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 1909 > Part 9
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House Bill No. 246. A bill to provide a new bridge over Neponset River. The bill was referred to the Legislature of 1910.
House Bill No. 469. A bill providing that the Mayor of Quincy shall be ex-officio chairman of the School Board with- ont the power of voting. The Committee reported leave to withdraw.
Honse Bill No. 7770. A bill to eliminate party designa- tions from ballots used at the municipal election. The Com- mittee reported leave to withdraw.
House Bill No. 473. A bill authorizing the city to con- tribute $15,000 to the City Hospital for a tuberculosis ward. A satisfactory working arrangement not having been arranged between the city and the hospital authorities, at the request of all interested, the Committee reported leave to withdraw on this bill.
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CITY COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES.
I have, when requested, attended meetings of the Coun- cil during the year and at nearly every session thereof have advised the Council, either orally or in writing, as to the law applicable to some matter pending before it.
I have, when requested, attended meetings of the Coun- cil Committees, and advised them on such matters as they de- sired my opinion on the law relating thereto.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIALS.
From time to time and when requested during the year I have advised the different administrative officials and boards concerning the law relating to matters pending in their depart- ments.
COURT CASES.
The following is a list of the cases now pending against the city :
Norfolk County Supreme Court.
John A. McDonnell vs. Randolph Bainbridge, et al.
Petition for writ of certiorari to revise the records of the Commissioner of Public Works concerning certain sewer assessments.
Norfolk County Superior Court.
No. 5683. The case of the Finnish Workingmen's Asso- ciation "Veli" vs. Quincy, referred to in my report of last year was heard at the February Sitting, 1909, of the Jury Waived Session of the Superior Court at Dedham. The Court made a finding in favor of the city. Subsequently the petitioner filed a motion for a new trial. The motion is still pending.
213
No. 5914. The Fore River Shipbuilding Company on June 7, 1909, filed a petition for abatement of a portion of its taxes, assessed May 1, 1908. By order of the Court the case was continued until the April Sitting of the Court, 1910, to en- able the parties to determine by arbitration the proper amount, if any, the petitioner was entitled to have abated. The mat- ter was referred to Messrs. David H. Andrews, Frederic H. Fay, and Robert F. Herrick, all of Boston. The arbitrators viewed the property of the company and after hearing the arbitrators found tht the company should be assessed on the property referred to in the petition $650,000.
No. 2745. First Congregational Society of Quincy vs. Quincy.
A petition for an assessment of damages for widening and relocating of Washington Street.
No. 2961. Paul H. McIntyre vs. Quincy. Action of tort, ad damnum $5000
An action for damages on account of personal injuries claimed to have been sustained by the plaintiff while travel- ling on Highland Avenue, Houghs Neck, by reason of an alleged defect in said Avenue.
No. 3643. Martha E. Willet vs. Quincy. Action of tort, ad damnum $4000.
An action for damages on account of personal injuries claimed to have been sustained by the plaintiff by reason of an alleged defect in the sidewalk on Franklin Street.
No. 4173. Alice J. Bainbridge vs. Quincy. Action of tort, ad damnum $2000.
An action for damages on account of personal injuries claimed to have been sustained by the plaintiff while travel- ling on Brook Street, on account of an alleged defect in the sidewalk of said street.
No. 4290. F. Wesley Fuller vs. Quincy. Action of tort , ad damnum $500.
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.
An action brought on account of an alleged illegal collec- tion of taxes.
No. 4422. John G. Belanger vs. Quincy. Action of tort, ad damnum $500.
An action for damages on account of an alleged trespass by the city on land of the plaintiff on Willard Street and Bates Avenue.
No. 4657. Same vs. Same.
Petition for assessment of damages on account of the tak- ing by the city employees of land on Bates Avenue, belonging to the plaintiff.
No. 5163. Allen Moffatt vs. Quincy. Action of trot, ad damnum $5000.
