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 1903 > Part 7
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400 00
336 57
63 43
Clerical services
780 00
780 00
Repairing public buildings and care of City hall
7,000 00
7,494 54
5 46
Transfer
500 00
Highways
25,000 00
29,775 14
1,033 10
Transfers and Receipts
5,808 24
Street Watering
6,800 00
6,800 00
Water and Sewers.
Water maintenance
10,000 00
9,585 54
414 46
Water construction
40,000 00
39,475 67
12,753 36
Receipt from services
12,229 03
Sewer maintenance
1,500 00
1,079 44
420 56
138
Special Appropriations.
Chubbuck street drain
$500 00
$437 77
$62 23
Willard school repairs
1,500 00
1,493 48
6 52
Independence avenue grading
200 00
200 00
High school plans
125 00
125 00
Squantum street drain
1,400 00
850 47
549 53
Penn street grading
200 00
200 00
Willard street paving
6,000 00
6,000 00
Repairing tide gate Blacks Creek
200 00
389 22
10 78
Receipt from State of Mass.
200 00
Federal avenue grading
1,000 00
608 28
391 72
Excise tax, 1902 balance
7,941 55
7,810 61
130 94
The following appropriations were passed by the City Council late in the year of 1902 and work was completed during the year of 1903.
Appropriation.
Expended.
Balance.
Rock Island road grading,
$700 00
$700 00
Hamilton street grading,
500 00
500 00
Edison street grading,
200 00
200 00
Newbury avenue grading,
1,000 00
1,000 00
Ward Two schoolhouse, balance 1902
54,000 00
52,917 91
$1,082 09
Faxon Park road, balance 1902
2,833 24
2,777 33
55 91
Water trough, Ward Three,
350 00
296 05
53 95
Hose house, Houghs Neck, balance 1902
4,167 98
4,160 64
7 34
Botolph street (1901,)
grading
500 00
499 94
06
1
For a detailed statement of expenditures I beg to refer to the report of the City Auditor.
The following is a short review of the work performed during the year.
BRIDGES, CULVERTS AND DRAINS.
Repairs were made as necessity demanded on Neponset bridge, Beale street bridge, Bates avenue bridge and the Fore River bridge at a cost of $285.63.
All the brooks and water-ways were thoroughly cleaned in the interest of public health as well as permitting a free flow of surface water. The cost of this work was $631.
139
Catch basins and drains were put in on Chubbuck street, Squantum street, Webster street, Willard street, Quincy avenue, Canal street, Bigelow street, Elm street, Granite street, Adams street and Centre street.
The new iron bridge across the Weymouth Fore River is now completed and turned over to the trustees for maintenance and operation. An effort is being made to have the State bear this expense and if not successful a larger appropriation will be necessary for operating expenses. A large amount will be needed another year for repairing Neponset bridge.
STREET LIGHTING.
The contract between the city and the Quincy Electric Light and Power Co. for electric lights expired January 1, 1903. By the efforts of the Mayor and Council a reduction in the price was obtained and a contract for three years was entered into on July 1, 1903, at the following prices-$71 per year for each arc lamp and $17.50 per year for each incandescent lamp, to burn until 1 o'clock A. M. every night except on the night of a full moon and two nights preceding and succeeding the same, provided it is not cloudy.
The Citizens' Gas Light Co. do not seem to be able with their present plant to light street lamps satisfactorily and I would recommend that gas lamps be abolished and electric lamps installed in their places.
We have now in operation 162 arcs, 525 incandescents and 67 gas lamps, a gain of 32 are and a loss of 12 incandescent lamps over last year.
REPAIR OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND CARE OF CITY HALL.
This appropriation was expended on city buildings as per following statement :
Expended on School Buildings for Repairs.
Adams
$386 27
Coddington
294 79
Cranch
26 68
Gridley Bryant
320 79
High .
129 01
-
140
John Hancock
$272 52
Lincoln
87 15
Massachusetts Fields
116 74
Quincy
696 52
Washington
4 91
Willard
170 92
Wollaston
207 51
Old High
9 40
$2,723 21
Fire Stations.
