USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > City of Melrose annual report 1907 > Part 2
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Buildings. Aldermen Page, George W. Libbey, Goodridge, Lord, Otis J. Libby
City Clerk and Cemetery. Aldermen Lovett, Day, Gilman, Buffum, Keene.
Claims. Aldermen Allen, Munroe, Davis, Dike, Page.
Elections and Returns, Printing and Supplies. Aldermen Manser, Allen, Bowser, Gilman, Goodridge.
Finance. Aldermen Lord, Allen, Dike, Gilman, Keene, Lovett, Serra.
Fire Department, Electric and Telephone Wires. Aldermen Keene, Munroe, Howard, George W. Libbey, Manser
Highways, Sewers, Water and Public Grounds. Aldermen Davis, Page, Goodridge, French, Bowser, Otis J. Libby, Howard.
20
CITY OF MELROSE
Nominations and Resolutions. Aldermen Serra, Davis, Page, Lovett, Howard.
Ordinances, Rules, Orders and Legislative Matters. Aldermen French, Munroe, Day, Dike, Lord.
Police Department and Licenses. Aldermen Wentworth, Lord, Manser, Keene, Serra.
Public Charities. Aldermen Buffum, Day , Wentworth.
Public Health. Aldermen Dike, Wentworth, French.
Public Schools and Public Library. Aldermen Munroe, Wentworth, Day, George W. Libbey, Dike, Buffum, Lovett. 1
Solicitor and Collector. Aldermen Goodridge, Allen, Bowser, Serra, Otis J. Libby.
Special Committee on Spot Pond Brook for Conference with His Honor the Mayor. Aldermen George W. Libbey, Goodridge, Allen, Lord,French
State Military Aid and Soldier's Relief. Aldermen Day, Manser, Otis J. Libby.
21
STANDING COMMITTEES
Street Railways and Public Lighting. Aldermen Bowser, Davis, Gilman, Buffum, Keene, Howard, Serra.
Treasury and Assessors. Aldermen Gilman, Munroe, Davis, Bowser, George W. Libbey.
Special Committee on Brown Tail and Gypsy Moths. Aldermen Otis J. Libby, Page, Buffum, Goodridge , Manser.
Clerk of Committees. Victor C. Kirmes.
City Officers
City Clerk. W. DeHaven Jones.
Assistant City Clerk and Clerk of Committees Victor C. Kirmes.
City Treasurer. William R. Lavender.
City Collector. James W. Murray.
1
City Auditor. Edwin C. Gould.
Engineer and Superintendent of Public Works. George O. W. Servis.
Mayor's Clerk. Irma A. Gurney.
City Solicitor. Claude L. Allen.
Chief of Fire Department. Joseph Edwards.
23
CITY OFFICERS
Chief of Police. Frank M. Mclaughlin.
Inspector of Buildings. Allan S. Sims
.
Inspector of Plumbing. John T. Barker.
Inspector of Milk and Vinegar. William S. Briry.
Inspector of Animals, Provisions and Food Products. Frank P. Sturges.
Sealer of Weights and Measures. William L. Pierce.
Agent State and Military Aid and Soldier's Relief. Charles O. Boyd.
Burial Agent. Albert L. Carlton.
Assessors. Frank R. Upham, Chairman
L. Frank Hinckley,
William Morss,
John C. Crolly, Clerk.
24
CITY OF MELROSE
Assistant Assessors. Merton G. Woodbury.
Alden B. Smith,
H. West Leonard.
Board of Health. Clarence P. Holden, Chairman. .
Edmund L. Grundy,
Arthur A. Hayden.
Grace A. Colby, Clerk.
Overseers of the Poor. Peter J. Lynch, Chairman,
Charles O. Boyd,
Matilda E. Stantial
Grace A. Colby, Clerk.
Matron Pratt Farm. Mrs. Maud S. Francis.
Mrs. Harriet K. Sanborn,
Mrs. Newton E. Smith
School Committee.
E. Clifford Fish, 17 Wyoming ave. Term expires 1910
Isabelle Stantial, 146 Florence st.
