USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1880 > Part 1
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RECEIVED JUL 0 1 1991
PLYMOUTSI PE PLYMOUTH MUSS
8388
38
Plymouth Public Library Plymouth, Mass.
383
Gregory Syer
38
Eagle Scout Project 1991
This Is Produced By The Photoduplication Program Of The Plymouth Public Library Plymouth, Massachusetts
4
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF THE .
TOWN OF PLYMOUTH
FOR THE
FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING JANUARY FIRST,
HIR
974.48
ANN
TOGETHER WITH THE
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND
Superintendent of Schools.
PLYMOUTHI : AVERY & DOTEN, STEAM JOB PRINTERS. 1880.
REPORT OF THE SELECTMEN ..
. The Selectmen respectfully submit the following Report for the year eighteen hundred and seventy-nine.
The Treasurer's books have been examined and found cor- rect, and all payments properly vouched.
The Treasurer is charged for the year with :
Cash on hand January 1st, 1879 $8,167 76
Dog fund from the County 462 42
School fund from the State 217 72
Sale of school books. 679 28
Armory rent reimbursements 250 00
Poor reimbursements 1,752 86
Water rent, labor and materials 10,979 31
Dramatic and minstrel licenses
52 50
Interest on Training Green fund 24 28
Interest from delinquent taxes . 929 93
Dividends from Old Colony National Bank 375 00
Agawam and Halfway Pond fishery 225 00
Rebate of interest on loans 1 83
Fines from violation of Town by-laws 24 00
Sale of lots in Vine Hill Cemetery 323 70
Road department reimbursements
847 86
Amount carried forward. $25,313 45
4
Amount brought forward $25,313 45
State aid, refunded
2,700 00
Indigent State aid refunded 500 00
National bank tax from State
2,376 70
Corporation tax from State 3,635 01
Insane Poor reimbursements 279 40
Contingent reimbursements 77 55
Fresh Brook fishery
8 50
Miscellaneous receipts
2 50
Water Works reimbursements
458 11
Loan from P. S. Sherman
3,200 00
Loan from P. S. Hedge
1,200 00
Water Works building reimbursement. 918 44
Burial Hill reimbursement 1 75
State aid reimbursement. 88 25
Indigent State aid
5 25
School reimbursement
5 00
Warren fund interest
50 00
Fire department reimbursement
2 75
Transfer to South Plymouth receiving tomb
100 00
Abatement and herring money allowed Collector ..
21 60
Taxes, 1872.
11 25
Taxes, 1873
7 28
Taxes, 1874.
28 20
Taxes, 1875
410 20
Taxes, 1876
1,892 68
Taxes, 1877
3,151 92
Taxes, 1878
7,792 53
Taxes, 1879. 49,318 11
$103,556 43
account from Fresh Brook fishery
5
The Treasurer is credited for the year with payments, as follows :
Duxbury & Cohasset Railroad sinking fund, trus-
tees $1,500 00
State tax
1,240 00
County tax
4,838 89
National bank tax
3,047 52
Vine Hill Cemetery
356 98
Widows' distribution 130 00
Water Works, interest on scrip and extension
. .
9,442 01
Watch and police
1,171 65
Treasurer's salary
500 00
Town debt and interest account
6,598 20
Sexton
125 00
State aid
2,695 50
Schools
17,407 06
Roads and bridges
7,279 01
New roads.
1,130 58
Insane Poor
1,418 51
Poor
8,878 70
Abatements
1,379 30
Herring money
80 95
Fire department
2,316 49
Burial Hill
126 44
Contingent.
3,340 86
Lighting streets and Town House
1,068 32
Assessors
787 00
Water Works extension 1,208 11
Plymouth Public Library
231 21
Collector of Taxes
467 30
Agawam and Halfway Pond fishery
74 90
Amount carried forward
$78,840 49
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Amount brought forward. $78,840 49
Fresh Brook fishery
100 00
Warren fund
32 62
South Plymouth receiving tomb
133 00
Note paid Reuben Sherman 4,400 00
Indigent soldiers' and sailors' aid
509 35
Water Works building account
918 44
Water Works pumping station.
