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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF
Middleboro, Mass.
LE
RO
COUNT
PLYMOUT
U
TH
*
PINCORPORATED
AD./669
For the Year Ending December 31st
1925
3
TOWN OFFICERS 1925.
SELECTMEN
LYMAN P. THOMAS
Term expires 1926
THEODORE N. WOOD
Term expires 1926
CHESTER E. WESTON
Term expires 1927
ALTON G. PRATT
Term expires 1927
ERNEST L. MAXIM
Term expires 1928
TOWN MANAGER HARRY J. GOODALE
TOWN CLERK AND ACCOUNTANT
WALDO S. THOMAS
Term expires 1926
TREASURER AND COLLECTOR
WILLIAM W. BRACKETT Term expires 1926
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
ALLAN R. THATCHER
Term expires 1926
FOREST E. THOMAS
Term expires 1926
GEORGE W. STETSON
Term expires 1927
LORENZO WOOD
Term expires 1927
MRS. ADELIA C. RICHARDS Term expires 1928
KENDRICK H. WASHBURN
Term expires 1928
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS CHARLES H. BATES
ASSESSORS
HARRISON F. SHURTLEFF
Term expires 1926
BENJAMIN C. SHAW
Term expires 1927
WILLIAM G. BOYNTON
Term expires 1923
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR
ADELAIDE K. THATCHER
Term expires 1926
WILLIAM M. HASKINS Term expires 1927 CHARLES S. CUMMINGS Term expires 1929
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HEALTH OFFICER JOHN H. WHEELER
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS HERBERT B. RAMSDELL
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS
WALTER M. CHIPMAN
Term expires 1926
MICHAEL J. CRONAN
Term expires 1927
WILLIAM J. COUGHLIN
Term expires 1928
TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC LIBRARY
WALTER L. BEALS
Term expires 1926
WALTER SAMPSON
Term expires 1926
NATHAN WASHBURN
Term expires 1926
HENRY W. SEARS
Term expires 1927
THOMAS H. KELLY
Term expires 1927
H. JANE BENNETT
Term expires 1927
ALLAN R. THATCHER
Term expires 1928
THEODORE N. WOOD
Term expires 1928
MARION K. PRATT
Term expires 1928
CONSTABLES FRED C. SPARROW E. KIMBALL HARRISON ALDEN C. SISSON HARRY S. ALLEN
TREE WARDEN HARRY J. GOODALE
FOREST WARDEN HARRY J. GOODALE
MOTH SUPERINTENDENT JESSE CARPENTER, JR.
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES LOUIS C. LITTLEJOHN
5
REPORT OF THE SELECTMEN
A year ago your board in their annual report outlined in as comprehensive a form as was possible the activities and accomplishments of the various departments during the four years under the present form of town management. That the voters appreciated the results accomplished and the sys- tem which makes it possible, we feel is clearly demonstrated. from the results of the vote of May 23, 1925, on the retention of the town management form of government, which resulted in an emphatic endorsement of the present system. We be- lieve that these advantages will be more and more apparent as time goes on; for one of the chief advantages is perma- nent centralized control, with a definite program covering a period of years, the value of which may only be realized in the future.
Your board again feel the necessity of emphasizing the fact that no action has been taken on the adoption of By- Laws. As a board we are in a position where we can appre- ciate the vital need of fixed policies as covered by adequate by-laws, and we again urge immediate action on this matter.
We believe that the voters are guilty of a short-sighted policy in rejecting offers of the State and County to finan- cially assist in co-operation with the town on a fixed ratio in the construction and rebuilding of our more important high- ways. It should be realized that unless this appropriation from the State and County is taken advantage of by us dur- ing the year in which it is offered, it is lost to us. While the construction and maintenance of our highways is such a large problem, it appears to the board that in not taking advantage of the money from the State and County, we are sacrificing a real opportunity to improve our roads at minimum expense.
During the current year the program of additional ex- tensions of gas and electric service has been continued. This
6
broadens the field of the service and at the same time brings added revenue to the departments. In this connection we call your attention to the fact that the gas plant is now operating at its capacity, and one of several plans for an increase of volume, together with uninterrupted supply, must be immediately adopted.
