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 1915 > Part 15
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239
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SEWER DEPARTMENT
Quincy, Mass., Dec. 31, 1915.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Construction
Appropriation .
$25,000.00
Balance of 1914.
344.24
$25,344.24
Expenditures 1915
25,285.23
Balance.
$59.01
Particular Sewers
Receipts of 1915 including Balance of 1914.
$12,268.16
Expenditures 1915.
11,835.69
Balance.
$432.47
Maintenance
Appropriation .
$2,200.00
Appropriation, Clerical.
780.00
Balance 1914.
159.87
Extra Appropriation, Water
182.00
Receipts .
$3.00
22.82
25.82
$3,347.69
Expenditures including clerical and water
3,347.69
PARTICULAR SEWERS
Three hundred and ninety-six connections were made with the public sewers during the year 1915 to care for the drainage from four hundred and five buildings.
The following tables show the distribution, cost per foot, cost per connection and classification of the work done this year.
By Wards
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Total
102
35
48
20
148
43
396
240
Cost per Foot
Under
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Over
Over
20 cents
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
1.00
3.00
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1.00
0
0
46
125
106
59
28
8
11
11
1
Cost per Connection
Under
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Over
to
tp
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
$100
$10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1
119
192
48
18
6
5
1
1
4
1
Classification
Single houses
246
Mercantile.
24
Two family houses .
106
Manufacturing.
8
Three family houses.
1
Church .
2
Four family houses.
8
Parish House
1
Garage. .
3
Halls .
3
Bath House
1
Stores and Tenements ..
2
Total.
405 Buildings
Average length per connection 50.09 feet; Average cost per foot 53 cents; Average cost per connection $26.66.
The following table shows the location, size, length of sewers, number of manholes and material encountered in the con- struction of sewers during the year 1915.
Man
Ward
Location
From
To
Size
Feet
holes
Material
3 Alton Road . .
Kendrick Avenue.
450 feet southerly
8''
450.
2
Clay, ledge
5 Beale Street.
. Greenwood Avenue .
. Hancock Street .
8"
644.53
3
Gravel, mud
5 Chapman Street.
. Beale Street .
Hancock Street . .
8"
661.07 3
Gravel, mud
5 Cheriton Road.
Hancock Street.
.665 feet easterly . .
665.0
2
Gravel
Edgemere Road.
. Sta. 2 plus 44.6.
. Sta. 8 plus 80
8''
635.4
3
Gravel
1
Fort Street.
School Street.
Granite Street.
8''
253.0
2
Gravel, ledge
1 Granite Street.
. Parker Street .
Westerly
428.75
3
Gravel, ledge
1-3
Granite Street .
.School Street.
Near Gordon Street
8"
1,183.47
7
Gravel, ledge
6
Holmes Place
Holmes Street.
145 feet easterly .
8''
145.0
1
Gravel
2 Howard Avenue .
Existing sewer
.350 feet easterly .
8''
350.0
1
Sand
1
Hudson Street .
.Butler Road.
. Everett Street . .
8"
599.5
2 Gravel, ledge
3
Independence Avenue. .
Existing sewer .
. Braintree line. .
628.90
3
Clay, boulder
6
Milton Road . .
Quincy Shore Road.
. Edwin Street.
8"
665.0
3
Mud
1
Monroe Road .
. Existing sewer .
.21.6 feet southerly .
8''
21.6
0
Clay
4
Morton Street .
Buckley Street.
.275 feet westerly .
8''
275.0
1
Clay ledge
5
Pathway .
South Central Terrace
132.9 feet northerly.
6"
132.9
2
Clay
3
Private Land .
Town Brook Sewer .
Granite Street . .
8'
665.0
3
Gravel, sand
1
Putnam Street.
Edgemere Road.
Greenleaf Street.
8''
479.76
2
Gravel
1-3 School Street. 6 Sharon Road .
. Milton Road .
175 feet westerly
10"
175.0
0
Mud
2 South Walnut Street ..
Union Street. .
