USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1936-1940 > Part 1
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ACTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY 3 2211 00098 9801
For Reference
Not to be taken from this room
REFERENCE BOOK ACTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY ACTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01720
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013
http://archive.org/details/annualreportstow19361940acto
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Several Official Boards
OF THE
TOWN OF ACTON
MASSACHUSETTS
NI
735
"ACTON ..
For the Year Ending December 31
1936
/ REFERENCE BOOK ACTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY ACTON, MASSACHUSETTS 01720
1 565-602
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Several Official Boards
OF THE
TOWN OF ACTON
MASSACHUSETTS
RATE
ONI
1735.
ACTON ..
Geneal Coll 974.44 A 188 c.2
For the Year Ending December 31
1936
Town Officers, 1936
Moderator Albert P. Durkee
Selectmen
Ralph W. Piper James E. Kinsley George S. Braman
Term expires 1938 Term expires 1939 Term expires 1937
Town Clerk Horace F. Tuttle
Town Treasurer William Henry Soar
Assessors
Albert P. Durkee
Term expires 1938
Henry L. Haynes
Warren H. Jones
Term expires 1939 Term expires 1937
Collector of Taxes Charles A. Durkee
Tree Warden James J. Knight
Board of Public Welfare (One Year)
Carl E. Backman
Bertram D. Hall
Frank S. Braman
Constables
George A. Braman Michael Foley
Charles A. Durkee Alan B. Frost
Cemetery Commissioners
Fred W. Green
Term expires 1938
Wendell F. Davis
Term expires 1939
Horace F. Tuttle Term expires 1937
School Committee
Samuel E. Knowlton
Term expires 1938
Lulu L. Clark
Term expires 1938
Avis Howe
Term expires 1939
Randall N. Woodworth
Term expires 1939
Louisa N. Wood Term expires 1937
Everett N. Montague Term expires 1937
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Trustees of Memorial Library
J. Sidney White
Term expires 1938
Frank A. Merriam
. Term expires 1939
Horace F. Tuttle
Term expires 1937
Board of Health
Raymond F. Durkee
Term expires 1938
Frank E. Tasker
Term expires 1939
George H. Tuttle
Term expires 1937
Trustees of Elizabeth White Fund
Warren H. Jones
Term expires 1938
Waldo E. Whitcomb
Term expires 1939
Charlotte Conant Term expires 1937
Trustees of West Acton Firemen's Relief Fund
Arnold H. Perkins
Term expires 1938
H. Stuart MacGregor
Term expires 1939
A. N. Hederstedt Term expires 1937
Trustees of Goodnow Fund
Charles E. Smith
Term expires 1938
Charlotte Conant Term expires 1939
Horace F. Tuttle
Term expires 1937
Appointments Made by Selectmen-1936
Finance Committee
Murray Brown
William T. Merriam
Alfred W. Davis '
Webster S. Blanchard
Albert P. Durkee
Howard J. Billings
Superintendent of Streets A. H. Perkins
Town Accountant
Howard L. Jones Term expires 1938
Registrars of Voters
Daniel W. Sheehan
Term expires 1939
Edwin A. Phalen
Term expires 1937
Arthur W. Lee
Horace F. Tuttle
Term expires 1938 Ex-Officio
---- 5-
Election Officers Precinct I Warden-James W. Coughlin
Clerk-Arthur W. Wayne
Inspector-Arthur F. Davis Inspector-Harold F. Coughlin Deputy Warden-George A. Murphy
Deputy Clerk-Spencer H. Taylor
Deputy Inspector-S. E. Knowlton
Deputy Inspector-Leo F. McCarthy
Precinct II
Warden-Theron Lowden
Clerk --- William F. Driscoll
Inspector-Clare Milbery
Inspector-Timothy Hennessey
Deputy Warden-John G. Maguire
Deputy Clerk-Thomas Murray
Deputy Inspector-Frank A. Merriam
Deputy Inspector-James Brown
Precinct III
Warden-Bertram D. Hall
Clerk-Peter Duggan
Inspector-Havelock J. Schnair
Inspector-James Kinsley
Deputy Warden-Fred S. Whitcomb
Deputy Clerk-Frank McDonald
Deputy Inspector-Harry Holt
Deputy Inspector-John J. Duggan
Fire Engineers H. Stuart MacGregor, Chief Clarence Frost, Engineer-Precinct I David C. Clayton, Engineer-Precinct II A. Hazelton Perkins, Engineer-Precinct III
Cattle Inspector William Munn
Forest Warden H. Stuart MacGregor
1
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Dog Officer Arthur Fraser
Sealer of Weights and Measures Clare Milbery
Superintendent of Town Forest Charles A. Durkee
Surveyors of Wood and Lumber
Bertram D. Hall Charles E. Smith George H. Reed
Field Drivers
Michael Foley Alan B. Frost George A. Braman
Superintendent of Moth Work James J. Knight
Police Officers Michael Foley, Chief Alan B. Frost C. A. Durkee
George A. Braman
Public Weighers
George H. Reed William Braman
Alfred Davis, Jr.
