USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1898 > Part 6
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In concluding this review of my third year's work as Com- missioner of Public Works, I desire to express my appreciation to His Honor the Mayor for his valuable assistance and advice, to the several members of the City Council for their uniform courtesy and consideration and to the heads of the different de- partments for their ready co-operation. I desire also to acknow- ledge my appreciation of the faithful and conscientious assistance rendered by my clerk, foreman and employees during the year.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES F. KNOWLTON,
Commissioner of Public Works.
Report of Assessors.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
The Board of Assessors herewith submit their annual report. We have assessed upon the polls and estates of the City of Quincy for the year 1898 the following sums :
City tax levy voted by the City Council $205,000 00 Notes and interest falling due during the year 121,873 30
Metropolitan water tax
3,206 51
County tax (less polls) 6,126
8,762 39
State tax (less polls) 6,126
3,879 00
$342,721 20
Polls .
$12,252 00
Overlayings
3,541 77++
Total to be raised
$358,514 97+
Tax rate 1898
$18.00 per thousand.
TABLE OF AGGREGATES.
Value of assessed personal estate excluding resident bank stock,
$2,254,675 00
Resident bank stock,
169,332 00
Total value of personal estate
$2,424,007 00
128
Value of assessed real estate :
Buildings, .
Land, .
$8,362,300 00 8,450,525 00
Total value of real estate,
$16,812,825 00
Total real and personal estate May 1, 1898
19,236,832 00
Gain, ..
1,224,686 00
WARD VALUATION.
PERSONAL ESTATE.
REAL ESTATE.
TOTAL.
Ward 1,
$1,078,700 00
$5,143,900 00
$6,222,600 00
Ward 2,
300,700 00
1,652,700 00
1,953,400 00
Ward 3,
329,150 00
2,084,700 00
2,413,850 00
Ward 4,
280,700 00
2,141,525 00
2,422,225 00
Ward 5,
209,900 00
3,402,350 00
3,612,250 00
Ward 6,
55,525 00
2,387,650 00
2,443,175 00
Resident bank
stock,
169,332 00
169,332 00
$2,424,007 00
$16,812,825 00
$19,236,832 00
Tax raised on personal property excluding resident bank stock,
$40,584 15
Tax raised on resident bank stock,
3,047 97+
Tax raised on real estate,
302,630 85
Tax raised on polls (6,126)
12,252 00
Total to be raised,
$358,514 97+
Number of houses assessed,
4,176}
Gain,
236
Number of horses assessed,
1,264
Number of cows assessed,
671
Omitted and reassessed taxes as follows : On property, real and personal, .
$3,466 35
Polls added for state election 110
220 00
Polls added for city election 61,
122 00
Total,
$3,808 35
129
Literary and benevolent institutions and houses of religious worship in Quincy are for real estate and personal property valued at $1,031,885.00, but are exempt from taxation. Real estate, fire apparatus, owned by the city, including School houses, parks, public buildings, water works, playgrounds, etc., amount to $824,888 and are exempt from taxation. There is also $54,700.00 as valued by the Assessors in real estate belong- ing to widows, minors and unmarried females which by law is exempt from taxation.
Respectfully submitted,
ELIAS A. PERKINS, EDWIN W. NEWCOMB, NATHAN AMES, ISAAC M. HOLT,
GEORGE H. FIELD,
CHARLES R. SHERMAN,
BENJAMIN R. REDMAN,
Assessors of Quincy.
Report of the Tax Collector.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
I have the honor to submit the following report for the year ending December 31st, 1898.
The amount collected from January 1, 1898, to February 5, 1898, was paid to the Treasurer by. Watson H. Brasee, the former Collector. The amount collected from February 7, 1898, to January 1, 1899, has been paid to the Treasurer by A. Lincoln Baker, Collector.
TAX OF 1891.
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1898,
$374 58
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, .
$20 40
Abated,
2 04
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1899,
352 14
$374 58
TAX OF 1892.
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1898,
$722 53
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, .
$34 00
Abated,
2 40
Uncollected Jan. 1, 1899,
686 13
$722 53
Interest of 1892, collected by A. Lin-
coln Baker, .
$11 20
TAX OF 1893.
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1898,
$3,964 41
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, .
$4 74
Abated,
4 37
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1899, 3,955 30
$3,964 41
Interest of 1893, collected by A. Lin-
coln Baker, .
$1 26
132
TAX OF 1894.
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1898, $5,147 99
Collected by Watson H. Brasee, $2 00
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker,
156 08
Abated,
136 88
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1899,
4,853 03
$5,147 99
Interest of 1894, collected by Watson
H. Brasee, . $0 38
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, . ·
21 29
$21 67
TAX OF 1895.
