USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1922 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7
TOWN OF MIDDLEBOROUGH MASSACHUSETTS
KUNCION. DCBY 3.8015
STATE AND COUNTY TAX 109 CENTS
UNCLASSIFIED 2.36CTS.
GENERAL GOV'T
FIRE 6.15 CENTS
POLICE 3.28CENTS
-
MOTH 2.3CENTS
INSPECTION 1A7CT.
HEALTH 4.26 CENTS
INSTRUCTION 22.3 CENTS
TAX
DC LL
- JANITORS ICENT BOOKS-SUPPLIES 2 CENTS SCHOOLS 5190
FUEL 2CENTS
TRANSPORTATION 2.8CTS REP. BLDG5-MISC LACTS SOLDIER'S RELIEF
LIBRARY 0.95 CENTS 2.66CTS
CHARITIES 5.17 CENTS
MUNICIPAL GAS, ELECTRIC AND WATER DEPARTMENTS SELF SUPPORTING
ANNUAL REPORT
1922
4.5CENTS
PROTECTION-PERSONS PROPERTY 15 2 CENT
- TOMWALL LECENTS SION OF
TROR
THE
SUB PLYMOUTH
HIGHWAYS 18.3 CENTS
IR
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF
Middleboro, Mass.
OLEE
ORO
COUNTY
PLYMOUT
NTY MA
GH
INCORPOR
569
FOR THE
Year Ending December 31, 1922.
3
TOWN OFFICERS 1922
TREASURER AND COLLECTOR
ALBERT A. THOMAS
Term expires 1923
TOWN CLERK ALBERT A. THOMAS
SELECTMEN
WILLIAM G. BOYNTON
Term expires 1924
CHESTER E. WESTON
Term expires 1924
LYMAN P. THOMAS
THEODORE N. WOOD
Term expires 1923
Term expires 1925
TOWN MANAGER HARRY J. GOODALE.
ASSESSORS
BENJAMIN C. SHAW JAMES F. GARDNER ERNEST S. PRATT
Term expires 1924 Term expires 1923 Term expires 1925
Assistant
EDWARD M. FLYNN
KENNETH B. KEEDWELL
Term expires 1923 Term expires 1923
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR
WILLIAM M. HASKINS
MARY L. CLEVELAND CHARLES S. CUMMINGS
Term expires 1924 Term expires 1923 Term expires 1925
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
MRS. ADELIA C. RICHARDS KENDRICK H. WASHBURN LORENZO WOOD GEORGE W. STETSON
Term expires 1925 Term expires 1925 Term expires 1924 Term expires 1924
Term expires 1923
ERNEST L. MAXIM
4
JOHN V. SULLIVAN ALLAN R. THATCHER
Term expires 1923 Term expires 1923
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS CHARLES H. BATES
HEALTH OFFICER JOHN H. WHEELER
SUPERINTENDENT OF' STREETS ICHABOD B. THOMAS
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS
WILLIAM J. COUGHLIN
Term expires 1925
MICHAEL J. CRONAN
WALTER M. CHIPMAN
Term expires 1924 Term expires 1923
TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC LIBRARY
ALLAN R. THATCHER
Term expires 1925
THEODORE N. WOOD
Term expires 1925
MARION K. PRATT
Term expires 1925
HENRY W. SEARS
THOMAS H. KELLY
Term expires 1924 Term expires 1924 Term expires 1924
H. JANE BENNETT
WALTER L. BEALS
WALTER SAMPSON
NATHAN WASHBURN
Term expires 1923 Term expires 1923 Term expires 1923
CONSTABLES FRED C. SPARROW E. KIMBALL HARRISON ALDEN C. SISSON HARRY E. ALLEN
TREE WARDEN HARRY J. GOODALE FOREST WARDEN HARRY J. GOODALE
MOTH SUPERINTENDENT LINAM CHUTE
5
REPORT OF SELECTMAN
In view of the comprehensive report of the Town Man- ager which is printed on succeeding pages, the Selectman have nothing in the way of detail to present for the informa- tion of citizens. The activities of our board for the past year are naturally fully reflected in this report of the Execu- tive : and we urge every voter to read it carefully. We feel that the year has been one of considerable accomplishment, and we are confident that the several improvements made will result in economy and efficiency of operation.