W. H. Soar
A. W. Davis
G. Howard Reed
F. D. Harrington
W. H. Francis Davis
M. B. Ferber
Thomas Ahern
Phillip Newell
Fred Burke
Daniel MacMillan
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Town Warrant
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Middlesex, ss.
DONI
-1735.
ACTON.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Acton, in said County, Greetings :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to notify the legal voters in said town of Acton, qualified to vote at town meetings for the transaction of town affairs, to meet in their respective precincts, to wit:
Precinct 1-Town Hall, Acton Center
Precinct 2-Universalist Church, South Acton
Precinct 3-Woman's Club House, West Acton at 12 o'clock, noon, Monday, the first day of March, 1937, by posting a copy of this warrant, by you attested, at each of the places as directed by vote of the town, seven days at least before the first day of March.
To bring in their votes on one ballot for the following town officers : Moderator, town clerk, town treasurer, collector of taxes, one selectman for three years; one assessor for three years, three members of the board of public welfare, one for one year, one for two years, and one for three years ; four constables for one year, one cemetery commissioner for three years, two members of the school committee for three years, one member of the board of health for three years, one trustee Memorial Library for three years, and a tree warden.
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The polls will be open at 12 o'clock noon, and close at 8 o'clock p. m.
You are further requested in the name of the Commonwealth to notify the legal voters of said town of Acton, as aforesaid, to meet at the Town Hall in said Acton, on Monday, the eighth day of March, at seven o'clock in the evening, then and there to act on the following articles :
Article 1. To choose all necessary town officers and commit- tees and fix salaries of all town officers.
Article 2. To see if the town will vote to accept the several reports of the town officers.
Article 3. To hear and act upon the reports of any commit- tees chosen at any previous meeting that have not already re- ported.
Article 4. To see what sum of money the town will appro- priate to defray the necessary and usual expenses of the several departments of the town and determine how the same shall be raised.
Article 5. To see what sum of money the town will raise for the observance of Memorial Day.
Article 6. To see what action the town will take in regard to the collection of taxes.
Article 7. To see what sum of money the town will raise and appropriate for the maintenance of the fire department, or vote anything thereon.
Article 8. To see if the town will pay for fighting brush fires and fix a price thereon.
Article 9. To see what action the town will take toward the suppression of the brown-tail and gypsy moth.
Article 10. To see if the town will appropriate a sum of money to insure the employees of the town or act anything there- on.
Article 11. To see what amount of money the town will ap-
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propriate for the payment of premiums on the treasurer's and collector's bonds, or act anything thereon.
Article 12. To see if the town will vote to authorize the town treasurer, with the approval of the selectmen, to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1937, 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 ac- cordance with Section 17, Chapter 44, General Laws.
Article 13. To see if the town will vote to employ a public health nurse, and appropriate a sum of money for the mainten- ance of same.
Article 14. To see if the town will vote to appropriate a sum sufficient to pay the County of Middlesex, as required by law, the town's share of the net cost of the care, maintenance, and repair of the Middlesex County Tuberculosis Hospital, as assessed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 111 of the General Laws and Acts in amendment thereof and in addition thereto or take any action in relation thereto.
Article 15. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of $1,300 or any other sum for the suppression of brown- tail and gypsy moths or act anything thereon.
Article 16. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of $1,200 or any other sum for the care of shade trees or act anything thereon.
Article 17. To see if the town will vote to establish a Road Machinery Account, to which shall be credited all receipts re- ceived for the use or rental of road machinery, the proceeds to be appropriated as voted by the town for road machinery pur- poses, or take any action in relation thereto.
Article 18. To see if the town will vote to appropriate to es- tablish a Road Machinery Fund for the purpose of purchasing, repairing and operating road machinery.
Article 19. To see if the town will vote to raise and appro- priate a sum of money for the improvement of Main Street, from the Carlisle line to the State Road in East Acton; said money to be used in conjunction with any money which may be allotted by
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the State or County, or both, for this purpose; or take any other action in relation thereto.
Article 20. To see if the town will appropriate a sum of money for W.P.A. work or act anything thereon.