In order to protect the town from the possibility of a continuance of interruptions in our electric service, a plan has been developed whereby we believe this difficulty can be reduced to a minimum.
A problem that has received considerable of our atten- tion the past year has been the matter of the congestion of our main business streets. We are confronted with a nar- row street with trolley tracks, through which one of the most important streams of automobile traffic in the state passes. To still further complicate the situation, several passenger busses make their terminals here, and the New England Transportation Co., which is entering this field of passenger transportation extensively, is seeking to operate additional service through the business center. To relieve partially this condition it has seemed advisable to divert the busses to less congested streets, with a central and common terminal as near the business center as possible. The, present parking space on Union street has been selected. To take care of the travelling public we ask authority to construct a much- needed modern comfort station, in connection with which a waiting place may be maintained.
With the entry of the New England Transportation Co., in the field of passenger service by busses, and the probability that this branch of transportation will assume increasing importance in the near future, it seemed advisable to place the various operating companies on a more business-like basis in relation to the town. Accordingly, revised Rules and Regulations have been adopted in accordance with Statutes enacted by the State. These provide for a yearly license with a fee of $10.00 for each bus operated and a fixed indemnity bond. In addition, all new applications for permission to
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operate passenger busses in town are given a public hearing, and no license in force is renewed without a public hearng.
During the current year following an extensive audit by the State Department of Corporations and Taxation a rear- rangement of the accounting and bookkeeping departments was put into effect, by which Mr. William W. Brackett became collector of all monies due the departments and Mr. Waldo S. Thomas became the accountant in charge of all accounts. The advantages are obvious. At the present time there are very few past due accounts in the various departments out- standing and it is the aim of the board to show a clean slate in this respect in the near future.
The board feel that the town is fortunate in being able to retain Town Manager H. J. Goodale. He is conscientious and enthusiastic in his work and his services to the town are becoming increasingly valuable as time goes on.
In working out the problems of town government as they come to us, we ask your sincere co-operation, for in this man- ner only can the advancement of each citizen be accomplished.
LYMAN P. THOMAS ERNEST L. MAXIM THEODORE N. WOOD ALTON G. PRATT CHESTER E. WESTON
Selectmen.
8
REPORT OF TOWN MANAGER
Board of Selectmen, Middleboro, Mass. Gentlemen :
I have the honor to submit my fifth annual report and recommendations as Town Manager, this being the fifth year of this form of government in Middleboro.
As each department will submit a detailed statement of its activities, only the more important items of interest will be included in this report.
STATE SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTING
The results obtained the past year by the use of this method of keeping a record of the financial affairs of the town have fully justified the expense of its installation.
The Accountant not only keeps the book of the various departments, but acts as Auditor as well, so that at the end of each month an audit is made of all the departments and a gen- eral financial statement is made for the use of the heads of each department.
By combining the duties of Town Clerk and Accountant into one office, the expense of operating this department is reduced to a minimum, as the fees received by the Town Clerk for recording mortgages, births, deaths, marriages, etc., are turned into the Town Treasurer, when formerly they were retained by him as part of his salary. These receipts amount- ing to nearly $1,000 should be credited from the expense of this office, thus leaving the actual cost to the tax payer for the maintenance of this department of $1125, instead of $2125 as shown on the budget.
I wish to take this opportunity to commend the work
9
of Waldo S. Thomas, the Town Clerk and Accountant, for the faithful and painstaking care which he has given to the duties of his office.
FINANCIAL
The financial condition of the town still shows improve- ment, as no bonds or notes have been issued this year. The policy of "pay as you go" is still being used.
On Jan. 1, 1926 the total bonded debt of the town is $55,650, made up of the following items :- School House Loan $1650, Plymouth County Hospital Loan $8,000, Water De- partment Equipment Loan $1,000, Water Department Stand- pipe and Filter Loan $35,000, and the Municipal Gas and Electric Dept. Loan $10,000. Of these the Water Dept. and the Gas & Electric Dept. Loans are outside the debt limit, and are paid from their earnings, and only the School and Hospital loans are paid from taxation.
