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MANE
QUINCY
CITY OF QUINCY
MASSACHUSETTS
ANNUAL REPORTS
OR
1950
THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1641 0096 9916 0
20 /4 /
QUINCY MASSACHUSETTS
MAD ET
· QUINCY? 1888
·
Departmental Reports
For The Year
1950
This book was prepared, written and edited under the direction of the office of the City Manager. A large part of the text is based on data and information gath- ered from the annual reports of the various municipal department heads.
Preface
This is the story of municipal government in Quincy, Massa- chusetts, during the year 1950.
Now a progressive and prosperous city of more than 83,000 inhabitants, Quincy is one of the historically richest cities in the United States. Settled in 1625, only five years after the Pilgrims came to Plymouth, Quincy soil has felt the footfalls of Captain John Smith and Myles Standish. Three of its native sons, John Adams, John Quincy Adams and John Hancock played principal roles in creating a new nation and shaping its early destiny.
The people of Quincy in this year of 1950 proved that they had kept alive and virile that fine heritage of political freedom handed down through the generations from the founding fathers. A century and three-quarters ago men of Quincy, together with o'her stout-hearted Colonials, had the courage to strike for a new form of government at the national level. This year the people of Quincy had the courage to try out a new form of government at the local level.
This year Quincy is operating for the first time under a Plan E charter, which has brought into effect the council-manager form of municipal government. It is not the function of this annual city report to express an opinion as to whether or not the new form is better than the old.
One thing is certain: if the majority of the registered voters prefer the new type of government, it will remain; if not, it will be replaced.
That is the American way-and the clear-thinking, freedom- loving men of Quincy were leaders in shaping the American way a hundred and seventy-five years ago.
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https://archive.org/details/inauguraladdress1950quin
FIRST PLAN E MAYOR OF QUINCY
شيد الطاقة
Hon. THOMAS S. BURGIN, Mayor
Directory The City of Quincy
HON. THOMAS S. BURGIN, Mayor WILLIAM J. DEEGAN, JR., City Manager
CITY COUNCIL
Thomas S. Burgin, Mayor
David J. Crowley, Vice Chairman Carl W. Anderson Edna B. Austin
Amelio Della Chiesa Alfred G. Helfrich Frank N. Orcutt
Donald P. Crane, Clerk
Percy N. Lane, Clerk of Committees
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Thomas S. Burgin, Chairman A. Wendell Clark, Vice Chairman William A. Anderson Dominic J. Chiminello
Annie B. Forsyth
Dennis F. Ryan
Ethel B. Wiley
Dr. Paul Gossard, Superintendent
Albert H. Cochrane, Ass't Superintendent
Rudolph A. Lofgren, Ass't Superintendent
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BOARD OF ASSESSORS N. Gorham Nickerson, Chairman Arnold O. Eastman
William J. Callahan
CITY OFFICIALS
Hattiemay Thomas Alexander Smith Mildred L. Tyler Frederick C. Smail
Arthur I. Burgess
City Clerk City Auditor City Treasurer Collector of Taxes City Solicitor
Douglas A. Randall, Assistant Solicitor
Joseph F. Hughes Police Chief
D. Francis Sweeney,Dog Officer Kenneth Yoerger, Harbor Master Carmello Morreale, Shellfish Constable
Thomas F. Gorman Fire Chief
Anthony J. Venna Commissioner of Welfare
J. Gerard White, Superintendent City Home Dr. William R. Helfrich, City Physician
Charles R. Herbert Commissioner Public Works
George Mckay, Superintendent Engineering
Ambrose Igo, Superintendent Streets
James P. Donovan, Superintendent Water Division
Patrick J. Tymon, Superintendent Sewer Division
A. Warren Stewart, Superintendent Forestry
Dr. Richard M. Ash Commissioner of Health
Arthur Drake, Foreman Cemetery Division
John F. Hagerty, Inspector of Plumbing
Dr. Ensio K. F. Ronka Director Quincy Hospital
Galen W. Hill Librarian, Thomas Crane Public Library Edmund F. Genereau Director Veterans' Services Judge James A. Mulhall Director Civil Defense Thomas F. Macdonald, Ass't Director Civil Defense Harry T. Boyd Foreman Parks and Playgrounds Alrick A. Weidman Frank Lints Building Inspector Wire Inspector Harold Hughes Sealer of Weights and Measures
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Park Commissioners J. Earnest Collins, Chairman
William J. Mitchell
Kenneth P. Fallon, Jr.
