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 1900 > Part 9
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wisdom of providing, while they are on earth, for the care, for all time, of their final resting place. As a result the fund held in trust by the City for this purpose is increasing rapidly, and the problem of how best to invest this fund must soon be met. During the past year sixteen lots have been taken under per- petual care, amounting to $2,550.00. The total number of lots now under perpetual care is 113 and the total fund held for this purpose $14,925.00 Several other deeds for perpetual care were issued during the latter part of the year. These are now in the office of the City Treasurer, to be delivered when the amount required is deposited.
Opening of Graves.
Owing to the trouble likely to arise, by parties ordering graves opened in lots over which they have no control, and in which they have no legal right for burial, it was found neces- sary to devise some means to overcome the trouble. This was done by providing an order upon which appears, the name and age of the person to be buried, the lot and the time of burial. This order must be signed by the lot owner and presented to the Superintendent before the grave is opened.
Cemeteries.
The two Cemeteries under the care of this Department are the Hancock and Mt. Wollaston.
Of the former but little can be said. It has received as much care as the Board has been able to give it. Four burials were made here during the year 1900, and of these, two were placed in tombs. It is a difficult problem to decide just what should be done with this cemetery. What money is now ex- pended here is taken from the general fund, and could be used to a much better advantage at Mt. Wollaston. Situated how- ever in the heart of the City it seems as though a special appro- priation, aside from the regular appropriation of the Depart-
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ment, should be made each year for the care of this cemetery. It is the resting place of many of Quincy's illustrious families and is visited by hundreds of strangers every year who wander about, examining the old tablets whose inscriptions age has almost erased. There is no hope of ever receiving anything from the lot owners for care, and even if there was, it would be a difficult task to define the boundary lines of the lots. There- fore a special appropriation is recommended for the care of this cemetery.
Mount Wollaston.
It is with a sense of gratification that your Board calls at- tention to this beautiful spot. The old-time cemetery was often a dismal place, and was called the abode of the dead. . A place where departed spirits were supposed to be seen, walking about, enveloped in a white shroud, at the lonely hour of midnight. Not only was death brought to mind, upon entering the gates, by tumbled down, moss covered marble headstones, but nature was forced to make the general atmosphere still more gloomy. The forms of vegetation considered suitable for such places were dark pines, cypress and weeping trees. No care was given lots, other than the occasional mowing of grass, and moss and weeds were allowed to grow unrestrained. It certainly was the abode of the dead in every sense of the word.
How different is a modern cemetery like Mt. Wollaston. Old ideas have been revolutionized. Graceful curved lines have taken the place of the straight lines, for the curved line is a line of beauty. The weeping trees have become a thing of the past and statuary, monuments and other features added. Little plots have been laid out, where possible, and the colors, in the shape of flowers, give the whole more of an appearance of a park gar- den than a cemetery.
That is what Mt. Wollaston is fast becoming. Time is re- quired to accomplish this. Not only time but a superintendent who has a natural taste for the beautiful and has combined with that taste, the skill and will to carry it out. Such a superintendent
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your Board believes it has in James Nicol, who has done much to bring Mt. Wollaston Cemetery where it is today.
During the year past the idea of increasing the number of lots upon the lawn plan has been extended and twenty-seven have been regraded. In fact we may say, all have been regraded that was possible with the appropriation made. Many orders have been received that could not be undertaken this year, but will be as fast as possible. The only other important work under- taken during the year was the regrading of a new section on the northerly side, of which mention has been made elsewhere.
Just what will be done with the Sea street side of the cem- etery remains for the City Council to decide. When that street was relocated it left this part of the cemetery, as far as looks are concerned, in bad shape. It is hoped that the proper authori- ties will take some action in the near future. It is a question as to just what should be done, but in any event your Board be- lieves that the main entrance should be left as it is at present.
A detailed statement of the expenditures of this Depart- ment will be found in the report of the City Auditor.
Statistics.
Whole number of lots cared for 573
By yearly contrats
460
By Perpetual Care
113
There have been 226 burials in the two cemeteries during the year 1900, as follows :
At Mt. Wollaston :- Adults, 123 ; under 21 years, 99. Died in other places :- Adults, 50 ; under 21 years, 14.
Hancock cemetery :- Adults, 4.
Removals, Mt. Wollaston cemetery, 4.
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Financial Statement.
Appropriation
$4,800 00
Expended
4,799 45
Balance unexpended .
55
RECEIPTS FOR 1900.
