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 1950 > Part 3
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During 1950 the Quincy school system further advanced its usefulness to pupils in several fields. A course of automobile driver education was added to the curriculum. All fifth graders were given sodium fluoride treatment for their teeth. Provision was made for the aptitude testing of the entire tenth grade. Plans were adopted for a sight conservation class for pupils at the junior high school level. A revolving athletic fund was set up, allowing for future expansion of the athletic program.
The instructional personnel of the regular schools includes 133 senior high school teachers, 79 junior high school teachers, 239 elementary teachers, 18 principals, 6 directors and 18 special teachers. There are 16 teachers in the Trade school, seven in- structors in the adult civic education department, and 59 in var- ious phases of evening school work. There are 13 employes listed under the heading of general control, 10 clerks, 9 connected with coordinate and auxiliary agencies and 66 in the custodial and maintenance staffs.
44
ATTENDANCE - REGULAR DAY SCHOOLS For the Year Ending June 23, 1950
SCHOOL
Number of Boys
Number of Girls
Number of Different Pupils En-
rolled Exclusive of re-enroll-
ments in the City
Average Membership
Average Daily Attendance
Percent of Attendance
Quincy High
639
807
1446
1378
1283
93.1
North Quincy High
878
835
1713
1651
1553
94.1
Central Junior High
375
365
740
700
652
93.1
Quincy Point Junior High
220
217
437
418
393
94.0
Class for Older Boys
28
28
32
27
84.4
South Junior High
287
281
568
546
518
94.9
Adams
199
166
365
354
328
92.7
Atherton Hough
368
324
692
649
605
93.2
Coddington
135
138
273
249
229
92.0
Cranch
135
135
270
255
236
92.5
Daniel Webster
204
179
383
359
335
93.3
Francis W. Parker
283
251
534
501
464
92.6
Gridley Bryant
104
100
204
196
185
94.4
John Hancock
110
99
209
202
190
94.1
Lincoln
159
146
305
292
272
93.2
Massachusetts Fields
361
304
665
622
577
92.8
Merrymount
124
127
251
244
228
93.4
Montclair
274
303
577
549
513
93.4
Nathaniel S. Hunting
150
135
285
271
251
92.6
Quincy
252
254
506
481
445
92.5
Squantum
157
158
315
302
283
93.7
Thomas B. Pollard
170
111
281
265
247
93.2
Washington
90
103
193
173
161
93.1
Willard
181
171
352
337
315
93.5
Wollaston
270
263
533
507
469
92.5
Physically Handicapped Class
8
9
17
15
13
86.7
Sight Conservation Class
8
7
15
14
13
92.9
Totals
6,169
5,988
12,157
11,562
10,785
93.3
Trade School
239
239
192
176
91.7
45
COMPARATIVE DATA RELATIVE TO ENROLLMENT, ATTENDANCE, AND PUPIL-TEACHER RATIO-1940-1950
School Year September-June
Number of Boys
Number of Girls
Number of Different Pupils
Enrolled Exclusive of Re-
enr. Ilments in the City
Average Membership
Average Daily Attendance
Per Cent of Attendance
Average No. of Pupils per
Teacher, Elem. Schools *
Average No. of Pupils per
Teacher, High Schools *
Average No. of Pupils per
Teacher, Jr. High Schools *
1950
6,169
5,988
12,157
11,562
10,785
93.3
29
23
21
1949
6,068
5,903
11,971
11,399
10,581
92.8
31
24
22
1948
5,876
5,731
11,607
10,995
10,216
92.9
31
24
23
1947
5,825
5,666
11,491
10,861
10,188
93.8
31
24
24
1946
5,814
5,845
11,659
10,952
10,164
92.8
33
25
24
1945
5,898
5,867
11,765
11,055
10,202
92.3
33
26
25
1944
5,923
5,960
11,883
11,021
10,021
90.9
32
25
27
1943
6,217
6,253
12,470
11,510
10,483
91.1
32
25
27
1942
6,600
6,544
13,144
12,212
11,439
93.7
31
25
28
1941
6,947
6,855
13,802
12,913
11,989
92.8
32
27
27
1940
7,077
6,996
14,073
13,370
12,677
94.8
32
28
28
* Based on averaged membership.