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1898,
$9,929 61
Collected by Watson H. Brasee, $21 84
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, .
2,601 51
Abated, .
253 82
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1899,
7,052 44
$9,929 61
Interest of 1895, collected by Watson
H. Brasee, .
$1 95
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, . 378 61
$380 56
STREET SPRINKLING OF 1895.
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, .
.
$7 77
TAX OF 1896.
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1898,
$41,266 33
Collected by Watson H. Brasee, $643 20
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, . 21,717 14
A bated,
292 51
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1899, 18,613 48
$41,266 33
Interest of 1896, collected by Watson
H. Brasee, $43 97
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, .
·
2,243 10
$2,287 07
.
133
STREET SPRINKLING OF 1896.
Collected by Watson H. Brasee, $3 12
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, . 97 27
$100 39
TAX OF 1897.
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1898,
$129,030 04
Collected by Watson H. Brasee, $19,728 99
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, . 61,979 77
Abated, 950 73
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1899, 46,370 64
$129,030 04
Interest of 1897, collected by Watson
H. Brasee, .
$231 17
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, .
2,094 27
$2,325 44
STREET SPRINKLING OF 1897.
Collected by Watson H. Brasee,
$118 24
Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, .
.
335 52
$453 76
TAX OF 1898.
Amount of Warrant, . $365,269 35 Cash paid to Treasurer to Jan. 1. 1899, $223,765 70
Abated, 2,286 05
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1899, 139,217 60
$365,269 35
Interest of 1898, collected to Jan. 1899,
$230 15
STREET SPRINKLING OF 1898.
Amount of Warrant, .
$2,383 54
Cash paid to Treasurer to Jan. 1, 1899, $1,495 60
Balance uncollected Jan. 1, 1899, 887 944
$2,383 54
134
WALKER STREET BETTERMENTS.
Balance uncollected, Jan. 1, 1898,
$1,264 89 Collected by A. Lincoln Baker, $598 39
Sold to City of Quincy for non-
payment,
666 50
$1,264 89
By the foregoing figures it will be seen that the total amount of money paid to the Treasurer from the Tax Collector's Department is :
Paid by Watson H. Brasee, Collector, $20,794 57
Paid by A. Lincoln Baker, Collector, 317,642 95
Total,
$338,437 52
Nearly all unpaid taxes back of 1897 are poll or tax on personal property, very much of which has gone out of existence, and such taxes should be abated, instead of being carried for- ward, giving a false value to the city's assets. All 1897 unpaid taxes should be collected before October first of this year as the property alienates at that time.
About thirty-five thousand dollars of 1898 balance will be paid in the present month. Payment of the balance of 1898 tax should not be forced this year as the city hires money at three per cent. and receives six on taxes.
From the past year's experience your tax collector is con- vinced that with a right system carefully and impartially en- forced our city may and should stand in the front rank among her sister cities as a tax paying city.
Very respectfully submitted, A. LINCOLN BAKER, Tax Collector.
Report of Park Commissioners.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
The Board of Park Commissioners respectfully submit the following report.
The sum of $500 was appropriated for the use of this Com- mission for the year 1898 and $403.69 has been expended. A bill of $8.88 was also paid from the unexpended balance of 1897.
Other work under contemplation was interrupted by the November gale and the unexpended balance of $96.31 with $100 received from rent of pasture was turned into the City Treasury. The financial report will show that the larger part of the appro- priation was used at Merry Mount Park.
The trees in the park suffered severely from the storms of last winter especially the birches and cedars, and the labor of cutting down, trimming and cleaning away of the debris required the employment of two men for over a month. The summer house was also blown down and had to be rebuilt.
The Hancock street entrance to the lane has been greatly improved by paving the gutters and grading the roadway.
The diamond of the ball-field on Hancock street has been partially graded and re-sodded and with the base ball and foot ball grounds in the second field the athletic interests have been well cared for.
The Sewerage Commission has set out a number of trees and shrubs to replace those cut down in making connections with the pumping station and have graded the trenches along the line of operations within the confines of the park.
We look to the natural growth to effectually efface all signs of this work within a few years.
The custom of using the Park as a short cut by heavy teams should now be prohibited and regulations enforced restricting the use of the roadways to light vehicles only.
136
The Ward 6 Play-ground received a general cleaning but no work was done on the Wards 3 and 4 Play-grounds or at Faxon Park.