Recreation Commission J. Ernest Collins, Chairman
William J. Mitchell Katherine G. McCoy Wallace Rockwell
Kenneth P. Fallon, Jr. Dennis F. Ryan Gilbert L. Crofts
Thomas Crane Public Library Trustees James S. Collins, Chairman
David F. Taylor Georgiana C. Lane Clara E. Thompson L. Paul Marini
Henrietta C. Thomas
Galen W. Hill, Librarian
Planning Board
Walter A. Schmitz Delcevare King
John J. Duane
Frederick E. Bergfors Ernest N. Gelotte
Retirement Board
George H. Bonsall
John F. Denneen
Alexander Smith
Board of Appeals-Building
John J. Gallagher
Paul N. Sullivan
James R. Hanlon
Board of Appeals-Zoning
Heslip E. Sutherland
Thomas E. Fallon
Walter A. Schmitz
Board of Registrars
Mrs. Hattiemay Thomas Mrs. Mary E. Hurney Charles A. Thorner
William F. Maher
Managers Adams Temple and School Fund Mayor Thomas S. Burgin
William J. Deegan, Jr. William C. Edwards
Mildred L. Tyler Arthur I. Burgess
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Managers Woodward Fund and Property William J. Deegan, Jr.
Mildred L. Tyler Hattiemay Thomas
Alexander Smith Jack A. MacCracken
Fence Viewers
Gustave A Bergfors Herbert A. Shaughnessy John P. Noonan
Managers of Historical Places
William C. Edwards Lawrence W. Lyons
Grace P. Bonsall Henry Adams
Mrs. Maurice P. Spillane
Board of Survey Louis F. Langelier, deceased
John J. Manning
William H. Couch
Hospital Board of Managers Augustus E. Settimelli, Chairman
Esther C. Boling
William J. Martin
George W. Arbuckle J. Brooks Keyes
Dr. Ensio K. F. Ronka, Director
Quincy Housing Authority Louis A. George, Chairman
J. Girard White Laurence S. Foley
Matthew Cushing Rev. Victor V. Sawyer
Frank C. Hendry, Director
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1950
QUINCY'S FIRST PLAN E COUNCIL
1951
QUINCY?
1888
--
Alfred G. Helfrich, Carl W. Anderson, David J. Crowley, vice chairman; Thomas S. Burgin, Mayor; Amelio Della Chiesa, Edna B. Austin, Frank N. Orcutt
Plan E Becomes Effective
Plan E, the Massachusetts charter providing for the council- manager plan of municipal government became effective in Quincy on the first day of 1950 as a result of a popular vote of the in- habitants late in 1948 when they expressed their preference in its favor by an approximate two to one ratio. Plan E succeeded the Plan A charter which had operated in Quincy for many years.
The Plan A form of municipal government provided for the election of a mayor and a council of nine members, three at large and one from each of the six wards. The mayor had veto power as a check on the council and, in addition, substantial executive and administrative authority. Furthermore, through his function of preparing the annual budget, which the council could cut but could not increase, he could exert considerable in- fluence in shaping the financial policy of the city government.
Plan E brought into operation the proportional representa- tion form of voting at elections. Through this type of voting the registered voters elected a council of seven members, all serv- ing at large. The council in turn elected one of its own members as mayor and another as vice chairman.
Under Plan E the mayor has no administrative or appointive powers over municipal department heads and no veto power: neither does he prepare the annual budget. He has a single vote as a member of the council. His functions are exactly the same as the functions of other members of the council save that he serves as its presiding officer and officially represents the city at formal occasions. In his absence the vice chairman presides. The mayor does, however, retain the authority to appoint stand- ing and special council committees by virtue of his chairmanship.
Under Plan E the council elects a professional city manager who exercises practically all of the administrative and executive powers invested in the mayor under Plan A. He prepares the budget, which the council may cut but may not increase: selects department heads subject to appointment ; has appointive and dis- charge powers over other municipal officials and employees. He has no veto power over legislation. It is his duty and function to carry out the policies shaped by the council under its power to appro- priate money. The council is restricted by law from interfering with his administrative functions.
Quincy's first Plan E council elected as its mayor Thomas S. Burgin, who had topped the candidates by a wide margin in the election late in 1949. Mr. Burgin had served in the council. in the General Court of Massachusetts and as Mayor of Quincy under the old charter. David J. Crowley, who had served as a ward councilor from Ward One, was chosen as vice chairman.