46
FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING
DECEMBER 31, 1950
Appropriated by City Council (exclusive of Federal Funds) Less transfers
$2,531,380.00 10,975.00
Appropriated for outstanding 1949 bills and contracts
18,955.60
Total available (exclusive of Federal Funds)
$2,539,360.60
Expended, Regular and State-Aided Schools (and
Classes)* (exclusive of Federal Funds) $2,444,493.32
Outstanding bills and contracts; salaries held over 72,997.47
2,517,490.79
Balance
$ 21,869.81
Itemized Expenditures
Additional Equipment
$ 37,836.11
Coordinate and Auxiliary Agencies
53,993.58
Evening Academic School
3,386.44
General Control
55,234.83
Instruction
1,766,514.23
Maintenance
138,969.44
Miscellaneous
5,188.91
Operation of Plant
258,037.10
Pensions
10,645.00
Travel Outside State
470.20
Total for Regular Schools
$2,330,275.84
Adult Civic Education $ 1,529.66
Distributive Occupations
2,305.07
Distributive Occupations, George Barden Fund
2,305.00
Evening Apprenticeship Classes
6,201.97
Evening Practical Arts
13,555.26
Evening Practical Arts Smith Hughes Fund
382.85
Evening Trade Extension
4,012.25
Evening Trade Extension Smith Hughes Fund 100.72
Out of City Industrial
3,323.55
Trade School
83,289.72
Trade School Smith Hughes Fund
1,510.89
Total for State-Aided Schools (and
Classes) *
$ 118,516.94
Less: George Barden Fund $2,305.00
Smith Hughes Fund 1,994.46
4,299.46
114,217.48
Total Expenditure (exclusive of Federal Funds)
$2,444,493.32
All public schools are state-aided to the extent that the city receives reimbursement from the state. The term "State-Aided" as contrasted with "Regular" applies to special types of education for which the state and, in some instances, the federal government make special appropriations.
47
$2,520,405.00
Thomas Crane Public Library
The year 1950 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of Galen W. Hill as librarian of the Thomas Crane Public Library. In his annual report to the trustees, the 80th in the series, Mr. Hill reviewed some of the accomplishments of the library during the past quarter of a century.
When he took the position of librarian in February, 1926, Mr. Hill found the system consisting of the Crane Memorial Library, seven branches, a hospital library just starting, an ex- tensive service of class room libraries in the elementary schools and a high per capita circulation of books. During the next three years three more branch libraries were established.
This expansion was external, however, and it was apparent that unless the system deteriorate immediate plans must be made for internal expansion: first, in the acquisition of more books to meet the increasing need, and, second, in the development of special services.
"As the first goal, 'enough books to meet the demands', I am afraid that can never be attained," Mr. Hill points out in his report this year. "However, in my first six years we were able to secure increased book appropriations that gave a good start toward meeting our needs. This was fortunate for the depres- sion, which began in 1930, was the period when the demand was greatest and our circulation boomed to an all time high, 901,823 books borrowed in 1933.
"In twenty-five years the book collection has gone from 62,494 on January 1, 1926, to 149,106 on December 31, 1950 while at least 90,000 books have been discarded as worn out, obsolescent or lost, for without regular weeding a library cannot hope to have an active collection."
The second goal, the improvement of existing library serv- ices and the development of new services, Mr. Hill pointed out, included : appointment of a reference librarian in 1930 and the development of this department on a full time schedule; segrega- tion of books on art and technical subjects in one room and the development of this department in 1932; the beginning of the music collection in the same year; development of a readers' ad- visory service: mounting and cataloging of more than 10,000 pictures as a W.P.A. project.