66
66
Oscar F. Frost, 10 Vine st.
66
66
66
William D. Stewart, 21 Woodland ave.
66 66
190S
Sarah A. Day, 45 Ashland st.
66 66
66
Charles A. Castle, 98 W. Emerson st.
66
66
'66
George H. Hill, 16 Summer st.
66
66
1909
*Mary P. Holden, 32 Lake ave
66
66
+George E. Cornwall, 54 Orient ave.
Edwin S. Small, 273 Main st.
66
66
66
William D. Stewart, Chairman.
*Deceased.
Isabelle Stantial, secretary. ¡Elected to fill vacancy.
Sinking Fund Commissioners. Charles C. Barry,
Joseph Remick,
Franklin P. Shumway.
66
66
25
CITY OFFICERS
Trustees of the Public Library.
Charles C. Barry
Term expires 1909
Paul Sterling
66
66 1910
Anna T. B. Bush
66
66 66
Elbridge H. Goss
66
66
1908
Mary L. Charles
66
66
66
Cemetery Committee. Julian S. Woodman, Chairman,
Willis C. Goss,
Joseph D' Lord Edwin C. Gould, Clerk, Roscoe A. Leavitt, Superintendent Wyoming Cemetery.
Registrars of Voters.
Harry C. Woodill, Chairman . Term expires 1909
Edwin L. Cragin
66 1910
Victor C. Kirmes
66
1908
W. DeHaven Jones, City Clerk, ex-officio.
Engineers of the Fire Department. Joseph Edwards, Chief, Thomas J. Hawkes, 1st Assistant, Edgar W. Mansfield, 2nd Assistant.
Measurers of Wood and Bark, Weighers of Hay and Coal. Fred H. Goss, Miss Florence Sinclair Charles B. Goss
George M. Hall, Frank E. Newell, Eugenia Berrette. George Goodwin.
Public Weighers of Merchandise.
George O. W. Servis, William H. Martin, Albert G. Waghorne Edward A. Riley
Charles F. Woodward James McTiernan William L. Pierce Patrick G. DeCourcey
66 66
Neil A. Divver
26
CITY OF MELROSE
Fence Viewer. Charles F. Woodward
Field Driver.
Pound Keeper.
Police Officers.
Frank M. Mclaughlin, Chief, Osborne E. Drown,
William A. Caswell, Redford M. Rand, William C. McCarthy, Louis B. Heaton,
George E. Fuller, Harry Brown, Allston H. Pineo William H. Doherty Christopher B. Thompson Frank N. Pierce.
A. Wilbur Lynde Atwater B. Hathaway John H. Thyng George H. Cray
Special Police Officers. M. James Hanley James H. Maine William Riley
Edgar E. Sherburne Charles J. Wing Robert M. Campbell James F. Fernald
Keeper of the Lock up. Frank M. Mclaughlin
Election Officers for the Year 1907-8
Ward I.
Patrick W. Curry, Republican Warden
Harry A. Batchelder, Republican
Deputy Warden
Corydon W. Harlow, Democrat Clerk
William H. Greenleaf, Democrat
Deputy Clerk
George S. McNeal, Republican Inspector
Frederick Curry, Republican
Deputy Inspector
Frank H. Main, Republican Inspector
Walter L. Shepard, Republican
Deputy Inspector
George H. Glover, Democrat Inspector
Simeon Cragin, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
Francis N. Bemis, Democrat.
Inspector
Thomas F. Troy, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
Ward 2.
George W. Burke, Republican
Warden
Clarence E. Gerry, Republican
Deputy Warden
Aubrey W. Dunton, Democrat . Clerk
Franklin R. Carr, Democrat
Deputy Clerk
Alden B. Smith, Republican
Inspector
James A. Crawford, Republican
Deputy Inspector
John T. King, Republican
Inspector
David H. Cheever, Republican
Deputy Inspector
Otis W. Pierce, Democrat
Inspector
Frank W. Lewis, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
Frank L. Terwilleger, Democrat
Inspector
George W. Stinson, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
Ward 3.