Article 21. To see what action the town will take to pur- chase and install a fire whistle, or other fire signal device for use at the West Acton Fire house or act anything thereon.
Article 22. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of $550.00 or any other sum to purchase new fire hose.
Article 23. To see if the town will vote to raise and appro- priate the sum of $200 for the use of the treasurer, to pay the expenses of the local dog officer. The town will be reimbursed for the amount spent by the County of Middlesex, or act any- thing thereon.
Article 24. To see what amount of money the town will raise for insurance on the High School Building.
Article 25. To see if the town will vote to raise and appro- priate a sum of money for the relocation and reconstruction of High Street at the Powder Mill bridge; said money to be used in conjunction with any money which may be allotted by the State or County, or both, for this purpose; or take any other action in relation thereto.
Article 26. To see if the town will vote to raise and appro- priate a sum of money for the purpose of financing the con- struction of a consolidated elementary school in the vicinity of Kelley's Corner and authorize and direct the selectmen to ac- cept on behalf of the town an offer of the United States of America to aid in financing the construction of said project by making a grant of money to the town; and authorize a building committee to construct said project and contract with respect thereto; and authorize the treasurer, with the approval of the selectmen, to borrow such sums as may be necessary to meet any appropriation made; or take any action relative thereto.
Article 27. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of $200.00 or any other sum of purchase new forest fire hose.
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And you are directed to serve this Warrant by posting at- tested copies thereof seven days at least before the time of said meeting as directed by vote of the town. Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon to the town, clerk at or before the time of meeting as aforesaid.
Given under our hands at Acton this twenty-seventh day of January, 1937.
GEORGE S. BRAMAN,
RALPH W. PIPER,
JAMES E. KINSLEY,
Selectmen of Acton.
A true copy, Attest :
MICHAEL FOLEY,
Constable of Acton.
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Report of Finance Committee
Your Committee on Finance respectfully submits the follow- ing recommendations for the ensuing year.
Roads, General Maintenance $12,000.00
Schools
46,000.00
Street Lighting
3,500.00
Memorial Library, Current Expenses
900.00
Memorial Library, Books
200.00
Hydrant Service
3,128.00
General Government
5,500.00
Buildings and Grounds
1,500.00
Cemeteries
800.00
Military Aid
200.00
State Aid
500.00
Soldiers Relief
1,200.00
Police Department
2,500.00
Board of Health
1,000.00
Public Welfare
6,500.00
Aid to Dependent Children 600.00
Old Age Assistance
9,000.00
Snow Removal, Estimate
1,000.00
Care of Shade Trees-Article 16 500.00
Unclassified 400.00
Bonds, High School and Fire Trucks 5,500.00
Interest on Bonds
1,000.00
Interest on Revenue Loans
1,500.00
Memorial Day 275.00
Fire Department
2,800.00
Forest Fires
500.00
Forest Fires, New Hose-Article 24
200.00
Gypsy Moth Work-Article 9-15
1,000.00
Liability Insurance
1,000.00
Treasurer's and Collector's Bonds 250.00
Public Health Nurse
2,200.00
County Hospital Assessment 694.18
Fire Department, New Hose-Article 24. 250.00
Expenses of Dog Officer-Article 23
200.00
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W. P. A. Projects Expenses-Article 20. .
5,000.00
Reconstruction High St. Powder Mill
Bridge-Article 25 1,000.00
Machinery Appropriation 300.00
Insurance High School Building, 5 Years 1,425.22
$122,022.40
Article 17-18. Recommend establishing a Road Machinery Account and to appropriate the sum of $300.00 to establish this Fund.
Article 21. Recommend appropriating the sum of $1,500.00 from Overlay Surplus to purchase and install Fire Whistle at West Acton.
Article 24. Recommend appropriating the sum of $1,425.22 for insurance on High School Building for the term of Five years.
Article 26. We believe the Town should first vote on the question of policy involved by this article.
If the vote favors the building of a school we believe a com- mittee should be appointed to consider carefully the financial requirements of the project.
Recommend appropriating the sum of $1,000.00 from Overlay Surplus for Reserve Fund.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Precinct 1-Murray Brown, Albert P. Durkee Precinct 2-Howard J. Billings, William T. Merriam Precinct 3-Webster Blanchard, Alfred W. Davis
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Selectmen's Report
We submit herewith the reports of the various departments of the Town for the year ending December 31, 1936, after the actions under the different articles voted at the last Annual Town Meeting and Special Town Meetings.
Owing to the flood damage which occurred in March after our Annual Town Meeting we were obliged to use quite a sum of our road money refilling washouts.