An action for personal injuries the plaintiff claims to have received while travelling on Walnut Street, Atlantic, on account of an alleged defect therein.
No. 5193. Mary A. Prout vs. Quincy.
A petition for assessment of damages on account of the widening and extending Smith Street.
No. 5360. Robert Mellett vs. Quincy.
No. 5361. Same vs. Same.
No. 5362. Charles E. Stratton vs. Quincy.
No. 5363. Same vs. Same.
No. 5364. Charles E. S. MacCorry vs. Quincy.
No. 5365. Same vs. Same.
No. 5366. Henry Hunt vs. Quincy.
No. 5367. Same vs. Same.
No. 5368. William Wilson vs. Quincy.
No. 5369. Same vs. Same.
In the last ten proceedings the plaintiffs seek to recover damages for the construction by the city of a public sewer through their lands near the Quincy Shore Reservation, and also for the abatement of the assessments made by the city on account thereof.
215
No. 5862. John A. McDonnell vs. Quincy.
A petition for the revision of a sewer assessment on ac- count of the construction of a public sewer through Dysart Street.
No. 5911. Same vs. Same. Action of tort, ad damnum $5000.
An action for damages alleged to have been sustained by the plaintiff in consequence of a construction of a public sew- er through Dysart Street.
No. 6127. Same vs. Same.
A petition for damages alleged to have been caused by the construction of a public sewer through Dysart Street.
No. 5985. H. Walter Gray vs. Quincy et al. Action of contract, ad damnum $1,500.
Action for an alleged balance claimed to be due the plain- tiff as treasurer of the Woodward Fund and Property from January 1st, 1903 to January 1st, 1904.
No. 5959. Marion A. Wilson vs. Quincy Action of tort, ad damnum $5000.
An action to recover damages the plaintiff claims to be due her for the alleged building and opening of a drain through her lands in Norfolk Downs, and the alleged divert- ing onto said land by the city surface water.
No. William II. Doble vs. Quincy. Action of tort, ad damnum $1500.
An action for damages to an automobile claimed to have been damaged October 21st, 1907, by reason of an alleged de- fect on Farrington Street.
No. 5965. John M. O'Brien vs. Quincy.
Action of contract or tort, ad damnum $2000.
An action to recover for salary the plaintiff claims to be due him as a foreman in the sewer department.
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No.
Abraham L. Buzzell vs. Quincy. Action of contract.
An action to recover for the balance claimed by the plain- tiff to be due him for services as janitor of the Woodward Academy. This action has been referred to Emery B. Gibbs, Esq., as Auditor.
No. 6092. Warren E. Smith, p.p.a. vs. Quincy. Action of tort, ad damnum $5000.
An action for damages on account of personal injuries the plaintiff claims to have sustained by reason of an alleged de- fect at the corner of Camden and Allerton Streets, Houghs Neck.
Suffolk County Superior Court.
No. 22413. Joseph J. Silva vs. Quincy et al. Action of tort, ad damnum $10,000. Action for alleged false arrest.
No. 52213. Mary Wright vs. Quincy. Action of tort, ad damnum $4000.
An action for damages on account of personal injuries the plaintiff claims to have sustained by reason of an alleged de- fect in Hancock Street, Atlantic.
GRADE CROSSINGS.
The Grade Crossing Commission is still holding under ad- visement the matter of the abolition of the grade crossings at Water and Savil Streets. ..
I expect a report from the Commission this spring.
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CLAIMS.
During the year several claims against the city for per- sonal injuries claimed to have been received on the highways of the City were filed with this department.
Respectfully submitted, JOHN W. McANARNEY,
City Solicitor.
Police Department
To His Honor, the Mayor of the City of Quincy.
I have the honor to submit the following as the annual report of the Police Department for the year ending December 31st, 1909 :
ROSTER OF POLICE FORCE.
Frank E. Burrell, Chief
Mark E. Hanson, Sergeant
Daniel R. McKay, Lieutenant David J. Barry, Sergeant
Alfred W. Goodhue, Acting Inspector.