The major accomplishment of the past quarter of a century, he pointed out, was the construction of the library addition in 1939, The new building housed the reference room, art and technical books, the expanded music department, offices, a staff room, a lecture and exhibit room and the boys and girls depart- ment, which, since 1932, had been provided quarters by the pur- chase of a private residence on Spear street.
48
COMPLETES QUARTER CENTURY OF SERVICE
....
GALEN W. HILL
Librarian, Thomas Crane Public Library
49
"One project which I hoped to be realized, I am afraid must be postponed to less chaotic times," Mr. Hill reports this year. "This is the erection of a branch library building in the northern section of the city within easy distance of North Quincy High school, a branch that might consolidate perhaps two of our present branches and would also be large enough to contain a reference library and a collection of books sufficient to provide high school students, college students and serious readers of that section with a library service commensurate with that of the main building at Quincy Square. Such a building and such services are badly needed."
During the past 25 years the personnel has grown from 13 to 35 assistants. Of the original board of trustees who appointed Mr. Hill in 1926, only one, Miss Georgiana C. Lane, has remained in continuous services. Her record in 1950 is 28 years as a trustee.
Record for 1950
The total circulation of books for the year of 1950 was 546,812, to which can be added 27,236 phonograph records and 14,998 mounted pictures. The total circulation figure is 589,046, practically seven per capita. Borrowers registered at the end of the year were: adults, 13,212; juvenile, 8,890; total, 22,102; or about 25 percent of the population.
The home use of books and magazines was, at the end of May, 10,000 above the figure for the same period in 1949; but the outbreak of hostilities in Korea marked a shift into reverse so that by the end of the year the annual figure showed a gain of only 1,365 over the preceding year.
"Other libraries report almost identical experiences with their home loans," Mr. Hill pointed out, "The causes being gener- ally attributed to a rapid shift to a war-time economy; with the phenominal increase in home television installments an import- ant factor."
The year 1950 was marked by : one, the increasing proportion of non-fiction borrowed; two, a gain of 40 per cent in the loans of the 'teen age library; three, the increasing use of the music room and the marked gain in the loan of records; four, the addi- tion and cataloging of 9,550 books as against the withdrawal of 4,307; and, five, the installation of fluorescent lighting in the main reading room of the older building.
51
Dept. of Veterans Service
A grand total of 14,728 persons sought either advice or as- sistance from the department of Veterans' Services during 1950.
Edmund F. Genereau, director of the department, estimated that more than 60,000 Quincy citizens are entitled to seek advice or assistance from his bureau. Of this grand total about 20,00 are veterans, and the others have veteran-connected status through kinship with veterans.
During the year the department successfully processed 614 pension and compensation claims for veterans and their de- pendents.
"The invasion of South Korea by the communists has pro- duced a violent change in the civilian business and industrial life of our city," the director pointed out in his annual report, "Many hundreds of our citizens have been called back from a reserve status to active duty with the armed forces. Other hun- dreds have been drafted into the service for the first time.
"The resultant loss of estimated income into thousands of homes in Quincy has made it necessary for many families to apply for assistance from this department-a condition which has no foreseeable change for many months to come."
Public Works Department
The public works department of Quincy comes in closer con- tact, perhaps, with the daily lives of citizens than does any other municipal department. It constructs and maintains their streets, collects their garbage and trash, protects their trees, fights their mosquitos and builds and maintains their public buildings through its various divisions. Through its two largest divisions it furnishes water and sewerage facilities.
Since the public works department comes in such close con- tact with the day to day life of each Quincy resident, a break- down, even though temporary, in any one of its several divisions instantly affects their well being. A break in a water main may leave thousands of homes without water for many hours, perhaps an entire day. A defective storm drain may flood a dozen cellars and cause heavy property damage. For these reasons the public works department, by virtue of its functions, is the most vulner- able of all municipal agencies to public criticism. Frequently the breakdown in service results from conditions over which the department has no control.