The Hospital loan of $8,000 is also outside of the bonded debt limit, and does not effect the borrowing capacity of the town.
WATER DEPARTMENT
The condition of this department continues to improve with the care and thought which is continually being put into it. All gates, hydrants and curb stops are now in good work- ing condition. The new water rates which went into effect July 1, 1925 have reduced the income of the department ma- terially, but we hope the coming year that we will still be able to operate the department so that the cost will not ex- ceed the income.
The constantly increasing amount of iron in the raw water from our well necessitates the removal of coke in the reisler and the sand in the filter beds at more frequent intr- vals. This year we have renewed the coke and next year it will be necessary to renew the sand in the filters.
10
HIGHWAYS
The program originally laid out of building as much gravel road each year as the general appropriation would permit has been continued this year with the result that much needed improvements have been made on Barrows St., Clifford St., Frank St., Lane St., Miller St., North St., Oak St., Pleasant St., France St., Purchase St., Rocky Meadow St., School St. Ext., Titicut St. and Vine St. Not only have these streets been graveled, but the gravel has been thor- oughly compacted with the roller and then given two coats of surface treatment; first with tar and then with 85% asphal- tic road oil.
The special appropriation to be used with money allotted by the State and County for the improvement of Long Point and Marion roads produced gratifying results. With the ten thousand dollars thus made available we were enabled to gravel and surface with oil two miles of road, beginning at the Middleboro-Lakeville town line and extending on Marion road nearly to Perry St. We hope that the town will make a like appropriation the coming year so that the road can be completed to Rock Station.
The policy adopted in 1923 of building a certain amount of cement walk each year has been continued with the result that the east side of South Main St., from Wareham St., to Webster St., and the west side of South Main St., from Nick- erson Ave., to Courtland St., has been completed. We hope that this policy will be continued next year.
STREET LIGHTING
I wish to renew my recommendations of last year that the street lighting in the town be improved.
The White Way system should be extended from Benton St., to Everett Sq., and the highway lighting system now being used on Barden Hill should be extended to Tispaquin St., and this same system should be installed on Everett St., from North St., to Purchade School, also on Center St., and
11
Taunton Road. All of these streets are dangerous for pedes- trians at night. While there have been no fatal accidents as yet there have been many near ones, and it is much cheaper to light the streets than to build sidewalks.
There should also be fifty new 60 c. p. lights installed in the residential section of the town to relieve the many dark places which now exist.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
By vote of the town and with the co-operation of the Peirce Trustees, $55,000 has been made available for the construc- tion of a new Fire Station. Work was begun Oct. 26th, and up to the present time the cellar has been dug and the founda- tion walls built so that the work of erecting the building can begin as early in the spring as weather will permit. When this building is completed the most serious handicap of this department will have been relieved.
In spite of very poor housing conditions this department is well manned, and the department as a whole is very effi- cient as is indicated by the small fire loss the past year.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
This department continues to function in a very satis- factory and efficient manner. The constantly increasing number of automobiles which pass through our town adds greatly to their duties.
The past summer this department rented a motor cycle in order that they might better control the traffic during the week-ends. This experiment proved so satisfactory that I recommend that two motorcycles be purchased for the use of this department in order that they may still better control traffic and be in better position to apprehend violators of the automobile and liquor laws.
12
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The educational and preventative work which this de- partment is doing in the schools with the aid of the teachers, is showing very good results in preventing the spread of contagious diseases.
As the Health Officer is also the Attendance Officer, the prompt report to him of absentees by the teachers enables him to make an examination of the child in its home, and if the case is suspicious, information is immediately obtained, and should this examination show that the child has a con- tagious disease, it is immediately quarantined. The results thus obtained have reduced the number of contagious diseases from 815 in 1923 to 288 in 1925.
There is a larger number of tuberculosis patients under treatment at the present time than ever before. Active work to prevent the spread of this disease among children, by re- cording the weight of the school children, is being done, all underweights are watched and examined and those with tuberculosis tendencies are given proper treatment.
Proper inspections are being made of bakeries, restau- rants, etc., to see that the State Laws are complied with.
