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CITY OF QUINCY
MASSACHUSETTS
1640
1625
MANET 1292
QUINCY
ANNUAL REPORTS 1949
THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1641 0096 9914 5
Copy 1
QUINCY
MASSACHUSETTS
M
QUINCYS 1886
Departmental Reports For The Year 1949
This book was prepared and edited under the direction of William J. Deegan, Jr. City Manager
Preface
This is the 1949 story of the municipal government of Quincy, Massachusetts, one of the oldest and historically richest communities in the United States.
Quincy was visited by Captain Myles Standish in 1621 and was settled in 1625 when Captain Wollaston established a trading post here. On May Day, 1627, Thomas Morton, the first playboy recorded in American history, set up a Maypole in Merrymount, shocked the Pilgrims by roistering with the Indians, and was arrested by Standish and banished to England.
Quincy and Braintree were incorporated as the town of Brain- tree in 1640. In 1792 the North Precinct was separated and incorporated as the town of Quincy, with a population of 900. Quincy became a city in 1888.
Quincy is the birthplace of John Adams, John Quincy Adams and John Hancock. The bodies of the two presidents and their wives rest under First Parish church; the Adams' birthplaces and the Adams Mansion, a national historic shrine, are visited yearly by thousands of tourists.
Quincy industry was dominated by granite in olden days and by shipbuilding in recent times. The city is the site of the first railway in America.
This year of 1949 marks the close of an era in Quincy political history, for Plan A, a form of municipal government in which executive powers are invested in a mayor, will be replaced in 1950 by Plan E, or the council-manager form, in which such powers are invested in a city manager.
This story of municipal services rendered to Quincy's 83,000 in- habitants is compiled from annual reports of city officials and de- partment heads.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 with funding from Boston Public Library
https://archive.org/details/inauguraladdress 1949quin
Jable of Contents
Director of City Officials
Page 7
Annual Message of the Mayor 15
City Clerk 17
License Commission 18
Police Department 21
Fire Department
24
Sealer of Weights and Measures 25
Building Department 26
Wire Department 27
Health Department
33
City Hospital
36
Public Works Department
40
Public Welfare Department
47
Department of Veterans Services
53
Recreation Commission
57
Park Department 58
Thomas Crane Public Library 61
School Department 62
Retirement Board 69
Quincy Housing Authority 69
First Plan E Election 70
Financial Reports:
Treasurer 75
Collector
86
Assessors 92
Auditor 94
7
Directory of City Officials - 1949 HON. CHARLES A. ROSS, Mayor
City Council
Members at Large -- Frank N. Orcutt, Carl W. Anderson, Mrs. Edna B. Austin.
Ward Councilors-Ward One, David J. Crowley; Ward Two, William J. Papile; Ward Three, Amelio Della Chiesa; Ward Four, John B. O'Connor; Ward Five, Clifton H. Baker; Ward Six, Thomas J. Gilmartin.
President of the Council-Clifton H. Baker.
Clerk of the Council-Mrs. Hattimay Thomas.
Deputy Clerk of the Council-Donald P. Crane. Clerk of Committees-Percy N. Lane.
City Messenger-Harry W. Tirrell.
AUDITOR OF ACCOUNTS Leo E. Mullin
BUILDING INSPECTOR Alrick A. Weidman
CITY CLERK Mrs. Hattiemay Thomas
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK Donald P. Crane
CHIEF OF FIRE DEPARTMENT Thomas F. Gorman
CHIEF OF POLICE DEPARTMENT John J. Avery, pensioned August 28, 1949; Joseph F. Hughes, appointed August 28.
SUPERINTENDENT OF FIRE AND POLICE SIGNALS
Thomas J. Smith
HARBOR MASTER James A. M. Nash
HEALTH COMMISSIONER Dr. Richard M. Ash
CITY PHYSICIAN Dr. William R. Helfrich
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS Charles R. Herbert
PURCHASING AGENT Orrie D. Williams COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WELFARE® Anthony J. Venna
SUPERINTENDENT OF SEWER DIVISION (TEMPORARY)
Patrick J. Tymon
CITY SOLICITOR ky ..
