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 1955 > Part 2
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Below: Quincy's first public comfort station nears completion in Hancock Parking Area where it will add to the convenience of shoppers patronizing city's growing retail center.
Hitchcock's quarry converted to city dump
CITY OF QUINCY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
CL
HELP WANTED
MK
- QUINCY .
New rubbish and garbage trucks expedite collections
PRUDENTIAL WAT
ENTRANCE
KATOL SUDES MAD
es
Quincy's first public comfort station built in parking area
BEAUTIFUL QUINCY BAY AND TRIBUTARIES PROVIDE FINE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Quiney's unexcelled waterfront. 26 miles long. forms a great summer playground for yachting and beach sports.
Left: Weatherwise yachtsmen haul out their boats on Wollaston Beach as Hurricane lone threatens New England coast -- luckily the storm went out to sea without bothering South Shore area.
Center: Waves smash over seawall as October northeaster lashes Quincy Bay. A $1,200,000 beach and seawall improvement project with state and federal funds is planned for this section of waterfront.
Right: Owner of sunken craft, whose mast can be seen sticking up at right of picture, got caught by a Fall storm as he waited too long to haul his boat out for winter storage. Boat was raised and repaired.
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Many boys who learned to handle boats on Quincy Bay served in the Navy aud Coast Guard in World Wars One and Two. Boat- ing also serves as a train- ing for youths who later beeome seamen in the Merchant Marine.
Right: Taking full advantage of facilities offered by the city's grand waterfront, the Quiney Recrea- tion Commission sponsors a varied program of water sports, including swimming, boating, sailing, life saving and casting. Program is directed by staff of competent swimming and water safety in- structors such as these good-looking healthy young people.
QUINCY RECREATION
Annual Report
23
PRODUCTS OF QUINCY SHIPYARDS
ARE FAMOUS ON THE SEVEN SEAS
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Texas Tower, $10,000,000 prototype of off-shore radar islands stationed in Atlantic 100 miles off Cape Cod, was built at Fore River.
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Handsome twin-serew diesel motor yacht takes form at Quincy Adams Yacht Yard which is challenging foreign competition in the pleasure boat market.
City of Quincy
24
Section Two MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
Vital Statistics
1955
1954
BIRTHS
2470
2620
DEATHS
947
1012
MARRIAGES
961
933
Sporting Licenses
FISHING
HUNTING
611
548
SPORTING
317
324
MINOR FISH
88
136
FEMALE FISHING
139
141
DUPLICATE
13
28
MISCELLANEOUS
12
20
Dog Licenses
MALES
2080
1557
FEMALES
173
134
FEMALES. SPAYED
1357
990
KENNELS
13
9
TRANSFERS
4
6
Clam Liceuses
COMMERCIAL
138
NON-RESIDENT
306
FAMILY
603
LEGAL DEPARTMENT
The incidents of litigation in which the legal department represented the City in 1955, was slightly higher than in previous years.
It included defending the City in land damage cases, street defects, motor vehicle accidents, and other legal matters,
The law department appeared before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Conrt on one oeca- sion and received a decision in its favor.