.437.87 feet easterly
8''
437.87
3
Gravel, ledge
5 Speakman Street
Willow Street.
195.55 feet easterly . .
8"
195.55
1
Clay
2
Stewart Street.
.Existing sewer .
96.4 feet northerly ..
8''
96.4
1
Gravel
3 Verchild Street . Bennington Street.
Plymouth Street. ..
8"
382.08
1
Clay
10,988.78 54
2.08 miles of sewer built during 1915 and 54 manholes, making a total to date of 74.75 miles of sewers with 1722 manholes.
241
3 Isabella Street .
. Albertina Street.
. Branch Street .
8''
218.0
1
Gravel, ledge
Pleasant Street .
Granite Street. .
8"
600.0
4
Gravel, ledge
242
The City Engineer is preparing record plans of the work done by this department and they will be placed on file in' this office. The assessment on account of sewer construction is now being made.
Respectfully,
Commissioner of Public Works.
1
243
REPORT OF CITY SOLICITOR
During the year 1915 the work of the City Solicitor has been of the same general character as that of previous years. There have been about the usual number of claims against the City arising from accidents. These claims have all received my careful attention, and where I have thought it for the interest of the City and justice required it, I arranged settlement of the same.
I have examined the titles to the various parcels of real estate acquired by the City, and have arranged settlements with the owners of the same.
Much of my time has been occupied in consulting with and ad- vising the various heads of the departments in connection with the numerous problems arising from time to time in the work of their respective departments.
I have attended every meeting of the City Council, and when called upon to do so have advised the Council and its several com- mittees to the best of my ability.
I have also attended many hearings affecting the interests of the City of Quincy before the Board of Port Directors, Public Service Commission, Metropolitan Park Commission, the Commissioners appointed to determine the Apportionment of Metropolitan Park Payments 1915 to 1920, and various committees of the Legislature.
During the past year in pursuance of the authority of a special act of the Legislature, which was passed at the joint request of the law departments of the City of Boston and the City of Quincy, there was arranged a settlement of a dispute in reference to taxing certain real estate owned by the City of Boston and situated in Squantum By the terms of this settlement the City of Boston paid to the City of Quincy more than Nine thousand (9,000) dollars in money, and an agreement was reached which will prevent a similar dispute arising in the future.
The following laws especially affecting the City of Quincy were enacted by the Legislature of 1915:
General Acts, Chapter 300: An Act to authorize the construc - tion and maintenance of a new bridge over the Neponset River between the Cities of Boston and Quincy.
Special Acts, Chapter 29: An Act to authorize the City of Quincy to appropriate the sum of Ten thousand (10,000) dollars per year for the support of the City Hospital.
Special Acts, Chapter 32: An Act amending the City Charter relative to fill vacancies in the City Council and in the office of Mayor.
Special Acts, Chapter 51: An Act to authorize the Metropolitan Park Commission to construct and maintain a bridge over Black's Creek for the extension of Furnace Brook Parkway.
Special Acts, Chapter 244: An Act to authorize the City of Quincy to appropriate the sum of Ten thousand (10,000) dollars for the improvement of Weymouth Fore River.
Special Acts, Chapter 280: An Act relative to adjustment of taxes on property of the City of Boston lying within the City of Quincy.
WALTER L. PINKHAM, City Solicitor.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES OF THE
Thomas Crane Public Library
QUINCY, MASS
For the year ending December 31, 1915
QUINCY PUBLISHED BY THE TRUSTEES 1916
247
TRUSTEES 1915
Geo. W. Abele
Charles R. Safford, Chairman, Mrs. Elizabeth H. Alden, Secretary, F. Morton Smith, Treasurer
Albert N. Murray Harry W. Read
Librarian Alice G. White
Assistants Charlotte Cochrane, Cataloger
Mabel S. Baxter J. Eleanor Whittemore
Edith L. Hyland Dorothy Kingsbury Stella Barker E. Louise Prout
Assistant in charge of Children's Room Mary K. Weston
Janitor Raymond S. Barry
West Quincy Reading Room Furnace Brook Parkway Belinda E. Wainwright, Assistant in charge
Atlantic Reading Room 137 Sagamore Street Catherine Saville, Assistant in charge
HOURS OF OPENING
Central Library, daily (except Sundays and holidays). Main Hall, 9 A. M. to 9 P. M.