Frank Towle, Republican Warden
Everett E. Tarbox, Republican
Deputy Warden
Francis W. Hoffman, Democrat Clerk
Edward A. Brady, Democrat
Deputy Clerk
Charles H. Rockwood, Republican Inspector
Walter J. Lord, Republican
Deputy Inspector
Clifton A. Pendleton, Republican
Inspector
Martin L. Stacy, Republican
Deputy Inspector
Stephen M. Hopkins, Democra t
Inspector
George W. VanHorn, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
Peter J. Curran, Democrat
.Inspector
Daniel O'Leary, Democrat
.Deputy Inspector
28
CITY OF MELROSE .
Ward 4.
Charles H. Buttrick, Republican Warden
Edward J. Kitching, Republican Deputy Warden
Earold P. Waterhouse, Democrat Clerk
George L. Davis, Democrat Deputy Clerk
Charles A. Page, Republican Inspector
George H. Kitching, Republican
Deputy Inspector
William P. Libby, Republican
Inspector
Charles S. Allen, Republican
. Deputy Inspector
George E. Hyde, Democrat Inspector
Fred A. Gordon, Democrat.
Deputy Inspector
William H. Sullivan, Democrat
Inspector
George A. Dean, Democrat
Deputy Inspector .
Ward 5.
William D. Reidy, Republican Warden
Herbert Tyler, Republican
Deputy Warden
George H. Dearborn, Democrat Clerk
Joseph A. Sheridan, Democrat
. Deputy Clerk
Arthur H. Glines, Republican
Inspector
Alrick B. Swensson, Republican
. Deputy Inspector
Frank E. Newell, Republican Inspector
Ralph T. Livermore, Republican Deputy Inspector
Thomas J. Hawkes, Democrat Inspector
John E. McKinnon, Democrat Deputy Inspector
John Keefe, Democrat Inspector
Thomas P. Connolly, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
Ward 6.
George H. Towne, Republican Warden
Julian C. Woodman, Republican
Deputy Warden
Jonathan H. Atkinson, Democrat Clerk
William J. Duffy, Democrat
Deputy Clerk
Frank L. McNally, Republican
Inspector
David H. Orcutt, Republican
Deputy Inspector
Edward P. Waitt, Republican
Inspector
Arthur A. Hayden, Republican
Deputy Inspector
Stephen C. Deering, Democrat Inspector
George A. Snow, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
Charles A. Knapp, Democrat
Inspector
George B. Grottendick, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
29
ELECTION OFFICERS
Ward 7.
Albert E. Dadley, Republican Warden
John C. Flatley, Republican
Deputy Warden
Henry E. Johnson, Democrat . Clerk
John J. Buckley, Democrat
Deputy Clerk
William L. Kershaw, Republican
Inspector
William B. Reiley, Republican
Deputy Inspector
Walter B. Copeland, Republican
Inspector
William F. Russell, Republican
Deputy Inspector
Charles F. Doherty, Democrat
Inspector
Edward P. Henney, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
Daniel J. Foley, Democrat
Inspector
Edwin D. Baker, Democrat
Deputy Inspector
1
Annual Report
of the
School Department
of the
City of Melrose
for the
Year Ending December 31, 1907
MELROSE FREE PRESS PRINT SHOP 1908
In the School Committee,
March 9, 1908.
Ordered :- That the annual report of the Superintendent of Schools be and it is hereby adopted as the report of the School Committee, with approval of its discussion of educa- tional questions, but without prejudice to any conclusions which the Committee may reach as to recommendations made therein.
CONTENTS OF SCHOOL REPORT.
Calendar, 34
School Committee, (Membership and Organization) .
35
Report of Superintendent of Schools
37
1. Statistical Matter :
I. School Census and Enrollment 37
II. Summary of Principals' Reports for the the School Year, 1906-1907, 38
III. Number of Teachers in Different Depart- ments, 40
IV. Number of Pupils in the Different Grades, . . .. 41 V. Teachers Who Withdrew from Corps in 1907. . 42 VI. New Teachers Appointed in 1907 44
VII.
