
Report of City Hospital 132
Report of Welfare Department
233
Report of City Physician . 237
Report of Police Department
238
Report of Fire Department 246
Report of Fire & Police Signal Department
254
Report of Building Inspector
255
Report of Wire Inspector
257
Report of Sealer of Weights & Measures 259
Report of Engineering Department 261
Report of Planning Board 276
Report of Board of Survey 277
Report of Commissioner of Public Works
278
Report of Sewer Department 284
Report of Water Department . 287
Report of Dock and Water Front Commissioner 301
Report of City Solicitor 302 Report of City Clerk 303
Report of Park Department . 394
Report of Thomas Crane Public Library 397
Report of School Department . 410
182
INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY HON. THOMAS S. BURGIN, MAYOR MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1937
Gentlemen of the City Council:
In accordance with the provisions of our City Charter, we have assembled here today for the purpose of inaugurating the forty-ninth year of Quincy's municipal life. Before proceed- ing with our duties as members of both the executive and legis- lative branches of the government, let us be mindful and ap- preciative of the service of those men who have preceded us in our work during the past forty-eight years and through whose judgment and foresight Quincy has grown from a compara- tively small town to be one of the most progressive municipali- ties in the State of Massachusetts. We must, therefore, take up our responsibilities in a manner befitting the traditions of the past and meriting the confidence which the people of Quincy have placed in us for the future.
Our deliberations will determine to a great degree the financial and economic policies of the city government. They should be conducted along cooperative lines and with the ultimate view in mind of giving our fellow citizens an intelligent and comprehensive program of municipal administration. The appropriation of every tax dollar will come under the province of your body, while the ex- penditure of those funds will rest within the authority of the execu- tive and his department heads. I have instructed each of these men to furnish such information as may be helpful to you re- garding the policies of and the expenditures in his particular department. The relationship between the Mayor and Council members must reflect a spirit of harmony and cooperation in order to bring about the best results for good government. This I pledge to you.
With general conditions still below normal, although definitely improved over a year ago, we must carefully weigh those prob- lems that will arise during the current year such as education, taxation, reduction of the city debt, wise and practical expendi- ture of city funds, unemployment, future planning for the growth and development of Quincy, and last but by no means least, the protection of the life, health and property of our citizens.
It is customary at this first meeting of the Council for the Mayor to give a brief resumé of the present financial condition of the city, to review the accomplishments of the past year and outline his plans and recommendations for the current year. This I propose to do as briefly as possible and with the thought in mind that whatever may not be covered in this address will be included in the city report which, after being printed, will be for- warded to you. Let us, therefore, take up these matters in the same order I have listed them.
PRESENT FINANCIAL CONDITION
As of December 31, 1936, our bonded indebtedness stood at $5,115,000, including not only debt incurred in past years for such purposes as school buildings, streets, sidewalks, sewers, water extension, etc., but also loans on tax titles. The latter now stand at $431,000, as compared to $494,000 at the end of 1935 and with a peak figure of over $600,000 previous to that time. I see no reason why our tax title loans will involve any additional ex-
5
INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY HON. THOMAS S. BURGIN, MAYOR
pense to the taxpayer, as it appears that they will ultimately be retired entirely out of the redemption of tax titles.
1
Comparing the present total debt with the debt of a year ago, it will be noted that the net reduction in the last twelve months amounts to $180,500. It had been anticipated that this figure would reach the total of $200,000 which has been the amount, frequently expressed by me as the desired net reduction per year of our indebtedness. Our tax title reduction came within $3,500 of the estimate on this type of loan. The remaining dif- ference of $16,000 represents a note issued in anticipation of a federal grant on our P. W. A. sewer project, now completed and accepted. This grant money has not been received, and in con- sequence the debt incurred in anticipation of its payment still remains outstanding, but should be paid off shortly. Even with this unforeseen delay, however, in making possible a further re- duction in the total debt for 1936 it should be noted that since June 30, 1935, shortly after I assumed the Mayor's duties, our total debt has been reduced well over $300,000, which for the year and a half is a better average than the $200,000 annual reduction I had planned.
Looking to the year 1937 it should be noted that our scheduled long term bonded debt retirements will total $866,500, to which should be added an amount for the further anticipated reduction of tax title loans. If the latter are reduced only by the same net amount as they were in 1936, total debt retirements will be over $928,000. In accordance with my plans, the borrowings for the year 1937 will amount to approximately $650,000, which should provide the usual amount of funds for our normal con- struction program for the Public Works Department, including the highway, sewer and water divisions and an estimated re- quirement as the city's share in the construction of a new Fire Department and Fire Alarm Headquarters. Also included in this amount are relief loans, if such a type of financing is au- thorized by an act of the 1937 legislature and if figured on the same basis as last year, would require approximately $260,000. I have not, however, included any estimate for borrowings in the event that the city should acquire, through a taking, the public parking space now being rented. This is a matter of special im- portance and to which I shall refer later in my address.
