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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF THE
Town of Merrimac
For the Year Ending December 31
1935
MERR
O
V
SS
INCO
1876.
RAT
AMESBURY, MASS. Amesbury Publishing Co., Inc. 1936
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF THE
Town of Merrimac
For the Year Ending December 31
1935
EF
R
AC
OF
TOWN
MASS
INCOR
1876.
AMESBURY, MASS. Amesbury Publishing Co., Inc. 1936
Directory of TOWN OFFICERS 1935
ELECTED OFFICERS
Moderator Clifford R. Howe
Selectmen
Albert P. Wadleigh Hazen M. Emery Harold C. Lord
Board of Public Welfare
Ellen M. Wallace Albert P. Wadleigh Andrew O. Nicol
Assessors
George B. Crofut
Term expires 1938
W. Harold Whiting
Term expires 1936
Clifford R. Howe Term expires 1937
Town Clerk C. Howard Phillips
Tax Collector Fred C. Twombly
Town Treasurer Roy C. Journeay
Municipal Light Commissioners
George F. Wilde
Term expires 1938
Charles A. Lancaster Term expires 1936
John Marshall Term expires 1937
Board of Water Commissioners
George F. Wilde Term expires 1938
Charles A. Lancaster Term expires 1936
John Marshall Term expires 1937
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TOWN REPORT
School Committee
Howard DeLong
Term expires 1938
Annie W. Hoyt (deceased)
Term expires 1936
Willard T. Kelly
Term expires 1937
Trustees of Cemeteries
Charles A. Lancaster
Term expires 1938
Clarence O. Libby
Term expires 1936
Richard A. Sargent
Term expires 1937
Trustees of Public Library
Frank E. Walker
Term expires 1938
Charles E. Hoyt, Grove Street Term expires 1938
Abbie W. Sargent
Term expires 1936
Harriet J. Davis
Term expires 1936
John B. Judkins Term expires 1937
Alvin F. Heath
Term expires 1937
Trustees of Kimball Park
John W. Kirkpatrick
Term expires 1938
Richard A. Sargent Term expires 1936
Alden B. Morse
Term expires 1937
Playground Commissioners
Homer R. Sargent Willard T. Kelly Kenneth L. Breed
Raymond J. Bagley Frederick E. Sweetsir, M. D.
Constables
James P. Donahue Leon L. Dow George W. Goldsmith
Surveyors of Lumber and Measurers of Wood and Bark Edson C. Walker . Ralph L. Buzzell Byron H. Sargent
Tree Warden Samuel C. Doust
APPOINTED OFFICERS
Town Counsel F. Leslie Viccaro
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TOWN REPORT
Chief of Police James P. Donahue
Night Watchman Leon L. Dow
Special Police
George W. Goldsmith
Obed O. Skillings
Edward J. O'Keefe
James F. Pease
Harold Waterhouse
Alvin F. Heath
George R. Buzzell
Alexander M. Sullivan:
Clarence O. Libby
Orin W. Burke
Joseph W. Bray
Sworn Weighers George L. Sargent
Ralph L. Buzzell
Byron H. Sargent
Charles A. Follansbee Walter P. Stillings
Town Accountant W. Harold Whiting
Fence Viewers
Russell Kelly
E. Palmer Sargent
Public Health Nurse Jean K. Badashaw
Dog Officer Charles E. Sande
Engineers of Fire Department Aaron A. Hume Fred O. Bailey J. Arthur Ollis
Inspector of Milk, Slaughter and Animals Fred H. G. Chase
Inspector of Wires John E. Bean
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TOWN REPORT
Sealer of Weights and Measures Harold R. Eastman
Moth Superintendent Samuel C. Doust
Forest Fire Warden Aaron A. Hume
Burial Agent James S. Shiavoni
Superintendent of Streets Charlie E. Wallace
Town Forest Committee
James T. Colgan
Term expires 1938
Samuel C. Doust
Term expires 1936
Frank N. Rand
Term expires 1937
Registrars of Voters
George W. Berry Isaac A. Williams A. Lawton P. Crane C. Howard Phillips
Janitor Town Hall Andrew O. Nicol
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TOWN REPORT
THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SEVERAL OFFICERS OF THE TOWN OF MERRIMAC
SELECTMEN'S REPORT
To the Citizens of the Town of Merrimac:
In submitting this the sixtieth annual report of the Town of Merrimac, since its incorporation, your Board of Selectmen are able to report a year of much accomplish- ment despite the continued devastating effect of the nation wide business depression.