Annual Financial Exhibit for 1907
46
2. The High School :
I. Attendance 51
II. Expenditure for High School 52
III. Changes in Teachers 52
IV. Literary and Musical Interests 53
V. Vocational Talks 54
VI. Athletics 54
VII.
Secret School Organizations
55
VIII. Domestic Science
57
3. Matters in General :
I. Professional Growth of Teachers 57
II. Additional School Accommodations 60
III. Special Rooms for Defective and Incorrigi- ble Children 60
IV. Vacation Schools 61
V. Changes in the School Committee 64
4. Conclusion 65
Appendix:
I. Deceased Teachers 66
II. Program of High School Graduation 68
III. Honors and Prizes. 69
IV. Pupils Promoted from the ninth grade to the High School, June, 1907. 70
V. Organization of School Staff, December 31, 1907 73
SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR 1908.
WINTER TERM.
First Half. Begins December 31, 1907, and closes February 21, 1908. Vacation one week.
Second Half. Begins March 2, and closes April 24. Vaca- tion, one week.
SPRING TERM.
Begins May 4 and closes June 26. Vacation, ten weeks.
FALL TERM.
Begins September 9 (Wednesday) and closes December 24 (noon). Vacation, ten days.
HOLIDAYS DURING TERM TIME.
Every Saturday, Washington's Birthday, Patriot's Day, Memorial Day, June 17, and Thanksgiving Day, with the half- day preceding and the day following it.
School Committee for 1907.
Name
Residence Term Expires
William D. Stewart,
21 Woodland Avenue 1908
Sarah A. Day,
45 Ashland Street 1908 .
Charles A. Castle, .
98 West Emerson Street
. 1908
George H. Hill,
16 Summer Street
. 1909
Mary P. Holden,
32 Lake Avenue 1909 .
Edwin S. Small,
273 Main Street
.
1909
E. Clifford Fish, .
17 Wyoming Avenue · 1910
Isabelle Stantial, .
146 Florence Street 1910 .
Oscar F. Frost,
10 Vine Street
1910
Organization of Committee.
William D. Stewart, Chairman. Isabelle Stantial, Secretary.
Meetings of Committee.
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held in the Committee Room, High School building, on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, except July and August, at eight o'clock, P.M.
Superintendent of Schools.
Fred H. Nickerson, A.M. 77 Upham Street Office : High School Building.
Office Hours: 8 to 9 a.m. on school days, and 4 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Telephone. 210-2.
Superintendent's Clerk.
Rosetta M. Pendleton,
179 Trenton Street
SUB-COMMITTEES.
Accounts.
Hill,
Small, Castle.
Courses of Study and Text Books.
Stantial, Hill,
Holden,
SCHOOL REPORT
Supplies and Printing. Day, Fish.
Frost,
Teachers and Salaries.
Day,
Fish, Stantial.
Special Studies.
Fish,
Castle, Holden.
High School.
Stantial,
Day, Castle.
Rules and Regulations.
Holden, Small.
Castle,
School Houses and Janitors. Hill Frost.
Small,
Visiting Committee.
Stewart,
Day, Castle.
CENTRE.
Frost, Day.
WYOMING.
Small,
Holden, Hill.
EAST SIDE.
Fish, Castle, Holden.
Note - Mary P. Holden died April 22, 1907, and at a joint meeting of the School Committee and Board of Aldermen held May 10, 1907, George F. Cornwall was chosen to fill the vacan- cy for the balance of the year.
HIGHLANDS.
Stantial,
Report of the Superintendent of Schools.
To the School Committee of Melrose : -
In accordance with the requirements of the Committee the following annual report upon the administration and condition of the schools of the city is submitted.
TABLE I. School Census and Enrollment.