At the Ward 2 Play-ground the trees set out in '97 received careful attention and are thriving. Here as at Merry Mount Park considerable work was done in cutting out and trimming injured trees.
In our report of last year we stated that $1,500 had been appropriated to purchase a strip of shore front on the north side of Sea street, between Shelton road and the Bit as a desirable addition to the Park system of the City.
We now regret to state that the deed and plan sub initted were not in accordance with the understanding of this Board regarding the amount of land the City was to receive, and the purchase was not consummated.
We heartily indorse the remarks of the Mayor in his in- augural address in regard to public bath-houses. Merry Mount Park and the Ward 2 Play-ground have shore frontage affording excellent facilities for bathing and these advantages should be neglected no longer.
This board has discussed the subject the past two years but owing to the limited appropriation at its command has felt obliged to defer action until a special appropriation could be pro- vided.
The feasibility of securing means by popular subscription has been suggested, but owing to the great public benefit to be derived by the citizens as a whole, the situation would seem to call for action on the part of the Council and at an early date.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
Dr.
Appropriation, .
$500 00
Cr. $0 46
March 31, B. Johnson, lumber, .
B. Johnson, lumber, 5 96
137
April 18, John W. Nash, tools, $2 80
18, Daniel Ford, labor at Merry Mount Park, . 45 50
18, M. Mullaney, labor at Merry Mount Park, . 38 50
29, George E. Thomas, repair- ing pavilion, 73 00
May 25, John Delory, dressing,
3 00
June 7, Thomas Whelan, labor at Merry Mount Park 22 15
11, Daniel Ford, labor at Ward 2 Play-ground, ·
12 25
Aug. 12, Daniel Ford, labor at Merry Mount Park, . 23 63
Oct. 25, M. W. Geary, labor at Ward Ward 6 Play-ground, 3 00
Nov. 1, Street department, paving and grading at Merry Mount Park, 98 20
Nov. 1, Street department, labor at Ward 6 Play-ground, . 42 33
Dec. 15, Edward Murphy, labor Merry Mount Park, 32 91
Balance, 96 31
$500 00
CHARLES H. PORTER, WILLIAM B. RICE, GEORGE E. PFAFFMANN, Secretary.
·
1
Public Burial Places.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy ;
The Managers of Public Burial Places respectfully submit the following report.
Perhaps the most difficult problem this department has had to contend with during the year is, how to meet all demands, and do a large amount of work with a limited appropriation. The demands for care, regrading, foundations and other work are rapidly increasing every year, although the appropriation does not increase in a like manner. The department however has endeavored to do the most possible with the amount at its disposal. Early in the year the City Council appropriated $4,600, which was thought to be sufficient, but, owing to the large number of lots contracted to be cared for, and other work that could not be delayed, it was found necessary in De- cember to ask the City Council for an additional appropriation of $200, to carry the department through the year.
There have been several applications this year to have lots regraded which could not be undertaken for the lack of funds, although it is hard to make people understand why they can not · have their lot regraded, when they are ready and willing to pay the necessary charges. The general supposition is that the de- partment has the use of its receipts and therefore should do all work desired. This, however, is not the case, for under the present ordinance the receipts go directly into the City Treasury and all this department has is what is annually appropriated by the City Council. It will therefore be readily seen that the department is in a measure handicapped. To overcome this we would recommend that the annual appropriation be reduced and that the department be given the use of its receipts.
140
CEMETERIES.
There are at present but two cemeteries that come under the supervision of this department, the "Old Hancock Cemetery " so-called, and Mount Wollaston.
Of the former but little can be said, other than it has served its purpose and is fast coming into disuse. No burials, in the ground, are now made here, and but few bodies are placed in the tombs. It is only necessary to open one of these tombs to con- vince one that their use should be discontinued. There is but little that the department can do in the way of care other than to keep the walks clean and to mow the grass once or twice a year, and as it is located so near the main thoroughfare and becomes the receptacle for old bottles and rubbish thrown over the fences, it would require an almost constant care to keep it clean. No special effort is made to keep the lots in repair for the reason that the department, as far as known, has no plan of the cemetery, showing lot owners. It is therefore impossible to obtain the cooperation of owners in the care of the several lots.
In some cases the headstones and tablets have become broken by frosts and storms, and in many other cases the in- scriptions are illegible. Some could be repaired but the large majority are beyond repair and it is an open question whether they should be left as they are or whether for the sake of pre- serving the records a special appropriation should be made to put the whole cemetery in thorough repair.
MOUNT WOLLASTON.