8,521 71
Sewerage 432 95
Training Green fund 4 50
Trustees water scrip sinking fund 1,000 00
Cash on hand 8,663 37
$103,556 43
The undrawn balances of the several appropriations are as follows :
Abatement
$2,398 73
Widows' fund
34
Herring money
2 30
Training Green fund 553 83
Fresh Brook fishery 10 72
South Plymouth receiving tomb
64 00
Warren fund
1,048 98
Town debt and interest account
1,122 45
Contingent. 162 39
Insane Poor. 575 67
Roads and bridges 258 57
New roads
636 89
Burial Hill
30 52
Poor
62 33
Amount carried forward
$6,927 72
7
Amount brought forward. $6,927 72
Vine Hill Cemetery 376 49
Watch and police 36 84
Lighting streets and Town House
130 12
Water Works
628 83
$8,100 00 The expenditures in excess of appropriation are as follows : Collector of Taxes $17 20
Fire department 102 25
Schools 383 73
Assessors
46 78
Sewerage plans.
82 95
Pumping station, Water Works
8,521 71
$9,154 72
Town Debt.
WATER LOAN.
Seventy $1000 five per cent. bonds, dated June 1, 1855 ; payable June 1, 1885. $70,000 00
Twenty $1000 five per cent. bonds, dated Aug. 1, 1864 ; payable Aug. 1, 1894. 20,000 00
$90,000 00
DUXBURY & COHASSET RAILROAD LOAN.
Forty $1000 seven per cent. bonds, April 1, 1874; payable April 1, 1884. $40,000 00
$40,000 00
$130,000 00
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Amount brought forward. . $130,000 00
TEMPORARY DEBȚ.
Note to State of Massachusetts, dated April 3, 1878 ; payable April 3, 1883 .. $5,000 00
Note . to Plymouth Savings Bank, . dated Sept. 16, 1878 ; payable Sept. . . 18, 1883 .. 10,000 00
Note to State of Massachusetts, dated Feb. 2, 1878 ; payable Feb. 3, 1883. 6,724 65
Note to Plymouth Savings Bank, on demand
11,000 00
Notes to sundry parties, on demand. 4,900 00
ENGINE HOUSE LOAN.
Note to H. Sherman, dated Jan. 19, 1878, four years. $600 00
Note to Priscilla Hedge, dated Jan. 12, 1878, four years. 1,200 00
Note to heirs of Timothy Manter,
dated Dec. 31, 1877, four years ...
500 00
Notes to Plymouth Savings Bank, dated Dec. 30, 1878, five years .. .. 5,000 00
$44,924 65
Undrawn balances of the several departments.
8,100 00
$53,024 65
.Amounts carried forward. ... $53,024 65 $130,000 00
.
:
---
1
9
Amounts brought forward .... $53,024 65 $130,000 00
Less-
Uncollected taxes, 1876 .. $46 74
Uncollected taxes, 1877. . 228 99
Uncollected taxes, 1878. . 1,540 60
Uncollected taxes, 1879. . 5,462 85
State aid due from State
of Massachusetts. .. 3,363 22
Cash in treasury 8,663 37
$19,305 77
$33,718 88
Indebtedness, Dec. 31, 1879.
$163,718 88
Indebtedness, Dec. 31, 1878. 153,584 31
Increase of indebtedness, 1879 $10,134 57
The results of the year, as appear in the foregoing statement show an increase in the indebtedness of $10.184.57, which is made up of the following items : Difference in overdrawn balances from last year, . $8,985 06
Ascertained deficiency in L. Bradford's account as
Collector of Taxes ... 3,347 28
Defolienpy in State aid, reimbursed by the State, ! 141 50
$12,473 84
Paymorton principal of notes out
ontstanding is $1,200 00
Gain on bank and corporation taxes, Over estimates,. 146-811 71
Miscellaneous receipts opVrat ar .:
ered into the treasury $527 56
Liess amount estimated as
revenue" 300 00
227 56
$2,239 27
Leaving, as net indebtedness, the sum of $10,134 57 as beforeistated. .