Closed at 6 P. M., Saturdays excepted, during July and August. Sundays (November to April), 2 to 6 P. M.
Children's Room, 12 M. to 1.15 P. M., and 3.30 to 6 P. M.
During school vacations and Saturdays, 10 A. M. to 12 M., and 1 to 6 P. M.
West Quincy and Atlantic Reading Rooms, daily (except Sundays and holidays), 3 to 5.30 P. M., and 6.30 to 8.30 P. M. Closed Fridays at 6 P. M.
248
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES 1915
To His Honor the Mayor of Quincy.
The Trustees of the Thomas Crane Public Library submit here- with their forty-fifth annual report of the Library for the year 1915.
The record of the work of the Library each year, for many years, has shown a considerable growth in usefulness over that of its pre- decessor. The record of the year 1915 is one of continued growth and success, in some directions, but as a whole, it is disappointing.
In our report for the year 1913, we said "The Library must either march forward or fall behind in its work. It cannot simply mark time." This statement is borne out by the figures in the Librarian's report, which follows, showing that the increase in circulation has fallen far below that of any recent year. This is owing to the scanty appropriation for 1915, which enabled us to purchase only 796 new books, to supply a demand for five times that number.
Branches
The returns from the Atlantic Branch are very gratifying, and the circulation at the West Quincy branch shows a large increase over that of last year; owing to the overcrowded condition of the rooms at West Quincy, new quarters will have to be provided there in the near future.
Fire
Owing to the prompt investigation by a police officer of a light in the Library one night in February, and the quick response of our efficient Fire Department, a brisk fire was extinguished, and the damage confined to the basement of the Library. We feel that our beautiful building and its contents were saved to the people of Quincy, and are glad to be the commender of both departments.
Library Grounds
We regret a growing tendency to use the Library grounds for Park and other purposes. It has been the desire of the Trustees to keep the grounds intact, and as they are the most beautiful spot be- tween Boston and the Cape, we shall continue to jealously guard the interests of all our people from encroachment by a few.
Preparedness
This word of the hour is as applicable to Library work as to National defences, and we strongly urge the necessity of preparedness to meet the demands for books and for placing the resources of the Library nearer the homes of the people. When our water Department puts in a large main, with a view to supplying a growing demand for water;
249
when we erect a school building, with greater capacity than present needs, or purchase land for playgrounds or parks, it goes without saying it is a wise preparedness. We claim the same good business policy should be applied to the Library, and we again suggest and urge the purchase of land for branch libraries. Apropos of the above, is a petition just received, signed by over 500 residents of Wollaston, that a branch library be established in that ward; and if we read correctly between the lines, it says that the people are willing to be taxed for these privileges.
The greatest harmony has prevailed in the Board all through the year, and of the Librarian and staff we have to say "Faithful and effi- cient - and all synonyms of those words."
Respectfully submitted for the Trustees, CHARLES R. SAFFORD, Chairman.
City Appropriation
Appropriated for 1915. .
$12,325.00
Additional for Water, August, 1915.
20.00
Dog tax.
2,419.48
Total
$14,764.48
Expenditures
Central Library
Salaries and services .
$7,822.93
Books. .
1,168.67
Periodicals, Binding, and Printing.
1,698.11
Fuel and Lighting.
804.46
Sundries .
489.78
1
Total
$11,983.95
West Quincy Reading Room
Rent and Care of room.
$420.00
Salary and assistance.
790.47
Books and Periodicals, etc.
47.63
Fuel and Lighting.
101.58
Sundries.
102.65
Total.
$1,462.33
Atlantic Reading Room
Rent and Care of room.
$435.00
Salary and assistance.
661.75
Books and Periodicals, etc.