The financial strength and credit of a town are based on its ability to pay its bills promptly and to hold to a min- imum its outstanding indebtedness.
During the past year by adhering strictly to a "pay as you go policy" and sanctioning no emergency overdrafts of appropriations, we are pleased to report a total of $5752.04 in unexpended balances, after offsets, thereby increasing the assets of the Town in this amount to maintain the cred- it and security of the Town on a solid basis. The general cash balance of January 1, 1936 is also $3118.66 larger than January 1, 1935.
By doing this we call to your attention the fact that for the first time in several years it has been unnecessary to call any special town meetings to raise additional money.
A year ago the total funded indebtedness of the Town of Merrimac was $18,400.00. This has been reduced during the year $5,600.00, making the present funded indebted- ness $12,800.00, or $10,800.00 due to the Commonwealth and one Water Main Extension Note of $2,000.00. The temporary debt of the Town as of January first 1936 is $30,000.00 borrowed in anticipation of revenue which fluctuates in amount according to the rapidity of tax pay- ments, the uncollected taxes on January 1, 1936 to offset this amount being $66,333.84.
In 1933 Merrimac voted to borrow $18,000.00 of the
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TOWN REPORT
Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Emergency Loan, payable over a five year period at 31/2 % interest. By doing this the Town was placed under the supervision of the State Emergency Finance Board as far as appropriations made by the Town are concerned until this loan is paid. This means that no appropriation voted by the Town can be made or used unless approved by the Commonwealth until this loan is paid. Thus, when the town makes its ap- propriation at the annual meeting, all these appropriations must be certified to the State Emergency Finance Board, and until their written approval is received, the business of the Town is slowed up to a considerable extent. Based upon the logic of sound finance it would seem that the action taken in 1933 in borrowing of the Commonwealth instead of temporary notes in anticipation of revenue was a mis- take. The first year of this loan, the Town lost $1,500.00, under Chapter 90 road maintenance, money that could have been obtained if not a State Loan, and on the basis of this year's bank interest rates, the Town has lost several hundred dollars, which if on a temporary note basis, might have been saved. We are informed by the office of Direct- or of Division of State Accounts that such a loan to the Commonwealth cannot be paid before maturity, even if the finances of the Town warrant. We believe that this loan should be paid as soon as possible, and hope some way may be found that it may be done shortly out of cash obtained on a temporary note basis in anticipation of uncollected revenue.
The Board of Selectmen organized with Albert P. Wadleigh, Chairman, Hazen M. Emery, Clerk, and Harold C. Lord; and then organized as a Board of Health with the same officers and members.
The most general active work under the direction of the Selectmen is the Highway Department.
Charlie E. Wallace was re-elected Supt. of Streets for the year and has conducted that department in a very effi- cient manner.
Merrimac has 30 5-10 miles of accepted roads to be
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TOWN REPORT
cared for, of which 2 miles is unimproved earth, 20 9-10 miles is earth graded and drained, 5 8-10 miles gravel, etc ; and 1 8-10 miles bituminous macadam.
This board of Selectmen believe that every accepted road or street on which any persons live and pay taxes is entitled to every possible consideration and should be kept in as good condition as the funds available to the Town will permit. Acting all the year on this policy, more road mile- age has actually been reconstructed on many streets of the Town than for a period of several years.
In order to receive highway funds from the State, the Town has to appropriate approximately $4,000.00 (under Chapter 81), to receive about $4,650.00 from the State, which must be spent on outlying roads or "sparsely settled" streets. As the Town has only appropriated $5,000.00 an- nually the last few years for highway work, this has left only about $1,000.00 which could be expended on the prin- cipal streets of the Town. For several years larger amounts were annually appropriated out of which the thickly set- tled sections received the benefits that they properly should. We recommend that the general highway ap- propriation for the coming year be $5,500.00, and that $1,500.00 also be appropriated for Chapter 90 (through roads) maintenance, for by so doing we can receive an additional $1,500.00 from the State for this work. This should allow for more oiling and grading where needed. As several other appropriations can be reduced this year, these suggested increases will bring much benefit without any additional total tax burden.
If these appropriations are made the Town should re- ceive from the State a total of $6,150.00 to be used on Chap- ter 81 (sparsely settled) and Chapter 90 (through roads) work.