*
TREASURER'S DEPARTMENT
Cash on hand. January 1. 1955
$ 2.384.718.74
Cash receipts 1955 Cash payments 1955
26.200.011.61
23,473,939.30
Cash on hand December 31, 1955
2,726,072.31
* Complete Report in Financial Section
1013
1021
City of Quincy
26
BOARD OF ASSESSORS
Valuations 1955
Valuation of Buildings
$111.721,950
Valuation of Land
39.527,750
Total Valuation of Land and Buildings
151.249.700
Value of Tangible Personal Property
9,713.775
Total Valuation of City. January 1, 1955
$160,963,475
Tax Rate 1955
School Rate
$21.28
General Rate
39.32
Total Tax Rate
$60.60
* Complete Report in Financial Section
*
TAX COLLECTIONS
Personal Property Tax
1954
1955
Committed by Assessors Collected during year
474,981.40
550.521.36
Uncollected end of year
30,579.97
37.182.82
Real Estate Tax
$7.722.054.60
$9.165.883.74
Collected during year
7.327.133.78
8.685.373.56
Uncollected end of year
294,308.53
364.259.76
Motor Excise Tax
Committed by Assessors
$ 594.924.67
S 800.348.63
Collected during year
493.982.64
695.944.98
Uncollected end of year
92.007.30
94,127.06
Poll Tax
Committed by Assessors
S 54.006.00
$ 53.808.00
Collected during year
10.926.00
40.546.00
Uncollected end of year
3.998.00
4.082.00
* Complete Report in Financial Section
Annual Report
-
27
$ 514.134.40
$ 588.655.22
Committed by Assessors
PURCHASING DEPARTMENT
Package purchasing, through which a commodity used by various municipal departments is bought under a single contract, has resulted in substantial savings to the City since it was instituted by the Pur- chasing Department a few years ago.
The following comparative figures are indicative of these savings:
In 1951 the city purchased lubricating oil at 48 cents the gallon. In 1955 the city bought the same oil at 32 cents.
In 1951 the city bought approximately 7,500 barrels of Number Five fuel oil at $3.37. In 1955 the city got the same oil for $3.1851.
In 1951 the city bought some 18.000 barrels of Number Six fuel oil at $2.65. In 1955 the same oil cost $2.396.
Nut coal cost $25.25 in 1951: only $20.95 in 1955.
Stove coal cost $22.65 in 1951: only $20.95 in 1955.
Egg coal cost $21.75 in 1951: only $20.95 in 1955.
These savings were effected through new purchasing procedure in the face of a generally rising market in commodities.
1955
1954
1953
Purchase orders issued
14,632
13,328
14.705
Dollar value purchase orders
$3.505.240
$2.908.814
$2,865,703
Contracts issued
225
203
224
Dollar value contracts
$1,421,168
$1,420.857
$1.210,232
Requisitions filled
15,759
17,899
7,192
Department expense
$25.294.57
$23,554.81
$23.876.34
Average expense per dollar, including salaries
.7216%
.8097%
.8331%
BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS
Type of Licenses
Fees Collected
Common Victuallers
$ 925.00
Lord's Day
645.00
Gas, garages. repair shops, denatured alcohol, inflammables
3,303.50
Motor parking spaces
1.815.00
Amusement. public halls
500.00
Junk shops, second hand stores
150.00
Bowling, pool, billiards
1,715.00
Liquor
71.605.00
Pinball
2,070.00
Auctioneers
8.00
Firearms, ammunition
32.00
Employment offices
10.00
Junk wagons
240.00
Pawn shops
50,00
Cabarets
300.00
Hackney
110.00
Old Gold
75.00
City of Quincy
28
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
During 1955 the Quincy Health Department continued to expand its program designed to prevent disease and promote the general health. The Health Center continued to attract the interest of health authorities in other states and in foreign countries.
Students from Japan, Columbia, S. A., and New Delhi, India, were assigned to the nursing division for about six weeks each: and other public health officials from the Philippines. Germany, Puerto Rico and several other foreign countries observed varions functions at the Center.
The polio outbreak during the summer and fall of 1955, together with the Salk vaccination program. constituted one of the major activities of the year. From July 4 to December 19, a total of 131 cases of polio were reported in Qniney. This is the most cases in a single year since 1916.
The vaccination program got under way in late April: and 3389 youngsters in the first and second grades were vaccinated at 32 clinics seattered about the city. During June 1517 youngsters who had received placebo material in the 1954 field trials were given vaccine.
In March began the publication and mailing to every home in Quincy Everybody's Business, a quar- terly periodical publicizing the various services rendered by the Health Department. Three issues were printed and distributed during the year.
The industrial health program, started in 1954, was expanded in 1955. with programs carried on in several industrial plants in the city.