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The new council had established the salary of mayor at $4,000 and the salary of the councilors at $3,000. Under the last years of Plan A the mayor had received $6,000 and each councilor $1,000.
The council chose as Quincy's first city manager William J. Deegan, Jr., who resigned from the city managership of Superior, Wisconsin, to accept the Quincy post; and the salary was estab- lished at $13,500 a year.
Although his position was invested in wide-sweeping appoint- ive powers, the new city manager made no changes in the depart- ment heads. Neither did he start out with a drastic reduction of the number of city employees. He did, however, inaugurate a pol- icy of gradually reducing municipal personnel through the device of abolishing unnecessary positions as they became vacant through such causes as death, retirement, or resignation .
On the recommendation of the manager, the city council re- tained the services of Ernst and Ernst, consulting engineers, to make a management audit of the city government with a view of stream-lining the municipal machine in conformance with the theory and practice of the council-manager form of government. Late in the year the council effected many of the recommendations made by the consultants.
These changes included : regrouping of municipal departments for accounting purposes; combining the offices of city treasurer and city collector; creation of the job of deputy collector and di- rector of the budget; establishment of the department of finance and creation of the position of director of finance; and creation of the position of business manager of the city hospital.
Earlier in the year the council, on the recommendation of the city manager, set up the legal department on a full time basis by substantially increasing the salary of the city solicitor and estab- lishing the position of assistant city solictor.
Much of the work of stream-lining the city government along lines consistent with the council-manager form of government fell upon the shoulders of the new legal department, as the trans- ition necessitated the amending of many ordinances.
The smooth transition from one form of municipal govern- ment to a radically different form was largely due to the coopera- tion and support of the first Plan E council which, generally speaking, evinced a sincere desire to give the new muncipal machine a fair chance to work successfully. Time after time individual councilors withdrew their objections to certain features of Plan E to keep from impeding its operation .
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QUINCY'S FIRST CITY MANAGER
WILLIAM J. DEEGAN, JR. City Manager, Quincy, Massachusetts
The City Manager Speaks
City Council
Quincy, Massachusetts
The attached report summarizes the activities of the various departments of the City for the calendar year 1950.
This year has been diverted almost exclusively to the problems of adapting the municipal corporation to meet the requirements of the Council-Manager form of government. Significant accom- plishments have been made in this respect.
In order to facilitate and speed up the process of adaptation, you made possible early in the year the employment of the firm of Ernst and Ernst who prepared a Management Analysis of the City of Quincy for your guidance. They also submitted in their report to you recommendations whose objectives were to stream- line and expedite the establishment of modern business methods in the affairs of the City. It is significant that by the end of 1950, the majority of recommendations had been accomplished by the Coun- cil, many of which became effective with the beginning of the new fiscal year of 1951.
Several problems that have faced Councils in years gone by were taken up and their solutions begun. Notably from the public standpoint were such things as the reduction of the dump nuisance, the adoption of a revised planning law, the purchase of a modern sanitary and trash fleet, the purchase of sidewalk plows and other modern equipment designed to eliminate hard and costly hand labor and to speed up public works programs. Also undertaken was the beginning of the long-delayed and very essential school con- struction program designed to meet an increasing enrolment which is expected to reach its peak in 1958. It is regrettable of course that this program must be undertaken during a period of materials scarcity and inflation.
That our programs are forecasting substantial accomplish- ments for the years ahead is evidenced by the interest that the municipal bond market is giving to our security offerings and the increasingly attractive interest rates which are being bid for these bond issues. A continuation of this trend will greatly reduce the cost of our debt service and the ultimate cost to the taxpayers for interest on essential construction bonds which will be needed in the street, sewer, water and school programs.
I wish to take the opportunity of this report to thank the City Council, 'the city employees and the citizens of Quincy for their patience, consideration and cooperation in this conversion year. Without such assistance the conversion process would have taken substantially longer and would not have reached the position which now makes possible the accomplishments which we expect from the fiscal year 1951.
WM. J. DEEGAN, JR., City Manager
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The City Clerk
The office of the city clerk keeps records of the three most important events in the lives of Quincy citizens : their births, their marriages and their deaths.
To the individual citizen these records are, of course, of para- mount importance; but these recordings form but a comparatively small portion of the work carried on day by day in the clerk's office.
