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OME
VILLE
FOUNDED 18 42
NAL
1872
STRAN
.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE
ANNUAL REPORTS
1889
GIVES
FREED
SOMERVILLE
0
FOUNDED 1842.
NAL
MUNICIPAL
2. ESTABLISHED
A CITY 1872. STRENGT
SOMERVILLE JOURNAL PRINT.
1890.
CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1889.
MAYOR. CHARLES G. POPE. Residence, Summit Avenue ; office, City Hall.
ALDERMEN. CHARLES L. NORTH, President.
WARD ONE.
GEORGE D. WEMYSS
Austin Street.
.
CHARLES M. HEMENWAY
.
. Perkins Street.
WARD TWO.
CHARLES L. NORTH
.
.
GEORGE A. KIMBALL
.
.
.
High Street.
Prospect Hill Avenue.
WARD THREE.
ROBERT DUDDY
Bond Street.
EZRA D. SOUTHER
.
.
Pembroke Street.
WARD FOUR.
EDWARD H. BRADSHAW ·
.
· Central Street.
JOHN W. CONVERSE
.
.
Broadway.
CLERK OF BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
GEORGE I. VINCENT.
·
4
ANNUAL REPORTS ..
COMMON COUNCIL .. ALBERT W. EDMANDS, President.
WARD ONE.
CHARLES B. SANBORN
Austin Street. .
BYRON L. FRENCH
Florence Street.
CLARENCE H. WILLEY
. Flint Street.
EDWIN A. WILCOX
. Glen Street.
WARD TWO.
JEREMIAH J. LYONS
Washington Street.
Church Street.
ALLEN F. CARPENTER
.
Park Street.
Vinal Avenue.
WARD THREE.
ALVANO T. NICKERSON
CHARLES B. OSGOOD
.
.
.
WILLIAM E. PULSIFER
FREDERICK M. KILMER .
Broadway.
WARD FOUR.
ALBERT W. EDMANDS
Summer Street ..
ISAAC R. WEBBER ·
Wallace Street.
WILLIAM A. HUNNEWELL
+
. Cedar Street.
FRANK E. MERRILL
Fairmount Avenue ...
CLERK OF COMMON COUNCIL. CHARLES S. ROBERTSON.
JOINT STANDING COMMITTEES FOR 1889.
ACCOUNTS. - Aldermen Duddy, Kimball ; Councilmen Lyons,- Webber, Pulsifer.
CITY ENGINEERING. - Aldermen Bradshaw, North ; Councilmen French, Butters, Merrill.
CLAIMS. - His Honor the Mayor; Alderman Hemenway ; the President of the Common Council ; Councilmen Kilmer, Wilcox ..
CHARLES S. BUTTERS .
·
.
L. ROGER WENTWORTH
Broadway.
Gilman Street ..
School Street ..
.
0
5
CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1889.
FINANCE. - His Honor the Mayor ; Aldermen Wemyss, Kimball ; the President of the Common Council ; Councilmen Wilcox, Went- worth, Pulsifer, Hunnewell.
FIRE DEPARTMENT. - Aldermen Duddy, Converse ; Councilmen Sanborn, Osgood, Merrill.
FUEL AND STREET LIGHTS. - Aldermen Kimball, Hemenway ; Councilmen French, Nickerson, Webber.
HIGHWAYS. - Aldermen Bradshaw, Kimball ; Councilmen Willey, Carpenter, Kilmer.
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS. - His Honor the Mayor ; Alderman Brad- shaw; the President of the Common Couneil ; Councilmen Went- worth, Pulsifer.
ORDINANCES. - Aldermen Souther, Hemenway ; Councilmen Lyons, Osgood, Willey.
PRINTING. - Aldermen Converse, Souther ; Councilmen Sanborn, Carpenter, Webber.
PUBLIC GROUNDS. - Aldermen Souther, Bradshaw ; Councilmen Nickerson, Butters, Willey.