10
Of this amount, eight thousand, five hundred and twenty- one dollars and seventy-one cents is on account of the pump- ing station at Lout Pond for which an appropriation of twelve . thousand dollars was made at a special meeting of the Town in May last, with authority given the Selectmen to pro- vide for the same by a loan on such terms and for such time as they should deem for the interest of the Town. The pay- ments, so far, of all bills presented, have been met from the treasury without recourse to loans, but, on the completion of the work and payment of bills outstanding, the accounts will be provided for by a loan on ten years at five per cent. interest, for which arrangements have already been made. The debt, 80 far as it constitutes a part of the water loan, will impose no ad- ditional burden upon the Town, the interest being chargeable against the income, which now more than meets the interest on the entire debt and running expenses. Without the deficiency occurring in the late Collector's accounts. The reduction of the temporary indebtedness, by payments on principal of outstand- ing notes and amounts covered into the treasury, would have amounted to one thousand, seven hundred and thirty-four dol- lars and forty-two cents.
Payments have been made from the treasury to the sinking funds during the year of two thousand, five hundred dollars, and, with the accumulations from the investment of six hundred and thirty-six dollars and sixty-six cents, make the amount to the credit of those funds (Jan. 30, 1880), fourteen thousand, five hundred and sixty-nine dollars and three cents, which should be estimated as assets to provide for the payment of the debt. The only changes otherwise in the debt during the year have been the reduction of twelve hundred dollars on principal of
₹. .
11
outstanding notes, heretofore alluded to, and the change of notes standing in the name of Reuben Sherman, since deceased, to his heirs.
The deficiency in the account of Mr. Bradford, late Collector of Taxes, amounting to three thousand, three hundred and forty-seven dollars and twenty-eight cents, was reported to the Town at the April meeting by the committee appointed by the Town to audit his accounts. At the same meeting, the Select- men with Messrs. John J. Russell and Daniel J. Robbins were appointed a committee to settle with Mr. Bradford and his bondsmen in relation to any indebtedness that said Bradford is under to the Town as its former Collector of Taxes, and that the committee be authorized to bring any suit or suits at law against Mr. Bradford and his bondsmen in case they shall find it necessary. The committee met and notified Mr. Bradford and his bondsmen to make good the deficiency, and after wait- ing a reasonable time with no intimation from them that they desired a settlement, and also being aware that one of the bondsmen had been making conveyances of all his real and personal property, commenced suit against them which is now pending in the courts. The deficiency may be still further in- creased, by taxes claiming to have been paid to the late Col- lector from those committed to the new, and in some instances the tax bills have been presented with evidence of their pay- ment.
There remained of uncollected taxes, as reported Deo. 31st, 1878, the sum of eighteen thousand, four hundred and seventy-nine dollars and twenty-seven cents; of which sum four thousand, two hundred and twenty-one dol- lars and fourteen cents has since been paid and allowed the late Collector, reducing the amount to fourteen thousand, two hundred and. fifty-eight dollars and thirteen cents. There was turned over to the new Collector, ten thou-
-
12
sand nine hundred and ten dollars and eighty-five cents, leaving a deficiency of three thousand, three hundred and forty-seven dollars and twenty-eight cents as before reported.
. The taxes committed to the new Collector covered a period of seven years, and by lapse of time and complications growing out of estates in liquidation, the liens on the property and taxes in many cases were lost to the Town, and in many cases poll taxes which could have been collected, during the year for which they were assessed, were lost by change of residence, and through negligence of the Collector in not enforcing the vote of the Town relating to their collection. The abatement ac- count has been chargeable with a larger amount than usual from these causes.