John P. Flavin
COLLECTOR OF TAXES Frederick C. Smail
CITY TREASURER John R. Shaughnessy, deceased June 27, 1949; Miss Mildred L. Tyler, appointed July 1, 1949.
DIRECTOR OF VETERANS' SERVICES Edmund F. Genereau
SUPERINTENDENT OF WATER DIVISION John G. Whitman
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Harold Hughes
INSPECTOR OF WIRES Frank Lints
00
School Committee for 1949
MAYOR CHARLES A. ROSS, Chairman RAYMOND C. WARMINGTON, Vice Chairman
A. Wendell Clark Carter Lee Alexander Smith
William A. Anderson
Mrs. Helen E. Spencer, died January 9, 1949
Mrs. Annie B. Forsyth, elected to fill vacancy.
Dr. Paul Gossard, Secretary of the Committee and Superintendent of Schools.
Albert H. Cochrane, Assistant Superintendent.
Rudolph A. Lofgren, Assistant Superintendent.
Administrative Boards
BOARD OF ASSESSORS
Charles F. A. Smith, Chairman Arnold Eastman Larry Antonelli
THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEES
James S. Collins, Chairman
Georgiana C. Lane
Clara E. Thompson
Henrietta C. Thomas
D. Foster Taylor Vincent Readdy, died in March, 1949.
L. Paul Marini. appointed to vacancy.
PARK COMMISSIONERS
J. Ernest Collins. Chairman William J. Mitchell Kenneth P. Fallon, Jr.
RECREATION COMMISSION
J. Ernest Collins, Chairman William J. Mitchell Kenneth P. Fallon, Jr. Alexander Smith Katherine G. McCoy Gilbert L. Crofts John J. Morley
MANAGERS OF WOODWARD PROPERTY AND FUND Hon. Charles A. Ross, Mayor John R. Shaughnessy, City Treasurer Mildred L. Tyler, City Treasurer Hattiemay Thomas, City Clerk Leo E. Mullin, City Auditor Christian A. Burkard (Elected by Council)
9
BOARD OF SURVEY Louis F. R. Langelier William H. Couch John J. Manning
BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS
Thomas F. Gorman, Chief of Fire Department, Chairman John J. Avery, Chief of Police
Joseph F. Hughes, Chief of Police Alrick A. Weidman, Building Inspector Dr. Richard M. Ash, Health Commissioner Mrs. Hattiemay Thomas, City Clerk
PLANNING BOARD
Walter A. Schmitz, Chairman Delcevare King Ernest N. Gelotte Fred E. Bergfors John J. Duane
BOARD OF REGISTRARS
Mrs. Hattiemay Thomas, City Clerk Mrs. Mary E. Hurney William F. Maher Charles H. Thorner
QUINCY CITY HOSPITAL BOARD OF MANAGERS
George W. Arbuckle, Chairman
Esther C. Boling, Secretary William J. Martin Augustus E. Settimelli
Howard Deacon, Resigned
J. Brooks Keyes
RETIREMENT BOARD
George H. Bonsall, Chairman John F. Denneen Leo E. Mullin, City Auditor
BOARD OF MANAGERS OF HISTORICAL PLACES William C. Edwards, Chairman Grace P. Bonsall, Secretary Henry Adams Lawrence W. Lyons Harriet B. Pierce (Deceased)
BOARD OF APPEALS (Building) John J. Gallagher Paul N. Sullivan James R. Hanlon
10
BOARD OF APPEALS (Zoning) Heslip E. Sutherland Thomas E. Fallon Walter A. Schmitz
FENCE VIEWERS Robert H. Fay Gustave A. Bergfors Herbert A. Shaughnessy John P. Noonan
11
SECTION I GENERAL GOVERNMENT
EXECUTIVE LEGISLATIVE CITY CLERK LICENSE COMMISSION
13
The Quincy City Council of 1949
Carl W. Anderson
Amelo Della Chiesa
John B. O'Connor
Edna B. Austin
Clifton H. Baker President of The Council
Frank N. Orcutt
David J. Crowley
Thomas J. Gilmartin
Wiliam J. Papile
15
Mayor's Annual Message - 1949
On Monday, January 3, 1949, the final Quincy City Council before the replacement of Plan A by Plan E was organized with Councilor Clifton H. Baker elected as president. In his annual message to the council, Mayor Charles A. Ross asked for a $300 pay increase for all city employees. The mayor said, in part:
"The Commissioner of Public Works has made an exhaustive and excellent study of the automotive equipment of the City and has submitted to me a report, conaining a list of our equipment and the cost of mechanics and repairs during the year 1948. According to this report we have approximately 100 trucks owned by the City of Quincy; we have approximately 75 pieces of heavy equipment, in- cluding bulldozers, graders, compressors, etc .; and we have approxi- mately 50 passenger cars. It is clear, therefore, that we are a large city owning 225 pieces of automotive equipment. In an effort to keep this equipment in running condition, we paid in all departments, during the year 1948, for mechanics wages and salaries, a total cost