USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the year ending 1947 > Part 1
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01841 7276
REPORTS of the
TOWN OFFICERS
GC 974.402 P74PLYA, 1947-1948
1620.
A
SSACHUSE
S
TOWN OF PLYMOUTH 1947
Annual Report
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF THE
Town of Plymouth
1826
For Year Ending December 31, 1947
Lithographed and Bound by THE LEYDEN PRESS Plymouth, Mass.
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TOWN OFFICERS, 1947
Selectmen: Herbert H. Lanman, Chairman, Charles I. Bagnall, William H. Barrett, Sumner A. Chapman, Jr., and James T. Frazier.
Clerk of Selectmen: Norman W. Gray.
Town Clerk: Herbert K. Bartlett.
Town Treasurer: Herbert K. Bartlett.
Collector of Taxes: Harold W. Baker.
Town Accountant: Mrs. Cora B. Grady.
Assessors: Thomas L. Cassidy, Chairman, George E. Blackmer, Robert A. Carr.
Overseers of Public Welfare: Gordon S. McCosh, Chairman, Andrew Rae, Harold G. Roberts.
Water Commissioners: Edward R. Belcher, Chairman, Arthur Addyman, Richard T. Eldridge, C. Brooks Hudson, Daniel F. Mulcahy.
School Committee: E. Harold Donovan, Chairman, William H. Armstrong, David A. Cappannari, William E. Curtin, Fannie T. Rowell, Ralph C. Weaver.
Cemetery Commissioners: Arthur E. Blackmer, Chair- man, Richard T. Eldridge, John B. Finney.
Burial Hill Committee: Cemetery Commissioners.
Agawam and Halfway Pond Herring Fishery Commit- tee: Emil C. Birnstein, Charles C. Chandler, Arthur W. Lovell.
Park Commissioners: Edward J. E. Hand, Chairman, John A. Siever, Arthur Sirrico.
Board of Health: Medora V. Eastwood, Chairman, Paul W. Bittinger, Herbert S. Maxwell.
Planning Board: Arthur E. Blackmer, George L. Gooding, Francis C. Holmes, Allen D. Russell, Amedeo V. Sgarzi.
Field Drivers & Fence Viewers: William LaRocque, Chester Torrance, Seth Wall.
Surveyor of Wood and Bark: Harold E. Giles.
Committee on Inland Fisheries: Frank L. Bailey, George L. Gooding, Howard M. Morton.
Committee on Town Forest: James A. White, John 1
A. Kennedy, George L. Gooding.
Board of Registration: Enrico Ferrari, Walter R. Roberts, Joseph R. Stefani.
Committee on Sewers: Selectmen.
Sexton: Paul H. Ziegengeist.
Pound Keeper: Russell L. Dickson.
Sealer of Weights and Measures: Harold E. Giles.
Superintendent of Streets: Elmer C. Chandler.
Superintendent of Water Works: Theodore Brink. Beach Committee: Selectmen.
Collector of Water Rates: Harold W. Baker.
Harbor Master: Elmer P. Boutin.
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Members of Retirement Board: Russell P. Dearborn, Herbert K. Bartlett, Cora B. Grady.
Superintendent of Oak Grove and Vine Hills Cem- etery: Howard L. Priestley.
Superintendent of Chiltonville Cemetery: Charles B. Howland.
Superintendent of Manomet Cemetery: Gordon S. McCosh.
Superintendent of Infirmary: Russell L. Dickson.
Fire Commissioner: John J. Magee.
Town Engineer: Edward Chase.
Chief of Police: Russell P. Dearborn.
Tree Warden: John A. Kennedy.
Forest Warden: Everett B. Wood.
Local Moth Superintendent: John A. Kennedy.
Town Counsel: Amedeo V. Sgarzi.
Building Inspector: Thomas A. Bodell.
Dog Officer. James Raymond.
Inspector of Animals: Frederick Bradley.
Inspector of Slaughtering: Hillery J. Bergman.
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ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
MARCH 22, 1947
AMEDEO V. SGARZI, Moderator
Article Three:
Mr. Arthur Addyman, Chairman of the Committee
1 chosen to look into the advisability of having an Inspec- tor of Wires, read the report, recommending no action be taken at the present time.
On motion of Herbert K. Bartlett, Voted: That the reports of the several boards of Officers and Committees of the Town be accepted and placed on file.