Central Fire Station .
$588 87
Hose House, Ward 2 .
38 35
Hose House, Ward 4 .
99 19
Hose House, Ward 5 .
59 09
Hose House, Ward 6 .
172 56
958 06
City Hall.
Repairs, furniture, etc.
$787 70
Lighting
339 22
Fuel
157 71
Janitor
840 00
Telephones
446 88
Miscellaneous
330 27
2,901 78
City stables
197 41
Almshouse .
-
591 93
Police station
15 35
Pest house .
106 80
Total
$7,494 54
The Washington School building was completed and turned over to the School Board in October, 1903, and the old building was sold and torn down. Ward Two has now a well built and perfectly equipped school building with spacious grounds in which to take just pride.
The following is a statement of cost. The balance will be used the coming year for grading, which is not yet co mpleted.
141
Appropriation
$55,000 00
Architect's fee and inspection
$3,023 12
Building contracts
42,338 73
Heating apparatus
5,323 79
Furnishing .
2,655 08
Grading and miscellaneous
577 19
1
Expended
53,917 91
Balance
$1,082.09
The Hose House at Houghs Neck was completed and turned over to the Fire Department early in April and fully answers the needs of that district.
Under a special order extensive repairs were made to the Willard School building. Two new school rooms were partitioned off and made to accommodate nearly one hundred additional pupils. The inside and outside of the building was painted, new wiring for electric lights and call bells put in and heating plant overhauled.
HIGHWAYS.
This appropriation was expended in the usual manner in the general care of streets and sidewalks and I believe that in spite of the smallness of the amount and the increase of traffic that there was an improvement in the condition over previous years.
Considerable work was done trimming trees, laying cross- walks, erecting street signs, cleaning and paving gutters.
4300 ton of broken stone was purchased for $2400 from the contractors on the Adams street sewer and 4100 tons used on Washington street, Beach street and Adams street.
All the surplus dust from the Quincy Quarry Co. crusher on South street was purchased for $200 and 790 tons used for repairing sidewalks and macadam streets.
3780 tons was quarried and crushed at the city plant on South street and used for resurfacing and repairing various streets.
The Metropolitan Sewerage Board completed the sewer in Adams street and allowed the city $1,700.00 toward putting the street back in its former condition. This amount judiciously expended has given us an exceptionally good piece of road from Furnace Brook to the Milton line.
142
We have assurances from the Metropolitan Sewerage Board of financial assistance toward repairing Sea street to Houghs Neck and I hope the coming year to get that street back to its former excellent condition.
Penn street was extended and laid out as a public way 645 feet in length and 40 feet in width.
Federal avenue was accepted from Goddard street to Inde- pendence avenue 40 feet wide and 1,474 feet long.
Our total street mileage is now 74.7 miles.
From the appropriations made late in 1902, special work was done on Rock Island road, Hamilton street, Edison street, Newbury avenue and Faxon Park road and a granite watering trough placed at the junction of Quincy and Liberty streets.
Botolph street was rebuilt from a special appropriation of 1901, sewer construction preventing its being built earlier.
The special appropriations of this year for street improve- ments were few. $200 for Independence avenue was ex- pended in widening a part of the street to its full width.
The appropriations of $200 for extending Penn street, $1,000 for grading Federal avenue and $6,000 for paving Wil- lard street were not expended, the orders having passed too late in the year.
SEWER MAINTENANCE.
The sewers were flushed each month and thoroughly cleaned once during the year which has kept them in good condition, there being no stoppage of any kind throughout the twenty-two and one-half miles under my control.
A number of miles of sewer were completed by the Board of Sewerage Commissioners but have not yet been turned over to this department.
WATER DIVISION.
This branch of my department still continues to grow very rapidly and the income is increasing at the rate of nearly $8,000 per year.
