Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Milford, Massachusetts 1929, Part 1

Author: Milford (Mass.)
Publication date: 1929
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 282


USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Milford, Massachusetts 1929 > Part 1


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ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES


OF THE


TOWN OF MILFORD


CONTAINING REPORTS OF THE


Selectmen, Highway Surveyor, Treasurer, Tax Collector, Assessors, Town Accountant, Town Library Trustees, Fire Engineers, Sewer Com- mission ers, Board of Public Welfare, Park Commissioners, Board of Health, Chief of Police, Inspector of Wires, Inspector of Animals, Sealer of Weights and Meas- ures, Town Solicitor, School Com- mittee, Superintendent of Schools and Town Clerk,


FOR THE


Year Ending December 31, 1929.


MILFORD. MASS .: G. M. BILLINGS, PRINTER, GAZETTE OFFICE


1930


TOWN OFFICERS.


SELECTMEN.


Philip Cenedella, Chairman, Timothy W. Hannigan, P. Eugene Casey. TOWN CLERK (Clerk of Selectmen.) Dennis J. Sullivan.


TOWN TREASURER. Benjamin J. Clancey.


TAX COLLECTOR. William J. Read.


HIGHWAY SURVEYOR. Edward C. Beaulac. ASSESSORS. William F. Clancy, Chairman, Term expires 1930, Frederick A Nealon, Term expires 1931, Frederick W. Holland, Term expires 1932. BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE.


Michael B. Sweeney, Chairman, Term expires 1931, Fred J. Coleman, Term expires 1932, Fred M. Crowell, Term expires 1930. BOARD OF HEALTH.


Maurice J. Quinlan, Chairman, Term expires 1931, Oscar C. Ayotte, Secretary, Term expires 1932, Arthur J. Chambers, Term expires 1930. SEWER COMMISSIONERS.


Frank P. Dillon, Chairman, Term expires 1931, Alfred F. Martin, Term expires 1930, Louis P. Pratt, Term expires 1982.


4


SCHOOL COMMITTEE.


John C. Lynch, Chairman, Term expires 1930, John E. Swift, Term expires 1930, William J. Moore, Term expires 1931, Joseph Roy Kerr, Term expires 1931, George F. Grayson, Term expires 1932, Herbert W. Shaw, Term expires 1932. TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC LIBRARY Thomas J. Nugent, Chairman, Term expires 1932, Thomas J. Quirk, Term expires 1932, Stephen H. Reynolds, 'Term expires 1931, Frederick H. Gould, Term expires 1931, William K. Coombs, Term expires 1930, Gilbert C. Eastman, Term expires 1930. TRUSTEES VERNON GROVE CEMETERY.


Herbert S. Eldredge, Chairman, Term expires 1932, Arthur L. Maynard, Term expires 1932, Herbert B. Hill, Term expires 1931, Emerson Robinson, Term expires 1931, . Frank E. Cheney, Term expires 1930, Frank Roy Hixon, Term expires 1930. PARK COMMISSIONERS.


Edward V. Burns, Chairman, Term expires 1930,


Simon P. Hickey, Term expires 1931, William D. Baxter, Term expires 1932. PLANNING BOARD.


John C. Lynch, Term expires 1930,


William K. Coombs, Term expires 1931, Thomas F. Maher, Term expires 1932, TREE WARDEN. Patrick F. Fitzgerald. CONSTABLES.


Arthur Raymond Cross, Thomas McDonald, John L. Keefe, Arthur II. O'Keefe,


Axel W. Pearson.


5


Officers Appointed by the Selectmen. TOWN SOLICITOR. Alfred B. Cenedella. TOWN ACCOUNTANT. Joseph V. Carey. ENGINEERS ( F THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. Ernest E. O'Brien, Chief, Perley S. Johnson, First Assistant, Luigi Abbiuso, Second Assistant. INSPECTOR OF WIRES. Fred M Daniels.


REGISTRARS OF VOTERS.


George W. Billings, Chairman, Joseph A. Visconti, John J. Bes ?, Dennis J. Sullivan, Town Clerk, Ex-Officio. SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. (Classified under Civil Service). Daniel M. O'Brien.


JANITOR OF TOWN HALL AND LOCKUP KEEPER. Daniel M. O'Brien. JANITOR OF MEMORIAL HALL. Arthur L. Maynard. FIELD DRIVER. Peter Gallagher. FENCE VIEWERS.


Charles H. Kimball, Umberto Tosti.