There is now standing to the credit of abatement account, the sum of two thousand, three hundred and ninety-eight dollars and seventy-three cents, a larger amount than will probably be required to meet any abatement from outstanding taxes, and the Selectmen would recommend that one thousand dollars of the amount be covered into the treasury, which will so far reduce the deficiency, or be applied to the payment on account of the loan incurred in building the new engine house, maturing in 1882, which can probably be anticipated.
The amount of outstanding taxes at the close of the year (Dec. 31), was seven thousand, two hundred and seventy-nine dollars and eighteen cents, as against eighteen thousand, four hundred and seventy-four dollars and twenty-nine cents, reported last year. A marked improvement in the system of keeping the accounts, and methods adopted for the prompt collection of taxes, has taken place in the office of the Collector, and the result can but be apparent to the Town.
Nothing conduces more to the credit of a town, or the ease . with which its finances can be conducted, than the prompt ' collection of its taxes and payments of its obligations as they
13
become due, and the Town will find its interest and credit promoted by adhering strictly to this policy. While it cannot with justice be charged that, as a Town, we have been in many cases extravagant in our appropriations, still the tendency when money can be easily voted, is in that direction, and we must confine our expenditures within the strict limit of necessity, if we would not increase our present rate of taxation.
The advance in most articles of consumption will naturally increase our expenses in many of the departments, and require careful supervision to keep within the limits of present appro- priations.
It is desirable as well as required by the law regulating the indebtedness of towns and cities, that' our temporary debt, except so far as it is rendered necessary to cover assets of the Town not available, should be gradually reduced, and relieve us from the large interest account, which, added to the annual appropriation for the Duxbury & Cohasset Railroad sinking fund, amounts to some six thousand, six hundred dollars annually, and correspondingly increases our appropriations to provide for it,
From present indications our portion of the State tax for the year will be from one thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars, to two thousand, five hundred dollars in excess of last year. It is doubtful with the changes and losses by transfer of personal property during the past year, if our present valuation can be maintained, and our rate kept within present limits.
A new valuation of the towns and cities of the Common- wealth, as the basis of taxation for State and County purposes for the next five years, is to be made this year, and it is for the Town to consider whether the valuation shall be left entirely with the Assessors, or that an advisory committee to act with them be appointed by the Town.
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Town Debt and Interest Account.
UR.
By balance from old account. $1,288 89
appropriation
5,500 00
rebate of interest 1 83
interest from delinquent taxes .. 929 93
$7,720 65
DR.
To payment in 1879 on principal of outstanding notes, , ,
$1,200 00
To interest on Duxbury & Cohasset Railroad loan
2,800 00
To interest on temporary debt.
2,481 00
To interest on loans in anticipation of taxes. 117 20
6,598 20
Undrawn balance, .,.
$1,122 45
The receipts for interest from delinquent tax payers has exceeded the estimates for the year, and leaves an available balance to the credit of the account, as appears, of one thou- sand, one hundred and twenty-two dollars and forty-five cents.
To provide for the payment of interest on permanent and temporary loans, and for the payment of one thousand dollars for reduction of temporary indebtedness, will require an appro- priation of five thousand dollars, which is recommended.
15
Roads and Bridges.
OR.
By balance from old account $589 72
appropriation.
6,100 00
sundry reimbursements.
113 80
reimbursements from new roods
154 35
reimbursements from poor ac-
account , 579 71
$7,537 58
DR.
To payments in 1879
$7,279 01
Undrawn
$258 57
Orders drawn, not paid, $15.29.