PATROLMEN
James W. Murray
Edward J. Curtin
John T. Larkin
Claes A. Broberg
Jeremiah Hinchon
Michael Donovan
William S. Lyons
Ernest H. Bishop Charles Olson
Timothy T. Golden Edward Johnson
Daniel HI. Doran
Patrick A. Milford
Henry F. Riley
Charles T. Crooker
Jeremiah Diuneen
Daniel J. Ford
George A. Cahill, Driver John Halloran, Wagon Man
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.
220
RESERVE OFFICERS
Henry W. Thorn
John J. Duane
John P. Duffy
David L. Farrell
George F. Phillips
Henry F. Corbett
James H. Whalen
John J. Avery
SPECIAL POLICE
Jeremiah D. Dhooge
Henry Hathorn
William J. DeCoste
William J. Hebert
Thomas A. Malone
Henry J. Matthews
Calvin T. Dyer
David L. Gordon
Edward J. Sandberg
Samuel DeForrest
Total number of arrests
1,023
Male
963
Female 60
Married
365
Single
667
Adults
901
Minors 111
Residents
727
Non-residents 296
Nativity of Persons Arrested.
Austria
3
New Brunswick 1
Australia
1
Newfoundland
7
Belgium
1
Nova Scotia 34
Canada
10
Norway
5
Cape Breton
5
Prince Edward Island
21
China
1
Poland
1
Brazil
1
Russia
16
Denmark
2
Scotland
33
England
26
Spain
1
Finland
40
Sweden
43
France
2
Syria
1
Germany
16
United States 499
Greece
2
West Indies
1
Ireland
141
Wales
1
Italy
107
Turkey
1
221
Offenses for which arrests were made :
Adultery
1
Assault and battery
90
Assault on an officer
3
Assault with intent to rape
3
Assault with a dangerous weapon
9
Bastardy.
7
Being present at a game on the Lord's Day
2
Breaking and Entering and Larceny
3
Breaking and Entering
2
Burglary
4
Carrying concealed weapons
3
City Odinances, violation of
10
Contempt of Court
3
Cruelty to animals
1
Concealing property
2
Default
6
Disturbing the peace
19
Disorderly conduct on a public conveyance
22
Disorderly conduct on street
11
Disturbing an assembly
3
Deserter from United States Navy
1
Drunkenness
514
Evading car fare
1
Exceeding automobile speed limit
9
Food law, violation of
1
Fornication
1
Forgery and uttering
Gaming on the Lord's Day
Gaming
Giving false measure
4 1
Idle and disorderly
6
Incest to realty
1
Incest
1
Keeping a disorderly house
3
Keeping a gaming room
2
Keeping an unlicensed dog
1
1 20 2
Indecent exposure
222
Larceny from the person
1
Larceny
39
Larceny in a building
2
Lewd and lascivious
4 1 3
Malicious injury to property
Maintaining lottery
1
Manslaughter
Murder of infant child
Neglect to provide for family
6 9
Overdriving a horse
1
Operating an automobile while intoxicated
1
Pedling without a license
3
Plumbing Ordinance, violation of
1
Rape
4
Robbery
4 6
Recklessly driving an automobile
3
Recklessly shooting with a revolver
1
ยท Removing lantern from street
1
Safe keeping
5
Sale of leased property
2
Stubbornness
2
Suspicious person
1
Threat at assault
9 1 5
Tramp
3 2
Trespass of fowl
Unlawful use of milk bottles
3
Unnatural act
2
Unlawfully digging clams
10
Unlawfully riding on cars
4
Using false weights and measures
1
Vagrants
5
Violation of Lord's day act
13
1 1 14
Neglect to send child to school
Out of town officers
Railer and brawler
Threat to poison a horse
Trespass
Malicious mischief
223
Violation of motor boat law
9
Violation of park rules
1
Violation of bicycle law
13
Violation of clam law 7
Violation of cigarette law 4
Violation of probation 1
Walking on railroad track
15
DISPOSITION OF CASES
Appealed to Superior court, total number
35
Appealed from fine 22
Appealed from sentence
13
Appeal from fine withdrawn
4
Appeal from sentence withdrawn
2
Committed to institutions
98
Committed to State farm at Bridgewater
12
Committed to house of correction at Dedham in default of fine 46
Committed to house of correction at Dedham on sen-
tence
9
Committed to jail on capias
2
