USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1929 > Part 1
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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF
Middleboro, Mass.
O
UTH
COU
C
N
INCORPORATED
For the Year Ending December 31st 1929
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF
Middleboro, Mass.
LE
R
OUTH
O
T
J
NTY, MASS
M
GHA
INCORPORATED
For the Year Ending December 31st 1929
H. L. THATCHER & Co. Middleboro, Mass.
1
MIDDLEBOROUGH
"HEAD-O'-THE-CAPE"
Elevation-100 feet above sea level Settled-1660
Incorporated as a town-1669 Population 1925 census-9136 Valuation-$9,111,450.00 (exclusive of Automobiles)
Municipally owned-water, gas, electric light plants. Tax rate-$35.20 per thousand Area-68.1 square miles Miles of street-146 Motorized Fire Department Well equipped Hospital.
Schools in Class A.
Principal Industries :
Fire Apparatus
Varnishes
Shoes
Worsteds
Boxes
Jewelry
Brass Goods
Drug Sundries
and thirty other products
The center of the cranberry industry
Located:
35 miles from Boston 22 miles from New Bedford 30 miles from Providence, R. I.
Railroad Center Direct rail connections with
Fall River New Bedford Taunton
Provincetown Brockton
Boston
Providence
New York
Stoughton
Manove-
Abingla
BARENTON
Morshielp
Durbury
Mansfield
Kingston
Bridge!
Alleboro
Plymouth
TAUNTON
MIDI
2BORO
La1. 41'65 N.
WL Boots. Det.
Awatchom
M
Morin
RIVER
M 66.02 600
IDOLEBORD, AND
NEW BE FORD
10
AROUND.
MILES
TWENTY
5
TOWN OFFICERS 1929.
Selectmen
FREDERIC H. NOBLE, Chairman
Term expires 1931
LEWIS F. HARDING
Term expires 1930
WILLIAM EGGER
Term expires 1930
ALBERT A. THOMAS
Term expires 1932
ALEXANDER HEATH
Term expires 1932
Town Manager HARRY J. GOODALE
Town Clerk and Accounting Officer
WALDO S. THOMAS Term expires 1930
Treasurer and Collector
WILLIAM W. BRACKETT Term expires 1930
School Committee
LORENZO WOOD, Chairman
Term expires 1930
FRED B. ALGER
Term expires 1930
KENDRICK H. WASHBURN
Term expires 1931
MRS. PRISCILLA S. ALGER
Term expires 1931
ALLAN R. THATCHER
Term expires 1932
ROBERT G. BUTLER
Term expires 1932
Superintendent of Schools J. STEARNS CUSHING
Assessors
BENJAMIN C. SHAW, Chairman WILLIAM G. BOYNTON HARRISON F. SHURTLEFF
Term expires 1930 Term expires 1931 Term expires 1932
6
Overseers of the Poor
WILLIAM G. BOYNTON, Chairman LESLIE N. CLARK LELAH M. HATHAWAY
Term expires 1930 Term expires 1931 Term expires 1932
Members of the Planning Board
HARRY W. SEARS, JR.
Term expires 1930
JOHN B. SAVAGE
Term expires 1931
HOWARD C. HOLDEN
Term expires 1932
GEORGE A. DOANE
Term expires 1933
RUSSELL A. TRUFANT
Term expires 1934
Health Officer JOHN T. CONNOR
Superintendent of Streets PAUL F. ANDERSON
Registrars. of Voters
MICHAEL J. CRONAN ' Term expires 1930
WILLIAM J. COUGHLIN, Chairman Term expires 1931 MINNIE A. JONES Term expires 1932
Trustees of the Public Library
GRACE H. NOBLE
Term expires 1930
THOMAS H. KELLEY
Term expires 1930
H. JANE BENNETT
Term expires 1930
ALLAN R. THATCHER
Term expires 1931
THEODORE N. WOOD
Term expires 1931
MARION K. PRATT
Term expires 1931
WALTER L. BEALS
Term expires 1932
LEONARD O. TILLSON
Term expires 1932
NATHAN WASHBURN
Term expires 1932
7
Constables
E. KIMBALL HARRISON ALDEN C. SISSON HARRY S. ALLEN
Tree Warden HARRY J. GOODALE
Forest Warden HARRY J. GOODALE
Moth Superintendent FRANK S. THOMAS
Sealer of Weights and Measures LOUIS C. LITTLEJOHN
8
REPORT OF THE SELECTMEN.