The amount expended the past year in roads and bridges, deducting the earnings of the teams in other departments, is six thousand, four hundred and thirty-one dollars and fifteen cents, being three hundred and eighty-one dollars and twenty- five cents in excess of last year. Included ta this amount, there has been expended on permanent improvement on sidewalks, in accordance with a vote of the Town, five hundred and eleven dollars and forty-eight cents ; in removal of snow, five hundred and six dollars and forty-one cents ; equipments of teams, one hundred dollars ; for construction of sidewalk and drainage on Sandwich street, one hundred and twenty-five dol- lars ; and for settlement of claim for damages on the highway, four hundred and twenty-two dollars and sixty-seven cents ; in all, one thousand, six hundred and sixty-five dollars and fifty-six cents, leaving for the ordinary expenses in maintaining roads and repairs on bridges for the year, four thousand, seven hundred and sixty-five dollars and fifty-nine cents.
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Included in the ordinary repairs, there has been laid on Prospect, Vernon and Pleasant streets, some seven hundred : yards of paved gutters, 'the commencement of a plan of im- provement which should gradually include all the streets of steep grade within the limits of the village. It will also make a saving in the labor now required, after every heavy rain, in removing the sand deposited at the foot of the hills, and in repairs of gutters and sidewalks, and greatly improve the appearance of the streets, which should not be lost sight of in any plan of improvement.
The condition of Court street, particularly on the west side, between Russell and Vernon streets, with its rough and unsight- ly embankments and gutters, crossed by rough bridges, has long been discreditable to the Town, and the Selectmen have been considering some way to improve it, and prohibiting with- in the limits of the village the placing of wooden bridges over the gutters, and the removal of those now in use. The bridges are not only unsightly, but render the Town liable for damages in case of collision with them by passing teams, and would be held as obstructions in the highway.
Notwithstanding the improvements in roads, and there gen- eral good condition, for the first time within a period of ten years, has the Town been called upon to pay any claim for damages on its highways. In the case of the claim referred to as paid, the Selectmen were of the opinion that the accident was from carelessness on the part of the claimant, for which the Town should not be held liable, A suit was brought against the Town, which resulted in a compromise, the Board consid- ering that the expenses which would be incurred in contesting the claim would be equivalent to the compromise offered, and still leave the risk of a verdict against the Town. The sum paid was four hundred and twenty-two dollars and sixty-seven cents, in full settlement of the claim.
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With the increased amount of travel over our woods' roads, the demand for improvements are frequently urged on the Selectmen, and an increased allotment will probably, in some . cases, have to be made to the Surveyors in those districts, to enable them to make some of the improvements which the requirements of public travel demand.
It is not anticipated, at this time, that any unusual repairs will be required the coming year on the roads or bridges, other than for the improvements indicated, and the Selectmen recon- mend an appropriation of six thousand, one hundred dollars for repairs on roads and bridges, und permanent improvements of sidewalks.
New Roads.
CR.
By balance of old account $317 47
appropriation 1,450 00 - $1,767 47
DR.
To payments in 1879
$1,130 58
Undrawn $636 89
The expenditures for the year have been wholly on Allerton street, which has been completed with the exception of fencing, at a total cost of four thousand, four hundred and seventy-one dollars and five cents, Much of the work has been in connec- tion with the grading about the monument, and both objects have been accomplished in the work. There remains of the appropriation unexpended five hundred and twenty-eight dol- lars and ninety-five cents which will be partly used in fencing the embankments. The balance can be profitably used in . completing the slopes, which have been substituted for the 2
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embankments in front of the monument, and putting it in such condition as will protect the work already done until additional funds can be secured to complete it, and make its approach conform as near as possible, in its present unfinished condition, with what is finally intended,
The only other work on new roads now contemplated is the widening of the road at Wellingsley, opposite the school-house, for which an order of notice has been served on the Town by the Commissioners, to be completed on or before June 1, 1880. The estimated cost for working the same will not exceed one hundred and twenty-five dollars.
The working of Court street, to conform to the widening as laid out by the Commissioners in 1877, has been deferred for reasons given in the report of the Selectmen of that year, and for the additional reason, that the work already entered upon would involve as large a yearly expenditure up to this time as the Selectmen felt warranted in assuming.