Special activities operated by the Health Department included the 40-and-Over program of chest X-rays for men of middle age under the direction of the health educator and the environmental sanita- tion inspection of all Quincy publie schools.
During the year the regulations of the department were revised and brought up to date. These revised regulations now eover the following areas: communieable disease control, disposal of wastes, private sewage disposal systems, minimum standards of fitness for human habitation: agencies giving day care to children: milk and ice cream establishments: food establishments.
The broad scope of the Quincy Health Department's work is indicated in the following statistics from the various divisions' reports:
Health agent's field investigations
550
Inspections by food inspector
838
Swabs from eating and drinking utensils
1138
Inspections by milk inspector
1300
School dental clinics
176
Teeth filled
2968
Teeth extracted
481
Pre-School dental clinics
177
Teeth filled
1208
Teeth extracted
37
Nursing visits
1367
Tuberculosis clinie sessions
91
Patients attending TB clinies
951
Child health clinies attendance
1172
Weight control class attendance
780
Laboratory examinations
6857
South Shore Child Guidance Center
( Fiscal year, July 1, 1954, to June 30. 1955)
Children
Adults
Number of cases, July 1, 1954
206
36
New admissions
141
40
Readmissions
1
0
Terminated
166
29
Left on June 30. 1955
185
47
Total cases during year
350
76
Total interviews
3569
Annual Report
29
INSPECTOR OF PLUMBING
The Inspector of Plumbing issued 1,250 permits for installations during 1955. Of these 220 were for new buildings and 1.030 for existing structures.
During the year 268 buildings were connected with sewers, 8 with septie tanks and six with cesspools. There were 41 master plumbers registered in 1955, of whom 15 were residents and 26 non-residents. Fees collected: $4.157.
QUINCY CITY HOSPITAL
Expanded activities created new records at the Quincy City Hospital in 1955. During the year new highs were recorded in: patients admitted, operations performed, X-ray examinations, laboratory pro- eedures and births.
Receipts and expenditures also set new records. An increase in rates averaging about $2.50 the patient and a salary increase averaging about $120 the employe were factors in these increases respectively.
From the point of view of the taxpayer, the decrease in the deficit of almost $14.000 was good news. The excess and expenditures over receipts in 1955 was $343,502.41. The annual deficit has been reduced each year since a business manager was added to the administrative staff in 1951 when the deficit reached an all time high of $651,895.84.
Without any additional facilities or major alterations the hospital in 1955 admitted 513 more pa- tients. administered to 1285 more patients in the accident room and increased by several thousand the number of X-ray examinations and laboratory tests. Patients were discharged after an average of 6.5 days, considerably lower than the average stay in hospitals in this area.
During 1955 a shock therapy room was completed adjacent to the accident room: a building was completed to house two 1000-gallon hot water tanks, and an excavation was made for a new entrance to the morgue.
In his annual report the director. Dr. Joseph P. Leone accentuated the shortage of facilities by rec- ommending that "immediate steps be taken to construct an addition to our out-moded hospital."
He recommended construction of a wing that would contain a new operating room, a new kitchen and laundry. time-saving conveniences for patients, medical staff and working personnel, and would add 100 beds. He estimated the current cost of such an addition at $2,250,000.
During the year the hospital was continued on the approved list of the Joint Commission on Accred- itation of Hospitals. The approvals for interns' training programs, surgical residency. pathology residency and obstetries-gynecology residency were maintained.
The hospital condneted a year-round program designed to interest young women in entering the nursing profession. In September, 40 selected girls were entered in the School of Nursing. Hospital officials hope to enlarge future classes to a maximum of 120 pupils.