Committed to Concord reformatory
1
Committed to House of Good Shepherd
1
Committed to jail for violation of probation
1
Defaulted
57
Default removed
18
Delivered to out of town officers
9
Delivered to friends
2
Discharged
47
Dismissed
66
Dismissed for want of prosecution
14
Delivered to Overseer of the Poor
3
Fined
481
Fines remitted
18
Hearing on seized property 9
Hearing on seized liquor 9
224
Held for Grand jury 21
Held for Superior court
3
Noll prossed 3
Paid fines
287
Paid costs of prosecution
36
Placed on file 102
Placed on probation 25
Released by order of the court
11
Released at police station by order of probation officer 179
Amount of fines imposed by the court $5,545.20
Amount of fines paid 3,213.20
Amount of fines received from 1908 64.26
POLICE SIGNAL SERVICE
Telephone calls 1698
Wagon calls 542
Ambulance calls 29
Liquor and gambling raids
12
Total number of miles run
1591
MISCELLANEOUS WORK
Accidents investigated 0
Accidents reported 10
Bicycles found
4
Bridges unsafe reported
5
Complaints investigated
63
Cows found astray
9
Dangerous telephone poles reported
1
Dangerous electric wires reported
26
Defective streets reported
15
Defects in sidewalks reported 21
Dead bodies found
4
Demented persons cared for
2
Disturbances suppressed without arrest 39
225
Dogs astray returned to owner 3
Dogs killed 34
Doors found unfastened
445
Fire alarm boxes, glass reported broken
30
Fire alarms given 10
Fire alarms, still, given
14
Fires discovered
2
Fires extinguished without an alarm
16
Goods discovered left outside stores
12
Horses found astray and cared for
3
Horses found cast in stall
10
Horses found loose in stable
7
Horses killed
5
Horses runaway, caught
16
Injured persons cared for
3
Keys found in outside doors
4
Lanterns displayed in dangerous places
43
Leaks in water main reported
30
Leaks in supply pipe reported
19
Lights reported out, arcs
502
Lights reported out, series
2475
Lights reported out, gas .
1001
Lights reported out, on moon schedule, No. of nights .
41
Lost children returned to parents
41
Obstructions removed from streets
30
Obstructions on streets reported
5
Obstructions removed from sidewalks
17
Obstructions on sidewalks reported
5
Safe found open 1
Siek persons cared for
12
Steam pipe burst, reported 1
Street sign down, reported 1
Suspicious places reported
2
Water running to waste reported 2
Windows in stores found unfastened 125
226 ENFORCEMENT OF THE LIQUOR LAW
This branch of the Department has again been under the charge of Acting Inspector Goodhue, and has been well taken care of. I would recommend that the position be made a per- manent one, and the salary increased in proportion to the care and responsibility that goes with the position. Then cn- forcement of the liquor law with its many different compli- cations takes more of a man's time than any other part of the service, requiring ceaseless vigil and unrelenting purpose.
The granting of express licenses for the transportation of intoxicating liquors will soon come before the City Council for action and great care should be taken in granting this valua- ble privilege. The order passed by the Council and insisted upon by the Mayor, in regard to having all licensed express- men leave a daily transcript of their deliveries at the Police Station, while not lived up to as well as might be by some of the licensees, has been a good move and I hope it will be continued. It keeps the department in touch with the amount of liquor delivered in the different sections of the city, and any undue amount delivered continually at any certain place, will surely draw the Inspector's attention to the fact, and he can govern himself accordingly.