There has been no urgent necessity for the widening known to the Selectmen, and the matter is more in the nature of an improvement than on any ground of public necessity.
The Selectmen are of the opinion that the work should be done in connection with the Road Department, at such times as will enable them to do it with economy to the Town, and that only such portion of the widening as lies south of Cherry street, be worked the present year.
An appropriation of five hundred dollars is recommended,
1
P.
19
Water Works,
OR.
By balance from old account.
$91 49
receipts from water rents, labor and materials, 10,979 31 appropriation for extensions 750 00
$11,820 80
DR.
To interest on scrip.
$5,370 00
To expenses, management, materials and repairs.
2,846 36
Extensions. ..
1,057 21
Cost new building.
918 44
·
Payment to Trustees Water Scrip
Sinking fund.
1,000 00
$11,192 01.
Undrawn balance
$628.79 -
Of the above sum of eleven thousand, seven hundred and twenty-nine dollars and thirty-one cents as credit to Water Works, the sum of nine thousand, nine hundred and eighteen dollars and thirty-six cents is from water receipts for the year ; six hundred and fifty-one dollars and seventy-four cents from bills of previous years, in arrears ; four hundred and nine dol- lars and twenty-one cents reimbursements for labor and mate- rial for service pipe furnished to and collected from water takers, and seven hundred and fifty dollars for appropriation made on account of extensions at the annual meeting.
The expenditures on account of the several departments, are a transcript from the Treasurer's books, For a classification of the amount properly chargeable to the account of expenses of management, labor and materials for repairs, as well as ex-
.
20
tension, reference must be had to the report of the Commis- sioners, who are familiar with the work, and can properly sep- arate the items of expenditure, which, under the present sys- tem of keeping the accounts, are necessarily included in the general account.
There appears in the above account for expenses, manage- ment, labor and material, the sum of two thousand, eight hun- dred and forty-six dollars and thirty-six cents, from which should be deducted the sum of four hundred and nine dollars and twenty-one cents, reimbursed and included in the re- ceipts from Water Works, this would still leave a larger amount for repairs and management than appear from the Superintendent's report, and it is probable that bills properly belonging to extension account are included, and will be separ- ated, so that in the report of the Commissioners the expendi- tures properly chargeable to that account will appear
Taking as a basis the collections for the past year, with the additional income which may be expected from the Woollen Mills and additional takers, it will be safe, if collections are promptly made, to count upon an income of ten thousand, three hundred dollars for the coming year. The expenses of manage- ment, interest on scrip, and increased expenses which will be in- curred at the pumping station, estimated at nine thousand, five hundred dollars, will give a surplus income of about eight hun- dred dollars to apply to the sinking fund, which now amounts to one thousand, eight hundred and twenty dollars and twenty- three cents, which it is important should be increased to pro- vide for a portion of the debt maturing in 1885.
The prompt collection of water renty during the year has placed at the disposal of the trustees the balance in the treas- ury to that account, from which one thousand dollars has been. drawn and applied to the sinking fund, leaving a balance in
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the hands of the Treasurer of six hundred and twenty-eight dollars and seventy-nine cents, from which to meet any over, draft on account of pumping station,
The Commissioners in accordance with a vote of the Town authorizing them to procure a steam pump of such manų- facture as they may consider expedient, and for the interest of the Town, to be located at such point as they may find best for the working of said pump, entered into contract with Messrs. Worthington & Co. for a pump of their manufacture, which bas been located, and is now in partial operation, but not yet fully tested and accepted by the Town,
It is jet too early to judge of the results, but the success attending pumps of similar construction give assurance that the results will be satisfactory, and an additional supply of water afforded sufficient for present and prospective wants of the Town. Whatever differences of opinion may be entertained regarding the location, it is but just to the Commissioners, who serve without pay, and who are charged with the responsibility of the work, that the public should suspend judgment until their report is presented.
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