52
Highway Division
The highway division carried on its usual work of cleaning streets, repairing streets and sidewalks, repairing equipment and maintenance of drains. In addition to the routine work, the Saville street overpass was largely replanked and temporary repairs were made at the Bates Avenue bridge, which has been considered un- safe for heavy vehicles and will have to be rebuilt shortly.
This division, through its sign department, erected, replaced and maintained street signs; painted traffic lines and set out stands for Christmas decorations. Mechanics checked and repaired parking meters.
Municipal Buildings
During the year public works department employees painted the upper and lower corridors of the council chambers, several offices in the city hall and the exterior trim of the building. The exterior of all fire stations were repainted, and repairs were made to both Central fire station and the police station.
During the year the four-room addition to the Atherton Hough School was completed by Clark and Smith, Inc., from de- signs by Albert West, Quincy architect. A contract was let to A. Piotti company for additions and alterations to the Wollaston school from plans by Carrol and Paul Coletti, Quincy architects. The Old Colony Crushed Stone company was awarded the contract for filling the site of the Fenno street school. Coletti brothers are also the architects on this project.
Sanitary Division
Rubbish and garbage collections in 1950 were approximately on the same schedule as during the past few years. However late in the year contracts were let for the purchase of almost an entire new fleet of rubbish and garbage trucks, promising in- creased efficiency and reduced operational costs after it has been delivered and placed in operation.
Forestry and Gypsy Moth
Removal and destruction of trees affected by the deadly Dutch Elm disease took up much of the time of this department during the year. The routine spraying to destroy gypsy moths and brown- tails, as required by law, was carried on; as was the annual pro- gram for beautifying the city through the maintenance of flower beds. Some mosquito spraying was done by the department, but the bulk of this work was carried on by contract.
53
Engineering Department
The engineering department, a subsidiary of the public works department, is at the beck and call of all divisions of the municipal government needing engineering services. Annually it receives almost countless requests for estimates, surveys and recommen- dations in connection with the many projects under consideration by the executive and legislative branches, such as street accept- ances and widenings; street, sewer and storm drain construction, land takings and the like.
The engineers prepare plans for all land takings and street acceptances ; they prepare descriptions of land to be sold for taxes; they establish grades for new construction, and they do the engineering work incident to the construction of public buildings, streets, sewers, storm drains. One of their many tasks is that of keeping up to date the assessors' tracings, showing transfers of ownership and new construction.
Street Acceptances
During 1950 the city council accepted 5,563.77 feet of new streets, or 1.053 miles. The acceptances included portion of 12 streets, as follows :
Barham avenue, from accepted part southerly to Wilson ave- nue, 564. 76 feet.
Copley street, Randlett street to Rice road, 475.21 feet.
Dickens street, Rice road southerly, 393.84 feet.
Ocean street, Squantum, easterly, 133.13 feet.
Sampo place, Albertina street northwesterly, 247.50 feet.
Sheldon street, Milton line southerly, 359.72 feet.
Shennen street, Ratchford street to Sea street, 377.11 feet. Small street, West Squantum street to Holbrook road, 386.88 feet.
State street, Riverside avenue to Delano avenue, 180 feet. Thomas street, Sea street to Weymouth Fore River, 318.88 feet.
Trevore street, Dorchester street to Bellevue road, 815.78 feet.
Woodcliff road, Ames street southerly and easterly, 1,310.96 feet.
54
Accepted Streets Constructed
During the year the city constructed 6,443 linear feet, or 1.22 miles of accepted streets as follows :
Babcock street, Sea to Manet avenue, 500 feet.
Calvin road, Moffat road easterly and southerly, 678 feet. Copley street, Randlett street to Rice road, 500 feet.
Deerfield street, accepted part easterly, 375 feet. Dickens street, Roberta Lane to Rice road, 394 feet. Ford street, Moffat road to Homer road, 200 feet. Gothland street, Dedrof street to end, 320 feet. Huckins avenue, Bellevue road to Bayside road, 606 feet. Kidder street, Garfield street to Granite street, 260 feet. Monmouth street, Bellevue road to Bayside road, 750 feet. Ocean street, Carrigg road to end, 160 feet. Oliver street, Hunt street to dead end, 200 feet.
