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974.45 H 18 1961
ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE
TOWN of HAMILTON MASSACHUSETTS
1961
974.45 H 18 1961
ANNUAL REPORT
for the
TOWN of HAMILTON
MASSACHUSETTS
1961
CC
GONO
L EGE
Discarded Jenks L.R.C.
IBRARY
TOWN OF HAMILTON ESSEX COUNTY COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
Incorporated June 21, 1793 Area 14.99 sq. miles
Sixth Congressional District
Fifth Councillor District Third Essex Senatorial District Fifteenth Essex Representative District
OFFICIALS
Congressman - William H. Bates of Salem
Councillor - John J. Buckley of Lawrence
Senator - Philip A. Graham of Hamilton
Representatives (2) S Cornelius J. Murray of Beverly
George L. Allen of Manchester
County Commissioners (3)
C. F. Nelson Pratt of Saugus Daniel J. Burke of Lynnfield Edward H. Cahill of Lynn
Population
1920
1631
(Federal Census)
1925
2018
(State 66
-
1930
2044
(Federal Census)
1935
2235
(State
1940
2037
(Federal Census)
1945
2387
(State
"
)
1950
2764
(Federal Census)
1955
4116
(State
)
1960
5488
(Federal Census)
974.45 1861
1961 TOWN OFFICERS Elected and Appointed
Selectmen LAWRENCE LAMSON, Chairman Term expires 1963
WILLIAM F. MACKENZIE Term expires 1964
LAWRENCE R. STONE Term expires 1962
Board of Public Welfare LAWRENCE R. STONE, Chairman Term expires 1962
LAWRENCE LAMSON WILLIAM F. MACKENZIE Term expires 1964
Term expires 1963
Welfare Agent BERNARD A. CULLEN
Board of Health WILLIAM F. MACKENZIE, Chairman Term expires 1964
LAWRENCE LAMSON Term expires 1963
LAWRENCE R. STONE Term expires 1962
Moderator PAUL F. PERKINS, JR.
Town Clerk - Accountant FRANCIS H. WHIPPLE
Treasurer EVERETT F. HALEY
Tax Collector BERTHA L. CROWELL
Assessors ROBERT H. CHITTICK, Chairman Term Expires 1962
ROBERT H. TRUSSELL Term expires 1964
ARTHUR L. BENNETT Term expires 1963
4
Planning Board GEORGE C. CUTLER, JR., Chairman Term expires 1965
W. WHITNEY LUNDGREN Term expires 1966
JOHN A. BICK, JR. Term expires 1963
HENRY A. LAUGHLIN, JR.
Term expires 1962
HENRY J. GOURDEAU Term expires 1964
Finance and Advisory Committee CLARK S. SEARS, Chairman
GELEAN M. CAMPBELL
PAUL M. PILCHER
DR. HAROLD D. MOSES THOMAS G. STEVENSON
Town Counsel STANDISH BRADFORD
Registrars of Voters GEORGE MORROW, Chairman Term expires 1963
ROBERT N. PEALE Term expires 1964
THOMAS A. SARGENT Term expires 1962
FRANCIS H. WHIPPLE, Clerk-Officio
Chief of Police EDWARD H. FREDERICK
Fire Engineers A. MERRILL CUMMINGS, Chief
RAYMOND A. WHIPPLE RUDOLPH H. HARADEN
CHARLES W. DOLLIVER GORDON L. THOMPSON
Moth Superintendent RUDOLPH H. HARADEN Tree Warden RUDOLPH H. HARADEN
Forest Warden A. MERRILL CUMMINGS
5
Building Inspector LEON S. PERKINS, Deceased LAWRENCE C. FOSTER
Electrical Inspector ALBERT L. HAM
Inspector of Animals and Slaughtering ERNEST M. BARKER
Inspector of Milk ERNEST M. BARKER
Sanitary Inspector PHILIP S. PLUMMER
Sealer of Weights and Measures GEORGE W. DIXON
Dog Officer HUGH E. MACDONALD
Civil Defense Director HARVEY E. BARNES
Dental Clinic DR. JOHN KING, Dentist, Retired DR. LOUIS POLSONETTI, Dentist IRENE K. DANKOWSKI, Nurse