PUBLIC PROPERTY. - Aldermen Wemyss, North; Councilmen Nickerson, Hunnewell, Wentworth.
SOLDIERS' RELIEF .- Aldermen North, Duddy ; Councilmen Lyons, Sanborn, Merrill.
WATER. - Aldermen Hemenway, Converse ; the President of the Common Council ; Councilmen French, Kilmer.
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
STANDING COMMITTEES.
ELECTIONS. - Aldermen Wemyss, Converse.
ENROLLED ORDINANCES. - Aldermen Duddy, Wemyss.
LICENSES. - Aldermen Kimball, Bradshaw.
POLICE. - His Honor the Mayor ; Aldermen Hemenway, Souther. SEWERS. - Aldermen North, Wemyss, Duddy.
STATE AID. - Aldermen Converse, North, Hemenway, Souther.
SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
BUILDING PERMITS. - Aldermen Bradshaw, Duddy.
6
ANNUAL REPORTS.
STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE COMMON COUNCIL.
ELECTIONS AND RETURNS .- Councilmen Osgood, Carpenter, Willey. ENROLLED ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS. - Councilmen Hunne- well, Butters, Wilcox.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
CHARLES G. POPE, Mayor, Chairman, ex officio.
ALBERT W. EDMANDS, President of the Common Council, ex- officio.
(Term, three years.)
WARD ONE.
S. NEWTON CUTLER (elected 1888) Pearl Street.
HORACE C. WHITE, M. D. (elected 1886)
·
Perkins Street.
HORACE P. HEMENWAY, M. D. (elected 1887) Perkins Street.
WARD TWO.
ALPHONSO H. CARVILL, M. D. (elected 1888)
JAMES F. BEARD (elected 1886) . .
CHARLES I. SHEPARD (elected 1887)
Bow Street.
Prospect Hill Av.
Vinal Avenue.
WARD THREE.
NORMAN W. BINGHAM (elected 1888) .
School Street.
QUINCY E. DICKERMAN (elected 1886) .
·
Central Street
WILLIAM P. HILL (elected 1887)
.
Sycamore Street.
WARD FOUR.
HORACE P. MAKECHNIE, M. D. (elected 1886) Elm Street.
MARTIN W. CARR (elected 1887)
·
Craigie Street.
ADDIE B. UPHAM (elected 1888)
·
Newbury Street.
CLARENCE E. MELENEY, Superintendent and Secretary.
7
CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1889.
PRINCIPAL ASSESSORS.
(Term, three years.)
BENJAMIN F. THOMPSON (elected 1887), Chair- man · GEORGE W. HADLEY (elected 1888)
Summit Avenue.
. Perkins Street.
HIRAM D. SMITH (elected 1889)
· Cross Street.
ASSISTANT ASSESSORS.
(Term, one year. )
WARD ONE.
GEORGE W. BARTLETT . .
. Franklin Street.
WARD TWO.
DAVID A. SANBORN
. Prospect Street.
WARD THREE.
EDGAR T. MAYHEW
.
.
Temple Street.
WARD FOUR.
SAMUEL T. RICHARDS . . Summer Street.
BOARD OF HEALTH.
(Term, Physician, three years; other members, two years.)
J. FRANK WELLINGTON (appointed 1889), .
Chairman Vinal Avenue. .
CHARLES H. CRANE (appointed 1888)
ALVAH B. DEARBORN, M. D. (appointed 1889)
Clerk, WILLIAM P. MITCHELL, · Inspector, CALEB A. PAGE .
Webster Street.
Office, Police Building. Office, City Hall. Webster Avenue.
.
.
8
ANNUAL REPORTS.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR. CHARLES G. POPE, Mayor, Chairman, ex officio.
HERBERT E. HILL, (elected 1886 for four
Mt. Vernon Street. , years EDWARD B. WEST (elected 1888 for unex- pired term)
Prescott Street.