With estimated borrowings as outlined of $650,000 and estimated retirements of $928,000, it may be seen that there can be a net reduction of approximately $278,000 for the year. In conformity with my plan of a net debt reduction of $200,000 per year, there will be a margin, as you can see, of $78,000, which may be used in the event that emergencies arise requiring borrowings other than those anticipated in my previous statement or if we use this amount for the acquisition of parking lands.
It is of importance to you that special notice be taken of the program as outlined insofar as it relates to funding a portion of our relief expenditures along the same lines that have been pursued in recent years, if such procedure is made possible by the State Legislature. As has been shown in my previous figures, including borrowings for these relief purposes, a substantial re- duction may be made in the debt of the city. The importance to our taxpayers of having such borrowings authorized for relief purposes again this year must not be overlooked. While I be- lieve and hope that loans of this character will be substantially less than the 1936 borrowings of $260,000, it should be borne in mind that if a similar amount had to be provided solely from
6
CITY OF QUINCY
taxation it would involve an increase in the current year's tax rate of over two dollars which, perfectly obviously, could not be offset by the greatest economies possible in other directions.
I shall plan to present the annual appropriation order to you for consideration in about thirty days, which is considerably earlier than usual. This should enable us to prepare our entire financial policy for the year very much in advance of previous years.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT 1936 Construction-General Comments
During the year 1936 there have been many accomplishments in the line of construction. Since most of these were done through this department under the direction of the Commissioner, Mr. Sargent, I shall include them here before going into detail concerning other divisions of the Public Works Department.
The planned program for the year which I presented to the members of the Council on January 6, 1936, has been closely fol- lowed during the past twelve months. Perhaps the outstanding construction work has been the building of the North Senior High School Addition, completing one of the finest Junior and Senior High School Buildings in the State.
The Municipal Garage, housing equipment of the various divi- sions of the Public Works Department, is now a reality and in use, thus giving added efficiency to the operation of the depart- ment. The new sand bin, constructed directly in the back of the municipal garage, has been completed. By the construction of the added unit, a great deal of time will be saved in the load- ing of trucks with sand during the winter snow and ice storms. Heretofore this work has all been done by hand operation from piles of sand, sometimes frozen, located directly back of the City Stable.
It will be only a short time before the new Administration Building at the Quincy City Hospital will be dedicated and turned over by the Commissioner to the Board of Managers for immediate use as the final step in replacing the old and unsafe wooden buildings on the hospital grounds.
For both the City Garage and this Hospital Building we are appreciative of the assistance from the federal government through an outright grant of 45%. Under this arrangement our taxpayers have received full value at approximately 55% of the cost.
The elimination of the Quincy Adams Grade Crossing has been completed this year, thus removing one of the most dangerous spots on the entire south shore. Appropriations for this work were made entirely by the federal government, and the municipality cooperated by making the necessary changes effected by this new construction. I gratefully acknowledge the assistance ren- dered by the federal government and the help given by every person taking part in our long but successful efforts for this im- provement.
Through normal city appropriations many miles of streets have been either built or rebuilt during the past year. Perhaps the most beneficial accomplishment along this line for our citizens as a whole and the thousands of people coming here to shop was the resurfacing of Hancock Street from City Hall to School Street and the covering of the unused tracks of the Eastern Massa- chusetts Street Railway Company along the route. The general appearance of our principal business highway has been notice- ably improved. School and Franklin Streets have been rebuilt,
7
INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY HON. THOMAS S. BURGIN, MAYOR
and this, together with the work done in 1935 on Independence Avenue, gives us a fine wide street without tracks, from the Braintree line directly to Quincy Square. Beneficial street work has been done in every section of the city, and a detailed list of these will be included in the annual city report.
The completion and acceptance of the new sewer under Docket No. 2051 P. W. A. will serve many sections of the city heretofore without this necessity for public health. I trust that as many property owners as possible along these sewer lines will make the necessary application for their house connections to the main sewer.
In our water division of the Public Works Department we have completed the new two million gallon storage tank on Cranch Hill, fulfilling all of our requirements for storage capacity in the city for many years to come. The National Board of Fire Underwriters have just completed their survey in Quincy. A com- prehensive report of the water system and the improvements made therein will be included in the summary they will submit within the next two months. I trust that upon its receipt you gentlemen will carefully study it. I shall use every effort of mine toward the immediate enlargement of the Metropolitan District Commis- sion Water Mains leading into Quincy from the source of supply. This should take care of any shortage of water during the ex- tremely hot weather.