Care of Lots, 1898 .
$10 00
Care of Lots, 1899 .
536 00
Care of Lots, 1900 .
694 25
Regrading
154 00
Myrtling and evergreen
17 00
Removals
16 00
Lots sold
1,455 00
Graves sold
230.00
Opening graves
1,067 00
Foundations .
222 40
Boundary posts
7 00
Use of Tomb
43 00
Mowing grass
2 75
Miscellaneous work
23 50
Interest of Perpetual Care Fund
538 68
$5,016 58
PERPETUAL CARE FUND.
Cash on hand Jan. 1, 1900
$12,375 00
Added during the year
2,550 00
Interest on same
532 62
Paid for care of Lots
$532 62
Cash on hand Dec. 31, 1900
14,925 00
Totals
$15,457 62
$15,457 62
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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, 1900
.
150 00
Totals
$156 06
$156 06
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH H. VOGEL, Chairman.
GEORGE T. MAGEE, Clerk. HENRY P. FURNALD. ROLLIN H. NEWCOMB. JOHN C. KAPPLES. CEPHAS DREW.
198
Solicitor's Report.
To His Honor the Mayor, of the City of Quincy :-
I herewith submit my report as City Solicitor of Quincy for the year ending December 31, 1900.
This department, I believe, has, during the year 1900, been more busy than usual,-the Metropolitan hearings accounting for a great deal of the excess work. During the last year the commission appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court to assess the cities and towns within the Metropolitan District as is pro- vided by the Metropolitan Sewer Acts, held their hearings at the State House, Boston, at which the claims of the City of Quincy were presented and considered ; there were some four or five different hearings which required considerable preparation. During the year also a similiar commission appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court held hearings relative to the apportionment of the assessments for the Metropolitan Parks District :- while neither of the assessments were especially favorable to Quincy they were not such as would bring any relief to the city had the cases been taken to the Supreme Judicial Court on appeal.
There have been also before the legislature an amendment to the charter relative to the appointments of assessors ; the act granting to the Park Commissioners of Quincy special privileges as to locating the bath house on the Ward 2 play- ground ; legislation as to the bridge at Quincy Point and legis- lation granting our sewer commission the right of using the receipts for the purposes of construction after the payment of charges for maintenance, operation, interest and the debt falling due.
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The usual number of claims against the city growing out of injuries sustained by travelers on the highway etc. have been made against the city, some of which have been adjusted and others pending adjustment or awaiting trial.
The most important piece of litigation has been the hearing before the Auditor in the matter of the claim of John Sheehan & Company against the City of Quincy growing out of the construction of the sewer from the pumping station through Merrymount park along Hancock street to Woodbine street. The contractors in their suit set up a claim of some $18,000. alleging that on account of the negligence of the city they were put to this extra expense in the prosecution of their work. The matter by agreement of counsel was referred to an Auditor and some sixteen or more hearings have been held from time to time relative to the case. The hearing is now terminated, the arguments made and the case is under consideration by the Auditor. In as much as the case is not finally decided it is not best that I should publicly express my opinion as to the merits of the case.
A matter which may be considered by the citizens as an important decision was rendered by the County Commissioners in the matter of the appeal of Wood, Harmon & Company from the decision of our Board of Assessors in refusing to abate the petitioners' taxes upon land situated in Wollaston park. After a hearing before the County Commissioners the decision was made that the assessment made by the assessors was just and reasonable and was a fair selling price of the land, although the claim was made by the peti- tioners that they were assessed a third more than the actual fair selling price of the property.
Under an order of the city council a hearing in the matter of inquiring into the prices charged by the local Gas Company was held before the Board of Gas and Electric Light Commis- sioners. This hearing, although held some months ago, is for some reason yet undecided by the commissioners ; a decision is expected any moment.
During the year I have been in daily attendance at City
200
hall and I have attended nearly every meeting of the city council and have endeavored to assist, as far as I could, the departments and officials in such matters as might be within my province.
Respectfully submitted, RUSSELL A. SEARS, City Solicitor.
201
IReport of Assessors.
Hon. John O. Hall, Mayor, City of Quincy :
The Board of Assessors herewith submit their annual re- port for the year 1900.
