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 1948 > Part 4
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SECTION IV CHARITIES
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE GENERAL RELIEF AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN OLD AGE ASSISTANCE CITY PHYSICIAN
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Department of Public Welfare
This Department is set up in three Divisions. These are (1) General Relief, (2) Aid to Dependent Children, and (3) Old Age Assistance. The administration of General Relief and Aid to De- pendent Children is carried on at the main office at 117 School Street, and the Division of Old Age Assistance is administered from several offices on the third floor of the Quincy Savings Bank building. The City Home located at 2 Sea Street is maintained as a sub-division of General Relief.
(1) GENERAL RELIEF: This Division handles all problems which do not come under the jurisdiction of Old Age Assistance or Aid to Dependent Children. Matters administered by this Division consist of aid which results from problems such as: unemployment, illness, intoxication, divorce, desertion, separation, strikes, and other related conditions.
Although Quincy's largest industry, the Fore River Shipyard, operated at a greater capacity in 1948 than in 1947, other smaller in- dustries in and around Quincy, as in other parts of the state, cut back their payrolls considerably. This condition increased during the year so that it became particularly noticeable in the closing months of 1948, and as a result many workmen, along with their families, were forced to call upon the City for assistance.
As was emphasized in the Department report of 1947, economic conditions have changed to the extent that we. now have an "employer's market." Persons applying for positions in all types of industry are encountering considerable competition for these jobs. This is particularly true of applicants who are either partially disabled or are advancing into old age. This is an important factor in con- sidering the present aid situation.
During the year, General Relief was called upon to handle 763 new or reopened cases, consisting of approximately 3,815 people. The latter figure represents a decrease of 13% from that of 1947. However, the large increase of applicants occuring in 1947 resulted in the carrying over of many cases into 1948. These added to the 1948 total of new or reopened cases increased the total so that by the end of 1948, 292 cases were on General Relief, making an actual increase of 9% for 1948 over 1947. It is estimated that the average number of persons in a family on General Relief is five, thus making an estimated total of 1,500 persons on General Relief at the close oi 1948.
Many cases handled by this Division in 1948 were those of veterans or their dependents who had been refused assistance, for one reason or another, by the Veterans' Services Department.
The net cost to the City for General Relief in 1948 was $118,000 which is an increase of 17% over the 1947 total of $100,193. This
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percentage difference is contrasted to the case load increase of 9% for the close of 1948 over the same time in 1947. However, it is pointed out that the net cost to the City would have been much greater had not all cases been put through the process of strict screening, intensive investigation, and constant rehabilitation. The policy of referring all able-bodied men for employment was continued in 1948. This policy was very successful in the early part of the year; but the increase of layoffs in certain industries toward the close of the year was so great that all could not be placed and as a result, many able-bodied men were receiving assistance.
Due to the fact that many private social agencies are now in the category of service organizations, the financial burden of many more cases is being borne by the City.
During 1948, 143 case referrals were received from other cities and towns, of which number 98 were accepted and 45 denied. In like manner, acknowledgments were received from other cities and towns on 233 cases. To further explain the preceding figures, it is pointed out that the Division of General Relief must assist all "Quincy settled" cases regardless of residence, in accordance with the Settlement Laws of Massachusetts.
Local persons displaced by fire, evictions, and other causes again presented a problem to General Relief. During the year many families were placed in the City Home and four other families had to make use of a remodelled warehouse for shelter.
As was pointed out previously, the cost of operating the Division of General Relief was proportionately higher than the general rise in other costs both locally and nationally. On many occasions, through sheer necessity, the Division was forced to pay very high rents for accommodations in so called rooming houses, lodging houses, and "kitchen privilege" apartments. Another type of assistance affected by rising costs is that of hospitalization, a large portion of total relief. During the year, the Massachusetts Hospital School and Tewksbury State Hospital, under the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, raised their rates. These and other hospital rate increases bring the mini- mum rate for hospitalization up to $8.00 per day. One can easily visualize to what tremendous proportions this type of assistance would reach if conditions made it necessary to send abnormally large num- bers of relief cases to hospitals.