Shennen street, Ratchford street to Sea street, 380 feet.
Thomas street, Sea street to end, 327 feet.
Wallace road, Adams street to Sunnyside road, 793 feet.
Streets Resurfaced
In 1950, 14,220 feet, or 2.69 miles of streets were resurfaced. They are as follows:
Albertina street, Center street westerly, 800 feet.
Arnold street, Washington street to Murdock avenue, 360 feet. Canal street, at Brackett street, 100 feet.
Fifth avenue, Southern Artery to Edinboro road, 800 feet. Gannett road, East of Sea street, 80 feet.
Grindley street, Shawmut street to Argonne street, 1050 feet. Hancock street, Elm avenue to Saville street, 6000 feet. Liberty street, Plain street to Center street, 400 feet. Lurton street, High street to Pembroke street, 550 feet. Mears avenue, Sea avenue to Sea avenue, 1,240 feet. Newport avenue, Holbrook road to Wilson avenue, 850 feet. Packard's Lane, Granite street northerly, 600 feet. Suomi road, Buckley street to Smith street, 900 feet. Turner street, Edgewater drive southerly, 190 feet. Vernon street, Center street, southerly 300 feet.
55
Streets Rebuilt
The city rebuilt 1,420 feet of street in 1950. Rebuilt streets including the following: Abbey road, Washington street to Gra- ham street, 280 feet: Conrad street, Franklin street to Town line, 240 feet : and Sea street, No. 749 easterly to Babcock street, 900 feet.
Parking Area Taking
Looking into the immediate future in which parking space in the retail district appears to be a necessity for the continued pro- tection and prosperity of Quincy's retail industry, the city council on December 19, 1950, took for parking purposes what became known as the East-of-Hancock-street parking area. It contains sufficient land to accomodate about 282 automobiles. The land taken lies between Hancock street, Revere road, Cottage avenue and Cottage street. Excluded from the taking was the business property facing the main business streets and several residences on Cottage street.
The engineering department, of course, was called upon to do much of the preliminary detail work in preparing the order and the accompanying plan for the taking by the council, and for the required public hearings.
Miscellaneous Engineering
During 1950 the engineering department did the necessary engineering work for constructing 26,011 linear feet of amiesite sidewalks and 582 feet of granolithic sidewalks; replacing 799 feet of Granolithic sidewalk; rebuilding 1,134 feet of amiesite side- walk, and installing 15,289 feet of granite curbing, and 3,775 feet of concrete curbing.
Some 1,936 feet of granite curbing was reset.
The engineering department also prepared plans for sewer and drain construction, in addition to plans for street and corner widenings.
56
Quincy Water Department
Quincy, with an estimated population of 85,309, used on an average 7,045,400 gallons of water in 1950, or 82 gallons per capita, daily.
During the year 18,333 feet of main pipe was laid, bringing the total number of miles in use up to 210.9. In 1950, 22,814 feet of new service pipe was laid, bringing the total up to 846,168 feet. With 404 taps made during the year and two services discontin- ued, the total number of services in use came to 18,296. In 1950 repairs were made for 29 leaks in the mains and 421 leaks in service pipes.
Of the total amount of water used, 99.4 percent is metered through 18,180 meters, of which 430 were installed during the year. At the end of the year 2,028 fire hydrants were in use.
Daily Consumption in Gals. 1950
January
6,422,500
May
6,568,000
September 7,112,500
February
6,389,400
June
7,468,800
October 7,253,500
March
6,772,400
July
7,692,200
November 7,418,200
April
6,568,900
August
7,640,900
December 7,186,700
The City of Quincy purchases its water from the Metropolitan District commission and sells it retail to citizens. The excess of receipts over costs enables the city to maintain a substantial water reserve. Citizens have benefited from time to time when this sur- plus has been tapped to lower water rates or for other municipal purposes.