DANIEL C. STILLSON (elected 1888 for un- expired term
Tennyson Street.
CHARLES G. BRETT (elected 1889 for four years)
Hall Street.
Agent, CHARLES C. FOLSOM, Office, Police Building, Bow Street. Secretary, FRANK W. KAAN, Office, Police Building, Bow Street.
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS. (Terms of all, except City Clerk, three years.)
CROMWELL G. ROWELL (appointed 1888), Chairman.
CHARLES P. LINCOLN (appointed 1889) .
WM. B. HAWES (appointed 1889 for unexpired term) .
GEORGE I. VINCENT. City Clerk.
SOMERVILLE MYSTIC WATER BOARD.
(Term, one year.)
J. ORLIN HAYDEN, President . Hill Building, Union Square.
ADNA C. WINNING .
Fremont Street.
RICHARD DOWD
Charles Street.
WALTER C. MENTZER
Cedar Street.
SAMUEL W. HOLT
Washington Street. Clerk, FREDERICK W. STONE.
Superintendent of Water Works, NATHANIEL DENNETT.
Office, Prospect Street, corner Somerville Avenue.
9
CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1889.
TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
(Term three years. )
CHARLES S. LINCOLN (elected 1888), Prest., Laurel Street. J. HENRY FLITNER (elected 1889), Sec'y, . Day Street.
GEORGE A. BRUCE (elected 1889)
Highland Avenue.
WILLIAM E. WELD (elected 1887) . Summer Street.
JAMES E. WHITAKER (elected 1887) . Sycamore Street.
SANFORD HANSCOM, M. D. (elected 1887)
Webster Street. .
CHRISTOPHER E. RYMES (elected 1888)
ELIJAH C. CLARK (elected 1889)
· Summer Street. Rush Street.
CHARLES H. BROWN (elected 1889 for unexpired term),
Librarian, HARRIET A. ADAMS. . Sycamore Street.
CITY CLERK AND CLERK OF BOARD OF ALDERMEN. GEORGE I. VINCENT. Office, City Hall.
CITY TREASURER AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES. JOHN F. COLE. Office, City Hall.
CITY MESSENGER. JAIRUS MANN. Office, City Hall.
CITY SOLICITOR. SELWYN Z. Bowman. Office, 23 Court Street, Boston.
CITY AUDITOR. DOUGLAS FRAZAR. Office, City Hall.
CITY ENGINEER. HORACE L. EATON. Office, City Hall.
៛
10
ANNUAL REPORTS.
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS. FRANK G. WILLIAMS, Albion Street. Office, City Hall.
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND LIGHTS. THOMAS R. ROULSTONE. Office, City Hall.
SUPERINTENDENT OF TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE LINES. JAMES R. HOPKINS. Office, Engine House, Highland Avenue.
CHIEF OF POLICE.
MELVILLE C. PARKHURST. Office, Police Station, Bow Street.
CHIEF ENGINEER OF FIRE DEPARTMENT .. JAMES R. HOPKINS. Office, Engine House, Highland Avenue.
INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS.
JAMES R. HOPKINS. Office, Engine House, Highland Avenue.
INSPECTOR OF MILK AND VINEGAR. THOMAS CUNNINGHAM, Oak Street.
- CITY PHYSICIAN.
ALVAH B. DEARBORN, M. D., Bow Street.
CLERK OF ASSESSORS AND COMMITTEE. WILLIAM P. MITCHELL. Office, City Hall.
ASSISTANT CLERK OF ASSESSORS AND COMMITTEE.
ALBERT B. FALES. Office, City Hall.
11
CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1889.
CONSTABLES.
JAIRUS MANN. WILLIAM D. HAYDEN.
ROBERT R. PERRY.
SAMUEL R. Dow.
CHARLES C. FOLSOM. 4
JOSEPH J. GILES.
EDWARD MCGARR.
GEORGE CULLIS.
CHRISTOPHER C. CAVANAGH.