47.05
Fuel and Lighting.
90.65
Sundries .
83.75
Total
$1,318.20
Total expenditures
$14,764.48
ยท
250
TREASURER'S STATEMENT 1915 Thomas Crane Endowment Fund
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1914:
Mass. State Bonds (Cost Price) .. $19,656.75
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank .. . ..
1,085.19
Received interest on Mass. State Bonds ...
630.00
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank. . 34.75
Paid American Surety Co. bond for Treas- urer
6.25
Beckford & Lynch, repairs, lights. .
19.89
W. A. Bradford Co., repairs.
9.30
Granite Trust Co., safe deposit box. .
5.00
A. E. Green, labor on grounds.
2.00
J. C. Hayden, labor .
177.11
Patrick Heath, labor on grounds.
1.50
Holmes & Hall, repairs.
17.75
Charles Kingman, labor on grounds ...
7.75
Library Bureau, bookcases. .
115.65
Alex Nugent, labor on grounds. .
227.00
Olmsted Brothers, plan and services. .
186.07
William Leavens & Co., table ..
5.50
John G. Thomas, tiles and labor .
8.16
W. & E. Pletch Co., lawn-mowers sharpened .
2.50
Warshaw Dye House, cleansing drap- eries . 17.00
William Westland, lawn-mower, sup- plies.
21.09
Balance on Hand Dec. 31, 1915:
Mass. State Bonds (Cost Price)
19,656.75
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank
920.42
$21,406.69
$21,406.69
Catalog Fund
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1914
$3,012.59
Received from Library fines.
378.34
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank. .
100.02
Paid Ruth Alexander, reclassification and cataloging.
780.00
Boys assistance in reclassification work
413.73
Library of Congress, catalog cards ... G. W. Prescott Pub. Co., printing. Balance on hand December 31, 1915 ..
100.00
119.75
2,077.47
$3,490.95
$3,490.95
Cotton Center Johnson Fund
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1914:
Kansas City, Clay County and St. Joseph Bonds (Cost Price)
$1,890.00
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank .. 160.17 . . Received interest on Bonds Sept. 1, 1914, March 1, 1915, Sept. 1, 1915. 150.00
251
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank .
$5.82
Paid Boston Book Co., books.
49.00
De Wolfe & Fiske Co., books.
4.50
Dodd, Mead & Co., books.
64.00
Charles E. Lauriat Co., books.
3.60
Longmans, Green & Co., books
2.93
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1915;
Kansas City, Clay County and St. Joseph Bonds (Cost Price) . . Balance in Quincy Savings Bank ..
1,890.00
191.96
$2,205.99
$2,205.99
Gift of Albert Crane
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1914.
$71.20
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank.
3.46
Paid R. & J. Farquhar Co., fertilizer
$32.00
Holmes & Hall, painting signs.
8.00
Bert Miller's Express, expressage
4.00
Mrs. Walter Packard, flowers.
5.00
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1915.
25.66
$74.66
$74.66
George W. Morton Fund
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1914:
Two Kansas City Terminal Bonds, 4's
$1,880.50
Three Massachusetts Gas, 472's. . ...
2,912.38
Balance on Quincy Savings Bank. . .
314.62
Received interest on Bonds, July, 1914
Jan. 1915, July 1915. .
322.50
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank. .
26.44
Paid Art Metal Construction Co., book supports.
10.00
Mrs. W. P. Comer, book.
.75
Dictionary of Thoughts Pub. Co., book
4.85
George H. Griffith, book .
4.50
Hammond Typewriter Co., typewriter and chair.
56.50
N. Lacey, design for book-plate.
7.00
Charles E. Lauriat Co., books.
38.64
McClelland, Goodchild & Stuart Co., books.
2.25
Office Appliance Co., mimeograph.
60.00
George H. Polley & Co., books.
25.00
James J. Shannon Co., "Visigraph" platen.
3.50
John H. Williams, book.
1.13
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1915:
Two Kansas City Terminal Bonds, 4's
1,880.50
Three Massachusetts Gas, 412's.