Elections and all matters relating to voting are handled by the clerk, and all materials and equipment needed in operating the polls and counting the votes in each of the 35 precinct polling places are prepared, set up and supervised by this city official. Furthermore, the clerk, working in co-operation with the board of registrars, is responsible for the registration of voters and prepa- ration of the voting lists.
Other functions of this office include: recording of personal property mortgages, bills of sale and mortgage discharges; is- suances of dog license, hunting and fishing licenses; issuance of shell fish licenses; and, in addition to all these duties, the city clerk also acts as Workmen's Compensation agent for the city em- ployes.
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Much information about the people of Quincy during the year 1950 is reflected in compact form in the following statistical table compiled from records kept by the city clerk :
RECORDS FOR 1950
Births recorded
2,307
Marriages recorded
1,059
Deaths recorded
972
Number of Registered voters
45,186
Dog licenses issued :
Males
1,966
Females
187
Spayed females
1,122
Kennels
14
Fishing licenses issued
1,357
Hunting licenses issued
514
Sporting licenses issued
403
Trapping licenses issued
7
Clam licenses :
Commercial
140
Resident
1,034
Non-resident
589
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Quincy Legal Department
For the first time in the history of the city the Quincy legal department was placed on a full time basis in 1950.
From the beginning of the year, which brought into effect the new council-manager form of government, it was evident that with the centralization of administrative powers in a city manager a great degree of legal safety in the prosecution of the affairs of the city would be desirable. The council, therefore. created the position of assistant to the city solicitor.
The department not only carried on the routine duties of advising the city manager and council and handling legal matters during the year but also spent much time in laying the legal foundation for a drastic revision of the Revised Ordinances deemed necessary for the new form of municipal government. These changes demanded careful interpretation and advice in the administration of laws applicable to the new form of government.
The revision of the city ordinances in light of the new charter concepts was a challange which was met by the city council in accepting many changes recommended by the legal department. With the institution of a full time department, additional duties were placed on the shoulders of the city solicitor and his assist- ant. Under the new system he represents the city in all Work- man's compensation cases, welfare cases, tax appeal cases and tax title cases and other matters which were formerly placed in the hands of outside attorneys.
During the year the number of cases against the city was substantially reduced by trial and disposition.
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FULL TIME LEGAL SERVICE FOR QUINCY
4 667 11 12 13 14 15 # 19 20 21 22 526 27 28 29
City Solicitor Arthur I. Burgess dictates to Secretary as Ass't City Solicitor Douglas A. Randall looks up Law
Police Department
The Quincy police department, responsible for the protection of the life, limb and property of citizens, is headed by Chief Joseph F. Hughes who completed in 1950 his first full calendar year as chief. Under him are four captains, eight lieutenants, ten ser- geants, 112 patrolmen, one policewoman, a custodian, a clerk, and a radio technician.
During the year members of the department arrested 2,513 persons, of which 2,299 were males and 214 females; and 2,257 were native born and 256 were foreign born. Most arrests were made in August with 362, and the least in February with 115.
During the year the traffic bureau recorded 608 traffic acci- dents, 554 persons injured and five killed. The bureau brought 1,214 motorists into court, issued warnings to 1,639 violators and tagged 8,932 cars.
The juvenile bureau brought 134 youngsters into juvenile court; recovered property taken by juveniles valued at $1,826.80 and made restitution to owners to the amount of $1.272.38.
The bureau of investigation investigated 376 breaks. 65 deaths, 384 larceny cases, 35 robbery cases and 1,411 miscel- laneous cases. Stolen property valued at $80,649.33 was recovered by the members of the bureau.
The liquor bureau made 9,826 inspections, investigated 76 complaints, held six hearings before the license commission, and brought 19 cases into court. One liquor license and one store license were suspended during the year.
The shellfish constable, working under the direction of the chief of police, reported the issuance of 1,703 clam digging per- mits, prosecuted 21 cases in court and revoked the permit of one shell fisherman.
The police made 1.226 wagon calls and 469 ambulance calls during the twelve months.
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MODERNIZED AUTOMOTIVE EQUIPMENT ADDED TO POLICE DEPARTMENT
POLICE
M2843
Multi-purpose vehicle ordinarily used as a prowl car can be converted to ambulance in a few seconds and save valuable time in rushing accident victims to hospital. Three new machines acquired by Police Dept. in 1950 proved their worth in a few months.
Quincy Fire Department
Fire losses for Quincy, according to the figures of the Quincy Fire Department, for 1950 were $364,531, of which $250,407 represented the damages to buildings and $114,124 to their con- tents.