No. of persons between 5 and 15 years of age residing in the city, September 1, 1907. 2597
No. of persons between 7 and 14 years of age residing in
the city, September 1, 1907 2011
No. of different pupils enrolled during the school year, 1906-1907 3224
No. of pupils over 15 years of age enrolled during the school year, 1906-1907 501
No. of pupils between 5 and 15 years of age enrolled dur- ing the school year, 1906-1907 2677
No. of pupils between 7 and 14 years of age enrolled dur- ing the school year, 1906-1907 2007
No. of pupils under 5 years of age enrolled during the school year, 1906-1907 . 46
38
Table · II. SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPALS' REPORTS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR, 1906-1907.
I. By Schools.
Schools
No. of Different Pupils Enrolled
No. of Boys
No of Girls
Average Member- ship
Average Attend- ance
Per Cent. of Attendance
Corporal Punish- ment
High
500
226
274
452.02
434.98
96.23
Franklin
384
194
190
368.28
343.73
93.33
8
Washington
412
210
202
373.96
355.95
95.18
1
Lincoln
371
184
187
374.48
355.79
95.01
Horace Mann
310
140
170
287.13
269.78
93.96
4
D. W. Gooch.
327
160
167
298.81
279.79
93.64
Livermore
189
101
88
175.34
166.46
94.94
Warren
149
75
74
144.67
135.71
93.81
Winthrop
116
52
64
113.48
104.85
92.39
Sewall
178
94
84
155.29
140.50
90.48
Whittier
227
111
116
179.34
164.72
91.85
Converse
23
12
11
20.82
19.21
92.27
Ripley
38
16
22
30.97
27.71
89.47
3,224
1,575
1,649
2,974.59
2,799.18
94.10
13
CITY OF MELROSE
-----
Table II. 2. By Grades.
Schools
No. of Different Pupils Enrolled
No. of Boys
No. of Girls
Average Member- ship
Average Attend- ance
Per Cent. of Attendance
Corporal Punish- ment
High
500
226
274
452.02
434.98
96.23
Grade 9
243
133
110
227.18
214.82
94.56
2
Grade 8
234
110
124
210.67
200.50
95.17
1
Grade 7
290
147
143
267.34
252.35
94.39
3
Grade 6
305
137
168
288.47
270.69
93.84
Grade 5
335
182
153
330.64
314.98
95.26
3
Grade 4
329
179
150
309.03
291.64
94.37
2
Giade 3
312
147
165
293.91
276.24
93.99
Grade 2
319
136
183
294.08
272.02
92.50
Grade 1
296
150
146
249.46
224.04
89.81
Combined, 1-2-3.
61
28
33
51.79
46.92
90.60
Total
3,224
1,575
1,649
2.974.59
2,799.18
94.10
13
-
SCHOOL REPORT
39
40
CITY OF MELROSE
COMMENT ON TABLE II.
Comparison with a similar table in the report for 1906 shows that during the school year ending with June, 1907, the aver- age membership of the schools increased 3-5 per cent over that for the previous school year and that the per cent. of regularity in attendance dropped 2-5 per cent. Although I should have been pleased to record an increase in the regularity of attend- ance, it is in a measure gratifying that our per cent. in this re- spect is higher than the average for the State at large by 2 1-10 per cent.
I regret to report that the number of cases of corporal pun- ishment recorded for the year is four more than for the previous year. However, when one considers that 3224 different pupils were enrolled during the year, and that every pupil presents a special problem in the way of management, the fact that we have had only thirteen cases of corporal punishment in a per- iod of ten months would seem to indicate a well-defined deter- mination on the part of the teachers not to employ this method of control inadvisedly.
It will be observed also by reference to the table that in ten of our thirteen school buildings not a case of corporal punish- ment occurred during the year.
Table III. NUMBER OF TEACHERS IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, DE- CEMBER, 1907.
Male
Female
Total
High (Grades X, XI, XII, XIII)
7
11
18
Grammar (Grades V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) ..
2
36
38
Primary (Grades I, II, III, IV).
0
39
39
Special Teachers, Music
1
0
1
Drawing
1
0
1
Manual
Training
0
1
1
General Assistant.