Much construction has been done under the W. P. A. program during the past year. The extensive work on Faxon Park is well under way and should be completed in 1937. Edgewater Drive and the Sea Wall at Houghs Neck need only the final grading and building of the street to put them in public use. Approximately fifty unaccepted streets under authorization of the federal govern- ment have been subgraded and in many instances tarred and sanded. O'Neil Field in North Quincy has been drained, filled and graded for use as a baseball field. Adjoining this property is the new so-called North Quincy High Athletic Field, which needs only a small amount of finishing work, including the erecting of a seven-foot chain link fence entirely around the property to make it complete and ready for the football season of 1937. Many of our public buildings have been entirely repaired, repainted and rewired under this W. P. A. program at a great saving to the taxpayers of Quincy. Another valuable piece of construction work was the erection of a granite wall around the northerly side of the Mount Wollaston Cemetery and the enlargement of the avail- able space for cemetery purposes east of that portion already developed. Granite for practically all of these projects was quarried by W. P. A. labor at no cost to the city other than the rental charge for the use of the quarry and equipment.
Highway, Sewer and Water Divisions
The work in these divisions of the Public Works Department for 1937 will be very much the same as in the year 1936. We an- ticipate some new extensions in the Sewer Division and Water Division, and the rebuilding of several streets throughout the city under the direction of the Highway Division. It is also hoped that a sidewalk program will be made possible through the Annual Appropriation Order.
Cemetery Division
I recommend that serious consideration be given to the con- solidation of our Public Cemeteries and Parks, as is done in many
8
CITY OF QUINCY
other cities, including Boston. By the vote of a previous City Council, the Cemetery Department, heretofore a separate unit, was placed under the direction of the Commissioner of Public Works. As his duties without this added responsibility require all of his time, I believe that it would be to the distinct advantage of our citizens if our cemeteries and parks could be united under one head, which should make a far better arrangement.
This, of course, would require Council action in a change of Ordinance. Perhaps some better arrangement than the one sug- gested here may be worked out by the Mayor and your Ordinance Committee if an opportunity is presented for a conference.
W. P. A. Division
I must pause here to officially record the death of George E. Pfaffman, W. P. A. Administrator in Quincy for many months. In his passing our city suffered a distinct loss, and his fine work will always stand as a memorial to a true Christian gentleman.
Under the direction of Mr. Venna and his Assistant, Mr. Duggan, the work of our W. P. A. program has continued along very satis- factorily. The 1937 plans are almost completely worked out and will be presented to you at the time the Council is called upon to appropriate the city's contribution as its part of the federal re- lief work. Reference to special projects will be made later in my address.
May I respectfully request that you gentlemen review carefully the splendid work that has been done in Quincy for the past year under the W. P. A. program, which will be compiled and included in the annual city report.
WELFARE DEPARTMENT
The maintenance costs of this department for 1936, although lower than in 1935, can, in my opinion, be reduced even further with- out inflicting any undue hardships, providing that the Federal re- lief programs are continued and that employment on these projects include more city welfare recipients. Our largest expenditure is for what we call "Outside Aid." In my remarks to the Council a year ago, I stated that the Commissioner was then using every effort to reduce the cost of this division through a closer check- up by the visitors on welfare recipients. This has been done, and it may be of interest to note that the expenditures for Outside Aid in 1936 were about $100,000 lower than in 1935. In view of the fact that receipts from the federal government W. P. A. pro- gram for labor only were less than the receipts from E. R. A. in 1935 for the same purposes, I feel that this is a most creditab'e showing.
"Old Age Assistance", however, has increased materially, due to the lowering of the age limit by the State Government from 70 to 65 years.
"Mothers' Aid" showed an increase this past year due to our policy of giving relief to broken homes where the father has either died or is not living with his family, through cash rather than through script, as under the Outside Aid plan. It should be re- membered that under both Mothers' Aid and Old Age Assistance the city receives a substantial percentage of its expenditures back from either the State or the Federal Government.
Settlements with many other cities and towns have been ef- fected during the past year, and it was on December 31, 1936, that the Commissioner advised me that all deficit bills with all cities and towns in the Commonwealth with the exception of
9
INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY HON. THOMAS S. BURGIN, MAYOR
Boston had been settled. Some of those bills have been in dis- pute for several years. With a clean slate we start the year 1937, with all deficit bil's from cities and towns except Bos- ton paid up to January 1, 1936. Current bills for the year 1936 will, of course, be paid during 1937.