Your Board of Selectmen have, during the year, held stated and regular meetings, and considered carefully all matters of town business brought to their attention. In doing this they have endeavored to faithfully discharge their oath of office.
These meetings of your Board have been open to the public and, we trust, this has been helpful toward a better understanding of the many problems presented to the Board for attention and solution.
All complaints and suggestions for better service have been given courteous consideration and it is to be regretted that all demands made could not be met, with funds at hand, and all plans suggested carried out.
Undoubtedly some have been grieved and disappointed that such must of necessity be the case, but your Board has endeavored to take action on all matters in a way that seemed for the best interests of the community as a whole.
Your Board have carefully supervised expenditure of the Taxpayers' money and have made it a practice to ex- amine bills presented for payment. We have conferred constantly with the Town Manager in all matters in an endeavor that service rendered meet with your approval.
We have advised the smallest possible appropriations consistent with the adequate meeting of our needs, that the burden of taxation, borne by the taxpayer, may be kept reasonable. In this, however, your Board can only make recommendations and point the way, while the final decision in this important matter of appropriations must always rest with the voters, and this is as it should be.
The present day demands upon Government are indeed great and appear to be increasing. Citizens are insisting
9
on better schools, additional and improved highways, better lighted streets, added protection to life and property, and more adequate care for those in needy circumstances. This insistent demand for the extension of governmental activities on the one hand, calling for increased expenditures, with the apparent insistence on the other hand that the taxable burden be reduced, greatly adds to the anxiety and re- sponsibility of those who are willing to assume the duties of public office. It appears to your Board that we must have a better general understanding of our governmental problems, to the end that we may all realize that we are interested in one and the same thing, i. e. the building of a better commun- ity for the enjoyment of us all.
Reference, as in previous years, is directed to the within printed reports of our Town Manager and other Town Offi- cers which set forth in detail the work of the year.
Several minor changes have been made in compiling the figures of our expenditures and some additional information is also incorporated in this report.
Our Town Manager has been most helpful throughout the year and has shouldered by far the larger part of the administration of our town affairs. The responsibilities resting upon your Board of Selectmen are varied and numer- ous. In the discharge of these many exacting duties the only compensation one may hope to receive is the satisfac- tion of a public service honestly rendered. A free will offering of time and effort, often at considerable sacrifice, that the cause of good government will continue to advance.
Respectfully submitted,
FREDERIC H. NOBLE ALBERT A. THOMAS LEWIS F. HARDING ALEXANDER HEATH
Board of Selectmen.
10
REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER
Board of Selectmen, Middleboro, Mass.
Gentlemen :---
I herewith present my ninth annual report as Town Manager, together with the' departmental reports, for your approval.
This year has been a very busy one for all departments, especially this one. In addition to the regular work which is quite enough to keep one busy, there was added much of the incidental work in connection with the Small-pox epidemic; the obtaining data, plans, specifications and bids for a new heating system for the School Street School, and also the necessary information to enable you to make a wise decision as to what method should be used in water-proofing the standpipe, the making of necessary arrangements to supply the town with water and fire protection for the six weeks which the standpipe was empty and undergoing repairs. After these contracts were let it was of course necessary to keep in close touch with the work as it progressed, to see that the specifications were adhered to.
The extension of the water pipe line to Warrentown added a large amount of work to this office. The survey was made by Hayward & Hayward of Brockton, but the detail plans were made in this office, as was also the contract and speci- fications for the construction of the line and the purchase of all materials used. These were all prepared outside of office hours, as the regular work of this department occupies all of the regular working day. The fact that the appro- priation for this extension was insufficient, compelled you to let the contract to the lowest bidder at a figure which could not allow them a reasonable profit, added greatly to
11
the work of inspection, thus adding more responsibilities to this office.
However, this work has all been done. The small-pox epidemic was cleared up in a remarkably short time, due to the fine co-operation of all the departments of the town and the hearty co-operation of all of the citizens. Too much praise can not be given to all the citizens for their prompt attendance to the clinics in answer to your emergency appeal.
The heating system at the School Street School is working perfectly; the standpipe shows no leakage, and the water pipe line to Warrentown is giving reasonable satisfaction.