CONSTABLES.


John J Moloney, Ernest E. O'Brien,


Raphael Marino, Daniel M O'Brien,


James J. Fullum, Thomas H. Heagney,


Roland F. Milan.


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CHIEF OF POLICE. (Classified under Civil Service). John J. Moloney. PATROLMEN.


(Classified as Police Officers under Civil Service).


James J. Birmingham,


Iginio A. Pantano,


Ernest L. Bagley,


James J. Fullum,


William J. Corbett,


Alphonse J. Calzone,


John C. Wilson,


Arthur Raymond Cross.


SPECIAL POLICE OFFICERS.


John Larson,


Daniel F. Tynan,


Oscar A. Williams,


William Taylor,


Lyndhurst A. MacGregor,


Frank I. Ward,


Giuseppe Cellini,


Myron Morey,


Michael Fitzpatrick,


William S. Davis,


Alfred P. Henderson,


Cornelius J. Foley,


Frank E. Hill,


Walter F. Snowling,


William Morgan,


John F. Cuddihy,


Antonio Santosuosso,


John J. Donigan,


Frank J. Davoren,


Edward Davoren,


Luigi Iacovelli,


Hugh F. Mears,


William F. McAvoy,


William J. Carley,


Joseph Renda,


William N. Prentiss,


George I. Spindel,


John J. Harrington,


Joseph L. Gibbs,


Patrick F. Fitzgerald,


Gaetano Bonini,


Herman G. Sawler,


John F. Damon,


Frank DeCesare,


Mark T. Thibedeau,


James Doyle,


Gaetano Introini,


Pasquale Iadarola,


William D. Baxter,


Nicholas Ruscitti,


Michael DiOrio,


Salvatore Micolotti,


Hugh Ray,


J. Burke Cahill, Clement Moran,


Agostino Chianese,


John F. Crowley.


Augustus C. Blain (Dodds Bros. Granite Works),


Edward F. Harrington,


Otis J. Julian,


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Arthur L. Maynard (Memorial Hall), George L. Harlow (Claflin Property), John Jones (B. & A. R. R.), Lucius R. Dodge, Harry C. Barker, (G. & U.JR.(R.), Wallace A. Lindsay (Archer Rubber Co.), John McGrath (Legion Hall), George P. Ingalls (Congregational Church Property), William A. Birmingham (K. of C. Hall), Harold Trudell (Red Men's Hall), Benjamin F. Davis (M. & U. Car Barn), Edric Temple (Odd Fellows Hall), Antonio DeLuzio (East Street District), Arthur C. Munvon (Golf Links), Joseph B. Hurl (Milford Opera House),


Patrick H. Rabbitt (State Theatre), Herbert C. Hopkins (Sewer Station), James Murphy (Post Office), Daniel Carey (Milford Iron Foundry), John Anderson (Pickett's Straw Factory), .. William Hixon (Vernon Grove Cemetery), Antonio Zocchi (Driving Park Hall), Luigi Petrilli (Ideal Theatre).


PUBLIC WEIGHERS AND WEIGHERS OF COAL ..


Joseph P. Shaughnessy


E. M. Royce,


Grace Doherty,


William St. George,


Lewis F. Aldrich,


Elmer I. Goddard,


Harold M. Curtiss,


Fred J. Doherty,


Benjamin Vitalini,


Helen Shaughnessy,


Harold Shaughnessy, Helen Morgan,


Daniel M. O'Brien,


Batista J. Vitalini,


Philip P. Clarke,


James B. Lester, Walter W. Goddard.


W. Ramus Vitalini,


Harry A. Macuen, George A. Moore, John Morey, Daniel B. Watson, .


Myron Morey, Clarence D. Burnett, Ada B. Daniels,


John P. Arata.


PUBLIC WEIGHERS.


8


MEASURERS OF WOOD AND BARK.


Benjamin Vitalini,


Lewis F. Aldrich,


Albert Taylor,


Myron Morey,


Harry A. Macuen,


Nathaniel Spindel,


James J. Cahill,


William N. Prentiss,


George Spindel,


Leo F. Ross,


John P. Remick,


Ada B. Daniels,


George A. Moore,


Louis Kempton,


Philip P. Clarke,


James B. Lester,


Jedan Morey,


Edward O'Connor,


Frank Murphy,


Batista J. Vitalini,


Elmer I. Goddard,


W. Ramus Vitalini,


Benjamin Vitalini,


Arthur C. Johnson,


Joseph P. Shaughnessy,


Harold Shaughnessy,


Frank M. J. Hynes,


Ernest II. Johnson.