Surveyor of Highways CHARLES F. POOLE
Veterans' Agent LAWRENCE LAMSON
6
Veterans' Service Director BERNARD A. CULLEN
School Committee DONALD LANG MILLER, Chairman Term expires 1962
MORLEY L. PIPER Term expires 1964
FREDERICK J. CALDWELL
Term expires 1962
JAMES EDWARD HALL Term expires 1963 LOUISE M. BICK Term expires 1963
Superintendent of Schools JOHN H. LAWSON
Trustees of Public Library JOHN F. NEARY, Chairman Term expires 1964
SARAH H. TRUSSELL Term expires 1962
CLEMENT F. HAYES Term expires 1963
Librarians LOUISE C. BROWN CHARLOTTE HUGHES
Park Commissioners GEORGE H. RICKER, Chairman Term expires 1964
RAY M. SANFORD Term expires 1962
ALBERT P. LOUGEE Term expires 1963
Park Superintendent HENRY J. STELLINE
Water Commissioners RICHARD H. SMITH, Chairman Term expires 1963
GORDON L. THOMPSON Term expires 1964
JAMES L. DEANGELIS Term expires 1962
7
Superintendent of Water Works RAYMOND A. WHIPPLE
Cemetery Commissioners PAUL S. TUCKER, Chairman Term expires 1962
JOHN T. WALKE Term expires 1964
LUTHER M. CAVERLY Term expires 1963
Cemetery Superintendent PHILIP S. PLUMMER
Board of Appeals Protective (Zoning) By-law - Subdivision Control Law GEORGE G. BECKETT, Chairman Term expires 1963
JOHN F. NEARY Term expires 1964
COSTAS L. CARAGANIS, Resigned DONALD G. HARADEN Term expires 1962
Board of Appeals, under Building By-Law JEROME F. FLYNN, Chairman
CLARK S. SEARS CARL POEHLER, JR.
W. WHITNEY LUNDGREN LAWRENCE C. FOSTER
Measurers of Wood, Lumber and Bark
THEODORE E. JOHNSON
LAWRENCE C. FOSTER
ERNEST M. BARKER ERNEST R. MACGREGOR
Field Drivers
GEORGE MORROW WILLIAM W. BANCROFT
ERNEST M. BARKER HAROLD M. DODGE
Fence Viewers
JAMES A. MACLAREN HAROLD A. DALEY
GEOFFREY SARGEANT
8
School Needs Study Committee Authorized by Annual Town Meeting held March 1, 1954 JAMES E. HALL, Chairman
FREDERICK J. CALDWELL ALLAN MACCURRACH GEORGE C. CUTLER MORLEY L. PIPER JOHN F. NEARY
HAMMOND A. YOUNG
HENRY J. GOURDEAU
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School District Committee Hamilton Members
JAMES E. HALL Term expires 1964 Appointed Member
RICHARD PRESTON Term expires 1962 Elected Member
JOE Y. JACKSON Term expires 1963 Elected Member
Committee Appointed to Consider use of "Depot Property" ELMER H. SMITH, Chairman
ANN NEARY NANCY B. BURR
HENRY P. CONNOLLY HENRY J. GOURDEAU
Committee Appointed to Consider Public Works Department LAWRENCE E. PELKEY, Chairman
EDWARD A. DEWITT CLARK S. SEARS EUGENE D. SULLIVAN EDWARD N. McMILLAN
Conservation Commission NATHANIEL C. NASH, Chairman Term expires 1963
EDWARD FIELDING, JR. Term expires 1964 EDWARD A. SAMMEL
Term expires 1962
MARY M. McGRAY Term expires 1962 CHARLES H. SHACKELFORD Term expires 1963
Housing Authority JOHN B. GRAY, Chairman State Appointed Member Term expires 1964
PHILIP C. HOPKINS Term expires 1966 LESTER W. WALLACE Term expires 1965
ERNESTO LIPORTO Term expires 1963 LOUIS R. CORTUCCI Term expires 1962
REPORT of the TOWN CLERK 1961
10
REPORT OF THE TOWN CLERK
To the Citizens of Hamilton:
I submit herewith my eighteenth annual report as Clerk of the Town of Hamilton.