of $23,522. The cost for parts and repairs for 1948 for these motor vehicles was $43,125, a total cost for mechanics and parts and repairs of $66,647. It is my belief that acting under the new ordinance, we can curtail this tremendous expense by a substantial amount. In con- sidering this matter, it may well be that the future will hold a different method of operation. Our fleet of sanitary trucks, is rapidly growing old and it may be good judgment not to replace this equipment but rather to launch on a new program of contracting the collection of garbage and rubbish as has been done in other municipalities. This. however, is in the future and involves the reduction of the number of city employees. It is something, however, for members of the Coun- cil, who will undoubtedly continue in the service of their City, to con- sider as time passes by."
In line with this whole program of city equipment, arises the question which the Council is now considering, of the purchase of certain snowfighting equipment. It appears wise to purchase some new equipment and to so arrange such purchases that part of this snow fighting equipment, at least, may be used in o her departments when not operating on snow. Money for the purchase of this equip- ment will have to be borrowed and proper orders will be presented to you.
"There is the question of the necessity of an addition to the Police Station garage for the housing of the motor vehicles of the Police Department. The floor of the present garage will have to be raised about 18 inches because of water conditions which exist there and this present garage can then be used in conjunction with an addition which seems to be very essential.
"There is also to be considered during the coming year, the possible erection of, and rebuilding school buildings, and, of course, the completion and erection of our Health Center on Hancock street.
-
16
"New street construction must continue and I trust it will be as successful as the street construction program of 1948. For this pur- pose, money will have to be borrowed and from present indications, a sum of $200,000 would be necessary, exclusive of the building of Washington street.
"In connection with borrowing for public improvements, we also have the question of the municipal parking area. A bill has been filed in the Legislature seeking permission to borrow not over $300,- 000 for rebuilding the parking area and for authority to install therein parking meters. I am informed by the Commissioner of Public Works that perhaps this figure of $300,000 is more than would be necessary but if this bill is favorably acted upon, we can then determine what course of action we should take in regard thereto. I am disappointed that so many of our owners of business properties in and around the parking area, are now seeking tax abatements when we are at the same time moving towards a completion of a parking area which is, without question, the outstanding area of its kind in the en ire Com- monwealth.
"Again I would recommend to the Council, the widening of Revere Road from Hancock Street to the Southern Artery. It appears to me that such a project would be of great value to the public and would go far to remedy traffic conditions in and around Quincy Square.
"One matter of tremendous importance to me and to the mem- bers of the Council is the question of salary increases. The matter has been of grave concern to me and to the members of the Council and I know that at recent meetings, you have had some intensive discus- sion thereon. After a review of the entire situation, I am recommending to the Council, for your action, a $300 increase for all municipal em- ployees with the exception of the employees of the School Depart- ment, who have already been taken care of by action of the School Committee. Such an increase as I have proposed will make it necessary that all departments must reduce their expenses and cost of operation to a minimum so that we may be able to maintain a reasonable tax rate. The proposed increase, however, I feel to be necessary in order that the city employees may have sufficient funds to properly care for their families under present conditions of living costs."