*Appointed by Director, Division of Animal Industry, INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS. Dr. Benjamin F. Hartman.


Appointed by State Forester, FOREST FIRE WARDEN. Joseph J. Fahey. GYPSY MOTH SUPERINTENDENT. Patrick F. Fitzgerald.


Appointed by Board of Public Welfare. TOWN PHYSICIAN. John V. Gallagher, M. D. ALMONER. Jolin T. ()' Brien. SUPERINTENDENT OF TOWN FARM. Frank E. Hill.


9


Appointed by Board of Health. INSPECTOR OF MEATS AND PROVISIONS. Edward J. O'Sullivan. ASSISTANT INSPECTOR OF MEATS AND PROVISIONS. Benjamin F. Hartman. INSPECTOR of PLUMBING. (Classified under Civil Service). John E. Higgiston. ASSISTANT INSPECTOR OF PLUMBING. (Classified under Civil Service). Maurice J. Quinlan.


Appointed by Sewer Commissioners. CLERK AND, SUPERINTENDENT OF SEWERS. Charles F. Cahill.


Appointed by School Committee. SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND SECRETARY OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE. Almorin O. Caswell. SCHOOL PHYSICIANS. John M. French M. D. John V. Gallagher, M. D. ATTENDANCE OFFICER. Raphael Marino.


Appointed by Engineers of the Fire Department. SUPERINTENDENT OF FIRE ALARM. Ernest E. O'Brien. CLERK OF ENGINEERS. John N. Julian.


10


Appointed by the Select men. FINANCE COMMITTEE. Walter L Adams, Chairman, Term expires 1931, Alton H. Metcalf, Term expires 1931, John H. Cunniff, Term expires 1931, Frederick T. Cahill, Term expires 1931, William H. Casey, Term expires 1931. John F. Damon, Term expires 1930, Philip S. Kimball, Term expires 1930, Patrick C. J. Dacey, Term expires 1930, Rudolph Mainini, Term expires 1930, Joseph Morcone, Term expires 1980. Marcus W. Rose, Term expires 1932, Myron Morey, Term expires 1932, Norry Miett, Term expires 1932, Michael S. McMahon, Term expires 1932, L. Blaine Libbey, Secretary, Term expires 1932.


TRUSTEES OF NORTH PURCHASE CEMETERY.


Myron Morey,


May Bickford,


Nelson Morey, Mabel F. Kinney,


Jennie Morey, James A. Tyler.


TOWN APPROPRIATIONS.


Raised and appropriated at the annual town meeting, March 4, 1929, March 8, and March 11, 1929, and special town meetings July 17 and August 19, 1929.


GENERAL GOVERNMENT.


Accounting .


$2,400 00


Assessors (General)


.


$4,200 00


Poll Lists .


600 00


.


4,800 00


Election and registration


·


.


1,500 00


Finance Commission


75 00


Memorial Hall (General)


$1,200 00


Repairs


300 00


1,500 00


Moderator


125 00


Planning Board


15 00


Selectmen


3,10€ 00


Tax Collector


$4,400 00


Bond premium


444 00


4,840 00


Town Hall .


$2,800 00


Insurance premium


1,900 00


4,700 00


Town Clerk .


1,700 00


Town Solicitor


1,500 00


Treasurer


$1,800 00


Bond prmium


220 00


Certifying Notes .


50 00


2,070 00


PROTECTION OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY. Dog Officer . .


$


225 00


Fees (Gen Laws, Chap. 252, Sec. 51) 100 00 .


-


.


.


.


.


.


12


Fire Department :


Brush fires


$ 300 00


Fire Alarm Box


200 00


Incidentals


3,500 00


New Hose .


500 00


Pay of Members


17,340 00


Repairs


1,000 00


Unpaid bill (1927)


53 37


$22,893 37


Hydrant service


9,600 00


Police Department .


20,000 00 ·


Rifle Practice:


Co. I, M. N. G. 400 00


Sealer of Weights and Measures


750 00


Tree Warden :


Care of trees $1,000 00


Gypsy Moth suppression .


500 00


New Trees


150 00


1,650 00


Wires, Inspector of .


400 00


HEALTH AND SANITATION.


Board of Health


$8,000 00


Dental Clinic


2,400 00


$10,400 00


Inspector of Animals


220 00


Inspector of Plumbing


600 00


Worcester County T. B. Hospital .