The town was indeed fortunate that no unforeseen acci- dent happened and no large fire occurred during the work on the sta idpipe. Precautions were taken to prepare for all emergencies, but we who were responsible for the constant supply of water at all times spent many an anxious hour in fear that something had been overlooked and that something might happen which would deprive our citizens of water and leave them without adequate fire protection. Happily nothing occurred and I only mention this one incident as an illustration of the many possible things which may happen, the prevention of which is on the minds of the heads of all of your departments at all times, in order that no serious inconvenience may occur to mar the happiness and content- ment of our citizens.
Briefly I will outline the major activities of the various departments; the other items of interest appearing more in detail in each individual report.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
This department under the supervision of Mr. Connor has functioned very efficiently. Unfortunately soon after he assumed office and before he had a chance to get ac- quainted with his duties, the epidemic of what was supposed to be chicken-pox was diagnosed as small-pox and the credit
12
of discovering this dreaded disease is due largely to him. He tackled the job of stamping out this disease manfully, and with the full co-operation of all the departmental heads, it was soon done.
On April 24th Dr. Scammon and Dr. McKnight of the State Board of Health, and Dr. Place, specialist of the Boston City Hospital, made a careful investigation of a large num- ber of cases of what had been called chicken-pox and de- clared some of them to be small-pox, but in a mild form.
A joint meeting of the School Committee and the Board of Selectmen was called that evening, and after listening to the reports of the doctors and a thorough discussion, your Board acting under their powers of the Board of Health, declared that an emergency existed, and ordered all the in- habitants of the town vaccinated. Th's vote was taken about 9 P. M. and plans for immediately putting this order into execution were started at once, with the result that the next morning doctors and nurses were in all the schools and factories, and clinics were opened in the Town Hall and various other sections of the town. Within twenty-four hours from the time an emergency was declared to exist, five thousand persons were vaccinated, and by the end of the third day the total had reached 9906 out of an estimated population of 9136, showing that many from the surrounding towns took advantage of the opportunity to be vaccinated.
Later the clinics were held for readings and re-vaccina- tions, and 6860 reported. These readings showed 92.4% were successfully vaccinated.
The last case of small-pox had its onset on May 5th, showing that the spread of this disease was checked in eleven days.
Not only were all these people vaccinated but a card index was made of each individual case, and these are all on file.
Total of small-pox cases was 223.
Total cost to the town in stamping out this epidemic was $5,578.95.
13
WATER DEPARTMENT
The major activities in this department were the exten- sion of an 8 inch main, one mile through Nemasket and Plymouth Streets to Warrentown, and the water-proofing of the standpipe.
On April 30th sealed bids from six contractors were publicly opened and read by the Board of Selectmen. Action on awarding the contract was deferred to May 7th, at which time the contract was awarded to The Ideal Contracting Company for doing all the work of laying the water pipe in the Warrentown extension; the town to supply all the mater- ials the contract for which had been awarded to the lowest bidder. F. A. Houdlette & Sons furnished the pipe, the Ludlow Mfg. Co. the valves and hydrants and LeBaron Foundry Co. the special fittings. Work was begun May 20th and the job was finally accepted August 27th.
As the Ideal Contracting Company's bid was the only one that came within the appropriation, we were obliged to award it to them, with the result that the work obtained was not all that we had hoped to get. Many leaks occurred after the job was finished, and next spring a considerable amount of expense will have to be incurred by the Highway Department to put the road in proper shape for safe use. All the houses on this line to the number of 19, have been connected to the mains. Only 16 however, are being served at present.
The appropriation made for this work, against the advice of your Town Manager, was only $11,000.00, and the cost of the main line was $11,428.91, and the cost of the services and meters was $1434.99, making a total cost of $12,863.90 as compared with the original estimated cost of $13,000.00. STANDPIPE WATERPROOFING.
After a very careful investigation of the various types and methods of waterproofing as presented by various water- proofing companies, and upon the advice of Mr. Arthur
14
Sampson who designed the structure and who made a separ- ate investigation, it was decided to line the standpipe with Ironite as applied by the Western Waterproofing Co. of Boston. A contract was entered into with them July 26th, under a five year guarantee.
Water was drawn from the standpipe Sunday, August 11th, at 5 P. M., and work began the next day, and pro- gressed rapidly until it was finally completed and the tank filled again Sunday, Sept. 15th.
At first it was decided to make no repairs except on the inside until after this work had proved to have stopped all the seepage. After further study it was decided to patch the outside where the cement had spalled off, with the same material, and also to paint the iron ladders. This work was done by the day as it was considered to be fairer to both parties, the quantity of work to be done being impossible to estimate.