During 1948, the clinic which for many years had been operated as a service to persons on aid was closed. This action was taken, when, after a conference with medical authorities, it was felt that in- dividuals could be better cared for at the offices of private physicians. This new policy so far has worked out satisfactorily but, if the present case load continues to increase, it may be necessary to reopen the clinic.
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CITY HOME: The Home is set up mainly to furnish accommoda- tions for elderly people who, for one reason or another, have not been able to properly adjust themselves by living in other places. However, as was the case in 1947, the Home served as a haven for many evicted families who were unable to find other shelter. The occupants of the Home maintain a large vegetable garden and in 1948 a large quantity of these vegetables were consumed by the people at the Home.
As was stated in previous reports, the Home is in immediate need of a new roof, painting on the outside, a new central heating plant, and sundry new equipment. It is also recommended that a suitable recreation house be built in the rear of the Home, for the male occupants.
(2) AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN: During 1948 changes in matching payments were made by the Federal Government. The system of control was changed and payments were allowed to be made direct to hospitals. In September 1948, by order of the Mass- achusetts Department of Public Welfare, budgets were increased by 8.3%. This order accounted for the major part of the increased operating costs of this Division in 1948 over those of 1947.
The number of new or reopened cases added to the rolls in 1948 was 39. These, minus 30 cases closed during the year, accounted for an increase of exactly nine cases making for a total of 118 cases on the rolls at the end of 1948 compared with 109 cases at the end of 1947.
AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN CASE LOAD -- DECEMBER 31, 1948
Widows
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Divorced or legally separated 29
Deserted
3
Incapacitated
14
Remarried widow
3
Man in prison
3
Child with unmarried mother
1
Child with relatives
6
Total 118
(3) OLD AGE ASSISTANCE: During 1948, as was the case with Aid to Dependent Children, the Federal Government effected changes in matching payments and in the system of control. At the close of the year there were 1286 persons receiving this type of assistance compared to 1226 at the close of 1947, an increase of approximately 5%.
Grants for Old Age Assistance in 1948 amounted to $887,475, an increase of 17% over the 1947 total of $750,088. The bulk of this in- crease is attributable to the fact that the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare authorized more liberalized grants of assistance.
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As was stated in previous years, it is not unreasonable to expect a continual growth in the activities of this Division. This growth is absolutely certain unless the Federal Government takes some acion to increase Social Security benefits to persons over sixty-five years of age. If newspaper releases are any criterion, additional benefits to this underpaid group will surely be forthcoming.
Again, it is recommended that consideration be given to the establishment of an out-patient department at the Quincy City Hospital. Such a move would be a much needed relief in the handling of the diverse medical problems encountered by this Department.
Complete financial reports can be found in Section IX of this report.
SECTION V DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICE
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Department of Veterans' Services
It is estimated that at the present time there are in Quincy approximately 15,000 veterans of World War II and 3000 veterans of World War I and other Wars. The total of these combined with their wives, children, widows, mothers, and fathers, bring about an estimated grand total of 60 to 65 thousand persons with potential legal claims for various types of assistance from the Department of Veterans' Services.
Employment in the Quincy area during 1948 reached such pro- portions that assistance to veterans and their dependents was, in all probability, at the lowest point to be expected for some years to come. As a result, only $84,000 was spent by this Department for assistance to veterans and their dependents; approximately 50% or $42,000 was received from the State as a reimbursement in subsidy. A large proportion of the amount expended was not for the veteran himself, but rather for assistance rendered to widows children, and aged fathers and mothers of the veteran. A further result of the bright em- ployment picture was that of the abolition of the Department job placement officer. A survey showed that the number of veterans seeking employment and requesting assistance had decreased to such a negligible figure that by the end of the year, the position was abolished as a practical measure.
In a like view, requests of veterans for information and advice on schooling, job training, and apprentice training fell off sharply in 1948 from other years.