1,812 52


Sewerage Commission :


Construction · $25,000 00


Maintenance


8,500 00


Unpaid bill (1927)


108 80


33,608 80


-


HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT ..


Highways, General Appropriations $60,000 00


Sidewalks


5,000 00


$ 65,000 00


Street Lights


17,524 80


.


·


13


CHARITIES AND SOLDIERS' BENEFITS.


Military Aid .


$ 500 00


Public Welfare :


General


.


$35,000 00


Mothers' Aid


· 21,500 00


56,500 00


Soldiers' Relief


6,000 00


Soldiers and Sailors :


Graves, Care of .


100 (0


State Aid


800 00


SCHOOL AND LIBRARY.


School Department . $198,715. 00


Town Library


2,199 15


.


Town Library (Dog Tax appropriated)


.


1,500 85


RECREATION AND UNCLASSIFIED.


Armistice Day :


Veterans of Foreign Wars $ 200 00


Damage to Persons or Property


1,000 00


Memorial Day :


G. A. R. .


$200 00


Spanish War Veterans 30 00


American Legion


200 00


430 00


Reserve Fund


5,000 00


Town Parks :


General


$2,500 00


Playground


1,200 00


Sidewalks .


500 00


Extending Bleachers


500 00


Care of Trees


500 00


5.200 00


Town Reports


1,120 70


Workmen's Compensation :


Insurance Premium


.


1,500 00


.


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CEMETERIES.


Vernon Grove Cemetery :


General


$2,000 00


Unpaid bill of 1927 75 00


New Fence


1,000 00


$3,075 00


North Purchase Cemetery .


75 00


INTEREST AND MATURING DEBT.


Interest


· $19,000 00


Maturing Debt


. 20,000 09


UNCLASSIFIED.


Celebration, 150th Anniversary of Town . $ 500 00


Purchase of Cedar Swamp Pond 5,000 00


Installing Heating System in Chapin Street School 3,500 00


Re-constructing Mt. Pleasant Street


3,000 00


Re-constructing Main Street 75,000 00


Re-constructing South Main Street .


10,000 00


Land Damages on State Highway beginning at junction Medway and E. Main and extending to Milford-Holliston Town Line 5,000 00


Indemnifying the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts against land, grade, and drainage dam- ages caused by the re-construction of State Highways on the Upton Road and South Main Streets ·


200 00


TOWN APPROPRIATIONS.


MADE AT A SPECIAL TOWN MEEEING JULY 17, 1929. Rebuilding Main Street . $25,000 00


(Vote of Town Meeting of March 11, 1929, ap- propriating $75,000.00 amended)


Rebuilding So. Main Street 10,000 00


(Vote of Town Meeting of March 11, 1929, amended)


Removing poles, wires, police and fire alarm sig- . mals on Main Street, and wire entering Town Hall Building, and placing wires underground 5,500 00


15


Clark Heirs, to pay for flowing land adjoining Cedar Swamp pond .


$ 69 00


Purchase of piece of fire apparatus 4,500 00 .


To recondition athletic field on Town Park .


5,000 00


Highways .


3,000 00


Sewer construction


3,000 00


Removing and treating elm tree in front of 171 Congress Street . 250 00


Removing hydrant near 99 Water Street


100 00


Article 2. Voted: To amend the vote taken under Article 26 of the warrant for the annual town meeting of March 11, 1929, so as to read as follows :


Voted : That there be raised and appropriated the sum of $100,000.00 for the purpose of rebuilding Main Street from the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad crossing to Hopedale Town Line, of permanent pavement, reinforced con- crete, to be rebuilt under the supervision of the Department of Public Works, Division of Highways, and that, to meet said appropriation there be raised in the tax levy of the cur- rent year the sum of $25,000 00, and the treasurer, with the approval of the selectmen, be and hereby is authorized to bor- row a sum not exceeding $75,000.00, and to issue bonds or notes therefor, said bonds or notes to be payable in accord- ance with the provisions of Section 19, Chapter 44, General Laws, so that the whole loan shall be paid in not more than five years, or at such earlier dates as the treasurer and select- men may determine.


TOWN APPROPRIATIONS.


MADE AT A SPECIAL TOWN MEETING, AUGUST 19, 1929. For increase in price to be paid for hydrant ser-


vice for fire purposes . ·


$2,000 00 For eight additional hydrants for fire purposes 480 00


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Total appropriations . $612,824 19


Total amount raised and appropriated . $611,323 34 A true copy of the records. Attest :


DENNIS J. SULLIVAN, Town Clerk.