In the early part of the year we succeeded in getting all the old outstanding bills cleaned up to December 31, 1902, and at the close of this year all bills for water rates previous to July 1, 1903, except $105.00 had been collected. The statement for the year being as follows :
143
Total assessment for water rates for 1903
$87,382 66
Amount rebated for vacancies and non use of fixtures
$3,377 21
Amount due from premises shut off for non payment . 106 06
Amount due from 1903 assessment
3,595 82
Amount collected on 1903 assessment
80,803 57
$87,382 66
Amount collected on 1902 assessment 5,741 72
Amount collected on 1903 assessment
80,303 57
Total amount collected for year ending December 31, 1903
$86,045 29
The amount due for water rates on July 1, 1903, assessment was $3,375.15 and amount due on assessment on new premises since July 1, 1903, was $220.67, making total amount due on December 31, 1903, $3,595.82. This amount will be considerably smaller from the fact that many of these premises were not occupied until some time after the assessment was made and many will cut out some fixtures so that large rebates will be necessary, but from the above it will be seen that collections have been brought up closer than ever before.
If the department was given credit for the amount of water used for municipal purposes a remarkably good showing would be made. Under present methods no charge is made for use of water in Schoolhouses, Engine houses, fountains, hydrants, street sprinkling, etc.
Under a private water com pany the city would be obliged to pay $27,165.00 per year, divided as follows :
639 hydrants
$ 22,365 00
9 fountains
450 00
13 Schoolhouses
1,300 00
6 Engine houses .
300 00
Stable, Almshouse, City hall and
Police station
250 00
Street sprinkling
2,000 00
Street work and flushing sewers
. 500 00
$27,165 00
144
Under the above condition the showing would be as follows :
Receipts :
Water rates from private consumers $86,045 29
Water rates from city departments 27,165 00
Mass. water sinking fund
498 60
$113,708 89
Expenditures :
Maturing bonds,
$34,500 00
Interest .
28,480 00
State assessment
30,237 42
Maintenance
10,000 00
4
$103,217 42
Total net profit
$10,491 47
It will thus be seen that the department is on a substantial paying basis.
I again earnestly advocate the placing of meters on all taps as I believe it to be the only just and equitable way to sell water. Everyone should pay for just what they use and it is as absurd to charge for water by number of fixtures as it is for a Gas Company to charge for gas by number of burners.
The Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board is now consid- ering the matter and will make a report to the legislature and in all probability our supply will be metered in the future and our assessment based on actual consumption. Experiments have shown that on metered services a saving of the waste has reduced consumption 40 per cent. and over. In our case it would mean a reduction of 40 per cent. on our State assessment which is an item worth considering. Nearly all the cities in the country are adopting the meter system and I believe we should commence the coming year and make a substantial start in this matter.
A large number of extensions were made and wholly upon petitions and where six per cent. income was guaranteed. Nothing was done to close up dead ends or to improve the service by connecting circuits. On many streets larger mains should be put in and the question of more efficient service care fully considered the coming year.
-
145
The total number feet of pipe laid of every description was 47,350 of which 22,493 feet were street mains, making total length of street mains 94.87 miles.
We have now 5,327 service connections, 327 being put in the past year at a cost of $11,920.75, the owners paying $8,853.97 and the city $3,066.78.
40 meters were set and 27 removed, leaving total in use 165. 37 hydrants were set and 5 removed, leaving total in use 639. 73 gates were set and 7 removed, leaving total in use 1154.
44 leaks were repaired in street mains and 16 in service pipes. 41 old services were renewed.
The receipts from water rates was $86,045.29 and from con- struction $12,229.03, making total gross receipts $98,274.32.
The best of care has been taken of hydrants, gates, blow-offs, standpipes, reservoirs and equipment and the department stands today second to none in the country.
The following tables show miles of pipe and number of hydrants and gates, also location of pipe, hydrants and gates put in during the year.
In conclusion I beg to express my appreciation of the valuable assistance rendered me by His Honor the Mayor, the members of the City Council, the clerks, and the foremen and employees of the department.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES F. KNOWLTON, Commissioner of Public Works.
1
LOCATION OF HYDRANTS SET IN 1903.