During the year the department responded to 2,159 alarms. There were 375 fires in buildings; 729 blazes involving grass, rubbish or brush; 113 in vehicles; 9 blazes involving gasoline or oil, and 241 miscellaneous fires. Members of the department made 99 runs for rescue or emergency purposes; and responded to 121 false alarms and 54 accidental alarms.
Fire losses involved 265 homes, 90 mercantile buildings and 20 manufacturing buildings. Value of buildings involved in blazes was $2,031,138, and the value of contents so involved was $576,695.
During the year Quincy firemen raised 6,607 feet of ladders and laid 172,350 feet of hoseline.
Of 19 fires investigated, 1 was characterized as of suspicious origin, 12 of undetermined origin and six were found to be of incendiary origin.
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NEW AERIAL ADDED TO FIRE DEPARTMENT
Seventy-five foot Seagraves Ladder will aid Quincy fire fighters in battling blazes in commercial structures and multi-story residential property.
Welfare Department
The Quincy department of public welfare is divided into three divisions: general relief, aid to dependent children and old age assistance. Administration of general relief, aid to dependent children and the city home, a sub-division of general relief, is carried on from the central office at 117 School street; while old age assistance is administered from the offices on the third floor of the Quincy Savings Bank building, Quincy Square.
The staff of the department consists of 39 persons. They include a commissioner, two supervisors, two principal clerks, 14 social workers, four senior clerks, twelve junior clerks, a chauffeur, the superintendent of the city home, a cook and an institutional worker.
General Relief
The division of general relief handles all problems and cases which cannot be handled in the old age assistance and aid to dependent children divisions. Problems arising out of unemploy - ment, illness, intoxication, divorce, desertion, separation, strikes, death and similar causes of social maladjustment confront this division.
During 1950 the city's largest industry, the Fore River ship- yard, and numerous smaller industries operated on a fairly large scale. so that unemployment did not constitute a serious problem.
During the year the bulk of the problems coming to General Relief resulted from marriage crack-ups, desertion, non-support and the like rather than from lack of job opportunities. Illness also was a contributing factor. By the end of the year the division was dealing almost exclusively with the unemployables, the sick, the infirm and the incorrigibles and their dependents.
General Relief was called upon to handle 1077 new cases, in- cluding 484 new applicants from the city, 174 cases from other municipalities and 419 cases from the city hospital. On January 1. there were 309 active cases on General Relief while at the end of the year there were 274, a decrease of 35. The total expendi- tures were $215,874.61. The city received from all sources re- ceipts of $59,645.05, leaving a net cost to the city of $156,229.56 as against a net cost in 1949 of $169,688.44.
It must be kept in mind that the average number of persons in a General Relief family is five; so that approximately 5,300 needy persons came to the division for assistance during the year. Under present laws the General Relief division is the only division of public welfare having elasticity or discretion, other divisions being tightly restricted under state and federal regulations.
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City Physician
Dr. William R. Helfrich, city physician, made 1,094 calls during the year. Up until recent years the department operated its own clinic at 117 School street twice a week, and the physician would attend these clinics. A few years ago when the Quincy Hospital set up an out-patient department this clinic was aband- oned.
City Home
The department continued in 1950 to operate the city home, which was used mainly to accomodate elderly persons who, for various reasons, were unable to make living adjustments outside the home. The institution was filled to approximately 75 per- cent capacity throughout the year, and served as haven for several evicted families at times. There were 25 persons living at the home on the first of January and 33 on the last of December, with 95 admissions between these two dates.
Aid to Dependent Children
The division of aid to dependent children has become sub- stantially liberalized through legislation during the past few years, with concurrent liberalization of state and federal financial assistance. It now provides benefits for widows and children, as formerly, and also the wives and children of men in jail, of deserters, and for divorcees and illigimate children and their mothers.
During 1950 the cost was $229,380.58, with $144,963.00 state and federal receipts and a net cost to the city of $84,417.58 as against a net cost in 1949 of $92,938.17.
Old Age Assistance
The Old Age assistance carries the largest case load of any sub-division of the welfare department. On January 1, the case load was 1,386 and on December 31 it was 1,467, or an increase of 81 persons. The total cost for Old Age assistance was $1,154,- 302.52, with net receipts from all sources of $970,691.88, leaving a net cost to the city of $183,610.73 in 1950 as against a net cost of $185,043.11 in 1949.
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