17
Office of The City Clerk
The Office of the City Clerk has many points of contact with the lives of Quincy citizens from birth to death. Here in this office, when your birth is recorded, you are given your first recognition as an inhabitant of Quincy and as a citizen of the United States. With the recording of your birth you are pledged the tremendous blessing of American citizenship.
Here they record your birth, your marriage, your death, the births of your children, your right to vote. Here they issue you a license to marry, to hunt, to fish, to trap, to keep a dog. Here they record your personal mortgages, bills of sale and mortgage discharges. Here you come for written proof of your right to a free education. Here you come if your marriage, your right to vote, your right to attend school, your nativity or your citizenship is challenged.
Certified copies of licenses and records are issued either for pesonal use or for legal or governmental purposes.
The City Clerk's Office also keeps the official records of the City Council, supervises elections and serves as workman's compensation agent for city employes.
The vital statistics for this year and last year are as follows:
1948
1949
Births
2315
2224
Marriages
1141
1021
Deaths
982
948
The total number of registered voters in 1949 was 44,257, as against 45,990 in 1948.
During 1949 various types of dog licenses issued were as follows: male, 1,903; female, 179; spayed, 1,036; kennels, 10.
18
Board of License Commissioners
The Board of License Commissioners consists of five city officials whose positions give them special qualifications for passing judgment on the issuance of licenses and permits for various types of enterprises under its jurisdiction. They are the Fire Chief, Health Commissioner, Building Inspector and City Clerk. The Fire Chief is the chairman and the City Clerk is the secretary.
Heretofore, the Board included only the Fire Chief, Police Chief and City Clerk,but during the year the other two officials were added.
The Board conducts hearings on the issuance of new licenses and permits, on transfers and on charges brought against licensees by various enforcement agencies. Personal inspections are made before licenses are issued or transferred.
The following table shows the types of licenses and permits issued and the amount of fees collected during 1949.
Type of License
Collected $ 885.00
Common Victuallers
Lord's Day
800.00
Garage, gasoline, repair shops, alcohol, and in- flammables
3,662.00
Motors
2,075.00
Amusements, Public Halls
575.00
Secondhand, Junk Shops
550.00
Bowling, Billiards, Pool
1,920.00
Liquor
72,750.00
Miscellaneous
871.88
Total
$84,088.88
Fees collected in 1948 amounted to $82,171.05; and in 1947 to $73,103.10. These figures reflect the gradual but steady growth of busi- ness enterprises regulated by the Board.
19
SECTION II
PROTECTION OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY
POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRE DEPARTMENT SEALERS OF WEIGHTS and MEASURES BUILDING INSPECTOR WIRE INSPECTOR
21
Police Department
The year 1949 brought a new Chief to the Quincy Police Depart- ment. Chief John J. Avery, who had served law and order as a Quincy Police Officer since May 7, 1910 and who had been Chief since 1936, reached the mandatory retirement age on August 28. Mayor Charles A. Ross appointed Lieut. Joseph F. Hughes, who topped the Civil Service list, as his successor.
The personnel of the Department in 1949 included, beside the Chief, four Captains, eight Lieutenants, 10 Sergeants, one Policewoman and 113 regular Patrolmen.
During the year the Department arrested 2,021 persons, including 1,860 males and 161 females. Of these, 1,792 were native born and 229 were foreign born. The Department made the most arrests in December, when 244 persons were locked up; and the fewest arrests in February, when only 111 persons felt the long arm and strong hand of the law. During the year 1,440 wagon calls and 414 ambulance calls were recorded.
Records of the Traffic Bureau are as follows: accidents, 569; per- sons injured, 573; persons killed, 8; prosecutions, 522; warnings to motor violators, 762; tags issued, 5,149.
