USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > City Officers and the Annual Reports to the City Council of Newburyport 1896 > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18
Then again in the construction of our roads, I be- lieve that too much money has been expended. If upon several of the streets which have been macada- mized, a No. 2 grade of crushed stone overspread with a thin layer of screen gravel had been used the same as was put upon Merrimac street and Summit place, not only a great saving could have been effec- ted but the results would have been as satisfactory.
II
MAYOR'S ADDRESS.
Although upon Summit place there has not been a great amount of travel, yet no one who has seen its present condition, will doubt that the roadway is capable of sustaining travel should it ever be needed for that purpose. Merrimac street was completed nearly four years ago and notwithstanding it has been severely tested by a large amount of heavy travel, its condition today will compare very favorably with any road which was constructed at that time of the more costly material.
SIDEWALKS AND EDGESTONES.
During the past year $3,647.29 have been expended for sidewalk improvement; of this amount $1,058.46 have been assessed upon abuttors for betterments. Although this expenditure is small in comparison with that of previous years, yet in my judgment it is far more than it should have been.
I said last year in dealing with the affairs of this department that these improvements were extremely burdensome to our citizens. 1 am still of the same opinion, and would urgently recommend that less of this work be engaged in during the ensuing year.
12
MAYOR'S ADDRESS.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The public schools of this city are in 41 school rooms with 1573 pupils, in charge of a superinten- dent and 43 instructors. That good work has been done in this important branch of public service is manifested form the result obtained. There is no doubt that our schools for training the young will compare favorably with similar institutions in other cities. There can be no public interest more worthy of our care than that by which our children are trained to become intelligent citizens of a free coun- try. I call especial attention to this interest and trust that you will further the wishes of the school board in their efforts to subserve the interest of those who in a few years must take our places as citizens. For a more particular account I would refer you to the report of the school committee soon to be pub- lished.
The accomodations furnished for primary school children, in some parts of the city have been insuf- ficient and in many cases unwholesome. This was especially true of the schoolhouses on Ashland street. The two story building being of an old pattern was entirely unfit for a proper classification of the chil- dren, and so small that a portion of the school was obliged to use the ward room on the same street.
13
MAYOR'S ADDRESS.
The size of the old schoolhouse was such that the two rooms in it could not be made into four, as in the Forrester street building, and so the school committee requested the city government to enlarge it in such way as to furnish two additional rooms. The build- ing is now completed and consists of four large well lighted and well ventilated rooms, heated with steam, furnished with neat sanitary conveniences in the basement and surrounded with ample play grounds. The use of the new school house will allow the ward rooms in wards 5 and 6 to be closed as school rooms and will permit a better classification of eight schools numbering more than three hundred pupils.
Many improvements in the other schoolhouses have been made where health and convenience re- quired, and our school buildings may on the whole be considered to be in as good condition as they can be without material alteration in their shape and size.
POOR DEPARTMENT.
The affairs of no department in this or any other city, have been better managed than this one. The system adopted by the board, several years ago, of purchasing its supplies of the best quality, at the lowest market rates, has saved many thousands of dollars for our city.
14
MAYOR'S ADDRESS.
Permit me at this time to say that, after twelve years of faithful and efficient service, Mr. John C. Stevens retires from the board of overseers with the respect and esteem of his colleagues, and the love of all whose circumstances were such as to require the help of the department which he so ably and kindly represented. All of our citizens will, I think, join with me in wishing him a long, peaceful and happy rest in his retirement from the cares of official life.
While in other cities the expense of providing for the poor has greatly increased, ours has decreased, as will be seen by the following report. Total cost of the poor department for the year ending Novem- ber 30, 1896, has been $22,723.49; of this amount $5,987.35 was paid for the support of insane, an ex- pense over which the board has no control; $2,280.91 was paid for wood and coal. For improvement on almshouse, including altering steam pipes, 32 radi- ators, repointing the brick work on the outside of the almshouse, painting and for curtains, $931.60; $350 was paid for city physician for services, and $350 for medicine.
The income received during the past year from various sources was $3,797.18, showing the actual amount expended by the overseers to have been $18,926.31, from which should be taken the improve-
-
15
MAYOR'S ADDRESS.
ments on the almshouse property-$931.60, leaving the actual cost of caring for our poor $17,994.71, which is $397.51 less than last year.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
On account of the excellent showing made by the committee and the chief engineer in the manage- ment of the affairs of this department I desire espe- cially to call your attention to the following state- ment.