During the year 1961 the elections and town meetings consisted only of the Annual Town Meeting held March 6th and the Annual Town Election held March 14th. A detailed report of each is printed in the town report as a part of the Town Clerk's report.
A list of births, marriages and deaths recorded during the year is also included as part of the Clerk's report. In many cases the record of a birth in another community is not received in time to be included in the town report. In such cases the birth is recorded as received in the office and becomes a record in the town, even though it does not appear in the town report.
I take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to Mrs. Barnes and Mrs. Trussell for the efficient and loyal service in their work, and to all the townspeople who have assisted me in any way during the year.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANCIS H. WHIPPLE
Town Clerk
11
REPORT OF THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Held in the High School Auditorium, March 6, 1961 AND of the ANNUAL TOWN ELECTION Held March 14, 1961
MODERATOR: Paul F. Perkins, Jr
ELECTION OFFICERS
Thomas A. Sargent Hazel E. Cram
George Morrow Ernest E. MacGregor
Edward J. Ready
Counters
Thomas A. Sargent
Katherine M. Day
Florence M. Davison Robert A. Greeley
Rita V. Finney
Rosamond M. Cushman
Bernard A. Cullen
Mary T. Greeley Donald O. Butman
Lillian E. Oser
Henry C. Jackson
Linwood T. Wirling
John T. Fleming
Marie A. Arnold
Regina A. Dawe George W. Dixon Guy F. Alleruzzo Virginia Healy Donald H. Child Hazel E. Grant Dorothy Crowley Philip S. Robinson Robert N. Peale Freda E. Colwell
Assistants
Gelean M. Campbell
James H. Dodge
Town Clerk Francis H. Whipple Police
Robert W. Poole
Edward H. Frederick
Checkers
12
The Moderator, Mr. Paul F. Perkins, opened the meeting at eight o'clock (8:00) in the evening on Monday, March 6, 1961.
Reverend Cornelius Bakker offered the invocation.
Moderator : "The first business is Article 2. To choose and appoint all other Town Officers in such manner as the Town may determine."
Moved by Mr. Lawrence Stone and duly seconded: "That four field drivers and four measurers of wood, lumber and bark be elected by the meeting from the floor, and that the field drivers be nominated and elected first and the measurers of wood, lumber and bark immedi- ately following."
Voice vote. Motion unanimously carried
Moved by Mr. Lawrence Stone and duly seconded : "That Harold M. Dodge, George Morrow, William W. Bancroft and Ernest M. Barker be elected field drivers for the ensuing year."
Voice vote. Motion unanimously carried
Moved by Mr. Lawrence Stone and duly seconded : "That Theodore E. Johnson, Ernest R. MacGregor, Ernest M. Barker and Lawrence Foster be elected measurers of wood, lumber and bark for the ensuing year."
Voice vote. Motion unanimously carried.
Article 3. Moderator : "To hear the reports of the Town Officers and of the Finance and Advisory Committee and all other committees and take any other action thereon or relative thereto."
Moved by Mr. William Mackenzie and duly seconded: "That the reports of Town Officers and of the Finance and Advisory Committee and all other committees as printed or inserted in the Town Report for 1960, be received and placed on file."
Voice vote. Motion unanimously carried.
Article 4. Moderator: "To raise and appropriate money for Schools, Highways and all other Town expenses and determine the manner of expending the same."