Numerous complaints have been made regarding the col- lection of garbage this year, and I recommend that a suffi- cient appropriation be added to that of the Poor Department, so that this work can be handled in connection with the Poor Farm.
MOTH DEPARTMENT
This department is steadily growing in value to our citi- zens. While there may be some questions as to the need of the annual appropriation which has been made in the past for the combating of the gypsy and brown tail moth pest, it is very evident that the services of this department are in greater demand each year by the owners of cranberry bogs and orchards.
This year 237 jobs of private spraying were done as against 195 last year and 134 in 1923.
13
Mr. Carpenter the superintendent of this department is well educated along these lines, and is extremely interested in trees of all kinds. His knowledge and advice is at the com- mand of any of our citizens, and the department is in posi- tion to do pruning, trimming, cavity work, spraying, setting out or any other work in connection with trees, the only charge being the actual cost of the work.
This department is the flying squad of the Forest Fire Department, and their prompt response to these fire alarms has reduced the fire damage to a minimum.
This department also takes care of the outside school houses by cleaning and making the minor repairs. In fact they are the handy men who can be called upon to take care of the small jobs which come up from time to time.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
The policy initiated in 1923 of putting the public build- ings in proper condition has been continued this year.
The school houses at the Green, Waterville, Wappanucket and Thomastown have been thoroughly painted inside and out, a new furnace has been put in at the West Side school, and one at School St., has been repaired. A partition has been put in the upper room of the Union St. school, thus making two rooms out of one. With these improvements made there remains three of the rural schools which should be painted the coming year, Pleasant St., Plymouth St., and Purchade.
GAS AND ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT
There are two conditions in this department which should be remedied as soon as possible.
First :- the daily gas consumption is fast approaching the capacity of our holder, and at the present time this holder contains but little more than the daily consumption so that, if anything should happen to the single manufacturing set which would take more than twenty-four hours to repair, the
14
town would be without gas. This is a serious situation as quite a large percent of our gas customers depend on gas for their cooking and should this supply be cut off it would be most inconvenient to say the least. «This may happen at any time as the single set we are now depending on for the manu- facture of gas, was installed in 1911, and is fast reaching its limit of usefulness. This situation can be remedied in any one of three ways; by installing a duplicate set, by pur- chasing high pressure gas from the Taunton Gas Co., or by purchasing gas from the Brockton Gas Co. The purchase of high pressure gas seems to be the logical thing to do, as the cost of this installation is about the same as enlarging the plant, and either one will sell the gas to us at the holder cheaper than we can manufacture it. Also with high pressure gas coming into the town we would be in position to serve sections which cannot be reached with low pressure. I recom- mend that this be given serious consideration the coming year.
Second :- The service we are giving in the electric light department is not what it should be, as this year there were 52 outages for a total of 53 hours, and 53 minutes; 28 hours and 39 minutes of the total occurred between 7 A. M. and 5 P. M. This of course is a serious handicap to business and effects both the employer and employe. The remaining time effects the stores and the householders. This condition can be remedied in any one of three ways; by building a high tension line to Pratt town in Bridgewater and connecting with the Brockton Edison Co., at that point, by building a high tension line through Lakeville to the Lakeville-Freetown line and connecting there with the New Bedford Co., and as the Plymouth Company is going to connect with the Brock- ton Edison Co., through Kingston we could depend on our present line to Plymouth as they will then have a source of supply from New Bedford and Brockton, and they will be in a position to supply us from either central station. We can therefore expect better service as probably the only outages which would occur would be on our own line, and these in the past have been very few.
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More gas mains have been laid this year than for a num- ber of years, 10,700 feet have been laid on 16 streets and 78 new meters have been set. There are about two more miles to be completed in order to serve all the houses that can be reached with low pressure gas.
Forty-two and seventeen (42.17) miles of new electric light wires have been strung this year on seven additional miles of streets, and 191 new meters have been installed.
This department is growing so rapidly that some dif- ferent method should be used to accomplish the work in the office.
In closing, I wish to express my appreciation for the courteous treatment, help and advice which you have given me, and to those associated with me who have one and all worked so harmoniously in carrying out our policies I wish also to express my deep appreciation.
Respectfully submitted,
H. J. GOODALE,
Town Manager.