FIELD DRIVERS.
SAMUEL R. DOw.
MYRON H. KINSLEY.
JOHN E. FULLER.
CHARLES S. THRASHER.
PHINEAS W. SKINNER.
GEORGE W. BEAN.
FRANCIS A. PERKINS.
CHARLES L. ELLIS.
FENCE VIEWERS.
CHARLES A. PEARSON. ADONIRAM J. TAYLOR.
POUND KEEPER. CHARLES A. SMALL.
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. AMMIEL COLMAN, 34 Marshall Street.
MEASURER OF WOOD AND BARK. SAMUEL T. LITTLEFIELD.
WEIGHERS OF COAL. JOHN CRAIG. D. WARNER DANFORTH. GEORGE K. WALCOTT.
MEASURER OF GRAIN. JOHN CRAIG.
12
ANNUAL REPORTS.
WEIGHER OF HAY AND STRAW. JOHN CRAIG.
UNDERTAKERS.
WILLIAM A. FLAHERTY.
PATRICK H. RAFFERTY.
EDWARD H. MARSH.
THOMAS J. BARKER.
ALFRED E. MANN. PATRICK RAFFERTY.
HORACE D. RUNEY.
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MELVILLE C. PARKHURST, Chief.
ROBERT R. PERRY, Captain.
SAMUEL R. Dow, Sergeant.
EDWARD MCGARR, Sergeant. CHRISTOPHER C. CAVANAGH, Sergeant.
JOHN E. FULLER.
PHINEAS W. SKINNER.
ALBION L. STAPLES.
SAMUEL A. BROWN.
JUDSON W. OLIVER.
JOHN HAFFORD.
GEORGE W. BEAN.
IVAN LAIGHTON.
GEORGE L. SMITH.
MYRON H. KINSLEY.
EDWARD M. CARTER.
GEORGE A. BODGE.
JOHN F. JOHNSON.
DENNIS KELLY.
EUGENE A. CARTER.
GEORGE H. CARLETON.
EDWARD E. HAMBLEN.
HUBERT H. MILLER.
JAMES F. FOLEY.
FRANCIS A. PERKINS.
CHARLES L. ELLIS.
CHARLES S. THRASHER.
CHARLES E. WOODMAN.
WILLIAM H. JOHNSON.
ARTHUR E. KEATING.
JOHN G. KNIGHT.
STEPHEN S. SMITH.
MELVILLE C. PARKHURST, Lock-up Keeper.
13
MEETINGS.
MEETINGS.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN, Second and fourth Wednesday evenings of each month.
COMMON COUNCIL. Thursday evenings following the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE. Last Monday evening of each month.
MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF MAYOR. AND ALDERMEN. ~ January 10, 1890.
ORDERED, That the committee on printing be and is hereby authorized and instructed to have printed, for public use, six hundred copies of the address delivered by his Honor the Mayor at the inauguration of the present City Government, the expense incurred to be charged to Printing and Stationery account.
Read twice and adopted, and sent down for concurrence.
GEORGE I. VINCENT, Clerk.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, January 10, 1890.
Read twice and adopted in concurrence.
CHARLES S. ROBERTSON, Clerk.
Approved : January 13, 1890. CHARLES G. POPE, Mayor.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
OF
HON. CHARLES G. POPE,
DELIVERED JAN. 6, 1889.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL :
ANOTHER year in the life of our young and vigorous city has passed away, and by reason of the confidence of the people in our ability and willingness to manage their affairs satisfactorily. we are here to-day to enter upon the discharge of the duties assigned to the positions to which we have been severally elected. Others, stand- ing in our places, - clothed with like powers as we, and charged with like duties, - have been faithful to the trust confided to them, and. completing their labors, have received the reward of public ap- proval. Let their example stimulate our ambition. and. grateful for the honors that have been bestowed upon us, let us recognize the responsibilities that go with them, and resolve to spare neither time nor effort in an endeavor to perform our whole duty as officials faith- fully and conscientiously.