0
1
1
Total
11
88
99
Comment on Table III.
The above table shows one more teacher in service in Decem- ber, 1907, than in December, 1906. This is due to the fact
41
SCHOOL REPORT
that it seemed wise at the opening of the present school year to employ a general assistant to be used wherever at any time her services might be of most advantage to the schools.
Table IV.
NUMBER OF PUPILS IN THE DIFFERENT GRADES, DECEMBER, 1907.
Primary,
Grade I, 312
Grade II, .314
Grade III, 307
Grade IV, 311
Grammar, Grade V, .335
Grade VI, 314
Grade VII, 267
Grade VIII, 243
Grade IX, 190
High,
Grade X,
181
Grade XI, 137
Grade XII, 114
81
Grade XIII,
Post Graduate,
3
Total,
. 3,109
Comment on Table IV.
Comparison of this table with a similar one in the report for the previous year shows that in December, 1907, there were sixty-one more pupils enrolled in the schools than in December 1906.
42
TABLE V. Teachers Who Withdrew From the Corps during 1907.
Name
Position Held.
Date of Withdrawal.
Grace C. Albee ..
. Grade 1, Lincoln School
March 18
Elizabeth Biddlecome
. English & Arithmetic, High School
June 28
Mary J. Bourne
. History Dept., High School
June 28
Mary W. Kingsley
. English & History, High School
.June 28
Mabel G. Drake
. Grade VII, Livermore School .
. June 28
Elizabeth Foss
. Grade V, Gooch School
June 28
Lydia P. Foss
Grade IX, Franklin School
June 28
Mary G. LaPlante
. Grade VII, Washington School
. June 28
Mary S. Haley
. Grade VIII, Lincoln School
December 20
Willis S. Carter
Supervisor of Drawing ...
December 20
CITY OF MELROSE
43
SCHOOL REPORT
Comment on Table V.
It will be seen from the above table that ten teachers with- drew from the corps during the past year. Not only is this the smallest annual loss that the system has sustained during my connection with the schools but also there were fewer teachers who resigned to accept higher salaried positions elsewhere than has been the case in previous years.
By the authority of the Committee a higher maximum salary schedule for all grades below the High school went into effect February 1, 1906, by which it is possible for teachers who are efficient and professionally active to secure a maximum annual salary of $650 in grades I to VI, of $700 in grades VII and VIII, and of $750 in grade IX. During 1907 action was taken by the Committee increasing somewhat the former maximums of the salaries of assistant teachers in the High school, although no regular schedule was definitely fixed for the various depart- ments of that school. That only four teachers resigned in 1907 to accept higher salaries, while there were seven in 1906 and ten in 1905, is attributable fairly to the higher salaries which we are now offering our teachers. Therefore, when one takes into account the importance to the community of the interests at stake in the schools and the fact that those interests can not be properly advanced unless first-class teachers are secured and retained with a considerable degree of permanency in the schools, it would seem that the Committee did only its plain duty to the city in fixing a higher schedule of salaries for the teachers in our schools.
44
TABLE VI. New Teachers Appointed.
Name
Former Position.
Position to which appointed.
Began Work
Mary A. Cutter
College Settlement Work, Phil., Pa.
Asst. in Business Dept., High School
.. September
Gertrude Gile
High School, Keene, N. H.
Asst. History Dept., High School
. . September
Horace Kidger
High School, Aberdeen, S. D.
History Dept., High School
.. September
Susan R. Scott
High School, Barrington, R. I.
Asst., English Dept., High School
. . September
Leonora M. Goodsoe
Grade VI, Reading, Mass.
Grade VI, Livermore School
. . September
Mary G. Hickey
Grade IX, New Britain, Conn.
Grade IX, Franklin School
. . September
Grace M. Ricker
Grade VII, Taunton, Mass.
Grade VIII, Washington School
.. September
Mabel VanRiper.
Not Teaching
Grade V, Washington School
. . September
F. Ethel Whitney
Not Teaching
Grade III, Lincoln School.