After the Board had attended a meeting at Cambridge with the County Commissioners and the Public Works Engineers we expected to be allotted funds to rebuild the two bridges lost; one on Parker Street and the other on River Street. After quite a long wait the Public Works notified us they had no funds. As there was a W. P. A. Project in progress widening and improv- ing this street the Board decided to rebuild this bridge which was done at a cost of approximately $1,600.00. The road bed has been raised several feet where it was washed out; and this should take care of any future floods.
Finally in September we were allotted a Federal Flood Pro- ject to rebuild the bridge washed out on River Street. The Town's share to be 1/24 of the cost to be paid next year. The Board recommends an appropriation to take care of the expens- es of the W. P. A. or the C. W. A. Projects.
The County Engineers with the approval of the officials of the Powder Mills recommends straightening the curve and put- ting in a large pipe at the foot of High Street near the Powder Mill bridge to take care of any future floods, there were two bad wash outs at this place during the March flood; about 100 feet in length and at a depth of 8 feet in some places. This has been laid out by the Engineers and should be done this coming year.
We recommend the reconstruction of Main Street, "Lowell Road," from Carlisle line to State Road.
We find the Town at the close of the year in very good finan-
1
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cial standing, and we wish to thank the different officers and committees of the Town for doing their part in keeping within their appropriations in carrying out their work in the different departments of the Town.
GEORGE S. BRAMAN, RALPH W. PIPER, JAMES E. KINSLEY, Selectmen of Acton.
Welfare Department Report
January 27, 1937
The Board of Public Welfare submits the following report for the year 1936.
During the year, $5,830.84 was expended in aiding thirty- seven families representing one hundred and three persons under direct control of this Board. Of this amount, the Town of Acton will be reimbursed approximately $1,200.00 for seven cases having settlements in other cities or towns. Seven fami- lies representing twenty-three persons having Acton settlej- ment were aided in other cities or towns to a cost of $1,566.60. This makes a total of forty-four families representing one hun- dred and twenty-six persons that were aided during the year.
There has been a slow but steady improvement in walfare conditions during the past year. Not only has there been a decrease in the number of cases aided, but there has been a material decrease in the length of time this aid was needed.
Due to this and confident that this improvement will con- tinue, this Board feels that a substantial reduction can be made in the appropriation for welfare this coming year.
Respectfully submitted,
CARL E. BACKMAN, BERTRAM D. HALL, FRANK S. BRAMAN, Board of Public Welfare.
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Old Age Assistance Report
January 27, 1937
i We started the year 1936 with nineteen Old Age Assistance cases. On December 31, 1936 there were fifty-one persons re- ceiving this assistance.
This increase in the number of cases is due to the changes made in the Old Age Assistance Laws as mentioned in my report of last year, mainly, the reduction of the age limit from seven- ty years to sixty-five.
Although this will necessitate an increase in the amount that must be appropriated for Old Age Assistance the eventual, di- rect cost, to the Town will be considerably less on above number of cases. This is due to the Federal Government's participation in the cost which will be fifty per-cent of the total amount ex- pended not exceeding thirty dollars per month per case. Also, the State's contribution is two-thirds of the balance instead of one-third on settled cases. The cost to the Town will be one- sixth of total amount expended.
This year, up to the present date, there has been added seven new cases and there are several pending.
CARL E. BACKMAN, Suprvisor, Bureau of Old Age Assistance.
WPA Sewing Project
January 27, 1937
There has been some comment made during the past year as to the need or advisability of continuing the above project.
During the past year this project has given continuous em- ployment to an average of about fourteen women with a total payroll for the year of, $8,794.99. This project is rated very high at the State headquarters of the WPA, especially as to the quality of the work turned out.
Approximately 4,500 articles, (clothing and food) were dis- tributed to about 150 families in Acton during the past year.
The cost to the Town was about $700.00, which is a small per- centage of the total value coming in to the Town.
This Board feels that this project is worthwhile and recom- mend that an appropriation be made for the coming year.
CARL E. BACKMAN, Chairman,
Board of Public Welfare (Sponsor) .
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Town Meetings Abstract of the Proceedings of the Annual Town Meeting,
March 9, 1936
Art. 1. To choose all necessary Town officers and commit- tees and fix salaries of all Town officers.
Chose Waldo E. Whitcomb, Trustee of Elizabeth White Fund for three years.
Chose Charlotte Conant Trustee of the Goodnow Fund for three years.
Chose Clarence Frost Trustee of the Acton Firemen's Relief Fund for three years.