It is very gratifying to the Board of Managers to be able to say that this beautiful spot is becoming more and more attrac- tive every year. Never has it been more so than during the past year. This is mainly due to the good judgment of our superintendent, Mr. James Nicol, and to the growing interest that is being manifested on the part of lot owners, to do their share toward making the cemetery attractive. Early in the season every lot owner, whose address was known, or could be learned, was communicated with and the care of their lot solicited. This resulted in 430 lots being contracted for, which with those under perpetual care swelled the number to 516,
141
which number was greater by 142 lots than any previous year. Many of the lots contracted for, this year received the first care that has been bestowed upon them for years, and while it was im- possible in one year to bring them up to the standard of lots that have received care in other years, the improvement in them has been marked.
The "lawn plan " so-called, which was inaugurated a few years ago adds much to the beauty of the cemetery and is grow- ing in favor. This year a number of lots were regraded and placed upon this plan. There have been orders for several others but they could not be undertaken this year for reasons stated elsewhere. The manner in which the lawn plan is carried out is to assess a part of the cost upon the lot owners.
PERPETUAL CARE.
Too much cannot be said to encourage the placing of all lots under perpetual care. The value of so doing is also becoming recognized by lot owners as the only certain way to be assured that their final resting place will be properly cared for after they are laid away. The fund for this purpose in the hands of the City is growing rapidly. During the year ten lots have been taken under perpetual care amounting to $1400. The total num- ber of lots now under perpetual care is 86 and the total fund now held for this purpose is $11,125. This fund is now de- posited in the National Granite Bank.
One of the reasons that has retarded the growth of the per- petual care fund was that no assurance, other than a receipt from the City Treasurer, was given for the amount paid, that the lot would be cared for forever. To obviate this drawback the board this year adopted a deed or form of agreement, which was approved by the City Solicitor. No further hesitation should therefore be had on the part of owners for placing their lot under this care.
UNPAID BILLS.
When your Board assumed the management of the Public Burial Places in February, many unpaid bills were found upon the books, of previous years. An effort was made to collect these outstanding accounts, and was quite successful. There now
142
remain unpaid, but a few of the old accounts. That no more bad debts should accumulate, the rule that " no work will be performed upon any lot upon which there remains on the first day of April an unpaid bill of any preceding year or years " was rigidly and impartially enforced and no lot was cared for in 1898 where there was an unpaid bill. In every case where care was ordered on a lot which was in debt to the City, the owner was notified. The larger part of the 1898 bills for care, foundations, etc., have been collected and those remaining unpaid are con- sidered good.
SMALL LOTS.
Frequent calls having been received for small lots, it was deemed advisable to lay out the section on the Greenleaf street side, graded in 1897, into lots, some of which could be sold for $25. This proved a wise move, for nearly all of the small lots thus provided have been sold and it will soon become necessary to regrade another plot in this section. It will also soon become necessary for the city to secure additional land for cemetery purposes.
TRANSFER OF LOTS.
Frequent applications are received asking for the transfer of lots to parties not residents of Quincy. Such transfers are not always advisable, but cases have come to the attention of the Board of Managers during the past year where it was in the nature of an injustice not to comply with such requests. Under the present ordinance concerning Public Burial Places the Board of Managers are prohibited from conveying lots to any person not a resident of Quincy. We would therefore recommend that the above ordinance be amended so that the Board of Managers may be allowed to use its own discretion in the matter of transfers.
STATISTICS.
Whole number of lots cared for, 516
By yearly contract, 430
By perpetual care, 86
143
There have been 221 burials in the two cemeteries during the year 1898, as follows :
At Mt. Wollaston Cemetery : Adults, 96; under 21 years, 72. Died in other places : Adults, 30; under 21 years, 19.
At Old Cemetery : Adults, 4.
Removals : From Old Cemetery, 11; in Mt. Wollaston, 10.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
Appropriation,
$4,800 00
Expended, .
4,799 48
Balance unexpended,
$0 52
RECEIPTS FOR 1898.
Care of lots, 1895,
$12 00
Care of lots, 1896,
25 00
Care of lots, 1897,
448 50
Care of lots, 1898,
779 50
Regrading lots, .
164 00
Myrtling graves,
24 00
Removals, .
91 00
Partial payments,
95 00
Labor on brick graves
35 00
Lots sold, .
747 00
Graves sold,
98 00
Opening graves,
403 00
Foundations,
351 22
Boundary posts,
21 00
Sodding,
2 50
Trimming, .
7 00
Mowing,
5 75
Use of receiving tomb,
6 00
Opening receiving tomb,
6 00
Total,
$3,321 47
144
PERPETUAL CARE FUND.