One on Atherton street, 216 feet north from South street. One on Billings road, 399 feet west from Hancock street. One on Butler road, 376 feet east from Hancock street.
One on Bromfield street, 500 feet east from Billings road. One on Berkeley street, 184 feet north from South street. One on Curtis avenue, corner of Pine street.
One on Copeland street, corner Buckley street.
One on Davis street, 500 feet east from Billings road.
1
146
One on Des Moines road, 140 feet west from Howard street. One on Everett street, 564 feet south from Billings road. One on Franklin place, 239 feet west from Franklin street. One on Federal avenue, corner of Verchild street.
One on Forest avenue, 547 feet east from Grove street. One on Forest avenue, 313 feet west from Grove street.
One on Graham street, 123 feet west from Thompson street. One on Glendale road, 299 feet north from Whitwell street. One on Hudson street, 333 feet north from Butler road. One on Island avenue, 583 feet northwest from Sea avenue. One on John Street, 420 feet north from Squantum street. One on Nash avenue, 425 feet east from South street.
One on North street, 727 feet north from Atlantic street.
One on Plymouth street, 277 feet east from Federal avenue. One on Pleasant street, corner of Quincy street. One on Rufes Hummock, on end of pipe.
One on South street, 100 feet west from Atherton street. One on South street, opposite Winter street.
One on Stewart street, 105 feet from Washington street.
One on Stewart street, 600 feet from Washington street. One on Sea street, 455 feet south from Manet avenue.
One on Washington street, corner of Baxter avenue.
One on Washington street, corner of River street.
One on Washington street, opposite Madison avenue. One on Washington street, corner of Edison street. One on Washington Court, opposite Curtis avenue. One on Winthrop park, 326 feet south from Sumner street. One on Wollaston avenue, corner of Franklin avenue.
One on Wollaston avenue, corner of Chick street.
HYDRANTS REMOVED IN 1903.
One on Everett street, 360 feet from Billings road.
One on Island avenue, 583 feet froni Sea avenue.
One on Pleasant street, corner of Quincy street. One on South street, corner of Atherton street.
One on Washington street, corner of Sumner street.
TOTAL WATER PIPE LAID.
Length in feet and size of pipe laid to December 31, 1903.
DIAMETER OF PIPE IN INCHES.
WHEN LAID.
Hydrants
Gates
2 '
4
5
6
7
8
10
12
16
20
Previous to Dec. 31, 1902 In 1903
607 37
1088 73
38273 2381
91763 5458
948
192581 9276
994
81583 3447
30531 1907
21230 24
19813
2679
480395 22493
147
Total Taken up
644 5
1161 7
40654 1787
97221
948
201857 145
994
85030
32438
21254
19813
2679
502888 1932
Total
639
1154
38867
97221
948
201712
994
85030
32438
21254
19813
2679
500956
·
.
Total number of feet 500956.
Total number of miles 94.87.
TOTAL.
148
WATER PIPE LAID IN 1903.
STREET LOCATION.
| Ward.
Gates.
Hydrants.
2 in.
4 in.
6 in.
Sin.
10 in. 12 in.
6
Atlantic street,
3
471
2
Atherton street,
1
1
223
2
Arnold street,
367
1
Bird street,
1
98
2
Bent place,
56
2
Berkeley street,
1
1
189 406
413
1
Butler road,
1
450
5
Bromfield street,
2
1
567
6
Bayfield street,
1
133
2
Curtis avenue,
1
1
429
2
Cyril street,
1
266
2
Claremont avenue,
2
380
5
Davis street,
2
1
772
1
Darrow street,
1
261
6
Everett street,
1
211
2
Edison street,
'2
315
3
Franklin place,
1
1
239
3
Federal avenue,
3
1
597
4
Forest avenue,
2
2 234
907
4
Grove street,
?