22
CHIEF
Chief JOHN J. AVERY Retiring Leader of Quincy's Finest
Chief JOSEPH F. HUGHES New Head
of the Quincy
Police Department
CHIEF
23
JUVENILE RECORDS
Juvenile Court Cases 100
Informal Hearings at Probation Office 25
Informal Hearings at Police Station 135
Malicious Property Damage
92
Miscellaneous Investigations
77
Restitution Made to Owners $1,400
Property Recovered $2,210
PHOTOGRAPHY BUREAU
Prisoners Printed and Photographed
102
Accidents and Street Scenes 38
Claims Against the City 32
BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Breaks Investigated 356
Deaths Investigated
28
Larceny Cases Investigated 377
Robbery Cases Investigated 25
Miscellaneous Investigations 750
Stolen Property Recovered $17,179.15
RADIO DIVISION
Messages Sent from Headquarters
32,365
Messages Received at Headquarters 23,007
LIQUOR BUREAU
Liquor Inspections 9,718
Complaints Investigated
71
Hearings Before License Board
10
Licenses Suspended
4
Cases in Court
3
During the year six members of the Department, other than Chief Avery, were retired on pensions. They were Captain George W. Fallon and Patrolmen Joseph W. Benn, John E. Buell, Thomas J. Fallon, Joseph P. Griffin and John Looby. Patrolman George W. Fay, retired, died.
24
Fire Department
An efficient, adequately manned, trained and equipped Fire De- partment is a prime "Must" among municipal services. Anything less constitutes a serious hazard to life and property of citizens.
The personnel of the Quincy Fire Department, substantially ex- panded in 1948 when the 48-hour week was effected, consists in 1949 of 197 men, including a Chief, four Deputies, 13 Captains, 23 Lieutenants, 154 privates, one mechanic and one civilian clerk.
There are seven fire stations, strategically located about the city. Central Station, nearest the business district, houses the Departmental Administrative Offices and the Fire Alarm Headquarters-nerve center of the Department-in addition to apparatus. Other stations are located in Houghs Neck, Quincy Point, West Quincy, Wollaston, Atlantic and Squantum.
Apparatus includes two Hose Combinations, nine Pumping En- gines, three Aerial Ladders, one of which is scheduled for early de- livery, two City Service Ladders, two Special Service Trucks and three Cars.
The total fire loss for 1949 was $135,119, as against $389,582 in 1948. Of the total losses in 1949, insurance payments covered $116,446.
The Department responded to 2,311 alarms in 1949, an increase of 289 over the preceding year. The alarms this year were classified as follows: dwellings,240; mercantile, 99; automobiles, 116; grass and dump, 1,367; miscellaneous, 372; false, 102; mutual aid, 15.
In responding to these alarms Quincy firemen made 4,143 appar- atus runs; laid 204,800 feet of hose and raised 5,388 feet of ladders. Hose One, located at Headquarters, was the busiest piece of apparatus, making 645 runs during the year. Engine Four, Wollaston, with 486 runs, and Engine Five, West Quincy, with 484, were the only other pieces of apparatus averaging better than a run a day for the year.
Engine Five laid the most hose, 73,200 feet; and Ladder Two, Wollaston, raised the most ladders, 2,687 feet. In battling blazes, Quincy fire fighters used hydrants for 584 hours and pumped engines for 624 hours.
The Fire Prevention Bureau of the Department made 15,961 in- spections and issued 2,370 permits.
In his recommendations for the future, Chief Thomas F. Gorman wrote in his annual report: "The apparatus in general is in good condition with an average age of 12.6 years; with the oldest 25 years and the newest three years, for a total of 17 pieces not including the Chief Officers' cars. The replacement of Ladder Five as a first step; Hose One and Special Service replacements as a second step; with a definite program of replacement of several older Engines in accord- ance with their age and past work, as a third step."
25
The Chief also recommended strengthening the Officer Comple- ment so that there would be at least one Officer on duty in all stations during normal times. He pointed out that it is not considered good management to place privates in command.
"The number of men provided does not give maximum on duty forces to comply with the National Board requirements or the recog- nized requirements of any other survey organization," the Chief said.
He also recommended the addition of another Inspector to the Fire Prevention Bureau, and the use of radio for communications.