At the annual Town Meeting the sum of $2,500.00 was appropriated for the reconstruction of Main Street (under Chapter 90) provided the County would contribute the sum of $6,000.00 and the Commonwealth the sum of $16,500.00. In negotiating the State and County contributions and
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TOWN REPORT
relative matters, Mr. Wadleigh represented the Board at the several hearings and conferences at Boston, Salem and Beverly at the Department of Public Works, County Com- missioners offices, and District and County Engineers offices. As the 1935 legislature caused 15% cuts in all Chapter 90 contributions to August 1st, the amount al- lotted by the State was $14,025.00, and of the County of Essex $5,100.00, making a total allotment of $21,625.00 authorized. The original plans of the State Engineers estimated that it might cost nearly all this amount to re- construct Main Street from the cement road to a point op- posite the American Legion Home. The Selectmen wish- ing to have the whole job done at once including Merri- mac Square authorized the State Department of Public Works to ask for bids on the original plans, subjecting the balance of the allotment to additional contract work. The Department of Public Works at the request of the Selectmen wrote a special clause into the contract that all surplus material excavated from the road should be placed by the contractor without expense to the Town on any streets designated by the Supt. of Streets with the approval of the Selectmen within a radius of one mile of the job. The bids received for bituminous macadam road ranged from $15,200.00 to $21,700.00, the contract being awarded to Thos. Watkins Sons, Inc. of Amesbury, During the work Mr. Watkins employed quite a number of Merri- mac men which was well appreciated. By this form of con- tract the Town has been able to have reconstructed in first class shape the whole of Main Street, Merrimac Square, School Street in front of Town Hall, as well as the construc- tion of a much needed safety island in the square. As the centre of the square has never been properly lighted, the Light Commissioners agreed to furnish the granite steel shaft and the State authorized the construction of ducts properly wired from four points in the square for the in- stallation of traffic lights when the Town so votes.
The surplus excavated material from Main Street and the Square was used to benefit the following streets : Abbott Street, Winter Street, North Street, Lancaster
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TOWN REPORT
Court, Maple Street, Forest Street, part of Summer Street, Spring Street near Prospect Street, Mill Street, Bartlett. Street, Liberty Street, part of road in Church Street ceme- tery, rebuilt sidewalk by frog pond on Church Street, Pros- pect Street, corner Vendome Street, and Pleasant Street and Friend Street Merrimacport. This feature of the work alone has saved the Town several thousand dollars that would have been necessary to spend if the Town had done it at its own expense. All this was done by the State, County and Town with an appropriation by the Town of $2,500.00, the total cost being approximately $21,225.00.
The Town voted to appropriate $900.00 as part of an ERA project to tile Pleasant Street Merrimacport, and $220.00 to oil the same street. The State Emergency Fin- ance Board disapproved the $900.00 for tiling, but ap- proved the $220.00 for oiling purposes. With a full real- ization that this street needed repairs, considerable ex- cavated material from Main Street was placed on it, the street leveled and graded including Friend Street from the corner of the Pleasant Street engine house, and oiled accordingly.
During the construction of Main Street, as detours for traffic the District engineers authorized at no ad- ditional expense to the Town, the oiling of Union Street, Currier Avenue, Adams Street, Grove Street and Or- chard Street.
The Water Commissioners caused new water services to be laid under Main Street and the Square during this work, the material being furnished by this department, and the labor costs as a Federal ERA project. New gas services were also installed by the Haverhill Gas Company. The grass island at the junction of Locust Street was removed to improve traffic conditions.
By authorizing the use of about $800.00 of Chapter 8 l money to be combined with Federal funds as an ERA pro- ject, Emery Street from East Main Street was entirely re- constructed the greater part of its length. The condition of this street for years had been deplorable. The Federal Gov-
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TOWN REPORT
1
ernment furnished all the labor cost amounting to about $4,000.00.
In doing all this extra Highway work, the regular work has been carried on as usual by the Supt. of Streets under the direction of the Selectmen, and we especially call to your attention that we have not permitted the Highway appropriation to be overdrawn. The Supt. of Streets has been directed to and has saved all useful material taken from any job, so that it can be used to advantage in some other part of the town to eliminate all unnecessary costs.