Article four:
On motion of Herbert K. Bartlett, Voted: That the Town authorize the Town Treasurer, with the ap- proval of the Selectmen, to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1948, and to issue a note or notes therefor, payable within one year, and to renew any note or notes as may be given for a period of less than one year in accordance with Section 17, Chapter 44, General Laws.
Article Five:
Voted: That the salaries of the following elected
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town officers be:
Chairman of Selectmen
$ 726.00
Other Selectmen (each)
363.00
Chairman of Assessors
2,571.60
Other Assessors (each)
...... 2,129.60
Town Clerk ....... .......... 2,080.00
Town Treasurer
2,080.00
Collector of Taxes
3,170.00
Chairman, Board of Public Welfare ..... 50.00
together with any bonus that may be voted under an- other article.
Article Six:
Voted: That no action be taken under Article Six.
Article Seven:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town appro- priate the sum of $1,258,272.07 to defray the expenses of the town and for other purposes, of which $530,046.86 shall be for salaries and personal services, and $728,225.21 shall be for other expenses, and that the town authorize the Assessors to use such amounts from the Excess and Deficiency Account as they may deem advisable, all as contained in the printed recommendations of the Ad- visory and Finance Committee.
Under the Selectmen's Dept., for Salaries, Mr. Herbert Lanman moved to amend by sustituting the figure $5,793.35 for the figure $5,481.35, and the motion was carried.
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Under "Shellfish", Mr. Daniel Ellis moved to strike out the figure $1,855.00 for Salaries and $645.00 for Expenses and the motion was carried. It was then voted: That $455.00 be appropriated for Salaries and $10.14 for Ex- penses.
Mr. Haskell's motion, as amended, was then put before the meeting and carried.
Article Eight:
Voted: That a cost of living bonus of 15%, with a maximum of $200.00 be paid to all regular employees of the Town, except that those employees who receive a salary increase during 1947 shall receive as such bonus, only that amount which may be required to bring the amount of their increase up to the amount of the above mentioned bonus. For the purpose of this vote, step rate increases in the police and fire departments shall not be construed to be a salary increase. This bonus shall be paid in December 1947, and shall be based on 1947 sal -. aries, and in no case shall more than one bonus be paid to any one person, and that the Town appropriate the sum of $45,000.00 for this purpose.
Article Nine:
Voted: That an appropriation of $11,913.00 which shall include the dog tax of $1,776.12 be made in aid of the Plymouth Public Library.
Article Ten:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $3,860.00 to be expended by the Plymouth Public Library for the Loring Library.
Article Eleven:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $1,031.88 in aid of the Manomet Public Library.
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Article Twelve:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $450.00 for the observance of Memorial Day, said appro- priation to be spent under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
Article Thirteen:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $1,200.00 for the annual observance of July 4th and that the sum of $150.00 of that amount be expended in said observance for the sponsoring of children's sports, the whole to be expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
Article Fourteen:
Voted: That no action be taken under the Article fourteen.
Article Fifteen:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $600.00 for the observance of Armistice Day, to be ex- pended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
Article Sixteen:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $500.00 for the observance of Thanksgiving Day, to be expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
Article Seventeen:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $2,750.00 for the employment of one or more District Nurses, said appropriation to be expended under the di- rection of the Board of Selectmen.
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Article Eighteen:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $150.00 for the use of the Plymouth County Trustees for County Aid to Agriculture and that Robert Bowler be appointed as Director, as provided in Sections 41 and 45 Revised Chapter 128 of the General Laws.
Article Nineteen:
Voted: That the Town authorize the Selectmen to sell, after first giving notice of the time and place, by posting such notice of sale in some convenient and public place in the Town 14 days at least before the sale, prop- erty taken by the Town under tax title procedure, pro- vided that the Selectmen or whomsoever they may authorize to hold such public auction, may reject any bid which they deem inadequate.
Article Twenty:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $650.00 for compensation and expenses of the Dog Officer as required by Chapter 320 of the Acts of 1934.
Article Twenty-one:
Voted: That the Town vote to accept 25 cemetery perpetual care funds, amounting to $5,050.00 received and deposited in the Plymouth Savings Bank in the year 1946 in accordance with the usual votes of the Cemetery Commissioners and Selectmen, and listed as New Funds in the Town report ..
Article Twenty-two:
Voted: That the Town authorize the transfer from the Reserve from 'Overlayings of Taxes, the sum of $10,000.00 to the Reserve account in the hands of the Advisory and Finance Committee.