ANNUAL REPORT OF SELECTMEN.


TO THE CITIZENS OF MILFORD, MASS .:


The year nineteen hundred and twenty-nine was an ao- tive one in the construction line in Milford. With public corporations making ready for the building of Main street by putting in new gas and water mains, anticipating new connec- tions for such mains, together with the construction of Main and East Main streets, Upton road, ank South Main street, a good deal of your Board's time was taken up in conferences and consultations with agents of the local public service cor- porations, with State and County authorities, State Engineers, and with practically all of the abut ters on those streets. Many questions were involved such as land damages, grades, accessibility of driveways and roadways, etc., where your selectmen were called upon to make de finite and prompt deci- sions so as not to interrupt the work.


Complex situations arose at times where it required tact, patience, and a sensible grasp of the whole business so as to cra ordinate all interests at issue with the least possible fric- tion and the most possible satisfaction to all concerned.


We are satisfied that all these matters were met, proper- Jy solved, and the interests of the town safeguarded.


In their supervisory capacity as administrative officers of the town, the selectmen, through direct contact with number- less delegations coming before them advocating various mat- ters in different parts of the town, or objecting to proposed programs, must of necessity get a clear cross-section of the needs of the town as a whole, and it is in the light of such an experience of the past year that we submit this report with some specific recommendations, and suggestions.


The accomplishments of the past year have been many. The first and foremost of these has been the completion of orss- much needed Main Street. It must be obvious to the think-


18


ring citizen that it was best and cheaper for the town to tackle that project in its entirety and have it all done at one time. In the carrying out of this improvement much else of benefit to the town was achieved. By forethought and careful plan- rming, it was possible to utilize at a low cost the surplus mate- rial from Main street for improvements elsewhere. Thus our "town park was filled in and sloped gradually so that what was formerly an eye-sore is now a pleasing landscape. Many of our outlying roads have been filled and made passable. Highland, Prospect, Courtland, Depot, and other streets have been so im- proved. In addition some filling was utilized in grading houselots adjacent to Medway Corner, thus reducing cost of I and damages which the town assumed in connection with the Construction of East Main Street.


It was also forethough and planning that made it possi- able to have all the wires on Main street from Water Street to Sumner Street, put under ground and eliminate the unsightly poles standing between those points. In this connection the selectmen are indebted to F. M. Daniels, Wire Inspector, for his time given in planning all the details and arranging cross ducts and connections for any future extension of fire alarm wires, police signals, or traffic lights. It was a tedious job, and the town was fortunate in having such a man to give of Mais time unsparingly and conscientiously.


The progress of the building of Main Street was carefully watched by your Board, and in a number of cases we deemed it advisable to add to the original plans so as to have our . street equal to the best. Rounding of practically all the in- tersecting corners was not at first contemplated, nor were the aprons contemplated in the beginning, but we felt that those things should be done for the comfort and accommodation of the public A safety zone was installed in the centre of Lin- · coln Square and arrangements made to have a cluster of three lights installed which will guide traffic, help pedestrians an crossing; and give more light to the square.


Traffic lights were installed at the intersection of Main and Central Streets. This was done after taking a traffic


19


count as requested by the Department of Public Works, and installation was done according to plans furnished by the Traffic Division of the Department of Public Works, and un- der its supervision. Also a white way consisting of four lights on Central Street and three lights on Exchange Street, together with an additional two lights at the corner of Main, Central and Exchange streets have been added.


The Selectmen's quarters have been inadequate to receive the numerous delegations of citizens that are constantly ap- pearing before the Selectmen in connection with town busi- ness. The Selectmen have improved this condition so that visiting delegations will be better accommodated by re- arrang- ing the rooms in the Town Hall. The Chief of Police office was moved to the room formerly occupied by the Tax Collec- tor which puts the police department handy to the Court where it should be. Room was arranged for the Tax Collector in the front part of the Town Hall building in the Town Clerk's office and thereby making it possible for tax payers to step handily off of Main Street, without being obliged to go around the side door. The Town Accountant had been using the Selectmen's room which was not a very good arrangement and gave him no privacy to do the work required and in this re-arrangement a separate office was arranged for him which he now occupies. The present Selectmen's room, in its en- larged and present condition, will also be available for meet- ings of the Finance Board with much more comfort to them and those appearing before said Board.