However, the city found itself in 1950 facing the necessity in the near future of spending a large sum for rehabilitation of its water works system. This sum, it was apparent, would far ex- ceed the funds expected to be available in the water reserve, and would necessitate a bond issue.
The Quincy water works system, fed by gravity, provides inadequate pressure in some parts of the city during long periods of dry weather when demands are high. In an effort to equalize pressure a series of reservoirs, standpipes and tanks were con- structed during the first third of this century. These storage facil- ities have not been able in recent years to maintain the desired pressure throughout the distribution system during seasonal dry spells. The huge new Blue Hills reservoir, now under construction by the Metropolitan District commission, is expected to equalize pres- sure to a more satisfactory degree in Quincy mains during these periods.
57
Storage Facilities
Name
Year Built
Elevation
Gallons
Forbes Hill Reservoir
1901
192
5,100,000
Forbes Hill Standpipe
1900
251
330,000
Cranch Hill Standpipe
1936
233.5
2,000,000
Penns Hill Standpipe
1926
233.5
1,000,000
Penns Hill Tank
1934
256
200,000
Houghs Neck Tank
1914
205
400,000
Squantum Tank
1926
211
300,000
Break Neck Hill Standpipe 1934
269
197,009
During 1950 Quincy laid 952 feet of 4-inch pipe; 6,980 feet of 6-inch pipe; 7,886 feet of 8-inch pipe; 1,360 feet of 10-inch pipe and 1,155 feet of 12-inch pipe. Some 1,800 feet of old 6-inch and 8-inch pipe was abandoned.
In use at the end of the year was: 16,571 feet of 2-inch ; 64,634 feet of 4-inch; 490,097 feet of 6-inch; 286,973 feet of 8-inch; 109- 281 feet of 10-inch; 94,915 feet of 12-inch; 35,648 feet of 16-inch, and 15,542 feet of 20-inch pipe.
Sewer Department
The Quincy sewer department carried on an active program of construction during 1950 when 15,423 feet of particular sewers, 15,494 feet of common sewers and 4,508 feet of surface drains were laid.
This construction gave Quincy a grand total of 16,813 san- itary sewers in operation; brought the total amount of common sewers up to 176,529 miles and the amount of storm sewers up to 121.35 miles.
Particular sewers, which connect buildings with the main sewer line, were built by wards as follows: Ward One, 106; Ward Two, 23; Ward Three, 20; Ward Four, 77; Ward Five, 53; and Ward Six, 66: These 345 particular sewers averaged 44.705 feet in length and $79.275 in cost. Total cost of particular sewer con- struction came to $27,349.87.
The 15,494 feet of common sewer line laid during the year includes 9,190 feet in Snug Harbor, the veterans' development, and 6,304 feet in other parts of the city. Installation of 90 con- nections for particular sewers was also authorized by the Quincy Housing Authority for Snug Harbor.
58
Of the total amount of common sewer laid in the city, outside of Snug Harbor, there was 5,631 feet of 8-inch pipe, 353 feet of 10-inch pipe and 320 feet of 12-inch pipe. The Snug Harbor pro- ject included 5,657 feet of 8-inch pipe, 1,299 feet of 10-inch pipe and 2,234 feet of 12-inch pipe.
During the year 57 manholes were constructed in Snug Har- bor and 36 elsewhere in the city; bringing the total number of manholes in Quincy up to 4,458.
Of the total amount of 4,508 feet of storm pipe laid during the year, there was 2,617 feet of 10-inch pipe, 1,503 feet of 12-inch pipe, and 242 feet of 24-inch pipe, with small lengths of various other sizes. Four new drain connections were constructed during 1950.
Recreation Commission
Organized recreational activities of Quincy's young, 6 to 16 years, conducted under the supervision of the Quincy Recreation commission made general gains in 1950 over the preceding year. Without a single exception attendance figures in all activities topped those of 1949.
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