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Article Twenty-three:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $20,000.00 from the Excess and Deficiency Account, for the improvement of Main Street Extension, Main Street and Court Street, under the provisions of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, which provide for contributions from the Commonwealth and the County, and that the amounts of said contributions be returned to the Excess and Deficiency Account.
Article Twenty-four:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article twenty-four.
Article Twenty-five:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $2,500.00 for the purchase of a Dump Truck to replace a 1938 International Truck for the Highway Department, and that this appropriation be taken from the Excess and Deficiency Fund, if approved by the Commissioner of Taxation, otherwise from the tax levy.
Article twenty-six:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article twenty-six.
Article twenty-seven:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town appro- priate the sum of $1,325.00 to purchase a power roller for the Park Department and that this appropriation be taken from the Excess and Deficiency fund, if approved `by the Commissioner of Taxation, otherwise from the tax levy, but the motion was lost.
Article Twenty-eight:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article twenty-eight.
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Article Twenty-nine:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town appro- priate the sum of $500.00 to install shower cabinet, waste water drains, and hot water at the Nelson Street Camp Ground, said appropriation to be expended under the direction of the Park Commissioners, and that said ap- propriation be taken from the Excess and Deficiency Fund, if approved by the Commissioner of Taxation, otherwise from the tax levy, but the motion was lost.
Article Thirty:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 to be expended under the direction of the Park Commissioners for the purpose of erecting a building and installing suitable toilet facilities at the Standish Avenue playground, so-called, and substantially as shown in a plan prepared by Strickland & Strickland, Architects, entitled, "First Unit of Field House, Standish Avenue Playground", said money to be taken from the Excess and Deficiency Account provided said transfer is approved by the Commissioner of Taxation, otherwise said funds to come out of the next tax levy.
Article Thirty-one:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article thirty-one.
Article Thirty-two:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article thirty-two.
Article Thirty-three:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the town author- ize and instruct all departments and their heads that, in the future, all regular jobs and positions to be filled in the various Town departments be advertised at least 15
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days prior to appointment, and that each person apply- ing for such jobs or positions must state in writing his or her qualifications, etc., to the department head or board where the vacancy exists, and in all cases, with all things considered on an equal basis, a veteran must be given first preference for said job or position. Under this motion any employment for a period of 90 days or less shall not be considered as a regular job or position.
Mr. George Haire moved: That action under this article be postponed, and the motion was carried.
Mr. Haskell's motion was then put before the meeting, and as amended, was carried.
Article Thirty-four:
Voted: That the Town authorize the Water Commis- sioners to sell or otherwise dispose of any equipment or material owned by the Water Department and deemed by the Water Commissioners to be obsolete and of no further use to said department.
Article Thirty-five:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town take no action under this article.
Mr. Edward R. Belcher moved: That the Town auth- orize the Water Commissioners to purchase from John H. Faulkner, a parcel of land at Little South Pond and bounded substantially as follows: Beginning at the shore of Little South Pond at the Northeast corner of said lot; thence running Westerly to the road to a stone bound which marks the Northwest corner of said lot: thence running Southerly on said road, 100 feet to a stone bound forming the Southwest corner of said lot; thence running Easterly to the shore of the pond; thence running Northerly along the shore of the pond to the point of beginning; and appropriate the sum of $1,600.00 therefor to be taken from the Excess and Deficiency Ac- count; said John H. Faulkner to retain ownership of the buildings upon said land and to remove said buildings from the premises.
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As this motion required a two-thirds vote, the count was taken by show of hands. 377 voting in the affirma- tive and 134 in the negative, the necessary two-thirds having voted in the affirmative, the motion was carried.
Mr. Haskell's motion, as amended was put before the meeting and carried.
Article Thirty-six:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved:' That the Town take no action under this article.
Mr. Edward R. Belcher moved: That the Town auth- orize the Water Commissioners to purchase from Alice E. Card, a parcel of land on the shore of Little South Pond bounded substantially as follows: Beginning at an oak tree 135 feet Southeasterly from the line of land formerly of William E. Hurd and in the Southwesterly line of a road; thence running Southwesterly about 100 feet to an iron pipe on or near the shore of the pond and thence in the same course to the pond; then beginning again at the first described point and running Southeast- erly 50 feet to a pipe driven into the ground; then turn- ing and running Southwesterly by a line parallel to the first described line about 100 feet to an iron pipe on or near the shore of the pond; and thence in the same course to the pond and then bounded by the pond North- erly to the line first described; and appropriate the sum of $1,000.00 therefor to be taken from the Excess and Deficiency Account; said Alice E. Card to retain title to any buildings upon said premises and to remove said buildings thereon.