. . September
Aimee L. Sears
Not Teaching
Prin. Asst., Livermore School
.. September
Florence M. Gogin
Not Teaching
General Assistant
.September
Annie L. Ricker
Grade V & VI, Dover, N. H.
Grade IX, Lincoln School
January '08
Susie G. Fisher
Grade IX, Norwood, Mass.
Grade VIII, Gooch School
| Januray '08
CITY OF MELROSE
.
1
45
SCHOOL REPORT
Comment on Table VI.
It is trite but nevertheless true that the teacher determines the character of the school. Unless there be a strong teacher in charge of a school, it is impossible to secure satisfactory re- sults. This fact makes the selection of teachers one of the most important duties which those who administer school in- terests have to discharge.
During the past year thirteen new teachers have been ap- pointed to the corps, and it is gratifying to be able to report that with hardly an exception the work which these teachers are doing is commendable. It is only justice to say, in this connection, that, in my judgment, it would be difficult to find a corps of teachers characterized, on the whole, by a greater degree of professional spirit and efficiency than the corps in Mel- rose as at present organized. This does not mean that there are no weak spots in our corps. There are such and probably always will'be. It does mean, however, that the general aver- age of excellence is high. It may be fairly said, also, that this high average of excellence in our corps is due to a considerable degree to a well-defined and carefully observed policy of the Committee to permit no influences to operate in the choice of teachers that will in any way prevent the selection of those who are thought to be the best available candidates for the positions to be filled. Adherence to this principle of appoint- ment has, at times, caused some criticism from parties who have felt that they were entitled to special consideration be- cause they had been trained in the local schools and were res- idents of the city. That one has been trained in our schoots and resides in Melrose are not facts that, in themselves, put the Committee under any obligation to give that individual special consideration in the appointment of teachers. Merit, so far as it can be secured with the funds available, is the prime consideration in the selection of teachers in a public school system, and I am pleased to say that, during the entire period of my connection with the schools of this city, successive Com- mittees have stood squarely for the enforcement of this prin- ciple. So long as this policy shall be continued, it will possible to secure good results in our schools.
46
CITY OF MELROSE
Table VII. ANNUAL FINANCIAL EXHIBIT FOR 1907 I. General Statement. Receipts.
Original Appropriation for 12 months, from Jan. 1, 1907, to January 1, 1908. $93,689.00
Supplementary Appropriation 6,500.00
Total Available Receipts .$100,189.00
Expenditures.
Salaries (teachers, janitors, truant officer, superin- tendent, clerk)
.$74,931.09
Books and Supplies Fuel
10,498.00
Repairs
5,498.60
Miscellaneous
1,865.47
Furniture
427.00
Transportation
546.00
Advertising and Printing.
499.38
Tuition
111.50
Total Expenditure for the Year. .$100,176.90
Unexpended Balance $12.10
2. Average Expenditure per Pupil.
(Based on the average membership of the schools for the financial year, (2,989.34)
Teaching
$21.97
Supervision (superintendent and clerk)
.96
Janitors and Truant Officer
2.12
Books and Supplies
1.94
Fuel
3.44
Miscellaneous
.62
Transportation
.18
Advertising and Printing .10
Tuition
.03
Cost per pupil, excluding repairs, furniture, and new buildings
$31.36
Furniture
.14
Repairs
1.83
Cost per pupil for all purposes. $33.33
5,799.86
47
SCHOOL REPORT
Comment on Table VII.
The above table shows a total expenditure during 1907 of $100,176.90 and a per capita expenditure of $33.33. This per capita cost is $5.20 less than the cost for the State at large. Inasmuch as the corresponding table in the report for 1906 covers a period of 11 months owing to a change in the date of the beginning of the city's financial year, direct comparison of the above amounts with those of the previous year cannot be made, but it is fair to say that the cost of maintenance of our schools for the past year is abnormally large,-a condition which I much hope will not prevail during the present year.
It is not to be assumed, however, that this is due to extrava- gance. The explanation of it lies in the following facts chiefly.
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