Warrants and appropriations for the assessment of taxes in the City of Quincy for the financial year commencing January 1, 1900, were received by the Board of Assessors as follows :
A State warrant for the proportion of the
City of Quincy, of a state tax of $1,500,000.00 as fixed by chapter 441 of the Acts of 1900, amounting to $10,005 00
A County warrant for the proportion of the City of Quincy, of a county tax of $165,000.00 amounting to . . In accordance with the provisions of Chap. 488 of the Acts of the year 1895, we have been assessed as our proportion a Metropolitan Water tax for the year 1900, amounting to
Also under the provision of Chapter 406 of the Acts of 1895. "An Act to provide for a system of sewerage disposal for the Neponset River Valley, " and of Chap. 424 of the Acts of the year 1899, entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of a High-Level Gravity Sewer for the relief of the Charles and
16,377 23.
11,271959
202
Neponset River Valleys." We have been assessed as our proportion . 11,917 40
Appropriations by the City Council for the current expenses 270,808 00
Debts and interest 122,998 93
Aggregates of amounts committed to the Board of Assessors
Sixty-four hundred and nine polls were re- corded for assessment and included in the estimate that determined the rate of taxation for the current year, amounting to ·
$443,378 15
$12,818 00
(Under the operation of the law, pro- viding for the supplementary assessment of ommitted male persons, liable to assessment under the provisions of Section 20, Chapter 548 the Acts of the year 1898, there were added to the list 165 polls, making the . number of polls assessed 6,574.)
Also the amount of estimated receipts law- fully applicable to the payment of the expenditures of the year as provided in Chapter II, Section 34 were deduc- ted representing $67,395 00
To which was added as provided in Chap- ter II, Section 49 for overlay amount- ing to
4,828 64+
Valuation.
The valuation of the City May 1, 1900, as determined by the Assessors and upon which the rate of taxation was levied is as follows :
Value of land
$8,826,600 00
Value of buildings
8,963,400 00
$17,790,000 00
203
Exemption as provided in Chapter II, as amended by the Acts of 1885, Chapter 169 72,225 00 Total Valuation of Real Estate subject to taxation,
$17,717,775 00
Valuation of personal proper- ty, other than bank stock separately assessed $2,321,475 00
Value of shares of National Banks located in and tax- able in the City of Quincy . 179,901 00
Total Valuation of personal
sonal estate
$2,501,376 00
Total Valuation
$20,219,151 00
Tax Rate $18 20
Taxes Levied
380,811 79+
The Valuation was also increased by assess- ments, under the provisions of Section 78, of Chapter II, of the Public Stat- utes, as amended by Chapter 362 of the Acts of 1888 63,305 00
The total valuation of the City upon which taxes were assessed for the year 1900, when all assessments were made was $20,282,456 00
A net gain over 1899 Valuation of 597,479 00
Property Exempt From Taxation.
Literary ·
$81,600 00
Benevolent
654,177 00
Religious 334,025 00
Commonwealth of Massachusetts :
Takings of 1894 about 75,000 00
Takings of 1900 preceding May 1st
16,892 00
201
City of Quincy Real Estate and Fire ap-
paratus
938,113 00
The total number of persons assessed in the 11) City of Quincy for the year 1900, Property 5,545
Poll tax only .
5,357
Number of horses assessed 1,308
Number of cows and neat cattle assessed . 674
Number of dwelling houses assessed . 4,404
Number of acres of land assessed
6,448770%
A sewer system having been installed in the City of Quincy, in the apportionment of its cost, the act provides the Board of Sewerage Commissioners, shall upon the written request of any such owner, made within three months from date of bill appor- tion such assessment into such number of equal parts or install- ments, not exceeding ten, as said owners shall state in said re- quest, and they shall certify such apportionment to the Assessors.
Interest from the date of said apportionment at the rate of 5% per annum shall be added to each of said assessments or charges until they are paid, and one of said parts shall be added by the Assessors to the annual tax on such estates for each year, next ensuing, until all said parts have been so added, unless sooner paid as hereinafter provided.
Eight hundred and five apportioned sewer assessments, in conformity with the above requirements as quoted, have been forwarded to this office by said Board of Sewerage Com- missioners.
A ledger account has been opened in each individual case, and one of the divisions into which the assessment was appor- tioned with the interest charge as the act provides, have been assessed and added to the tax bill of the property owners affec- ted thereby, which will be continued and added to the annual tax bill until the expiration of the assessment period. The act further provides, however, nothing shall be construed to pre- vent the payment at any time in one payment, notwithstanding its prior apportionment.
205
In the house sewer connection with main sewer, there has been forwarded to this office four hundred and twenty individual accounts from the Sewerage Commissioners ; the same method of book-keeping of these accounts has been applied as in main sewer apportionment accounts, and as the act provides the as- sessment may be divided into not less than three nor more than five equal parts.