650
3
Garfield street,
1
1
305
2
Graham street,
1
1
177
1
Grant street,
784
1
Hudson street,
1
1
339
5
Holmes street,
2
358
230
2
Howard street,
3
6
John street,
1
1
426
2
Nash avenue,
1
1
425
6
North street,
1
1
750
3
Plymouth street,
1
1
284
5
Quincy street,
1
446 2713
33
2
South street,
4
3
12 1732
1
Sea street,
1
455
2
Stewart street,
1
2
528
4
Suomi road,
162
2
Washington street,
14
4
36
128
64 1907
4
West street,
1
240
5
Billings road,
1
1
24
5
Rufes Hummock,
3
3
83
1
Glendale road,
LENGTH OF EACH SIZE OF PIPE.
149
STREET LOCATION.
Gates.
Hydrants.
2 in.
4 in.
6 in.
Sin.
10 in. 12 in.
2224
Washington court, Wharf street,
152
1
442 60
4 Willard street, Extra Hydrants,
3
Total,
73 37 2381 5458 9276 3447 1907
24
GATES IN USE.
Number and size of Gates in use December 31, 1903.
When Set.
Size of Gates in Inches.
Total.
2
4
6
7
8
10
12
16
20
Previous to Dec. 31, 1902, In 1903,
123 232
493
1
133
49
30
23
4
1088
4
11
38
13
6
1
73
Total, Taken up,
127 243 531
1
146
55
31
23
4
1161
6
1
7
Total,
121 243 530
1
146
55
31
23
4
1154
Ward.
LENGTH OF EACH SIZE OF PIPE.
383
333
2 Winthrop park,
1
Thomas Crane Public Library.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :-
The Trustees of the Thomas Crane Public Library submit herewith their annual report, it being the thirty-third of the whole series since the Library was opened.
The whole number of names now on the Library register since the new registration began in 1899 is 6,316, and of this number 1,028 were added during the past year. The number of books purchased during the year was 614, of which 553 volumes were credited to the foundation fund, or city appropriation, and 61 volumes to the income from the Cotton Center Johnson fund. These figures do not include the books loaned from the Bodley Club Library.
The call for later fiction being greater than the funds at the command of the Library can supply, the Trustees carried into effect in November last a plan whereby many more volumes can be loaned to borrowers while the popular novel is being talked about; namely, a subscription to the Bodley Club Library, which is owned by the Booklovers Library, although the central man- agement has no control over the local membership. The books are clean and in the best of condition, are cased in neat cloth boxes of blue color, and are loaned to patrons of the Library on exactly the same ternis as the books owned by it. One hundred volumes were put upon a new revolving bookcase in the reading room and in four days not one was to be found upon its shelves. So much do the people seem to appreciate the privileges of this service that it is difficult to get twenty-five books to exchange each month at the central station at Philadelphia, although the whole one hundred might be exchanged. The service has been in operation too short a time as yet to give definite results, but if it proves so good a plan as it seems, the Trustees would feel justified in desiring to double the subscription.
One most desirable feature as far as the Library is concerned is that while a larger number of books is being supplied to read-
1
151
ers for the time being for the same expenditure of money, the shelves of the Library are not being crowded with books of simply passing interest. Thus, if less money is being spent for fiction, more may be spent upon the other and more permanent forms of literature.
During the year the Library has had on exhibition ten sets of photographs and prints of the Library Art Club, the most attractive and popular of which proved to be the charming colored photographs of Switzerland's scenery, children as well as adults being often found before the pictures during the three weeks the exhibit was at Crane Memorial Hall.
Cards for all books in the Library in the classes of Biography and History and the greater part of those of Travel may now be found in the Card Catalogue, contents being given under subjects. The juvenile Card Catalogue is largely patronized and nearly full, and it is not long, therefore, before a new an l larger cabinet will be needed. The annual classified list of the preceding year was prepared for print and published early in the year.
1
The French estate has been graded and its incorporation with the grounds of the Library, together with the addition of trees and shrubbery, has greatly increased the attractiveness of the lawn. The statistics in connection with the Library will be found below.
All of which is respectfully submitted,
E. C. BUTLER, GEORGE W. MORTON, II. L. RICE, CHARLES R. SAFFORD, HENRY MCGRATHI, HARRISON A. KEITH.
4
152
STATISTICS.