On the other hand, increases for advice and assistance were noted in the fields of insurance, hospitalization for service incurred disabili- ties, pensions, the purchasing of homes, and diversified legal problems.
Attention is directed to the fact that in 1948, Quincy had the distinction of winning an opinion from the Attorney General of the State that the City should be reimbursed to the amount of 50% for all veterans and dependent cases in our local City Hospital, where aid had been requested from the Veterans' Services Department. Pre- viously the State had refused to reimburse Quincy and other munici- palities having tax supported hospitals. An appeal to the Governor and his Council, referred to the Attorney General for decision decided the law in favor of the City of Quincy.
It can be reasonably assumed that there will be a Department for Veterans' Services as long as there are veterans, or their depen- dents, within the City of Quincy. Contrary to some opinions, or expectations, expenses incurred in aid of veterans do not necessarily decrease with the reduction in the number of living veterans within the City. This is only partially true. Actually the determining factor in financial assistance to veterans, as a whole, is the prevailing age of the veteran population. At the present time this average age is
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very low. The great majority of veterans in this City have not yet reached their 30th birthday. The greatest expense incurred by a Veterans Department in aid of veterans is that of hospitalization and resultant aid to dependents. Veterans in the younger age group are not as exposed to the risk of chronic diseases as are those in the older age groups. As this prevailing age group moves progressively into older age groups, their number will lessen but their exposure, susceptibility, and hence contraction of chronic diseases will increase al a greater rate, offsetting any numerical losses. The high birth rates of the postwar years allied with the only slight decrease in births to veterans, expected for the coming few years should bring a large number of minor dependents along with the veterans who will be advancing into older age groups, thus maintaining a large volume of potential aid cases. Chronic diseases such as heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, etc., are long term and usually require varying terms of hospitalization, often lengthy. Therefore, it will be worth noting for future reference that a smaller number of veterans in middle and older age groups, along with their dependents, constitute a greater potential problem of assistance than do a larger number of veterans, with less dependents, in the younger age group. The latter constitute the bulk of Quincy veterans at the present time. Of course, the employment situation in the future is a prevailing factor, but ex- perience has proved that no matter how commanding a wage may be, it is rarely sufficient to meet the double expenses, medical and family, of long term hospitalization. This matter is purely hypothetical, but one which is worthy of note in estimating future expenses-in-aid.
SECTION VI
HIGHWAY DIVISION MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS HARBOR MASTER PARKS DEPARTMENT RECREATION COMMISSION CEMETERY DIVISION
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HT
.
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Highway Division
(Department of Public Works)
The chief functions of this Division of the Department of Public Works are those which are concerned with street cleaning, street and sidewalk repairs and construction, equipment maintenance, maintenance of drains, snow removal, street lighting and highway miscellaneous activities.
The winter of 1947-48 found the City confronted with one of the highest accumulations of snowfall on record. From January 1st through the month of March, the entire facilities of this division were used for snow removal. The inadequate equipment of the City was supplemented by all the private equipment available to keep all the thoroughfares passable through repeated snowstorms. Icy conditions caused by the intense cold which lasted throughout this period made necessary the use of an enormous amount of sand on the streets, and hence, a concentrated effort was made in the early Spring to clear the streets of this sand.
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1
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HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
New construction was completed on six streets, and eleven stree's were completed in the rebuilding program. Bituminous concrete side- walks were built on eleven streets, and curbing was installed on twelve streets.
During the year, the car tracks on Hancock, Saville, Temple and Washington Streets in the Quincy Square area were removed and the streets resurfaced, thus, greatly improving the appearance of Quincy Square. In addition, the car tracks on Hancock Street from Quincy Square to the Neponset Bridge were covered.
Under the heading of Highway miscellaneous activities, repairs were made to the several City maintained overpasses and footbridges. Minor repairs were made to the various City fences and all signs re- quired by ordinance for traffic control were prepared. The Christmas tree stands were painted and set out, and the usual posters for assist- ing the Red Cross and Community Fund campaigns were erected.
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*******
CITY HALL.