Two ornamental lights have been ordered, one for each side of Town Hall, to rest on the stone buttresses where con- nections for such lights were provided when the granite steps were built some time ago.


By vote of the town without any solicitation on the part of the board, the selectmen were put to work in an advisory capacity with the Park Commissioners, in the spending of the five thousand dollars appropriated for permanent improve- ments on Town Park. We believe, with the Park Commis- sioner's and Landscape Engineer Frederick W. Clarridge, a


20


good job was done, as any one can verify byj taking a look around the Park.


Enumerating all these things that have been done is like enumerating progress. Like individuals a town in order to grow and prosper must do things for itself. We cannot afford to stagnate, but it is our duty to keep going forward. The past year has seen a spirit of progress such as has never been shown in Milford. We are of the opinion that a majority of our townspeople want this same spirit to continue and that we should proceed with needed improvements, not extrava- gantly, but wisely, prudently, and in a business- like way. Such expenditures for needed improvements at this time are in direct line with the wishes of President Hoover, that all civic units throughout the country should make a special ef- fort to keep their programs at full speed, so as, in part at least, to tide the country over through this recession of business now prevalent, and in that way give employment to as many people as possible.


Milford is financially sound. In the 1928 town report you will notice that the credit balance in the surplus revenue account on December 31, 1928, was $141,918.36. On Deceni- ber 31, 1929, as against this, in spite of the fact that $30,000.00 was appropriated at the last annual town meeting from this account (which was $15,000.00 more than was appropriated the year before) there is a credit balance in the surplus reve- nue account of $154,122.00, which was $12,204.00 more than the year before.


We are against the town borrowing money for long peri- ods, as we feel that method of financing, while it may lighten the burden of taxation in the immediate years following the loans, will in the end be much more expensive, and conse- quently much more burdensome. Taking the average tax rate of all the towns of Massachusetts around $30.00, we be- lieve it to be the duty of the officers of the town to have the courage to advocate that any appropriation made for immedi- ate improvements should be taken out of the tax levy of the current year up to an additional tax rate of $3.00. In no way intending to be critical but solely to illustrate what it means


1


21


to borrow we ask you to compare the following examples of municipal finances. A few years ago a bond issued for $50,- 000.00 was negotiated in such a way that when it matures the town will have paid $37,500 00 in interest, or a total of $87,- 500.00. An extra tax rate of $3.50 per thousand levied in that year would have taken care of the $50,000.00 loan, and saved the tax payers $37,500 00. On our recent bond issue for Main street, on a modified plan of pay-as-you go our interest charges will be about $8,400 for a $75,000.00 loan, as against $37,500.00 for a $50,000.00 loan. It is obvious from this illus- tration which policy we should follow. The argument often put out that the town cannot afford an increase in tax rate is not sound. As a town we can afford to sacrifice a little and pay more at the time the improvements are made, when we realize that in the end money is actually saved.


RECOMMENDATIONS.


MAIN STREET SIDEWALKS. We recommend that cement sidewalks be built on Main street from the railroad crossing to the Hopedale town line, and work to proceed early in the spring. so that work will be completed before the · Sesquicentennial Celebration. The sidewalks to be built under supervision of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works.


TOWN PARK. To continue the comprehensive pro- gram adopted by the Park Commissioners and the Selectmen, we recommend that $5,000.00 be appropriated for that pur. pose.


ROUND POND. Your board recommends that $6,000.00 be appropriated for the construction of a conduit and the fill- ing of the Round Pond. If the sidewalk appropriation goes through, some money will be saved in this project, by using the excess material excavated from the sidewalks to make the fill in the Round Pond.


COMFORT STATION. The necessity of a public com- fort station is well established, and we recommend that money be raised and appropriated for that purpose. For a location


22


the selectmen have in mind the taking of some land back of the 1 to 99c store on Fayette street, such a location being ac- cessible, secluded, and central.


GODFREY AND OTHER BROOKS. Any board of se- lectmen in the past few years are well aware of the many complaints made by people living along the Godfrey Brook valley, due to blockage of said stream and consequent flood- ing of lowlands adjacent to it, causing property damage to abutters. This holds true of other small streams in other parts of the town. We, therefore, recommend a suitable ap- propriation to relieve those of our citizens who are affected by such damage. In connection with this it is our opinion that no work should be undertaken on Godfrey or other brooks until all the abutters shall have waived land or consequential damages that they may feel may be done to their property in carrying out the improvement.




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