Such divisions as petitioned for by the property owner to the Board of Assessors (they having authority to apportion same) having been made, the annual part with the interest on the total assessment from the thirtieth day after the completion of said connection to the first day of November, has been added to the annual tax bill of the property owners affected thereby, such annual part with interest on unpaid principal then due, will be continued during the assessment period unless sooner paid.
The sidewalk apportionments as authorized by order of the City Council have also been entered and kept in ledger form, in similar manner to sewer apportionments. The apportioned part with accrued interest being added to the tax bill of the property owner affected thereby.
During the present year a departure has been made in the clerical manner of entering assessments, discarding the street books and substituting instead the card system, so called. As the system at present is only partially installed, a considerable amount of additional work yet being needed to perfect it, all the benefits expected to be derived from this system, when once complete, are not yet fully apparent. It is intended with a double set of cards, (the life of the card being ten years, with ready comparison during said period.) One set arranged alpha- betically by owners names and permanently remaining in the office, the other set being in a geographical order for use in the field, one will be a check upon the other, and obviate the probability of omissions. Furthermore an arrangement of this character in the one case readily locates property, the owner's name being given, contrariwise the ownership of property in the absence of the name, location being given. The State valu- ation books heretofore kept as ward books, are now under this
206
system irrespective of location of property entered alphabetically in owners' names, with all the designations such as ward num- ber, street etc., being given, making matters as plain as possible to the public.
The itemizing of tax bills as ordered by the City Council has become a matter of considerable magnitude requiring, we would estimate the undivided attention of about two months time of a clerk with the probability as the matter becomes more general requiring more time.
Therefore, in view of the very much increased clerical work required as under the several matters enumerated, all of which have come into existence the present year, the Board for the ensuing year requires the additional service of a permanent clerk, as the work of the office cannot be performed without it.
An engineer's survey of the entire City for the information of the Board of Assessors is an immediate and pressing necess- ity. With a complete survey, by section, block and lot in ex- istence the numerous transfers in ownership can be readily noted upon them with very slight expense, and with amended plans by the Engineer, will be accurate, continuous and up to date. We hope this matter may be commenced at once, and as speed- ily pushed to completion as possible.
This being a record office the value of which is incalculable and could not be replaced without a large expenditure, if at all. The preservation and safety of the records requires no comment. The deficiency existing in this office for such provisions is so apparent, additional safe or vault room is required, and we hope steps may be taken to provide the same.
JAMES THOMPSON, CHARLES H. JOHNSON, T. H. NEWCOMB, JOHN C. MURRAY, NATHAN AMES, LYSANDER W. NASH, WILLIAM B. GLOVER,
Assessors.
207
Car Collector's IReport.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
I have the honor to submit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1900.
The amount of cash collected on the tax for the various years is as follows :
Tax of 1894.
Amount collected of Taxes .
$9 00
Total
. .
$9 00
Tax of 1895.
Amount collected of taxes
$361 20
Interest
89 50
Street Sprinkling
13 34
Total
$464 04
Tax of 1896.
Amount collected of taxes
$620 25
Interest .
131 37
Total
.
$751 62
208
Tax of 1897.
Amount collected of taxes
$1,405 09
Interest
.
166 91
Total
- $1,572 00
Tax of 1898.
Amount collected of taxes
$50,274 36
Interest
4,714 18
Street Sprinkling
275 56
Total
$55,264 10
Tax of 1899.
Amount collected of taxes
$86,325 72
Interest .
2,470 52
Street Sprinkling
544 43 .
Total
$89,340 67
Tax of 1900.
Amount collected of taxes
$216,680 88
Interest
177 88
Street Sprinkling
1,616 32
Total
$218,475 08
Sewers
Amount collected for sewer con-
struction
$40,730 95
Interest on above
178 70
Amount collected for house connec-
tions
4,374 09
Interest on above
8 34
- $45,292 08 Total
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209
Permanent Sidewalks
Amount collected for permanent
sidewalks ·
$2,945 81
Interest
5 85
Amount collected for
edgestone
account
69 50
Interest . .
1 20
Amount collected for
Copeland
street account
28 07
Interest
10
Total
.
$3,050 53
Excise Tax
Amount collected
$2,087 35
Interest .