Chose H. Stuart McGregor Trustee of the West Acton Fire- men's Relief Fund for three years.
Voted: To fix the salary of the tax collector at three quarters of one per cent of the amount collected and to allow an addi- tional charge for expense of postage incurred in the collection of taxes.
Voted : That the salary of the chairman of the Selectmen be two hundred dollars per annum and the other members, one hun- dred dollars each per annum.
Voted: That the salary of the Moderator be fifteen dollars for the annual meeting and ten dollars for other meetings.
Voted: That the salary of the chairman of the Board of Pub- lic Welfare be one hundred and twenty-five dollars per annum and the other members seventy-five dollars each per annum.
Voted: That the salary of the Town Treasurer be five hun- dred dollars per annum.
Voted: That the salary of the Town Accountant be four hun- dred dollars per annum.
Voted: That the salary of the Town Clerk be two hundred dollars per annum.
Voted: That the salary of the Assessors be nine hundred dol- lars in the aggregate per annum to be apportioned as they may determine the said sum to include any salary of a clerk.
Voted : That the Selectmen be instructed to fix the salaries of all other town officers.
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i
Art. 2. To see if the town will accept the several reports of town officers.
Voted: To accept the reports of the several town officers.
Art. 3. To hear and act upon the report of any committees chosen at any previous meeting who have not already reported.
No action taken under this article.
Art. 4. To see what sum of money the town will appropriate to defray the necessary and usual expenses of the several de- partments of the town and determine how the same shall be raised.
Under this article and other articles in the warrant it was voted to appropriate and raise by taxation for :
Roads, general maintenance
$ 12,000.00
Schools 46,000.00
Street Lighting
3,000.00
Memorial Library, current expenses
800.00
Memorial Library, books
200.00
Hydrant Service
3,079.00
General Government
5,500.00
Buildings and Grounds
1,500.00
Cemeteries
800.00
Military Aid
200.00
State Aid
500.00
Soldiers' Relief
1,500.00
Police Department
2,500.00
Board of Health
1,000.00
Public Welfare
8,500.00
Old Age Assistance
9,000.00
Snow Removal
4,700.00
Care of Shade Trees
500.00
Unclassified 400.00
Bonds, High School
4,000.00
Interest on Bonds
1,000.00
Interest on Revenue Loans
2,000.00
Memorial Day
275.00
Fire Department
2,800.00
Forest Fires
500.00
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Forest Fires, new hose. Art. 24
200.00
Gypsy Moth Work 1,700.00
Liability Insurance 1,000.00
Treasurer's and Collector's Bonds 250.00
Public Health Nurse
2,200.00
County Hospital Assessment 656.03
Memorial Library Heating Plant
1,125.00
New Fire Equipment. Art. 22
2,000.00
Fire Department, new hose. Art. 24 550.00
Expenses of dog officer
200.00
Voted: To appropriate from the overlay surplus for a Reserve Fund 1,500.00
Voted: To appropriate from the Cemetery Land
Fund for the care of Cemeteries 300.00
Art. 5. To see what sum of money the town will raise for the observance of Memorial Day.
Voted: To raise and appropriate the sum of two hundred and seventy-five dollars, to be expended under the direction of a committee consisting of the commander of the Isaac Davis Post, G. A. R., the commander of the American Legion, and the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Art. 6. To see what action the town will take in regard to the Collection of taxes.
Voted : To pass over the article.
Art. 7. To see what sum of money the town will raise and appropriate for the maintenance of the Fire Department or vote anything thereon.
Voted: To raise and appropriate the sum of twenty-eight hundred dollars.
Art. 8. To see if the town will pay for fighting brush fires and fix the price thereon.
Voted: To appropriate five hundred dollars for fighting brush fires and that the price for labor be fixed at fifty cents per hour for firemen and sixty cents per hour for the Forest Warden and Deputy Forest Warden.
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Art. 9. To see what action the town will take toward the sup- pression of the brown tail and gypsy moth.
Voted: To appropriate seventeen hundred (1700) dollars- the same to include the purchase of spraying equipment.
Art. 10. To see if the town will appropriate a sum of money to insure the employees of the town or act anything thereon.
Voted : To raise and appropriate the sum of one thousand dollars.
Art. 11. To see what amount of money the town will appro- priate for the payment of premiums on the treasurer's and col- lector's bonds or act anything thereon.
Voted: To appropriate the sum of two hundred and fifty (250) dollars.
Art. 12. To see if the town will authorize the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year be- ginning January 1, 1936, 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.
Voted : That the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the selectmen, be and hereby is authorized to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1936, 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.
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