The original contract was for $7000.00, and the extra work amounted to $1079.11. Extra engineers at the pump- ing station, rent of fire apparatus, coal, and other incidental expenses was $1880.16, making a total cost of this work of $9959.27.
During all this time in order to supply the town with water, it was necessary to run the pumps continuously, and as we felt our pumping capacity was inadequate to furnish a sufficient supply of water in case of a large fire, it was decided to hire one of Maxim Motor Company's 1000 gallon per minute fire engine pumps and place it at the Pumping Station with a suction line to the river and the discharge lines connected to the mains.
To protect the purity of the water a chlorinating machine was installed on the suction line. Fortunately we did not have occasion to use this additional fire protection, as no fires occurred during the time the standpipe was undergoing repairs. The insurance, however, was worth all it cost.
15
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
This department has been unusually busy this year, due to the $5000.00 increase in the appropriation. The one piece gravel crushing plant has continued to be a success as the repair bills have been small and the crusher has been run continuously through the year. Total amount of gravel placed on all the roads during the year was 14513 cubic yards, at a cost of $14,300.53, or an average cost of $0.97 per cubic yard, This cost includes all labor, all trucks, crusher and roller operating costs. The major jobs were on thirteen streets but improvements were also made on eleven other streets.
One of the most noticeable improvements was on Center Street where the car tracks were covered with hot mix and the whole surface treated with 85% road oil.
New cement walks were laid on Center St., Center Avenue and Pearl St., and a gravel and cinder walk built on Center St. from Crowell St. to Taunton Road.
54,800 gallons of road oil were used and 10,570 gallons of patching material.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
At the annual town meeting in 1929 a by-law was voted adopting the two-platoon system for this department. As all by-laws require the approval of the Attorney General before they become effective, a copy of this was sent to him early in the year, but was not returned with his a proval until late in the summer and after much discussion ~on cern- ing the way this should be put into effect it was decided to have each of the two platoons consist of one house officer and four men, and this was finally put into effect Wedne : ay, October 30th. Albert Owens who had been a Call Deputy Chief for a number of years was appointed a full time Dep- uty Chief in charge of one platoon, with Capt. Ryder in charge of the other. The added expense of operating this
16
department by the two-platoon system for labor alone for 1930 will be $6,227.00 more than was appropriated in 1928.
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Major improvements were made in the Bates and School St. Schools. In the Bates school one of the large chimneys had to be rebuilt at a cost of $333.62, and $373.06 was spent on the heating system.
The heating system in the School St. school, which had been in use since the building was built in 1907, became so bad that it was necessary to put in a complete new system. A careful investigation proved that the most economical system to use both in the first cost and in the operating cost for this building was the unit system. By using this method the foul air ducts already in the building could be utilized, and the necessity of building new fresh air ducts eliminated as by the use of the unit system all the fresh air is taken in through the windows. The appropriation for this work was $9000.00, and the final cost $8088.66, showing a saving of $911.34.
South Middleboro school was shingled and a new fence built around the yard.
Seats were put in one of the third floor rooms in the Memorial High school.
All the other buildings were given their usual summer cleaning.
GAS AND ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT.
Seven hundred feet of new gas mains have been laid this year on Etta St., Forest Extension, Lincoln St. and Prospect St.
Electric light extensions have been made on Benson St. and Highland St. in Middleboro, and Precinct St. and Rhode Island Road in Lakeville.
17
With the completion of Winter and Fuller Street lines which are now under construction, all the large extensions in our system will have been completed.
Our electric light system may be likened to a tree in which all its energy and vitality has been devoted in spread- ing its branches, leaving the trunk in a weakened condition. If the branches are to give the service expected the trunk must be strengthened, and that is somewhat the condition in which the system is in at present, although some of the main lines have been rebuilt there is still much to be done. Much of the income of this department in the near future . should be spent for this purpose.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Our police department is still functioning in a very efficient manner. The exceedingly heavy automobile traffic through the summer taxes its limited force to the utmost, but our officers have become very proficient in this work and the traffic was handled the best this past year it has ever been. The illegal liquor traffic is another source of trouble, but I think we can safely say that our town is one of the cleanest in this section of the State.
Respectfully submitted, H. J. GOODALE,
Town Manager.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
School Committee
OF
Middleboro, Mass.