25 93
Total
$2,113 28
Total cash receipts . $416,332 40 The foregoing figures will show that the total collections for the year ending December 31, 1900 were : Paid to City Treasurer by Albion I. Dixon, Collector, from Jan. 1, 1900 to Feb. 5, 1900 $47,617 18
Paid to City Treasurer by A. Lin- coln Baker, Collector, from Feb. 5, 1900 to Dec. 31, 1900 368,715 22
$416,332 40
Abatements
The abatements made during the year 1900 on the levy of the respective years are as follows :
Amount abated on tax of 1894 $2 00
Amount abated on tax of 1895 75 32
Amount abated on tax of 1897 . 87 89
210
Amount abated on tax of 1898 515 78
Amount abated on tax of 1899
1,072 08
Amount abated on tax of 1900 2,705 69
$4,458 76
Amount abated on Street Sprinkling of 1900
20 57
Total $4,479 33 During the past year one (1) estate has been sold to the City of Quincy for the unpaid tax of 1898. As follows:
Lucille A. Blaisdell, Tax of 1898 $16 20
Statement of Levy of 1900
Total amount committed for collec-
$386,297 85
tion
Total amount of street sprinkling committed for collection. 3,201 39
Total
Amount collected of tax . $216,680 88
Amount collected of street sprinkling
1,616 32
Abated on tax levy
2,705 69
Abated on street sprinkling
20 57
Balance uncollected January 1, 1901
166,911 28
Balance uncollected on street
sprinkling January 1, 1901
1,564 50
$389,499 24 Total
A. LINCOLN BAKER,
Collector ..
-
$389,499 24
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Report of Inspector of Milk.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
I respectfully submit the following as the report of the In- spector of Milk for the year ending December thirty-first, 1900.
The receipts of the office have been twenty-six dollars ($26.) and this sum has been duly turned'over to the City Treasurer.
I have issued forty-three licenses to milk peddlers, and nine dealers in milk have been registered in the office. There are one hundred and thirty persons and firms now registered in the books of the Inspector of Milk.
I again add to my report the City Ordinance relating to the sale of milk.
City Ordinance, No. 21, Sec. 3 .- "Every person who con- veys milk in carriages or otherwise, for the purpose of selling the same in the city, shall annually in the month of May, be li- censed by the Inspector in accordance with the provisions and subject to the penalties of the Public Statutes, to sell milk within the limits of the city, and shall pay to the Inspector fifty cents for the use of the city.
"Every person who sells milk or offers it for sale in any store, booth, stand or market place in the city shall register in the books of the Inspector and shall pay him fifty cents to the use of the city."
Chapter 398, Section 2, of the Acts of 1896, provides a legal standard of milk as follows :
"Section 9 of chapter fifty-seven of the Public Statutes, as amendød by section six of chapter three hundred and fifty-two
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212
"of the Acts of the year eighteen hundred and eighty-five, and by section two of chapter three hundred and eighteen of the Acts of the year eighteen hundred and eighty-six, is hereby amended by striking out all of said section, and inserting in place thereof the following: Section 9-In all prosecutions under this chapter, if the milk is shown upon analysis to contain less than thirteen per cent. of milk solids or to contain less than nine and three-tenths per cent. of milk solids exclusive of fat, or to contain less than three and seven-tenths per cent. of fat, it shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to be not of good standard quality, except during the months of April, May, June, July and August, when the milk containing less than twelve per cent. of milk solids or less than nine per cent. of milk solids ex- clusive of fat, or less than three per cent. of fat shall be deemed to be not of good standard quality."
Chapter 300 of the Acts of 1900 provides for the following penalties for the sale of adulterated milk :
Section 1. Section five of chapter fifty-seven of the Public Statutes, as amended by section two of chapter three hundred and eighteen of the Acts of the year eighteen hundred and eighty-six, is hereby further amended by striking out the whole of said section and inserting in place thereof the following : -Section 5. Whoever by himself or by his servant or agent, or as the servant or agent of another person, sells, exchanges, or delivers, or has in his custody or possession with intent to sell or exchange, or exposes or offers for sale or exchange, adulter- ated milk, or milk to which water or any foreign substance has been added, or milk produced from cows fed on the refuse of distilleries, or from sick or diseased cows, or, as pure milk, milk from which the cream or any part thereof has been removed, shall for a first offence be punished by fine of not less than fifty nor more than two hundred dollars ; for a second offence by fine of not less than one hundred nor more than three hundred dol- lars ; and for a subsequent offence by a fine of fifty dollars and by imprisonment in the house of correction for not less than sixty nor more than ninety days.
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