In accordance with the usual custom, and in the hope of aiding you in your investigations, I shall present to you a brief statement of the condition of the various departments of the city as they have been represented to me. together with such suggestions as it seems proper to make.
FINANCES.
It appears by the last annual report that the funded debt of the city on the first day of January, 1888, was $1,525.000. and the amount in the hands of the Commissioners of the Sinking Funds for the extinguishment of the same at maturity was $654,305.29, making the net debt of the city at that date $870,694.71.
18
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Early in the year the city availed itself of the provisions of an act passed by the Legislature of 1887, whereby the sinking funds, which consisted wholly of its own bonds, could be applied to the immediate payment of so much of the funded debt as their value equalled, and a change could be made in the manner of dealing with the balance of the same.
The act which was accepted is Chapter 194 of the acts of that year, and is as follows : -
[CHAP. 194.]
AN ACT RELATING TO THE SINKING FUNDS AND THE FUNDED DEBT
OF THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows : -
SECTION 1. The city of Somerville is hereby authorized to apply its existing sinking funds, consisting wholly of its own bonds, and any accumulation of interest thereon, toward the payment of its ex- isting funded debt.
SECT. 2. The said city, availing itself of the provisions of the foregoing section, may issue new notes, bonds, or scrip, from time to time, as the outstanding notes, bonds, or scrip, which shall then constitute the remainder of its indebtedness, shall severally mature. for the purpose of providing for the payment of the same, and may make said notes, bonds, or scrip, so issued as aforesaid. payable at a time not exceeding twenty years from the date of said issue, and shall at the time of said issue establish a sinking fund and con- tribute thereto from year to year an amount raised annually by tax- ation sufficient, with its accumulations, to pay said notes, bonds. or scrip, so issued as aforesaid, at their maturity ; or, instead of pro- viding for the payment of the said remainder of the said indebtedness in the manner just before provided, the said city may provide for its payment in such annual proportionate sums as will extinguish said indebtedness within the time hereby authorized.
SECT. 3. Nothing herein contained shall exempt said city of Somerville from the provisions of chapter three hundred and twelve of the acts of the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five.
SECT. 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved April 20, 1887.]
In the exercise of the authority granted by the above legislation, the following ordinance, being " Ordinance No. 5" of the present city ordinances, was passed on the twenty-eighth day of February, 1888 :-
19
MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Somerville as follows :-
SECTION 1. The existing Sinking Funds of the city, consisting wholly of its own bonds, and any accumulation of interest thereon, shall be applied toward the payment of its existing funded debt. and the Board of Commissioners of the Sinking Funds shall forthwith thus apply all the existing Sinking Funds in their hands by delivering the same to the City Treasurer, by whom all the notes, bonds, and scrip of the city, constituting said Sinking Fund or a part thereof. shall be cancelled, and by whom all moneys constituting a part of said Sinking Fund shall be applied toward the payment of the ex- isting funded debt under the direction of the Committee on Finance, and the records of said Board shall be delivered to and retained by the City Clerk.
SECT. 2. New notes, bonds, or scrip may be issued from time to time, as the outstanding notes. bonds, or scrip. which shall at the time of the application of the Sinking Funds provided for in the foregoing section constitute the remainder of the indebtedness of the city, shall severally mature. for the purpose of providing for the payment of the same, and said notes. bonds. or scrip. so issued as aforesaid, shall be payable at a time not exceeding twenty years from the date of said issue, and the City Council shall provide for the payment of the said remainder of the said indebtedness, and of said notes, bonds, or scrip. issued as aforesaid therefor, in such annual proportionate sums as will extinguish such indebtedness within the time hereby authorized.
SECT. 3. The foregoing sections of this ordinance apply to the funded debt of the city, existing at the time of the passage of said ordinance, and any extensions or renewals thereof : the words ·· debt," or " debts," or " indebtedness." as hereinafter used in this ordinance, apply to and mean the debt. debts. or indebtedness, in- curred by the city after the passage of this ordinance.