As this motion required a two-thirds vote, the count was taken by show of hands. 409 voting in the affirma- tive and 41 in the negative, the necessary two-thirds having voted in the affirmative, the motion was carried.
Mr. Haskell's motion, as amended, was put before the meeting and carried.
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Article Thirty-seven:
Void: That no action be taken under this article.
Article Thirty-eight:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town take no action under this article.
Mr. Edward R. Belcher moved: That the Town auth- orize the Water Commissioners to purchase from Minot K. Holmes et als a certain tract of land situated on Little and Great South Ponds and bounded and described sub- stantially as follows: On the West by land formerly of Ellis Barnes; on the North by Little South Pond; on the East by land now of the Town of Plymouth which begins at a stone bound near Little South Pond and runs thence Southerly to a stone bound near Great South Pond; on the South by Great South Pond to the line of the lot set off to the wife of Jonathan Braley from the estate of Lemuel Raymond, less what has been taken by the Town of Plymouth for water supply purposes. Being the same premises described in a certain deed of Harold W. Mason to Clara B. Churchill et als., dated August 14, 1905, and recorded with Plymouth County Deeds, Book 922, Page 212, and appropriate the sum of $2,000.00 therefor, to be taken from the Excess and Deficiency Account.
As this motion required a two-thirds vote, the count was taken by show of hands. 502 voting in the affirma- tive and 11 in the negative, the necessary two-thirds having voted in the affirmative, the motion was carried.
Mr. Haskell's motion, as amended, was put before the meeting and carried.
Article Thirty-nine:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $2,500.00 from the proceeds from the sale of cemetery lots and graves, to be expended by the Cemetery Com- missioners for the improvement and embellishment of
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the Oak Grove and Vine Hills and Manomet Cemeteries, and that $2,000.00 of this amount be used for Oak Grove and Vine Hills Cemetery and $500.00 for the Manomet Cemetery.
Article Forty:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article forty.
Article Forty-one:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $15,000.00 for the purpose of dredging the mooring basin, so-called, adjacent to, and Southeasterly of the State Pier in Plymouth Harbor, said fund to be expended only in the event that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts makes available for such purpose an equal sum, the Town to assume liability as provided by General Laws, Chapter 91, Section 29, and that this appropriation be taken from the Excess and Deficiency Account if approved by the Commissioner of Taxation, otherwise from the tax levy.
Article Forty-two:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town take no action under Article forty-two.
Dr. E. Harold Donovan moved to amend Mr. Haskell's motion by substituting the following: That the Town authorize the School Committee to replace boilers in the Hedge School and install heating equipment in connec- tion therewith and appropriate therefor from the Post- War Rehabilitation Fund the sum of $22,000.00. The count was taken by show of hands. 321 voting in the affirmative and 196 in the negative, the motion was car- ried.
Mr. Haskell's motion, as amended, was then put before the meeting and carried.
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Article Forty-three:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article forty-three.
Article Forty-four:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town take no action under Article forty-four.
Mr. Herbert H. Lanman moved to amend by substitut- ing the following motion: That the Town appropriate the sum of $45,000.00 for the necessary repairs to the sea wall along Water Street in accordance with a report of Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, said money to be taken from money not otherwise appropriated, but the motion was lost.
Mr. Haskell's motion was then put before the meeting and carried.
Article Forty-five:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article forty-five.
Article Forty-six:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $500.00 to complete work on fish ways in Town Brook and that this appropriation be taken from the Excess and Deficiency Fund, if approved by the Commissioner of Taxation, otherwise from the tax levy.
Article Forty-seven:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $500.00 to defray any expense which may be incurred by the Special Committee created by vote of the Town under Article 77 of the Annual Meeting of 1946.
Article Forty-eight:
Voted: That the Town take no action under Article forty-eight.
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Article Forty-nine:
Voted: That the Town instruct the Water Commis- sioners to extend the water supply in Beaver Dam Road, Manomet, from the point where it now ends, to a point beyond the home of Oliver DeLancey and that an appro- priation of $14,000.00 be made for this purpose, and that said appropriation be taken from the Excess and Defici- ency Fund, if approved by the Commissioner of Taxa- tion, otherwise from the Tax Levy.