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE 1 ORGANIZATION, 1925
GEORGE W. STETSON, Chairman
CHARLES H. BATES, Secretary
MEMBERS
Term Expires
Adelia C. Richards, 86 Pearl Street
1928
Kendrick H. Washburn, 70 South Main St.
1928
Allan R. Thatcher, 1 Webster St.
1926
Forest E. Thomas, 59 Everett St.
1926
George W. Stetson, 118 So. Main St. 1927
Lorenzo Wood, Plymouth St.
1927
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS Charles H. Bates, 47 Courtland St. Telephone 577-R
Office, Room 7, Town Hall, Telephone 81-R Office Hours, School Days, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 4 to 5 P. M .; Tuesday and Thursday 8 to 9 A. M.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE 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.
REGULAR MEETINGS, 1926
January 7, February 4, March 4, April 6, May 6, June 3, September 2, October 7, November 4, December 2.
17
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
Dr. James H. Burkhead, 11 Peirce Street Tel. Residence 536-R; Office 536-W
SCHOOL NURSE
Mary Canning, 4 Reland Street; Tel. 203-M
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OFFICER
John H. Wheeler, 60 Everett Street; Tel. 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 Frank W. Gibbs, 49 Forest Street Linam Chute, 1046 Centre Street
CALENDAR-1926
Winter Term, Dec. 28-Feb. 19, 8 weeks.
Spring Term, March 1-April 23, 8 weeks.
Summer Term, May 3-June 18, 7 weeks; High School, June 23, 8 weeks.
Fall Term, Sept. 7-Dec. 17, 15 weeks.
Winter Term, Dec. 27.
The graduating exercises of the Elementary Schools will be held Thursday afternoon, June 17, at 2 o'clock in the Town Hall.
The graduating exercises of the High School will be held Wednesday evening, June 23, at 8 o'clock in the Town Hall.
HOLIDAYS
April 19, May 31, Oct. 12, Nov. 25, 26. Plymouth County Teachers' Association Convention.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Middleboro, Massachusetts, January 4, 1926
To the Members of the School Board :
The following report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year ending December 31, 1925, is respectfully sub- mitted :
The outstanding problem of the school department-the relief of the school congestion by the erection of a new High School building-still remains to be solved.
The attempts to secure such a solution at the several town meetings last year failed, as have those in the past few years.
Another committee is now at work on the problem and before this report is submitted to the citizens of the town it is possible that the voters of the town may have favorably de- cided the question and made the necessary appropriation for carrying it into effect. Such an action would mean much for the schools of the town. It is gratifying to note that a ma- jority of the people desire a new High School building and lend their voice and vote to this end. The efforts, however, to secure a two-thirds vote, necessary to secure the appropri- ation, has fallen short; in a few times, however, by but a few votes.
Statistics of attendance for the past few years indicate that the school enrollment is gradually increasing from year to year and each year calls for a new readjustment of the grades to meet these congested conditions.
Arrangements were made last summer for increasing the seating capacity of the Central Elementary Schools so that room for 85 additional seats and desks became available and, therefore, it was not necessary to place more pupils on the
19
part-time plan, except at the West Side School, where for the first time the double-shift plan is in operation for grades 4 and 5. There are now four schools on the double-shift plan and but for the above arrangements four more would now be.
The grading for next year presents the most perplexing problem that has as yet come up for solution.
It will be necessary, too, to find one more room for the additional teacher in the High School corps next year.
To accommodate the overflow at the West Side and to relieve the congestion in several of the Suburban Schools it will be necessary to transfer nearly 100 pupils from these schools to the School Street School. As there will not be room available for all the pupils this will mean the placing of sev- eral grades on the double-shift plan. It is a conservative esti- mate that nearly 300 pupils in the Central Elementary Schools will be on a part-time plan next September.
The following activities of the past year, briefly sum- marized, will be of interest :
A successfully conducted Teachers' Institute at the High School building under the direction of the State Department of Education. It was an exceedingly helpful meeting.
An interesting exhibition of the work in drawing of all the grades and the High School in the Town Hall. The draw- ing work is on a good foundation and excellent work is being done.
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