I have instructed the Commissioner to continue his investiga- tors in their work of resurveying "case histories", in order that any changes of status may be observed and recorded, so that in- sofar as possible only those in need will receive municipal welfare aid.
QUINCY CITY HOSPITAL
I am very much pleased at the splendid work being done in this department by the Board of Managers, the Superintendent, and his staff, together with the medical staff. The apparent cooper- ation is most helpful in the development of our hospital to be one of the best for its size in the state. The new Administration Building will greatly increase the efficient operation of the hospital and will fill a long anticipated need. Detailed information of this department's work during the past year will be furnished in the annual report of the Board of Managers.
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
During the past year I have endeavored to cooperate with the members of the School Committee in every possible way. Without question the report of this committee will cover in detail the de- velopments and improvements in the system far better than any words of mine at this time.
PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Under the leadership of the new Chief, I feel certain from ob- servations made that our Police Department has a splendid future ahead of it. Many changes have already been put into effect to improve the workings of the department, and from general com- ments heard the efficiency has been greatly increased. There are two recommendations I should like to see carried out during the year 1937.
The first pertains to the enlargement of the present garage at the Police Station through a W. P. A. project. Under the proposed plans now nearly completed, an additional story would be added over the present garage, giving about double the floor area and allowing an entrance on the Sea Street level of the property. Due to the fact that we are now using radio equipped prowl cars, the facilities of the present garage seem to be somewhat overtaxed.
The second recommendation pertains to the enforcement of the liquor laws in this city. While the enforcement of these laws may be a function of the Alcoholic Beverage Commission of the Commonwealth, still I feel that the city cannot evade its responsi- bility to its citizens by refusing to direct its special attention to the enforcement of the various safeguards about this business. I recommend that a sufficient appropriation be made to permit the Police Department to assist the License Commissioners in procuring a strict enforcement of the liquor license requirements, especially insofar as it affects the sale of liquor in any form to minors.
The photography division of this department seems to me to be one which should be substantially developed. It can be of material service to many departments of the city, especially the
10
CITY OF QUINCY
Law Department, and I recommend that the Chief give considera- tion to the inclusion of a sufficient amount to bring this work up to the necessary standard.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The progress made in this branch of public safety during the past year has been decidedly to the advantage of our people in every section of the city. I publicly commend the officers and men for their cooperation in my efforts to develop fire protection and fire prevention along the lines as recommended by both the National Board of Fire Underwriters and the New England Fire Insurance Exchange. Much has been already done, yet in order to get the greatest value for the money spent in this work, we must follow through with a planned program. During the last twelve months three new 750-gallon pumping engines have been commissioned to replace the eighteen-year-old engines of lesser capacity in West Quincy, Houghs Neck and Quincy Point; a regu- lar drill school has been established; all office records have been thoroughly modernized through a card index system; a fire pre- vention bureau with systematic inspections of all business proper- ties has been put into operation.
The stations in Atlantic and Wollaston have been completely repaired through the use of W. P. A. labor. Police radio for the receipt of fire alarms while on the road has been installed in both the Chief's and Deputy Chief's cars, and has more than justified its installation cost. The apparatus in every station is now in the best mechanical condition in the city's history. I recom- mend your immediate consideration to amend the Fire Depart- ment Ordinance so that a mechanic may be provided in this de- partment for full time work. Quincy is one of the very few cities of the state now operating its Fire Department without such a mechanic, and I feel sure in reviewing the large expenditures of the city for the last few years on repair and maintenance charges through private garage men, that a substantial saving would be made if there was a mechanic permanently employed in the de- partment. The need of properly checking and keeping our equip- ment, worth close to $100,000, in repair would be an investment far exceeding the cost under the present system.
I recommend for your immediate consideration the construction of a new Fire Department Headquarters, including the Fire Alarm Division. This is absolutely essential as the present build- ing, now over forty years old, is in a dangerous condition and entirely inadequate to accommodate the seventeen men on each platoon who are stationed there. I shall submit to the Council an order providing funds by the city, and make a request from the federal government for a 45% P. W. A. grant for this new Fire Department Headquarters, which should be located on the present Quincy Avenue site. The property just south of our land should be acquired by the city to give a 200 foot frontage on Quincy Avenue, with a depth of 100 feet, allowing sufficient area for the new fire alarm building, central station, and the drill tower. I now have preliminary plans and sketches upon which estimates will be based in my request for the federal grant. The advantage to our citizens in doing this construction under a fed- eral grant of 45% of the entire cost cannot be overlooked. It will mean a direct saving of between sixty-five and seventy thousand dollars.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.