E
R
LOUTH AR
O
PLYMOU
UNTY, MASS
H
*
INCORPORATE
AD. 1665
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31st
1929
20
SCHOOL COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION 1929
LORENZO WOOD, Chairman
MEMBERS
Term Expires
Allan R. Thatcher, 1 Webster St.
1932
Dr. Robert G. Butler, 1 Williams Place
1932
Kendrick H. Washburn, 70 So. Main St.
1931
Priscilla S. Alger, 10 Southwick St.
1931
Fred B. Alger, 5 Court End Ave.
1930
Lorenzo Wood, Plymouth St.
1930
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
J. Stearns Cushing, 16 Court End Ave. Res. Telephone 643-W
Office, Room 7, Town Hall, Telephone 81
Office Hours, School Days, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 3:30 to 5 P. M .; Tuesday and Thursday, 8 to 9:30 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.
21
SCHOOL PHYSICIAN
Dr. A. V. Smith, 35 Pearl St. Telephone 50
SCHOOL NURSE
Miss Helen B. Pasztor, 132 North Main St. Telephone 278
SUPERVISOR OF ATTENDANCE
John T. Connor, 170 North Main St. Telephone 812
CENSUS ENUMERATOR
Mrs. Carrie L. Jones, West St. Telephone 293-M
SCHOOL CALENDAR
First Term, January 6-February 28, 8 weeks.
Second Term, March 10-May 2,. 8 weeks.
Third Term, May 12-June 20, 6 weeks; High School. May 12-June 13, 5 weeks; Elementary
Schools.
Fourth Term, September 8-December 19, 15 weeks.
The graduating exercises of the Junior High School Grades will be held in the Town Hall on Wednesday after- noon, June 11, at 2 o'clock.
The graduating exercises of the Senior High School will be held in the Town Hall Wednesday evening, June 18, at 8 o'clock.
HOLIDAYS
May 30, October 13, November 11, November 27-28.
22
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the Members of the School Board :-
I herewith present the annual report of the schools of the town and my third as Superintendent of those schools.
At this time I must once more express my sincere appre- ciation of the cooperation received from the teachers and all persons connected with the School Department. It is only with such unstinted support of all that the destinies of almost two thousand children in our schools can be proper- ly directed.
The School Department in the particular form of govern- ment under which the town is operating is of necessity tied very closely to the office of the Town Manager. He is the official purchasing agent and caretaker of all buildings which means that all repairs, fuel, light, water and insurance are under his jurisdiction. From that office I have received the heartiest cooperation and my suggestions have been most kindly received in all instances. The Town Accountant, Treasurer and other Town Officials have been most helpful and I should like to express my appreciation to them for their ever ready reports and efforts.
SAFETY EDUCATION
The increasing loss of child life through accident during the past three years has demanded that Safety Education be included in the curriculum of our schools. The public school aims to educate children for successful adjustment to life. It is, therefore, inevitable that in a changing world educational practice must be continually modified to meet new conditions. It is not our policy to teach Safety Educa- tion as a subject apart from other school subjects but as a part of other subjects of the curriculum as well as in actual situations where the need for Safety is apparent.
23
The General Objectives of Safety Education as stated in our course of study are as follows:
I. To give children an understanding of situations involving hazard that their behavior in these situations may be intelligent.
II. To develop habits of conduct which will enable children to meet the situations of daily life without accident.
III. To develop habits of conduct which will function in difficult situations and in times of crisis.
IV. To develop a generation characterized by habits of carefulness.
V. To develop skill in control of bodily movement.
VI To create right attitudes including:
A. Respect for law and officers of the law.
B. Willingness to assume responsibility for the safety of self and others.
C. Willingness to cooperate in organized efforts to secure safety.
D. Interest in the social significance of safety. VII. To eliminate all preventable accidents.
From First Grade to Senior Class we have tried to meet some or all of these objectives. An example of the type of instruction might interest parents. On one day all subjects in the curriculum may be correlated with Safety Education. In the High School the work in English grammar, literature, and composition may be based on safety topics; in the foreign languages words pertaining to safety learned and safety sentences constructed; in Commercial subjects dictation of safety measures taken in shorthand and transcribed in Type- writing classes; words in Spelling pertain to safety; Art classes use safety subjects for posters and sketches; Mathe- matic problems phrased in safety terms; while the speaker of the day in assembly speaks on a safety topic.
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