Article Fifty:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $2,500.00 for the purpose of continuing the Survey and Assessors' Plans, to be expended under the direction of the Assessors.
Article Fifty-one:
Voted Unanimously: That the Town accept and al- low as a Town Way, Overlook Terrace, Westerly from Overlook Road, as laid out by the board of Survey and reported to the Town, and appropriate the sum of $100.00 for land and property damages and expenses of acquiring titles.
Article Fifty-two:
Voted Unanimously: That the Town accept and allow as a Town Way, the alteration at the corner of Middle and Carver Streets, as laid out by the Selectmen and re- ported to the Town and appropriate the sum of $100.00 for land and property damage and expenses of acquiring titles.
Article Fifty-three:
Voted: That the Town take no action under this article.
.
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Article Fifty-four:
Voted Unanimously: That the Town accept and al- low as a Town Way, Margerie Street, easterly from Oak Street, as laid out by the Selectmen and reported to the Town, and appropriate the sum of $100.00 for land and property damages and expenses of acquiring titles.
Article Fifty-five:
Voted: That the Town take no action under this article.
Article Fifty-six:
Voted: That the Town assume liability in the manner provided by Section 29 of Chapter 91 of the General Laws for all damages that may be incurred by work to be performed by the Department of Public Works of Massachusetts, for the improvement, development, main- tenance and protection of rivers, harbors, tide waters, and foreshores, in accordance with Section 11 of Chapter 91 of the General Laws, and authorize the Selectmen to execute and deliver a bond of indemnity therefor to the Commonwealth.
Article Fifty-seven:
Voted: That the Town authorize the transfer of $25,000. from the Excess and Deficiency Fund to the Stabilization Fund, as authorized by the provisions of Chapter 124 of the Acts of 1945.
Article Fifty-eight:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $1,000.00 for maintaining the mosquito control' works constructed in the Town of Plymouth, as estimated and certified to by the State Reclamation Board, in accord- ance with the provisions of Section 4, Chapter 112, Acts of 1931.
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Article Fifty-nine:
Voted: That the Town take no action under this article.
Article Sixty:
Voted: That the Town appropriate the sum of $2,500.00 for the establishment of Fire Protection at Manomet, this amount to be expended under the direc- tion of the Fire Commissioner.
Article Sixty-one:
Voted: That the Town take no action under this article.
Article Sixty-two:
Voted: That the Town take no action under this article.
Article Sixty-three:
Voted: That the Town authorize the Board of Select- men to petition the Director of Marine Fisheries for the right to control and regulate public fisheries within the Town in accordance with the provisions of the General Laws, Chapter 130, Section 94.
Article Sixty-four:
Voted: That the Town take no action under this article.
Article Sixty-five:
Voted: That the Town take no action under this article.
Article Sixty-six:
Voted: That the Town take no action under this article.
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Art: le Sixty-seven:
Voted: That the Town vote to accept Section 4B of Chapter 136 of the General Laws in accordance with Chapter 207, Section 3 of the Acts of 1946, an act author- izing the Selectmen to grant licenses for Sunday bowl- ing.
Article Sixty-eight:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town appro- priate the sum of $2,500.00 to make repairs to the South Street Fire Station, said building to be under the control of the Selectmen and said appropriation to be expended under their direction. ,
Mr. William H. Barrett moved to amend by substitut- ing the figure $3500.00 for the figure $2500.00, but the motion was lost.
Mr. Haskell's motion was put before the meeting and carried.
Article Sixty-nine:
Mr. Walter B. Haskell moved: That the Town author- ize the Selectmen to accept, from the Navy Department, or any other authorized Government Agency, the Plym- outh Airport, so-called, without payment of rental there- for, upon such terms and conditions as may be required by said department or agency; said airport to be under control of the Selectmen, who shall have authority to permit such uses to be made of said airport as they may deem to be in the best interest of the Town including the authority to let or lease any or all of said property, and that the sum of $200.00 be appropriated for the protection and maintenance of said airport property.
Mr. Philip Jackson moved: That no action be taken under this article, but the motion was lost.
Mr. Haskell's motion was then put before the meeting and carried.
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Article Seventy:
Voted: That the Board of Registrars be constituted a committee for the purpose of studying the advisability and possible cost of dividing the Town into precincts, and report at the next annual Town Meeting.
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