We commend to the careful consideration of the voters the project of a hydro-electric plant at the Muttock dam, believing that this will be a useful and profitable undertak- ing. Other problems now pressing for solution are the mat- ters of school accommodations, fire department housing, and construction and maintenance of highways, with others looming in the less immediate future.
It is a source of satisfaction to this board that the com- mittee on town by-laws, including building regulations, is to report at this year's annual meeting, as the disposal of many matters long left in abeyance will thereby be made possible. Regulations of the Board of Health have been adopted and are now in force, and many minor department- al regulations have been revised and clarified. The effect of all of these revisions should be the establishment of a well defined mode of procedure in most municipal matters affecting individual citizens, and a consequent sense of stability and equitable arrangement for the benefit of all.
As heretofore, the Selectmen bespeak the co-operation of every citizen, in every phase of town affairs, and invite
6
criticism and suggestion, with the assurance that it will be gratefully received.
CHESTER E. WESTON. WILLIAM G. BOYNTON, LYMAN P. THOMAS. THEODORE N. WOOD. ERNEST L. MAXIM. Selectmen.
7
REPORT OF TOWN MANAGER
Board of Selectmen, Middleboro, Mass.
Gentlemen :
I have the honor to submit my second annual report and recommendations, as Town Manager, which is also the second year of this form of government in Middleboro.
As the detail departmental reports are submitted here- with, I will only touch on the most important items of these reports.
STATE AUDIT
Conforming to the State law which requires that each town shall have an audit, by auditors approved by the State Director of Accounts, once in three years, the State Audi- tors were employed and completed the audit of all the town departments and trust funds for 1921 and up to Dec. 1, 1922. Although a report of the results of this audit has not as yet been filed, the auditors in their work found but few things to criticize. They did, however, make many favorable comments on the condition of the books in the various de- partments, especially on the method and accuracy in which the Treasurer and Collector's books were kept.
FINANCIAL
There are but few towns in the State whose financial condition is as good as ours. Outside of the bonded in- debtedness of the Gas and Electric Plant and the Water Department, the bonds and interest of which are taken care of by the receipts of the departments, the bonded in- debtedness of the town is only $23,100.00, the largest item
8
of which is the Plymouth County Hospital Loan of $14,000.00. The others are, School House Loan $6,600.00, and Departmental Equipment Loan $2,500.00. The latter will be retired in 1923, and the School loan in 1927.
The total of the Municipal Light Loan is $24,000.00, which will be retired in 1927.
The payments on $41,000.00 of the Water Department Loan will be completed in 1945.
GAS & ELECTRIC PLANT.
The conditions existing in the Electric Light and Gas Plant have required a large amount of time and thought, to arrive at a solution of the problems.
These conditions exist through no fault of the past management, as all their efforts have been spent in the economy of operation, and the extending of the electric wires and gas pipes, in order that the business which a few years ago required an appropriation from the town each year in order that it could meet its running expenses, now is showing a profit each year and is enabled to make from its earning's many of the extensions asked for, and such improvements in the plant as are necessitated from year to year.
There comes a time in every growing business when it is necessary to cease making extensions and going out after new business. The profits must then be spent in repairing worn out parts and in building up the trunk of the tree so that the branches will not crush it and cause a complete failure of business, and the service it has been rendering.
It seems to me that we have now reached this point in our Electric Light Plant.
Extensions have been made each year, further and fur- ther from the central station without enlarging the main trunk wires, so that now many of these lines are over loaded
9
and should be replaced with a wire of proper size to carry the load. The wire taken down can be used in other places where it is suitable ..
Before this can be done efficiently, and with proper understanding of the requirements, it will be necessary to prepare plans of the whole distribution system, showing the location and size of the existing wires. Having ob- tained these plans, studies can be made of the conditions, and when lines are renewed it will be with a proper under- standing of what size wire is required.
With this idea in mind we have consulted Charles H. Tenney & Co., of Boston, Consulting and Operating En- gineers, who have quoted us a price for making the plans. This matter you are now considering.
Investigations have been made of the Muttock Dam Site with the idea in view of constucting a remote control Hydro Electric Station to supplement the present Hydro Electric Station on Wareham Street.
The first report was made by three students of the Mass. Institute of Technology, who used this subject for their graduating thesis. Their report was most favorable, but it was deemed wise, before deciding to recommend that this project be carried out, that their report be checked by a firm of Consulting Engineers. The firm of Jackson & Moreland, Consulting Engineers was engaged and while their report is not as favorable as the first one, still it shows the construction of a Hydro Electric Station on the Muttock Dam Site to be a sound economical proposition.