CITY HALL
Municipal Buildings
The maintenance of City Hall, the Police Station, the seven Fire Stations, the City Home, the Welfare Building, the City Dispensary and the Atlantic Community Building is charged to this Division.
Proposals for the repairing of the City Home were received during the year, but the bids submitted were too high for the amount of money appropriated. The repairs, though badly needed, will have to be included in the 1949 program.
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Construction of the Squantum School addition and the Houghs Neck Fire Station was carried on during the year.
Harbor Master
The chief duties of the Harbor Master are those which deal with happenings along the 25 miles of Quincy Coastline. Among these duties is the responsibility of checking and tabulating all shipping, both outgoing and incoming, to the port.
During 1948, emergency trips were made to 14 boa's which were either in distress afloat, aground, or capsized. Several rowboats adrift were recovered and all were claimed. Beacons extinguished and buoys out of position were reported to the responsible agency.
As of December 31, there were 168 boats of various types stored in the boatyards of the Town River.
It is also noted that the project of enlarging the mooring basin ot the Town River was continued during the year.
Park Department
For many years, since its inception to June 1948, the Park Board was charged with the double responsibility of maintaining all property used for playground purposes as well as the complete supervision of all recreational activities conducted on these playgrounds.
In June 1948, the latter duty, namely, that of recreational planning and supervision, was removed from this Board and set up as the chief responsibility of a new Department called the Recreation Com- mission - the first annual report of which immediately follows. There- fore, the responsibility of the Park Department is now concentrated on maintenance in general, which in particular consists of such duties as grading, seeding, painting, masonry, construction, and carpentry.
The establishment of the above mentioned Recreation Commission, with its year-round program, necessitates additional grants of land for playground purposes. This calls for more maintenance, a job which can be more easily handled since the relinquishment of the supervisory duties to this Commission.
During 1948, 7 new sets of bleachers were erected at the following baseball parks: O'Neil (2), Fore River (1), La Breque (1), Welcome Young (1), O'Rourke (1), and Kincaide (1). Outside basketball equip- ment was installed in every Ward in the City. In this regard, an
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asphalt court was constructed on the Fenno Street side of Merrymount Park for the convenience of the many interested boys in that dis'rict. Contracts were awarded for rebuilding the infield at Fore River Field and for the same type of project on the outfield at O'Rourke Field. The Department itself began, in the Fall, to construct a first-class grass infield at O'Rourke Field in West Quincy. All of these im- provements will be completed for the beginning of the next baseball season.
The Quincy Municipal Stadium with a turf which is as good as any of its kind in the State, was the scene of forty-six football games during the year. These games, along with many other activities conducted in the Stadium necessarily caused a great deal of wear and tear on the field. The usual seeding and fertilizing, along with constant care, kept this field in the best of playing condition at all times.
The new playground at Columbia Street in South Quincy was further developed by the planting of trees on three sides of the field. This project resulted in the dual advantage of beautification and ample shade protection for the children making use of this playground.
Perry Beach, located at the foot of Parkhurst Street in Houghs Neck, was cleaned, graded and sanded over a large area. The sanding of this beach is a continuation of a policy which began several years ago - that of making our pebble-covered beaches more comfortable for bathing purposes.
The beauty of historic Maypole Park will be further enhanced by the construction of a retaining wall, for which purpose a contract has been awarded.
Softball is becoming more popular yearly. The organization of an increasing number of teams and leagues demand more available playing fields. As it is not desirable to damage baseball diamonds by using them for softball fields, new playing surfaces must be con- structed for our softball enthusiasts. A good start to meet this problem was made in 1948. This was accomplished by laying out regulation softball diamonds at Fore River Field, Kincaide Park, O'Rourke Field and Montclair Field. In this regard, $5,000 has been asked for the installation of floodlights at Merrymount Park, the granting of which will make this the finest softball field in the City.