2,912.38
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank ..
449.44
$5,456.44 $5,456.44
252
Children's Fund
Gifts of Quincy Women's Club
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1914. . $54.62
Received interest on deposit in Quincy
Savings Bank, 1914, 1915. 4.44
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1915.
$59.06
$59.06
$59.06
Mt. Wollaston Bank Account
May 8, 1913, Deposit by vote of Board by transfer from Endowment Fund. $100.00
Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1915
$100.00
$100.00
$100.00
F. MORTON SMITH,
Treasurer.
APPROVED
(Signed) H. O. FAIRBANKS, Auditor of Accts.
REPORT OF LIBRARIAN
Quincy, Mass., January 1, 1916.
To the Trustees of the Thomas Crane Public Library: -
I have the honor to submit herewith my report for the year ending December 31, 1915.
There is one regrettable fact that must obtrude itself through the pages of this report, namely: that in 1915 there was the smallest number of books added to the library's collection since the year 1908. Nevertheless, the past year has been one of unremitting activity on the part of all in the service of the library.
Because of an appropriation too limited to supply the needs of an institution whose growth in circulation, to speak of only one part of the work, may be seen by the figures 163,912 versus 81,355 in 1909, we have just been obliged to do the best we could with what material we had. Fewer new books to catalog, then the more time and energy to spend bringing the old ones into prominence and service. And so the two new display cases in front of the delivery desk have been put to excellent use in advertising the best and most interesting non-fiction both new and old; besides these, there have been placed in all available space on the reference room shelves books on questions of the day or subjects of current interest; such as Public health, Child labor, Panama exposition, European war, Merchant marine, Woman suffrage, and several others, including the activities of the seasons and holidays.
To go into detail of a few efforts touching upon local interest: - With the meeting of the National Congress of Mothers and Parent- teachers Association in Quincy, books on Child welfare were put on the open shelves; for the Health week exhibit we prepared a poster and published a list for free distribution of selected books in the library on Hygiene, with the books themselves on the open shelves;
253
also we put there books on Costume for the "revellers", and on topics of the lectures before the Current events class of the Wollaston Woman's Club. In short, the "human touch" that has marked the past year's work of the library in a greater degree than usual has been a keen pleasure to the Librarian. All these matters have been the subject of our weekly notes in the "Daily Ledger", and our thanks for this free publicity are here tendered.
In April, through the interest of Miss Campbell, director of work with foreigners for the Free Library Commission, we were enabled to have a free lecture in the Italian language by Prof. Pecorini, for which we were granted the use of the New Adams school hall by the School Department. This was attended by about 100 Italians and did somewhat to stimulate their interest in the library. It was fol- lowed by a loan of more books from the Commission, which also lent us books in the German language.
We have had the usual number of exhibits from the Library Art Club; have borrowed a set of pictures on India for an indefinite period and lent them to one of the study clubs, and had on exhibition photographs of our own and neighboring libraries by Willis Garey, and a bronze plaster bust of his father by Bruce Saville.
In an editiorial of the Library Journal appears the following: - "Contrast is often drawn, both in counsel to librarians and in library reports, between statistics and 'the human touch', i.e., between quantity and quality in library work. What should be emphasized is that neither can be neglected. Quite truly the 'how much' may be of less importance than the 'how well', yet libraries must be judged by a combination of the two standards. A book well read is better than three books circulated but only half read, yet the circulation department of a library must be tested out from the financial point of view by the statistics of circulation."
Circulation - Accessions
I submit the following; the figures speak for themselves.
Books bought City Appropriation
Funds
Total of Circulation
1910
12,950
28
2,978
$13,891
1911
1,789
10
1,799
12,651
1912
2,345
74
2,419
12,677
1913
1,998
34
2,032
*30,427
1914
1,986
43
2,029
10,850
1915
1,083
117
1,200
2,076
+West Quincy reading Room opened
*60% of increase over 1912 due to opening Atlantic reading room
In the year 1909, the first complete year in the building as enlarged, the appropriation was $9,000. The years that have followed have brought an increase in certain fixed charges due to enlargement of building, opening 12 hours daily to the public, and extension of the library system through the two Branch reading rooms. Accordingly there was more money for the purchase of books with $9,000 than in 1915 with $14,764.