The appropriation, including credits, was $9,903.60 and the expenditures were $9,302.14, leaving an undrawn balance of $601.46. $1,825 of this amount was expended for permanent men and for horses; $185 for placing a new fire alarm box on Toppan street and for relocating and repairing the wire, which now places the system in perfect condition. The department has responded to 17 bell and 40 still alarms.
The promptness and efficiency of the firemen for which they have ever been distinguished have un- doubtedly been the means of preventing many of these still alarms from becoming more serious.
16
MAYOR'S ADDRESS.
POLICE.
During the past year no valid complaints have been made against the police. Gentlemanly in their deportment, prompt and alert in the discharge of their duties, they have won the respect of all. The routes patroled have been extended, and now include the greater portion of our city. This has added large- ly to the feeling of security which now exists among owners of property.
ATKINSON COMMON.
Under the skilful directions of Mr. Nelson, super- intendent of the almshouse, this common is being greatly improved. Although it will require many more years to complete it, yet already enough has . been accomplished to make it very attractive. The money to defray the expenses of this work was fur- nished principally by the Belleville Improvement Society, which was organized some three years ago for that purpose. As this common is situated upon the highest land in our city, adjacent to its most beautiful thoroughfare, it will within a few years become the centre of attraction for those who ad- mire variety of scenery. One year ago I recommend- ed that a small sum be annually appropriated for
17
MAYOR'S ADDRESS.
the purpose of assisting the B. I. S. in their com- mendable efforts to improve this common, and thus make attractive our city. I would urge the same this year.
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion permit me to say, that I have not recommended anything which will require the expen- diture of a large amount of money, for under exist- ing conditions I fully realize, as I trust you do, that the people can ill afford to be burdened with unusual expenses. I have, however, endeavored to impress upon your minds the importance of making some changes that will, in my opinion, insure for our city a more economical administration of its affairs. In the employment of this term economical, I do not wish to be understood as advocating that pseudo economy which results in retrogression and decay, and which would cause our city to be made the cen- tre of attraction for the traveller in search of the antique, for I am not. What I do mean, however, is that a fair equivalent should be exacted for the ex- penditure of an appropriation, which will be suffi- cient to insure for our city a standing among the progressive cities of our commonwealth, without unnecessarily increasing the burdens of our citizens.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
CITY GOVERNMENT, 1896.
5
66 66 1897 last of book 3
MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS, 1896. 21 66 66 1897 last of book 3
OFFICE HOURS OF CITY OFFICIALS, ETC. 3
REPORTS :
Atkinson Common Commissioners . 313
Board of Assessors .251
Board of Health . 293 Bridge Tender . 241 Chief Engineer .219
City Auditor 35
City Marshal
245
City Physician
213
City Registrar
.275
City Solicitor 235
City Treasurer
80
Overseers of the Poor 211
Public Library .325 School Committee, middle of book. I Sinking Fund Commissioners 75
Surveyor of Highways 305 Tax Collector 92
Trust Funds 257
Water Commissioners ยท353
JURY LIST 317
DETAILED ACCOUNT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES : PAGE
Abatement of Taxes 97 Armory Account 98 Ashes and Rubbish 99 Board of Health IOI
Bridges and Culverts 102 Bromfield Fund. 106
City Bonds.
108
Curtis School House . 109
Fire Department 109
Fuel Department . II4
Highway Department 116
Incidental Department
I27
Interest Department. 126
Lighting Streets and Public Buildings 144
Memorial Day
146
Notes Payable
146
Parks and Public Grounds .
I49
Police Department
151
Poor Department
154
Printing Department 162
Public Library .
163
Public Property 165
Salaries of City Officers
174
School Department. 176
Sewerage (Construction) .
184
Sewerage (Maintenance) 185
Sidewalks and Edgestones . 187
State of Mass., Armory Rent. . 190
State of Mass., Military Aid. 190 Soldiers' Relief. 191
Water Account. 192
Water Supply
194
Miscellaneous.
196
4028-9
NEWBURYPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 2128 00338 661 3
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.