It is regrettable to close a report of such a progressive and successful nature with a thoroughly discouraging note. This un- pleasant subject is that which is commonly known as "vandalism" or more specifically, that of the havoc wrought on Park Department property by groups of incompetent and poorly trained youth. Each year has seen destruction of this type, and 1948 was certainly no exception. The toll of damage this year included the destruction of the new memorial at Kavanaugh Stadium in North Quincy and the
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reduction to a state of disrepair of the Girl Scout Camp at Pine Island. All of this damage must be repaired at a cost to the taxpayer. Pre- vention is the only sure means of protection, and this can only be accomplished by educating the public as to their responsibility in this matter.
Recreation Commission
On June 1, 1948, by the appointment of a seven member Recrea- tion Commission, the idea of completely organized recreation was crystallized. The establishment of this Commission is an example of the many progressive steps taken by the City for the health, wel- fare and recreation of its citizens, of all ages, in recent years.
The purpose of this Commission is to create and organize a recreation program for people of all ages in the City of Quincy. Previously, this function of City service was incorporated in the duties of the Park Department. At that time, the arrangement under the Park Board was considered adequate, but increased demands for more and better facilities, inclusive of all ages, coupled with the fact that truly organized and efficient recreation requires a full time pro- tessional approach, necessitated the formation of a commission to regulate and control a truly ambitious program.
This move gave to the Park Department a more definite role in the field of recreation. The Park Board was released from recreational supervision and charged with concentrating its duties on the physical requirements of the new recreational arrangement. This step did not subordinate the Park Board to that of a service function to the Recrea- tion Commission, but rather maintained it, at a level with this new Commission as a co-operative agency. This close relationship was further cemented by the appointment to the Recreation Commission of the three members of the Park Board. Thus the Commission had in its membership three men, common to both services, with an intimate knowledge of the physical and material requirements for a well- planned program combined with many years of actual experience in recreational supervision. These, along with four additional mem- bers appointed by the Mayor, having the experience and qualified leadership requirements so necessary in supervised recreation, tend to form a unit capable of meeting all the potential problems which will necessarily arise from an ambitious and efficiently operated program. In the absence of a full time director, the Commission itself has been handling the actual supervisory duties; however, the approval, under Civil Service laws and regulations, of a full time director will complete this organization.
For an organization which was set up in operation a comparatively short time ago, the Recreation Commission showed evidence of re- markable progress in 1948.
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The following outline, in tabular form, presents some of the services and volume of activity associated with these services in 1948.
QUINCY RECREATION COMMISSION REPORT - 1948
TOTAL
A. PAID RECREATIONAL LEADERS
Part-time (men 54, women 49)
103
Volunteer Workers Including Board Members
(men 10, women 6) . . .
16
B. PLAYGROUNDS UNDER LEADERSHIP
Year Round
14
Summers Only
20
Open First Time 1948
10
Total Different Playgrounds
34
Average Daily Attendance (estimate) 1,550
Accumulated Season
62,628
C. RECREATION BUILDINGS AND OTHER INDOOR CENTERS
UNDER LEADERSHIP
Recreation Buildings (large)
4
Total Attendance
4,256
Recreation Buildings (other)
2
Indoor Recreation Centers
18
Open First Time in 1948
14
Total Attendance (Jr. anl Sr. Units) 22,420
Centers used exclusively for youth groups
14
D. RECREATION FACILITIES
Baseball Diamonds (regulation)
13
Bathing Beaches (under supervision)
3
Open First Time in 1948
3
Softball Diamonds
8
Tennis Courts
21
Athletic Fields (major sports area,
provisions for track and field events)
2
Bowling Greens
1
Horseshoe Courts
24
Ice Skating Areas
3
Picnic Areas
2
Stadiums (permanent seating)
13
Theatres (outdoor)
1
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HANCOCK CEMETERY
Cemetery Division
If the number of burials at Mount Wollaston Cemetery increases at the accelerating rate of 1948 and the year immediately preceding 1948, it can be reasonably expected that in five or six years the present site will not have adequate space for the laying out of new lots. A new site will be needed in order to alleviate this condition, and immediate action is necessary so that the situation which exists at the present time will not become one of an emergency nature within the space of the next few years.
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