The construction of this station would serve the town in two distinct ways. First, it would produce electricity at a much lower cost than it can be purchased, and second, it would be of great value to our customers when the high tension line from Plymouth is out of commission.
The recent interruptions of our service from Plymouth should indicate very clearly that careful consideration must be given to securing an auxiliary supply of electricity
10
from some other source than Plymouth. This can be done in one of three ways, either a new high tension line to the New Bedford power line at the Quittacas Pumping Station of the New Bedford Water Works, or a line con- necting with the Brockton Edison Co., at the Bridgewater town line, or a line connecting with the City of Taunton at the Lakeville-Taunton town line.
The two outstanding improvements in this department this year, are the rebuilding of the wheel pits at the Station in concrete, and the reduction of the rates charged for gas and electricity.
The old wooden wheel pits were so badly decayed that the water leaking through them was not only wasted but - it was seriously damaging the underpining of the building so that a total collapse of the building and machinery might be expected at any time. This trouble has now been elimi- nated by the construction of the new concrete wheel pits and the re-enforcing of the foundation walls of the building.
The electric lighting rates were reduced two cents per K. W. H. and gas fifteen cents per 1,000 cubic feet.
WATER DEPARTMENT
A much needed improvement at the Pumping Station has been made this year by substituting electricity for steam to operate the pumps. Only one of the steam pumps has been discarded, the other one being held in reserve to be used when the electric service is interrupted. As soon as our electric service is sufficiently dependable, the other steam pump should be discarded.
The main gates on the distributing system were in very bad condition. We have this year tested out about one-half of these, and made the necessary repairs. We shall complete the repairs on the remaining gates this year.
We have continued the work begun last year in
11
changing the slow and dead meters, and hope by the end of the coming year to have this part of the system in a reasonably good condition.
HIGHWAYS
The addition of two Ford dump trucks and the Cleve- land tractor, has enabled this department to make a very good showing this year. Many favorable comments have been made on the work done on the outside roads, and also with the results obtained on the streets in the village by using a heavy asphaltic oil in resurfacing the water bound macadam roads.
There are four sections of our main highways that are in very poor condition and should be rebuilt in the near future: between the car tracks on Center St. from Main St. to Everett Square, Center St. and Taunton Road from Everett Square to the Lakeville line, Wareham St. from near the Electric Light Station to the State Road at Water St., and Plympton St. from the Green to Eddyville. The main road to North Middleboro, Plymouth St. to Bedford St. is in very poor condition, and should be resurfaced with gravel and preserved with an oil surface.
In conjunction with the Town of Bridgewater, and with the assistance of Engineers of the State Department of Public Works, a contract has been let to Bertram L. Thomas for the construction of a three span reinforced concrete beam bridge over the Taunton River on Plymouth St., North Middleboro. Work has begun on this bridge although but little has been accomplished as yet.
A new reinforced concrete beam bridge has been con- structed on Wareham St. over the canal leading to the Electric Light Station.
STREET LIGHTING
The street lighting conditions are anything but what they should be. Under the present mode of travel every
12
town is advertised either favorably or adversely by the general impression made on the stranger as he passes through. If the roads are good, the buildings neat, the sidewalks smooth and the street lighting up to date, he can not help feeling that the town is alive. If, on the other hand, the general conditions are poor, he is bound to advertise it far and wide. How often we hear the expression, "Have you seen the new White Way Lights?" in such a town, and how much favorable comment there is made on them.
We have this year installed eight 600 C. P. White Way lights in the immediate business center, very much to the satisfactions of the citizens. This system should be ex- tended on Center St. to Everett Square, on Wareham St. to Benton St., on North Main St. to the Public Library, and on So. Main St. to Nickerson St.
The street lighting on the side streets should also be re-spaced, and about 50 60 C. P. lamps added in order that the light on these streets may be more evenly dis- tributed.
Additional lights should be placed in the more thickly settled sections of outside districts.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
The painting of the Town House with two coats of white is the only real improvement made on any of the public buildings of the town this year. Although there was some opposition at first to changing the color of the building, opposition seems to have vanished, and none but favorable comments have been heard.
The school buildings for some years past have had no major repairs, and have reached the stage where they badly need painting, shingling and general repairs, parti- cularly the West Side, Forest Street and Union Street schools.