During the earlier part of the year, Mr. Wadleigh, with the approval of the Selectmen, discussed with several mem- bers of the Legislature and the Commissioners and Chief Engineers of the Department of Public Works urging the necessity of sidewalk construction on the State Highway, called for in pending legislation. Lack of sidewalks on both West and East Main Street have been the possible result of two major fatalities and several near accidents in the last few years. This legislation passed the House by one vote, and Mr. Wadleigh then presented the formal petition of the Selectmen for sidewalk construction, the day the Governor signed the bill, (Chapter 464, Acts 1935). In the first 36 miles of this sidewalk construction for State Highways in Massachusetts, both West and East Main Street, Merrimac, were included to an extent of 12,800 feet, reaching both Haverhill and Amesbury lines. It is estimated that the cost of these sidewalks is about $13,000.00, which involved no appropriation by the Town. In the construction of this work your Selectmen have registered with the State office, 63 Merrimac men for sidewalk employment, but as yet few Essex County men have been employed on this type of work in any Essex County City or Town. Seven Merrimac trucks were registered through us for WPA work in Essex County and their owners given work by the WPA administration.
Under this same 1935 State legislation (Chapter 464), Merrimac received an outright cash grant of $1,550.00 for sidewalk construction, which is being used to build a grano- lithic sidewalk on Main Street from the residence of John Marshall around the Public Library and from Littles Court
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TOWN REPORT
to Woodland Street. The use of this money involves no ex- pense on the abutter of the project.
The Selectmen last summer had prepared and sub- mitted to Washington a WPA project, to construct grano- lithic sidewalks all around Morrimac Square, (to use the present bricks for water holes) ; and a project for grano- lithic sidewalks on principal streets at both Merrimac and Merrimacport. We are informed that these projects have been approved by President Roosevelt and can be worked next year, as Federal WPA funds become available.
As a result of two months effort we have secured as a WPA project, starting Dec. 30, 1935, employing 30 Merri- mac men, a road project (so called Farm to Market) run- ning until at least March 15, 1936, carrying a Federal grant for labor costs and truck hire of about $9,000.00. The Streets as approved by the District Engineers in which this work will be done during this period are Harriman Road 15-100, Pleasant Street Port 20-100, Abbott Street 15-100, Belmore Street 15-100, Westminister 10-100, Bartlett Street 15-100, Birch Meadow No. 2, 75-100, North Street 90-100, Water Street 70-100, Mill Street 35-100.
This project will be beneficial in several ways. In the case of Harriman Road alone it will save the Town at least one half of what might be necessary to appropriate in a few years under Chapter 90 for reconstruction and widening of this road by State, County and Town Funds.
In 1934 the amount received by the Town from the Federal Government for CWA and ERA activities was $27,- 969.61. By constant submission of projects to Sept. 1, 1935 the amount received in 1935 by the Town to December 1st. was about $38,000.00.
The Merrimac ERA office was officially closed on De- cember 27, 1935 and the records turned over to the repre- sentative of the Federal Government. From July 1st to the end of the year there was quite a degree of uncertainty in this Federal relief work, as it was stated from month to month that the new Works Progress Administration was to
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TOWN REPORT
take immediate effect. Under the new set up, projects are sponsored by departments and if approved by the Presi- dent, can be worked during such periods as are approved by the Selectmen. Assignments of workers are made wholly from the Salem office from the lists of those registered for relief prior to November 1, 1935. Until March 15, 1936 the total number of Merrimac persons who can be employed on WPA projects is eighty-three (83). During the last two months of the ERA the number employed was about 65 per- sons, while under the WPA on December 31, 1935 a total of 80 Merrimac people were actually employed, not includ- ing the men on the WPA County Moth project, or the WPA Commodity project, or Merrimac men and trucks on the Federal Payroll. On January 24, 1936 we succeeded in hav- ing the allotment of persons in Merrimac to be employed until at least March 15th on WPA projects raised to about 114 in number.
Your Board of Selectmen have submitted and ap- proved WPA projects sufficient, we believe, to provide re- lief work for Merrimac for nearly all of next year and of a nature to provide permanent public improvements. Every sign points to the continuation of WPA projects through the year 1936, and the fact that President Roosevelt has ap- proved most all these Merrimac projects to operate as Fed- eral funds are made ready, is quite conclusive evidence of continued relief.
The State Building Inspector gave notice to the Select- men last June that unless the sliding doors to the entrance to the Town Hall were made to swing outward and a suit- able step constructed at the edge of the doors, that the use of the Town Hall would not be permitted after July 1st. until such repairs were made. The State Inspector stated that he had called this to the attention of the Town for over two years and that it must be done. In accordance with these instructions your Selectmen caused the sliding doors arranged to swing outward and a wide cement base for a step placed on a level with the first step at the base of the doors leading into the hall.