Mr. Clark Sears: "We know from the study we made of the budget this year we can't help but make the tax rate go up. However before we get into that I was thinking this afternoon that maybe there are quite a few people who have moved into town from cities or maybe out of the state who do not understand the New England Town Meetings and maybe just a few remarks might help you to understand what my function is and the function of my committee. All of our town gov- ernments are made up of different departments. Some of these depart-
13
ments are headed by people who are elected by the town and some of the departments are headed by a commission who are elected who in turn elect a superintendent. Now all of these departments have to have money to operate, there are wages and salaries and expenses to be paid for. In the old days if you want to go back over a hundred years the people got together at a meeting like this and these various department heads came in and each one of them told the meeting just how much money they needed to operate for the next year. Sometimes it might take an hour or two to discuss all the problems and some they could take care of in ten minutes but as the government of the town became more complicated and more people were involved more workers and expenses it developed that it would be just impossible for each depart- ment head to come in here tonight and tell you what they needed the money for and why he was asking for a certain amount in his budget. It therefore developed that each town had a Finance and Advisory Com- mittee to do its investigating for you, try to sift it down and then give you a report as to what we feel these various departments need to operate as efficiently as possible and as economically as they can. We always start each October and we interview every department and every com- mission. They come before us and we discuss their problems and ours too and then after we have talked to them we have another open meeting and which we advertise such a meeting and we hope that anyone who has a special article which they would like to have discussed they would come and also tell us what they want in that special article. After we get all those together then we sit down and make up our budget and that is what you find in the Town Report and which takes up a lot of time and it seems year after year there is more to do but however we feel that we are in some way attempting to save your time. You must all realize that the money you spend here tonight is the money first to operate your town and in the second place it is what you have to raise through taxation so that when articles do come along that cost a lot of money you should really consider whether or not you want this bad enough to pay the extra amount that you are going to have to pay if the taxes go up. Now this year for the first time since I have been on the committee I can't say there is an article in the town warrant or in our budget that in any way really calls for any great consideration as far as spending money to affect your tax rate. Every year that I have been here there has always been some article that involves the spending of money or borrowing on a bond issue. Tonight I think we are fortunate that there is no such article and yet I have the unfortunate duty to tell you that there isn't much we can do about it. We are spending more money this year and it is all because of what either nature has done for us, the vote that you people have taken in the year past. I want to discuss a few items that are going to affect your tax rate. You will find them on page 109 in the report. Now, the first item where we are spending more this year than we have in years past is the item of education. Now, I do not complain about education and I don't believe there is anyone in the room that feels that we shouldn't spend what we need to spend to educate the children. This year, how- ever, we are not coming here to ask for additional appropriations but
14
the budget merely reflects the vote that was taken a year ago. Now, education, as I have compiled it is divided into two sections, the regional school and our own public schools. I think you will find on the two pages following under education the cost of instruction is up about $50,000 this year. That item is principally made up of the raises and adjustments that were made a year ago at this meeting when we voted the full budget. There were raises given and there were adjustments made but all school teachers salaries commence in September so that last year when we voted raises we only had to vote for a quarter and avoided the cost of a full year's salary. Now this year in your budget you will find that we had to put in a full year's budget which results in this increase in what we have to appropriate. As far as the regional school is concerned a year ago our appropriation was $6900. The budget they gave me this year is $58,900 and the share of Hamilton is $36,383 so there is an increase of almost $30,000 which the townspeople can't do much about because a year ago we voted to go into the regional school and this is the result of the first year's budget for the regional school. As far as the cost roughly of $80,000 there isn't very much that any of us can talk about. It is all in the budget as a result of a vote we had a year ago. In the next major item we are increasing the budget in the Highway Department. We have appropriated $10,000 for snow removal. Up to February 27 the actual expenditure this year from January 1 to February 27 is $17,197.24. That is way over the $10,000 we had planned to appropriate. We increased the budget another ten to make $20,000 which still leaves us less than $3,000 for any snow storms we have from now until May and any snow storms we may have in December. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope that this $3,000 will carry us through but there is another $10,000 which we would not ordinarily have to put in the budget. The next item of protection. A year ago dial phones were installed in Hamilton and for you people who haven't been residents of Hamilton, it used to be if there was a fire, or needed police protection or anything you would pick up the phone and the operator would answer and you told her what you wanted and she would get the police or the fire department. With dial phones that became impossible so we formed a center in the police station in combination with the Town of Wenham where all telephone calls are made in case of any kind of an emergency. It costs money to operate that. This year the budget for that is something like $12,000. It is true that the Town of Wenham helps us pay for the operation of it and we should receive back one half of what we spend. We cannot use that money if Wenham pays it, as it goes into our Surplus Fund and we can use it later so that we have to appropriate the full amount of money this year. This is another $12,000 but I don't know what else we can do about it. The next item is public charity. This is the article I referred to as medical assistance to the aged. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed an act which affected all the towns and they noti- fied our town that the medical assistance would be $15,000. In talking this over with the department in town that has charge of it we found that some of the medical assistance has been paid in past years through assistance to the aged plus assistance to dependent children so that we
15
came up with a figure of a net increase of $8000 instead of the $15,000 they said we should appropriate and we feel that it will take care of the situation. You will also notice in the budget, because these three depart- ments are so closely interwoven, we felt that rather than have three separate items, medical assistance to the aged, assistance to dependent children and old age assistance we have put all three items together and one item for the total we will need for the three departments. The other item where we are spending more money this year is the item under Ma- turing Debt. That item is up $11,000 over last year. Ordinarily unless you issue a new bond for some specific purpose which we did last year your interest will decline each year because you are paying off bonds and then some bonds become due and a whole issue would be paid up. This year is the first payment on the Library Bond that you voted a year ago, the first payment on the principal of the bond is $12,000, so although the interest is going down on the other indebtedness of the town it means that we have to have $11,000 more, so that when we add up all these five items I have talked about you'll see that without anyone asking for money on any special article and without any big increase in any de- partment budget we have spent over $120,000, so our tax rate is going to have to go up. Now there is one other thing I would like to say before I close, your committee felt in talking with all the departments that there are many people who work for the town who do not receive ade- quate wage. All of us in private industry know what it costs to hire people to work for you. The Town of Hamilton has gradually in the last five or six years been putting the wage scale up somewhere near where it ought to be. We felt this year that we would continue that so that under each department you'll find a slight raise in all wages and salaries. I would like you to keep in mind when we talk about raise in wages in the Town of Hamilton that if we raise everybody in town 5% who work for the town we wouldn't spend more than 6 or 7000 dollars so that when we say to you that we feel there are people in town who haven't been taking home the proper wage we feel that they are entitled to it. They are ready to wait on you at any time no matter whether it is snowing or what the occasion is and we feel their pay should be raised. We feel that soon, whether you do it next year or the year after, that there should be some sort of classification and compensation plan adopted by the town so that all truck drivers in the town would be paid the same rate of pay. All people who work by the hour should be on a regular wage scale. There are some differences in some of the departments but it is impossible for our board to sift those out and raise one man over here and another man there. The only way we can do is to give the same grade to all departments equally. We do feel that maybe if you should vote to adopt the Public Works system that probably the first thing a person in charge of that would do is set up such a classification for the employees that come under him. If you do not accept public works you should give some thought and consideration to a compensation plan.
Moderator. "As has been our established custom I shall read the appropriations recommended by the Finance and Advisory Committee. If anybody wishes to debate or question any item just say 'Pass' and we
16
will take pass items up in order after the other items have been approved as a whole. These items are set forth beginning on page 111 in the report."
Finance and Advisory Committee :
Expenses
.$ 25.00
Selectmen :
Salaries
1,150.00
Expenses
5,000.00
Town Accountant :
Salary
5,200.00
Expenses
450.00
Treasurer :
Salary
1,950.00
Expenses
525.00
Tax Collector :
Salary
2,430.00
Expenses
1,150.00
Assessors :
Salaries
2,650.00
Expenses
550.00
Law:
Salary
1,000.00
Expenses
1,200.00
Town Clerk :
Salary
1,200.00
Expenses
7,800.00
Planning Board :
Expenses
200.00
Election and Registration :
Expenses
2,200.00
Town Hall :
Salary
3,770.00
Expenses
3,500.00
Repairs
4,000.00
Police :
Salaries and Wages
24,501.00
Expenses
3,300.00
17
Fire :
Salaries and Wages
2,600.00
Expenses 3,850.00
Police and Fire Station :
Maintenance
2,500.00
Former Fire Station :
Maintenance
500.00
Sealer of Weights and Measures :
Salary
230.00
Expenses
150.00
Moth - Town :
Salary of Supt.