Sealer of Weights and Measures
Much of our earnings is spent on commodities which are sold to us by pounds, feet or gallons. The function of the Sealer of Weights and Measures is to make sure that when we pay for a pound of flour we get a pound, when we pay for a yard of cloth we get a yard, when we pay for a gallon of fuel oil we get a gallon.
This does not imply that the average seller intends to cheat us; but very often the measuring device or weighing device with which he measures or weighs his wares gets out of order for mechanical reasons. Sometimes it even gives over weight or over measure; prob- ably more often under weight or measure.
To make certain that both the buyer and the seller get a fair deal, the sealer of weights and measures makes thousands of tests and inspections each year These tests reveal that many measuring devices are inaccurate. Some can be adjusted; others must be con- demned and replaced.
In 1949 the Sealer of Weights and Measures made 1406 reweigh- ings of commodities. In these reweighings he found 1119 weighings had been correct, 198 under weight and 89 over weight. Commodities reweighed included bread, butter, coal, confectionery, dry commodi- ties, flour, fruits and vegetables, meats and provisions, and, in one ins ance, cord wood.
In testing scales, he sealed, or approved, 1286, adjusted 219, deferred 131 and condemned 75.
In testing weights, he sealed 2514, adjusted 59 and condemned 11.
In testing capacity measures he sealed 398, condemned 50.
In testing automatic measuring devices, he sealed 783, adjusted 28, deferred 386 and condemned 38.
In addition to this work, he made 8260 inspections. His office collected a total of $2,085.90 in fees and charges during the year.
27
Department of Building Inspection
Building operations in Quincy for which permits were issued during 1949 came to an estimated total cost of $5,509,549.00 as against $4,493,295.00 in 1948. The number of permits issued in 1949 was 1,644 as against 1,600 in the preceding year. Fees collected for permits in 1949 was $11,981.50 as against $9,234.00 in 1948.
BUILDING OPERATIONS BY WARDS
Ward 1
$3,201,361
Ward 2
386,810
Ward 3
292,024
Ward 4
375,648
Ward 5
505,535
Ward 6
748,171
Total
$5,509,549
PERMITS ISSUED
217 One Family Dwellings
$1,449,550
6 Two Family Dwellings
51,000
6 Three Family Dwellings
50,000
101 Four Family Dwellings
2,018,000
1 Cottage
3,000
14 Mercantile
330,350
2 Manufacturing
9,200
16 Storage
42,425
192 Garages
113,090
888 Residential Alterations
484,180
135 Other Alterations
461,124
28 Removals
6,955
3 Elevators
11,900
15 Signs
8,550
20 Miscellaneous
470,225
1,644
$5,509,549
During the year there were 651 living units provided by new construction and 42 by alterations to existing property, a total of 693.
The board of appeals for the building code rendered decisions on 11 applications, of which 9 were granted, 2 denied and 2 filed without action.
The board of appeals for zoning held hearings on 15 applications. Of these, 11 were granted, 4 denied and 1 withdrawn.
The estimated total valuation for which permits were issued during the year was increased substantially by the issuance of per- mits for the 100 four-family houses started in November in the Snug Harbor Veterans' project. This property, the valuation of which approxi- mates two million dollars, is not taxable.
28
The 693 new dwelling units covered by permits issued in 1949 will substantially abate the housing shortage. This is almost twice the number of new dwelling units covered by the permits issued in 1948 when only 326 added units were provided for.
Wire Inspection Department
The Wire Inspection Department in 1949 issued 2,016 permits for which fees totalling $4,308 were received. The total amount of fees collected ran slightly higher than the total in 1948 when $4,290.50 was collected.
During the year 2,229 inspections of all kinds were made as against 2,691 in the preceding year. During 1949 4 refrigerators, 96 water heaters, 298 electric ranges, 6,081 lights, 772 oil burners, 74 signs and 10 gas burners were wired for, the annual report of the department discloses.
29
SECTION III
HEALTH AND SANITATION
HEALTH DEPARTMENT QUINCY CITY HOSPITAL SANITARY DIVISION SEWER DIVISION WATER DIVISION
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