Cash on hand Jan. 1, 1898,
$9,725 00
Added during the year,
1,400 00
Interest on same,
409 49
Paid for care of lots .
$409 49
Cash on hand Dec. 31, 1898,
11,125 00
$11,534 49
$11,534 49
C. C. JOHNSON FUND.
Deposited in Quincy Savings Bank, . $150 00
Interest on same,
6 06
Paid for care of lot, .
$6 06
Cash on hand Dec. 31, 1898,
150 00
$156 06
$156 06
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH H. VOGEL, Chairman,
BENJAMIN KING,
WILLIAM M. MARDEN,
WARREN H. RIDEOUT,
CEPHAS DREW,
GEORGE T. MAGEE, Clerk.
Report of City Physician.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
The following report for the year ending December 31st, 1898, is respectfully submitted.
To the sick of the Almshouse I have made twenty-eight visits.
The demands of the outside poor called for one hundred and twenty-five visits.
There were eight calls to the Police Department, mostly cases of a surgical nature.
Attendance at the District Court in police case, once.
Examination of eighteen applicants for the Police depart- ment.
Office visits and vaccination, about one hundred and fifty.
JOHN F. WELCH,
City Physician.
Health Department.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
The Board of Health submit their annual report.
The Board organized on February 6th, last, and elected John S. Gay, Chairman and Dr. F. E. Jones, Secretary. The burial permits have been issued from this office by the Secretary, believing that to be the intent of the law and that only one instructed in medical terms can understandingly issue such permits.
A slight change was made in Regulation 3, in regard to the covering of wagons transporting swill, etc., through the city. The result has been good. The escape of odors from the wagons is less and they present a more cleanly appearance.
Owing to the fact that the floor of the new garbage house was of gravel, it soon became a nuisance, saturated with garbage, and most offensive, and so soft that the teams could hardly be handled in it. A strong cement floor has been put in since and it is now in a good sanitary condition. Owing to no appropria- tion, the house has never been painted and we recommend that an appropriation be made with this in view. It also became necessary for us to employ a helper on one of the garbage wagons during the summer months, so that the Houghs Neck district might have the same privilege that the rest of the city enjoys. Our two teams in the winter, when the amount is comparatively small, can collect and remove the garbage of the city, but in the summer by working continuously from 5.00 A. M. to 7 P. M., they are totally inadequate and we recommend that another garbage wagon be employed during the summer months.
The regulation in regard to contagious diseases have been revised. Chicken pox has been omitted, and cholera, yellow fever, typhus fever, and epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis
148
added to the list. The quarantine regulations have also been revised, in brief, making the quarantine more strict, but short- ening the time required to elapse after death or recovery of the patient to two weeks before the other children in a family may attend the public schools. The regulation requiring the burning of sulphur to fumigate rooms has been omitted, as formaldehyde gas is now used by the Board
The following is a summary of contagious diseases and deaths from the same reported during the past year :
Diphtheria, Membraneous Croup.
Scarlet Fever.
Typhoid.
Measles.
Totals.
January,
1
1
2
0
4
February,
0
2
0
2
4
March,
0
1
1
1
3
April,
0
1
0
3
4
May,
1
4
1
7
13
June,
1
4
1
6
12
July,
0
4
2
2
8
August,
3
7
13
1
24
September,
3
5
6
0
14
October,
4
5
3
5
17
November,
3
9
9
25
46
December,
3
14
2
41
60
Totals,
19
57
40
93
209
Deaths,
3
0
5
0
8
-
-
The total is only about 3 of the number reported last year and the physicians have been very prompt and conscientious in reporting their cases. Many cases of measles and scarlet fever have probably not been reported because they have been so slight as not to confine one to bed even for a day, and a physician not being called, the householder innocently neglected to report them. The greater portion of the city has been very free from contagious disease, about nine-tenths of the measles and scarlet fever cases reported being in Ward Four.
The mortality from diphtheria is 16 per cent., quite small, that from typhoid, 12} per cent., is also small, while no deaths
149
resulted from other contagious diseases. Cases of typhoid have been particularly investigated and every effort has been made to remove the cause of contagion. The scavenger work of the city is still being ably done by E. Menhinick, an advantageous con- tract to the city having been made with him for three years.
At a series of hearings granted to Julius Johnson, on charges brought by him against J. J. Kenily, Inspector of Plumbing, it was clearly shown that the inspector had been a faithful servant of the proceeding Boards of Health, and no sufficient cause was shown for his removal from office. During the past year he has faithfully and carefully performed his duties as Inspector of Plumbing, to our satisfaction.
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