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TOWN REPORT
As a result of the sound financial condition of the Town, low money rates and competitive bids, the Town has been able this year to borrow money in anticipation of rev- enue at the lowest rates ever received in the history of the Town, the last loan being made at 55-100 of one percent. This reflects itself in an unexpended balance of the 1935 in- terest appropriation, thus saving $684.14. This appropria- tion can be substantially reduced in 1936.
The largest saving of the year of nearly $4,000.00 has been made by the Public Welfare Department which is de- tailed in their report. A substantial balance has been main- tained in the Soldiers Relief Account. This means that sev- eral appropriations in 1936 can be reduced without injury to anyone and of great benefit to the tax payers in a re- duced tax rate.
In accordance with the vote of the Town, Mr. Wad- leigh represented the Selectmen before the Joint Commit- tee of Harbors and Public Lands and House Ways and Means Committee of the Legislature advocating the pass- age of legislation as a Federal project to construct a trunk sewer in the Merrimack river. The enabling legislation was enacted by the State, but no Federal action taken.
We call to your attention the increase in revenue in the Police Department, $958.00 being received in fines and for- feits in 1935 by the Town. This is due largely to the method of handling the cases by Chief James P. Donahue, where cases are settled if possible on a basis of fines and whereby justice is served and the town benefited by money received.
On April 15, 1935, Mr. James C. Pease who had been Town Accountant of Merrimac for 12 years, since 1923, died very suddenly. Mr. Pease will be universally missed and was a man of fine character and integrity, faithful and exact in the performance of his duties. Mr. Pease had also served as Town Treasurer 1906-1911, and Town Auditor 1915-1916, and had just been re-elected Town Accountant for another three year term.
The Selectmen at a Special Meeting April 16, 1935,
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TOWN REPORT
unanimously elected W. Harold Whiting Town Accountant for the term of three years. Mr. Whiting has served several years as a member of the Merrimac Board of Assessors, is a graduate of the Merrimac High School and Haverhill Business College and was employed for many years as bookkeeper and teller at the Essex National Bank of Hav- erhill until the time of the bank liquidation, and is well fit- ted for this particular work.
The State Audit of the finances of the town which gen- erally takes place every two years, had not been made in Merrimac for nearly four years. At the death of Mr. Pease the Selectmen requested the Division of State Accounts to send a State Accountant to Merrimac to acquaint Mr. Whit- ing with the exacting details of the system of bookkeeping required by the State. The Director of State Accounts, Mr. Waddell, decided that the required audit could be made at the same time. State Accountants Mr. McMiniman and Mr. Coughlin were at the Town offices for a period of nearly two months and examined every detail of accounts of all the offices, boards and departments of the Town to date and made a very thorough and comprehensive report. This report is on file at the Town office and may be read by any citizen who wishes. It covers practically all the matter that has been printed in previous Town Reports and if printed in full in this Town Report would cost over $100.00. We, therefore, print the summary of the State Audit in another place in this report, which shows the condition of the Town to be in a sound financial condition.
During the past year the Board of Selectmen have pro- ceeded on the policy to obtain the greatest number of ben- efits for all the people of the Town. In the matter of relief to the unemployed and the needy, the Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Welfare have worked in complete harmony to obtain any Federal, State or County funds that might help to bring relief. Few people in town can actu- ally realize the increase in the last year of the work re- quired by the Selectmen and Board of Public Welfare if the Town is to receive what it can get, and to prevent welfare
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TOWN REPORT
claims of other towns being unloaded on Merrimac, where close investigation has proven that no claim exists.
Since 1929 the work of the Selectmen has increased three times and the work of the Board of Public Welfare over five times, and yet the total amount of the salaries paid by the Town to all the members of both boards is $675.00 or $75.00 less than ten years ago. During this year Mr. Wadleigh as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and Clerk of the Board of Public Welfare has actually devoted an average of 32 hours a week since last March to Town business and to December 31st. has received the total sum of $239.58 for this work.
We believe that it is no impropriety to suggest a re- vision of these salaries of the Selectmen and Board of Pub- lic Welfare, because it can be easily proven that during the past year several thousands of dollars have been saved by constant watchfulness and a prompt investigation and knowledge of law and facts.
It is a strange situation, but nevertheless true that at present the members of Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Welfare in the Town of Merrimac receive less per hour than hardly any other officer or employee of the town. We believe that the town in its fairness with a full under- standing of the case may adjust these salaries on a com- parative basis of work performed by taking suitable action at the Annual Town Meeting.
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