SECT. 4. All debts, other than those incurred for temporary loans in anticipation of taxes. shall be payable within the following periods, namely : Debts incurred in supplying the inhabitants with water, and for constructing water works, within not exceeding thirty years ; debts incurred in constructing sewers and drains within not exceeding twenty years ; and all other debts within not exceeding ten years. The interest on all debts shall be raised by taxation annually.
SECT. 5. Instead of establishing a Sinking Fund for the payment of the indebtedness of the city, the City Council shall provide for the payment of such indebtedness in such annual proportionate pay- ments as will extinguish the same within the time herebefore pre- scribed, and the amount required thereby shall be assessed by the assessors of the city in each year thereafter, until the debt shall be extinguished, in the same manner as other taxes are assessed under
20
ANNUAL REPORTS.
the provisions of Section 34 of Chapter 11, of the Public Statutes.
SECT. 6. The City Treasurer annually, in the month of January or February, shall certify to the Committee on Finance the amounts under this ordinance required to be raised by taxation during the current financial year, and to the Board of Assessors of taxes the amount required to be assessed under the provisions of the fifth sec- tion of this ordinance.
SECT. 7. The notes, bonds, and scrip to be issued by the city in payment of any indebtedness, whether heretofore or hereafter in- curred, shall be, so far as practicable, issued in such amounts and on such times as will enable the city to make the annual proportion- ate payments of such indebtedness by taking up and cancelling such proportionate part of said notes, bonds. and scrip.
SECT. 8. Number 5 of the city ordinances, entitled "Sinking Funds," is hereby repealed, and this ordinance is substituted in place thereof, but such repeal shall not affect any act done, nor any rights acquired, or liabilities incurred under said repealed ordinance, and the said Board of Commissioners of the Sinking Funds shall continue to hold their office until they shall have performed the duties imposed upon them by the provisions of the first section of this ordinance.
On the twenty-third day of March last the Commissioners of the Sinking Funds paid over to the city the assets in their hands, namely. bonds amounting to $652,500, and cash a mounting to $1,812.66, the same were applied as allowed by said act, and the sinking funds were abolished.
As will be seen by an examination of the ordinance above quoted. the remainder of the city's funded debt, after the application of the amount received from the sinking funds, and all subsequent addi- tions thereto, are to be paid in accordance with the second provision of the above statute, namely by the " payment in such annual pro- portionate sums as will extinguish said indebtedness within the time" authorized by said act.
In compliance with this requirement, there was included in the tax levy of 1888 an appropriation of $35,187.34 for the reduction of the funded debt, leaving the same after its application $835,500, which is represented by
City Loan Bonds, $597,000
Water Loan Bonds, 238,500
There have been issued during the year for the extension of the water works bonds amounting to $25,000, making the funded debt of
21
MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
the city on the first day of January. 1889. $860.500. divided as follows :
City Debt, $597,000
Water Debt, .
263,500
The above represents the net indebtedness of the city ; the un- funded liabilities for temporary loans, etc .. being equalled by its assets, which consist of uncollected taxes, sewer and sidewalk assess- ments, etc.
The real estate of the city was valued last year at $26.488.200, and the personal property at $2,277.200 ; total valuation, $28,765,400, showing a natural increase over the previous year by the addition of new property of $1,293.600.
The tax rate was $14 on each $1,000 valuation, and, together with 9,371 polls assessed, an increase of 509 over 1887, produced $421 .- 458.60, the amount of the tax levy.
As the expense of conducting the schools, together with the amounts expended for debt requirements. State and County taxes, water maintenance. and support of poor, give a total of about $270,000, it will be seen that only a small part of the money ex- pended by the city during the past year has been entirely within the control of the City Conncil.