During the year 1903 the Library was opened 305 days ; and the number of books loaned was as follows :
HOME USE.
SCHOOLS.
TOTAL.
PER CENT.
Fiction,
30,478
82
30,560
37.9
Juvenile fiction,
16,089
554
16,643
20.5
Arts and Sciences,
9,330
206
9,536
11.7
Periodicals,
8,965
8,965
11.0
General literature,
5,213
5,213
6.0
History,
3,580
559
4,139
5.1
Biography,
1,894
198
2,092
2.6
Travels,
1,800
192
1,992
2.4
Poetry,
1,153
38
1,191
1.0
Religion,
660
660
.8
Education,
230
230
3
79,392
1,829
81,221
Miscellaneous (Library use)
6,422
Total circulation,
87,643
Names registered 6,316. Names registered during the year, 1,028. Books purchased 614; books loaned from the Bodley Club Library, 100; books replaced, 314; books rebound, 912; gifts, 100; pamphlets, 187. Largest number of books issued in any one day, 637, on February 21. Smallest number, 89, on August 19.
TREASURER'S STATEMENT.
THOMAS CRANE ENDOWMENT FUND.
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1902 . .
$21,722 18
Interest received on Mass. gold bonds
3} per cent. reg., to July 1, 1902 630 00
Interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank 84 61
Received from City of Quincy for rent
of the Joseph T. French house 60 00
Received from S. G. Curtis for rent . 15 00
153
Received from City of Quincy for house $200 00 Received from Peter J. Williams for stable 25 00
$412 95
Paid Thomas Whelan, labor on lawn Paid bills for trees, shrubs, sods, loam concreting sidewalk, edgestone and setting same, new fence and painting 345 63
Paid for bronze vase .
45 00
Balance on hand invested in Mass. gold bonds 32 per cent. reg., and in Quincy Savings Bank, Dec. 31, 1903
$21,933 21
$22,736 79
$22,736 79
COTTON CENTER JOHNSON FUND.
Balance on hand Dec. 31,1902
227 53
Interest on $2000 gold bond Chicago
Junction Railway 100 00
Interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank 3 54
Paid for books 163 43
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1903
167 64
$331 07
$331 07
CATALOGUE FUND.
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1902 ·
$1,184 94
Interest on $500 U. S. government
bond at 4 per cent. . 20 00
Interest on deposits on Quincy Savings
Bank
22 92
Fines and catalogues
112 75
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1903
$ 1,340 61
Respectfully submitted, GEORGE W. MORTON,
Treasurer.
Overseer of the Poor.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
I herewith submit the annual report of the Poor Department for the year ending December 31, 1903. The appropriation was $14,000.00 ; the receipts from the sale of coal and wood amounted to $2,555.15; thus making the total amount available for the use of this department $16,555.15. This amount will not be suffi- cient to pay the bills incurred during the year, and an additional appropriation will be necessary.
The receipts from all sources were $4,273.72, of which $2,555.15 was for the sale of coal and wood to relieve the distress due to the scarcity of fuel early in the year. The latter amount in no way helped the department, as far as its real work was concerned, as it was simply a case of using the appropria- tion first, for the purchase of coal, and then using the receipts for the purpose for which they were originally appropriated, as provided by an order of the City Council."
The total amount expended Dec. 31, 1903, was $16,554.75, of which $10,721.35 was for Outside Poor; $3,278.25 for Alms- house, and $2,555.15 was for coal relief.
The amount paid to the Hospital was $633.00, which was for 1902 sick cases, and was paid from a special appropriation from the department receipts.
The cost of maintaining the insane will no longer be borne by this department, as on January 1, 1904, the State assumed full charge of all insane. The cost will be paid from the State Treasury, instead of directly to the institution from our City Treasurer, as heretofore.
The Almshouse remains under the management of Mr. and Mrs. George Wilson, who have in every way been satisfactory. During the year the walls and ceilings have been painted, and a
155
new boiler installed, so that the Almshouse is today in a condition · such as has not been equalled in recent years.
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