2,465.00
Wages
1,525.00
Expenses
750.00
Moth - Private :
Expenses
300.00
Report Center:
Expenses
12,000.00
Tree Warden :
Salary of Warden
2,053.00
Wages
3,000.00
Expenses
260.00
Pruning Elms
800.00
Planting Trees
300.00
Civilian Defense :
Expenses
1,500.00
Conservation Department :
Expenses
300.00
Health :
Salaries
120.00
Animal Inspector
140.00
Expenses - including nurse and milk inspector
2,225.00
Dental Clinic :
Expenses
3,600.00
Sanitation :
Garbage and Refuse Disposal
23,772.00
18
Highways :
Salary of Surveyor
4,518.00
Wages
25,320.00
Expenses
13,000.00
Snow Removal and Sanding
20,000.00
Street Lighting
12,000.00
Sidewalks
1,500.00
Gravel Roads
5,000.00
Public Welfare :
Salaries
240.00
Old Age Assistance Administration
3,000.00
Public Assistance
50,500.00
Veterans' Benefits :
Expenses
5,500.00
Library:
Salary and Wages
5,550.00
Expenses (Supplies and Books)
2,500.00
Maintenance
575.00
Parks :
Salary of Superintendent
4,518.00
Salary of Instructors and Clerk
Pass.
1,166.00
Labor
4,200.00
Expenses
Pass.
3,510.00
Equipment
800.00
Pensions
11,730.01
Water Department :
Salary of Superintendent
4,518.00
Wages
8,348.00
Expenses
19,970.00
Extension of Mains
6,500.00
Cemetery Department :
Salary of Superintendent
3,898.00
Salary of Clerk
335.00
Salaries of Commissioners
75.00
Wages and Expenses
1,300.00
Education :
General Control Expenses
15,402.00
Expense of Instruction
353,530.00
Textbooks and Supplies
22,430.00
19
Operation of Plant
46,982.00
Maintenance and Repairs
5,000.00
Auxiliary Agency
36,824.00
Outlay for Equipment
6,141.00
Vocational
2,500.00
Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District :
Operating Expenses
36,382.02
Unclassified :
Town Reports
3,347.30
Memorial Day
700.00
Town Clock
100.00
Veterans' Quarters
Pass.
1,000.00
Insurance
12,750.00
Reserve Fund
4,000.00
Maturing Debt and Interest
Maturing Debt
106,000.00
Interest
25,000.00
Moved by Mr. Clark Sears and duly seconded : "That the various appropriations recommended by the Finance and Advisory Committee, as they have just been read by the Moderator, excepting the items passed, be approved and the sums recommended be and hereby are appropriated, and that the meeting now proceed to the consideration of the items that were passed."
Voice vote. Motion unanimously carried.
Moderator : "The first item that was passed was item 72 - Salaries of Instructors and Clerks."
Mr. Albert Lougee : "In relation to Items 72 and 74 we wish to wait until after Article 21 has been considered."
Moderator : "If there is no objection the chair will grant the request that consideration of Items 72 and 74 be postponed until after the action under Article 21. This relates to the acceptance of a gift of a swimming pool. Any questions about this or any objections to postponing this until after Article 21?" The next passsd item is 97 - Veterans Quarters.
Mr. Spaulding : "I wish to postpone this item until after Article 21."
Moderator: "If there is no objection the chair will grant this re- quest."
Article 5. Moderator: "To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for Chapter 90 Highway Construction, or take any other action thereon or relative thereto."
Moved by Mr. Lawrence Lamson and duly seconded : "That the
20
Town raise and appropriate the sum of $4,500 for Chapter 90 Highway Construction on Bridge and Walnut Streets to be expended for the Town's share of the work, and that available funds be used to carry on the work until the Town is reimbursed for the State and County share of the work."
Voice vote. Motion unanimously carried.
Article 6. Moderator : "To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for Chapter 90 Highway Maintenance of various streets in the Town, or take any other action thereon or relative thereto."
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