I insert for your information and for future reference the follow- ing table, showing the valuation, tax levy, and rate of each year since the incorporation of the city :-
YEAR.
VALUATION.
TAX LEVY.
RATE.
1872
$22,755,325
$274,374.45
$13.00
1878
29,643,100
389,214.48
12.80
1874
30,837,700
473,235.50
15.00
1875
31,317,000
518,161.40
16.20
1876
26,573,400
504,745.24
18.60
1877
25,479,400
471,789.14
18.10
1878
20,976,900
409,496.10
19.00
1879
18,950,100
352,553.80
18.00
1880
20,458,100
402,927.71
19.10
1881
22,569.100
452,945.45
19.50
1882
23,162,200
425,721.16
17.80
1883
23,812,900
411,645.43
16.70
1884
24,331,100
418,750.26
16.60
1885
24,878,400
428,605.44
16.60
1886
26,003,200
416,987.28
15.40
1887
27,471,800
424,309.14
14.80
1888
28,765,400
421.458.60
14.00
22
ANNUAL REPORTS.
I insert also the following table, showing the amount contributed annually to the reduction of the funded debt and the rate per $1,000 of valuation since the enactment of the law regulating municipal indebtedness : -
Year.
Amount.
Rate per $1,000 of valuation.
1876
$45,130.62
$1.70
1877
48,828.58
1.92
1878
51,004.64
2.43
1879
53,061.76
2.80
1880
55,739.35
2.72
1881
58,498.64
2.59
1882
61,390.59
2.65
1883
64,479.01
2,70
1884
67,719.33
2.78
1885
71.305.66
2.87
1886
66,894.23
2.57
1887
70,252.88
2.56
1888
37,000.00
1.28
From this table it will be found that the average tax rate required to make the annual contributions to the sinking funds was $2.52 on each $1,000 valuation, and if the same system had been continued, the rate would have increased from year to year, as it would have been necessary to contribute larger and larger amounts annually to the sinking funds until the entire debt was extinguished. The con- tribution required in 1887 increased the tax rate $2.56 on each $1,000 valuation, but, under the operation of the new law, the rate last year was increased because of the contribution to the payment of the funded debt only $1.28 on each $1,000 valuation. With the same indebtedness this rate, after the present year, would steadily decrease until the entire debt was paid. From which it is apparent that under the system of contributing to the sinking funds as here- tofore, the tax rate for the last year would have been $15.28 on each $1,000 valuation, instead of $14.00, the result of the operation of the new law.
The important gains by the change are a reduced tax rate and a longer time for the payment of the debt, thereby lessening the necessary efforts of the citizens to meet their obligations in this direction.
The value of a low rate of taxation is obvious. By lessening the burden it helps to the prosperity of the people, retains in our midst those that are here, and invites within our borders those who will come to improve our vacant lands and increase the capacity of the city to manage the necessary burdens of its development.
23
MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
An examination of the statistics shows that from 1875 to 1881, while the tax rate was increasing from year to year. the property poll tax-payers gradually decreased in number. while from 1882 to 1888. as the rate was reduced annually, the property poll tax- pavers correspondingly increased. until now, for the first time, they equal in number those of 1875.
Somerville may well congratulate herself on her financial con- dition. Her debt is smaller per cent. of her valuation than that of a majority of the cities in the Commonwealth. she has twenty years more time than any other city in which to pay it, and her tax rate the past year was lower than four-fifths of her sister cities. Great credit is due to those of her chief magistrates, and the officials asso- ciated with them, whose labors have contributed to establish a finan- cial policy that could lead to such a desirable result.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The fire apparatus consists of : -
One steam fire-engine, with hose carriage. three horse hose car- riages, one hose wagon, one hook and ladder carriage. and eight thousand feet of hose.
There are also belonging to the department : -
One steam fire-engine, one horse hose carriage, and one hook and ladder carriage, all of which can be put in condition for service in case of necessity, although they are not equipped for immediate use.
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