While each attendent at the desk, whoever may be on duty, has tried her utmost to not allow a single patron to leave the desk unsatis- fied, with the diminished purchases of fiction, both new and replace-
Increase
254
ments, the past year, the reason is not far to seek for the decrease in circulation from the Main desk, a large part of the demand being for the latest novels. Although this striving to please has really been more difficult than if books desired could have been supplied, and although over 15,000 volumes of our best fiction have been rotated on the open shelves, it hath profited us nothing, and the returns here show a decrease in circulation of 3,209, with a falling off in fiction issued of 2,233.
Needs
It is evident from the above that, with all our good will and best efforts, the library must decrease in circulation and efficiency unless we can have more books. If we can buy in 1916 some fiction that we have failed to purchase, as well as the new publications, buying two or more copies of these, and can have some of our good older fiction replaced by clean books, then that part of the library's work which stands for entertainment - no less a province than instruction - will grow.
But I cannot state the need so easily when it comes to that for works on turbines and rotary engines; in fact, for all sorts of practical up-to-date works on machinery and engineering, machine-shop prac- tice, naval architecture, mechanical drawing, and other like subjects which a library in a city with industries such as ours should most certainly be able to supply. Although the actual present need is to keep the old collection up and to buy more new books at the Central Library in order to keep it in an efficient working condition for the demands upon it of the Branches already established, the Librarian is in entire sympathy with the call from Wollaston for larger and better service from the library for that section.
Branch Reading Rooms
We were fortunate last year in being able to secure larger accom - modations for the very flourishing Branch reading room at Atlantic. The enlarged work here is much more easily carried on and the cir- culation returns show an increase of 2,157; total 33,233, and Miss Saville feels confident that if she could get the books needed the figures would be still larger. The Branch has received gifts of books and framed pictures; had four Story Hours by Miss Packard, and supplied books for the neighboring school.
The West Quincy reading room, after five and a half years of increasing usefulness is now in cramped quarters, and larger accom- modations are a necessity. It would seem economy for the library to own its Branch buildings where the growing work on many sides could be carried on to best advantage.
In spite of all drawbacks of crowded space and lack of tables and chairs, the circulation here shows an increase in 1915 of 1,752, a total of 30,406 volumes issued. Much work has been done for better reading among the children, and with the increase of circulation fiction has fallen off over 2 per cent. Two Story Hours have been given here by Miss Callahan.
The growth of the work of these two reading rooms as shown by the above figures demonstrates the need of their having their own permanent collections for reference and school use, as well as the continuance of a deposit with 100 or so volumes exchanged monthly from the Central library. In other words, they have now outgrown
255
the mere deposit station and reading room stage and should be Branch libraries in reality. It can be seen that with a circulation of above 30,000 at each Branch on the small deposit of 1,100 or 1,200 books, the wear and tear costs the life of the books.
A plan has already been started for a deposit station at the Fore River Shipbuilding Corporation.
Children's Room
Although during the past year we bought duplicate copies of the few new books purchased for this room, for the use of the Main hall, Branches, and schools, both these books and the old ones have seen so much service that the collection is now entirely inadequate, and, with several hundred absolutely worn out volumes waiting to be re- placed, numbers not more than 3,000 working volumes. Much as the lack of money for books has been felt elsewhere, this is really the place that has suffered most. As was referred to in the report for 1914 there is little work with the schools that we can do compared with that of other libraries for lack of funds to supply sufficient material.
Some few picture puzzles have been given to the Children's room, and we have a few picture books that were new "once upon a time". But all are worn, soiled and torn from constant use, a pitiful supply for the eager eyes and fingers of the children of all nationalities. We would welcome most heartily any gifts in this direction or of money for the purpose.
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