The following is a record of the department and the dis- position of the various cases coming under this head for the year 1909 :
Total number of cases before the District Court 25
Violation of the liquor laws 21
Keeping disorderly house
3
Keeping gaming house 1
Fined in District Court 15
Fines paid in District Court. $625.00 9
Appealed from District Court 4
Committed to jail for non-payment of fines 2
Complaints dismissed and placed on file in District Court 7
Complaints dismissed in Superior Court 1
Fines paid in Superior Court, $150.00 2
227
CONCLUSION
The year of 1909 was a fairly quiet one, as far as any se- rious crime was concerned. After the capture of the early evening burglar, who had kept the police of the city of Bos- ton and all the surrounding suburbs on the alert for nearly a year, and his subsequent sentence to twenty-five years in the State's prison, this class of crime ceased, almost entirely. Two of the breaks he admitted were committed in Quincy, and no doubt he could have cleared up several others if he had felt so disposed. Drunkenness, disturbance of the peace, disturb- ances on street cars and the railway trains ,have not increased during the year, owing no doubt to the decreased number working at the Ship yard. The juvenile offender is still with us, as numerous broken windows and street lights testify to.
I would recommend the addition of two patrolmen, one to cover the South Quincy day route, and one to cover the day route at Wollaston. The route now patrolled by the officer, West and South Quincy covers so much territory that it is im- possible for one man to protect it properly. From the time the stone yards close until the night patrol goes on duty at seven o'clock, the yards are unprotected and suffer from juve- nile offenders accordingly. At Wollaston there is no day offi- cer at present and the residents have to rely on a telephone call to headquarters and the necessary long delay before an of- ficer arrives.
From all indications a long era of prosperity may be looked for at the Fore River Shipbuilding Co., and I would recommend that an additional officer be placed in that locality and the time of service so arranged that an officer will be on duty the entire twenty-four hours.
The addition of the Combination Auto Patrol and Ambu- lance as recommended by the Mayor in his inaugural address, in my opinion should be acted on immediately. At present it takes nearly an hour to make the run from the police station to Atlantic or Houghs Neck. After a run to Squantum and return it would be inhuman to use the horse again for an im- mediate call. For an ambulance call where often times it
228
means a case of life or death if the patient can be taken to the City Hospital quickly, it would be worth its cost if one life was saved.
As I mentioned in my report of last year the interior of the police station should be painted and the cell-room connect- ed with the sewer.
I take this opportunity to thank His Honor the Mayor, and all City and Court officials for their generous support during the past year, and also the newspaper reporters for their fair and impartial reports.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK E. BURRELL,
Chief of Police.
/
Board of Health
January 1, 1910.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
The Board of Health respectfully submit their annual re- port for the year 1909.
The organization of the Board was as follows :-
William J. Walsh, Chairman Francis Ramon Burke, M. D., Secretary Cornelius M. Duggan
The Inspectors of the Board were as follows :- Edward J. Lennon, Sanitary Inspector J. J. Keniley, Inspector of Plumbing James F. Allan, Inspector of Meats and Provisions Edward J. Murphy, Inspector of Milk
The appropriations for maintaining the department were as follows :-
Collection of ashes $2,000.00
Collection of Garbage, (budget $3,500.00,) (special appropriation $500.00 4,000.00
Sanitary Inspection 780.00
Abating Nuisances, Contagious Diseases and Mis-
cellaneous, (budget, $1,500.00) balance 1908 appropriation $176.41) (special appropria- tion, $3,000.00) 4,676.41
Clerical 520.00
229
230
GARBAGE
The collection of garbage for the past year has been car- ried on in the same manner as in previous years. With the limited appropriation at the disposal of the Board we have been unable to provide the proper number of teams to collect the garbage satisfactorily. The coming year it will be neces- sary to put another team on this work.
ASHES
The work of collecting the ashes of the city has been car- ried on in a satisfactory manner as far as the money appro- priated for this purpose will allow.