13
What to do with the outside schools is a question only to be answered by solving the problem of school con- solidation.
The problem of what to do with our "domestic savage" is still with us, and will remain with us until such time as the town is in a position to finance this expensive proposition.
I think we can safely say that some improvement has been made in all the departments of the town during the past two years. There have not been as many as we would like to have seen, due to the fact that many of them must wait action at the Annual Town Meetings.
Respectfully submitted, H. J. GOODALE,
Town Manager.
14
SCHOOL COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION, 1922
GEORGE W. STETSON, Chairman
CHARLES H. BATES, Secretary.
MEMBERS
Term
Expires
Adelia C. Richards, 86 Pearl St., Tel. 213-M. 1925
Kendrick H. Washburn, 70 So. Main St., Tel. 72-R
1925
George W. Stetson, 118 So. Main St., Tel. 10-W. 1924
Lorenzo Wood, Plymouth St., Tel. 311-W. 1924
John V. Sullivan, 114 So. Main St., Tel. 131-R. 1923
Allan R. Thatcher, 1 Webster St., Tel. 105-M.
1923
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS CHARLES H. BATES, 14 Reland Street, Tel. 81-W. Office, Room 7, Town Hall, Tel. 81-R.
Office Hours, School Days: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 4 to 5 P. M., Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 to 9 A. M.
MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held in Room 7, Town Hall on the first Thursday of each month, excepting July and August, at 7.30 P. M.
15
REGULAR MEETINGS, 1923.
January 4, February 1, March 1, April 5, May 3, June 7, September 6, October 4, November 1, December 6.
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
Dr. James H. Burkhead, 11 Peirce Street, Tel. Residence 536-R, Office 536-W.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICER
John H. Wheeler
60 Everett Street Telephone 407-W.
JANITORS OF CENTRAL BUILDINGS
High School,
Charles H. Goodwin, Forest Street Extension Union Street and Town House Schools,
School Street School
Forest Street School West Side School
Luther S. Bailey, 23 Forest Street. George A. Cox, 82 Pearl Street Martin Hanley, 85 Oak Street Charles E. Chute, 276 Centre Street
CALENDAR, 1923 .
HIGH SCHOOL
Winter Term Summer Term Fall Term Winter Term
January 2-March 23, 12 weeks April 2-June 22, 12 weeks September 10-December 21, 15 weeks Jan. 2, 1924
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Winter Term Spring Term Summer Term Fall Term Winter Term
January 2-February 21, 8 weeks March 5-April 27, 8 weeks May 7-June 22, 7 weeks September 10-December 21, 15 weeks January 2, 1924
16
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Middleboro, Mass., January 4, 1923.
To the School Committee of Middleboro :
In compliance with your regulations I respectfully submit to you and to the citizens of the town my annual report.
The total number of pupils enrolled for the school year was 1745, a gain of 105 over the previous year; while the average membership was 1,578, an increase of 73, and the average attendance was 1434, an increase of 35.
Briefly summarized, the more important additional fea- tures of the school work introduced since the last report are as follows :
In February, physical training was introduced into the elementary schools under the direct supervision of a special instructor. This phase of educational work, now a required activity under the State law, has met with gratifying results and should be continued as a fixed part of the school pro- gram.
A regrading of the two suburban schools at North Middleboro whereby the pupils of the two schools in the first three grades have been brought together into one school at the Plymouth Street school, and the pupil of the fourth, fifth and sixth grades of the two schools have been united as one school at the Pleasant Street school, has proved an effective plan in securing more uniform results and in more nearly equalizing the number of pupils in each school.
This plan should be continued, as with the attendance of the seventh, eighth and ninth grades at the Pratt Free School, a good system of graded schools is given to this section of the town.
Arrangements have been carried out in some measure whereby the work of the School Physician and Public
17
Health Nurse has been made more effective in safeguarding the health of the pupils, supplementing the work of the physical director in making more practical the physical activities. The work in nutrition is an important phase of health work and funds have been secured for carrying it on the present year. It is hoped a dental clinic may soon be a part of the health work, as it is something much to be desired.
With the opening of the school year last September, an additional teacher was engaged for the High School, thus giving opportunity for a better arrangement of the school program and giving more time to the principal for supervision. The steady increase in the enrollment will soon call for more teachers, when better accommodation will be imperative.