MILK
During the year 1909, the State Legislature passed an act entitled "An Act to Provide for the Appointment of Inspect- ors and Collectors of Milk by Boards of Health." This act places the Inspector of Milk under the Board of Health which we believe will enable the city to have a better inspection of milk and of dairies.
SCAVENGER WORK
The scavenger work as it is being done at present is most unsatisfactory. The work is done by contract, but on account of the large number of sewer connections which have done away with vaults and cesspools among the better class of build- ings it is most difficult to collect payment for the work. Thus the City Scavenger will not clean vaults and cesspools unless-as a rule-paid in advance. This causes much delay and annoy- ance, as well as an unsanitary condition. There is not enough
231
work to keep three teams at work all the time, but in the spring and summer months the work piles up. Therefore the contractor does not keep his teams in commission all the year and we cannot get the work done without great delay at such times. Where the contractor is not protected by the city for his pay it does not seem as if we can force him to clean vaults and cesspools in a case where he has not been paid for past work. Our present contractor claims that there is not enough money in the work to enable him to renew his contract. The prices now charged are unjust.
The Board suggests that the city take up this work itself and combine it with the collecting of ashes. If the city does the work it would be well to have the City Council frame an ordinance ordering all cesspools and vaults to be cleaned at least once each year, and as many more times as in the opinion of the Board of Health they become a nuisance and dangerous to the public health. All bills due the city for doing such work to be a lien on the property where the fixtures are loca- ted and all money due the city for such work to be paid to the City Treasurer. The bills rendered to the City Treasurer by the Board of Health for scavenger work to be collected by him.
In the winter months one team can be kept in commission all the time thus preventing the work all coming at one time in the spring of the year. The horses now used on ashes can be used in the summer on scavenger work and garbage work. In this way the work would be self supporting and done en- tirely satisfactorily.
NUISANCES
The abatement of nuisances the past year has been car- ried on much as in previous years. One hundred and six com- plaints were received at this office and two hundred and seven- ty inspections made by the sanitary inspector. One hundred and twenty-eight notices to abate nuisances have been sent dur-
232
ing the year, and fifty-nine orders to connect with the public sewer. Four hundred and sixteen cesspools and six hundred and sixty-five vaults have been cleaned by the City Scavenger during the past year.
MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS
The work of medical inspection of schools has been car- ried on in the same manner as in former years. Five inspect- ors are engaged in this work and each school is visited once each week. In connection with this work we would like to call your attention to the fact that these inspectors who are appointed by the Board of Health, are called upon by the School Committee to make a physical examination of one-half of all school children each year. This task is one that occu- pies a great amount of the inspectors time and we believe that the inspectors should not be called upon to perform this duty for the compensation they now receive. We would ear- nestly recommend that the compensation of the medical in- spectors be increased to two hundred dollars per year.
LICENSES GRANTED
The following licenses were granted by the Board in 1909 :
Plumbers
Master
23
Journeyman 17
Undertakers
9
Garbage
3
Tallow
3
Stables, permits granted to erect
6
Stables, permits granted to occupy
4
Stables, applications laid on table 4
233
No. of houses disinfected for diphtheria 62
No. of houses disinfected for scarlet fever 37
No. of houses disinfected for tuberculosis 30
No. of houses disinfected for cerebro-spinal meningi- tis 1
No. of school houses disinfected 1
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
The past year the Board of Health has been called upon to support twenty cases of tuberculosis and twelve cases of other diseases classed by the State Board of Health as danger- ous to the public health. The total cost of this support has been $2,751.77. In 1908, $1,416.15 was expended for this pur- pose. The cost of caring for tubercular patients during the year was $2,444,28, whereas but $806.01 was expended for tu- berculosis in 1908. At the present time we are supporting eleven cases of tuberculosis, six at Rutland and five at home, at a weekly cost of $61.00.
234
INFECTIOUS DISEASES REPORTED TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH
By Months
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