The present school year has seen several changes in text books. In the High School a more modern text book in Physics and a better arranged text book in Civics have been adopted, while in the elementary grades a new language series has been introduced in the intermediate grades of the Central schools, and this change will next year include all the grades in the central and suburban schools. Several other changes will be made the present year.
The working out of the plan of a teacher-coach at the School Street school, inaugurated the previous year, has resulted in a better opportunity for individual instruction of backward pupils and for giving time to the principal for a closer observation of the discipline and work in the rooms of the building.
The extension of time of the morning session of the second grade to 11.30 has given an equivalent for the year of nearly a month more for class work. The time from 11.30 to 12 is spent with backward pupils.
The congested condition has been relieved somewhat by a regrading of some of the central schools so as to more nearly equalize the number of pupils. At the Purchade and
18
Rock schools, the two largest suburban schools, the pupils of the first two grades are on the half-time plan, the second grade attending the morning session only, and the first grade the afternoon session.
The extension of vocational work in the Evening Prac- tical Arts Classes for Women, whereby an additional school has been opened at the West Side building, has proved the great success of this feature of vocational work. The grati- fying results obtained from the small appropriation of $300, half of which is paid by the State, should meet the approval of the citizens of the town for making this a fixed feature of educational work.
An appropriation of $200, half to be paid by the State. is asked for this year for evening classes in Americanization work. In addition to the above, and of great importance to the future efficiency of the schools, was the action of the town at the town meeting in February upon two reports -one relative to the matter of more adequate school accom- modations and the other to the policy of the town in refer- ence to its suburban schools. As these reports are a part of the records of that meeting, and are printed in this year's town report, it is not necessary to incorporate them as a part of this report. Action on the suburban school problem, as to the final working out of the same, will have to be post- poned until the settlement of the accommodation problem for the Central schools.
It is gratifying to say that the committee appointed to consider it recommended the consolidation of the subur- ban schools in the central school buildings and the use of motor vehicles for transportation of the pupils. It is inter- esting to note that already five such vehicles are used in different sections of the town for that purpose.
As final action on the matter of a new High school building, the solution of the congestion problem recom- mended by the special committee, both as regards site and an additional appropriation, comes up at the next town meeting, it is well to state that the enrollment of both the High School and the elementary grades is steadily increas-
19
ing each year, and many of the buildings have already reached the limit of their seating capacity.
A comparison of the enrollment of October, 1922, with the same month's enrollment in 1920 shows this increase in the past two years : In October, 1922, there were enrolled in the High School 292, in the central elementary 1044, and in the suburban schools 385, while for that month in 1920 there were 224 in the High School, 967 in the central ele- mentary and 335 in the suburban schools-a gain in two years of 68 in the High School, 77 in the central elementary schools and 50 in the suburban schools-a total gain of 195 in the last two years.
In conclusion it gives me pleasure to report the schools in good condition.
We have as an efficient corps of teachers in the High School, the Central Elementary and Suburban Schools, as we have had for some time. There is a good professional spirit and a desire for self-improvement which have tended to a better school attitude and the securing of better results. Ten of our teachers have taken courses in Summer Schools the past year, and several have carried on correspondent courses, an effort worthy of much commendation.
Two courses under the direction of the State Board of Education, and a professional course in charge of the superintendent, are a part of school opportunities for teach- er's improvement the present year. The several activities carried on by the Mothers' Clubs have been of great help in stimulating and keeping alive the interests in the schools.
The Welfare Committee, the Community Centre, with its playground activities for the pupils, the Teachers' As- sociation, Junior Red Cross, and other organizations have carried on successfully many helpful phases of educational work.
The special occasions on the school programs have called out a large number of parents. They are too many to be enumerated here. Especially interesting were the Annual High School Concert and the Operetta by the
20
School Street pupils under the direction of Supervisor Phillips, and the Field Day in June, the first of its kind in our schools, under the supervision of the school instructor, Frank A. Crosier.
These activities will continue to be an interesting and helpful feature in our school work and will tend to make that work a vital factor in citizenship training with worth- while results.
With the erection of a new High school building, thor- oughly equipped, and the introduction of several addi- tional courses of study in its curriculum, with a regrading of the elementary schools so that there may be fewer pupils in each school room and a full day schooling given to each pupil, with the consolidation of the suburban schools, so that the same opportunities may be given to the children in the rural districts as are now enjoyed by those in the central section, Middleboro will have a system of schools that it may well be proud of.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.