Comparative Financial Summary
Cash Receipts
Other Income
1954 $1,638,509.08 30,747.57
1955 $1.722.821.81 26.486.63
Total Receipts
$1.669.256.65
$1,749.308.44
Charges to Accounts Receivable
1,791.595.89
1,960,933.21
Payroll
1,517,774.69
1,569,901.34
Other Expenses
198,474.50
497.210.13
Capital Outlay
10,381.00
25.699.38
Total Expenditures
2,026.630.19
2,092.810.85
Total Receipts
1,669.256.65
1,749,308.44
"Deficit"-Excess of Expenditures over Receipts $ 357,373.54
$ 343,502.41
- City of Quincy
30
Patient Statistics
Admissions :
1954
1955
Room Patients
1,344
1,300
Ward Patients
8,936
9,472
Service Patients
1,094
1,115
Total Admissions
11,374
11,887
Outpatient Clinics
2.801
2.793
Private Outpatients
4.164
4.260
Total Outpatients
6.965
7.053
Accidents
9.526
10,811
Ambulance Calls
1.815
1.810
Physical Therapy Treatments
2.164
2.107
Prenatal Visits
697
550
Newborn
1.867
1.908
Operations
5.386
6,014
Laboratory Examinations
103,310
107.484
X-ray Exams and Treatments
12,612
16,282
Daily Average. Patients
226.7
228.8
Daily Average, excluding Newborn
196.6
197.7
Daily Average, Newborn
30.1
28.4
Total Days' Treatments
82,763
83,530
Days' Treatments excluding Newborn
71,766
72,167
Days' Treatments, Newborn
10,997
10,373
Deaths
325
325
Autopsies
145
156
Autopsy Percentage
44.6%
48.0%
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Quincy Police Department was equally concerned during the year with the abatement of traffic accidents and the prevention of crime.
Although there was a slight increase in the number of traffic accidents, the number of persons injured on the highways dropped from 928 in 1954 to 827 in 1955. The number of fatal accidents was only three as against six for the preceding year. A vigorous program of school safety education was, perhaps, a factor.
Comparative figures for the two years indicate a decrease in drunken driving, and increases in the number of-operators charged with speeding and operating negligently.
Total arrests made by the Department fell off from 2723 in 1954 to 2617 in 1955.
Juvenile court cases jumped from 142 in 1954 to 163 in 1955.
Traffic Bureau
1955
1954
Total accidents
1.118
1.074
Passengers reported injured
711
798
Pedestrians reported injured
116
130
Fatal accidents
3
6
Licenses suspended by registry
178
396
Registrations suspended by registry
49
54
Parking violations
8.396
7.699
Investigations
1.171
1.094
Applications for motor violations in court
668
585
Automobile transfer sales
11,850
11,409
Bicycles registered
345
450
Annual Report
31
Automobile Violations
1955
1954
Speeding
89
97
Operating so as to endanger
25
16
Leaving seone of an accident
30
2
Using automobile without authority
5
8
Juvenile Bureau
Male
Female
163 cases before Juvenile Court
First offenders
113
5
Repeat offenders
45
0
Runaway boys
41
Runaway girls
222
Cases disposed of at home
197
Cases disposed of at Police Department
113
Restitution made to owners
$2.648.60
Property recovered
$1,375.00
Liquor Bureau
Inspections of liquor establishunents
5.569
Complaints investigated
Arrests
30
License Board Hearings
7
Suspensions of Licenses
4
Bookies prosecuted in Court
3
School Safety Program
Visits to schools
319
Visits to classrooms
763
Checks of traffie supervisors
291
Number radio broadcasts
3
Number of safety assemblies
38
Number pupils present at assemblies
5.718
Safety talks outside schools
10
Number days on school traffic
74
Pupils present during classroom visits
23.635
Investigations for Welfare Department
Non-support eases
58
Desertion by husbands
4
Non-support illegitimate children cases
19
Larcenies
6
National Uniform Support Act cases
5
Old Age Assistance cases
3
Cases brought before the Court
31
Warrants issued
37
Fines turned over to families by Court
$800
City of Quincy
32
230
220
Operating under the influence of liquor
158
5
71
Cases disposed of at school
80
Meeting of traffic supervisors
Detective Bureau
Murder, manslaughter, kidnapping
Rape
3
Robbery
-i
7
Assault with dangerous weapon
4
All other assaults
40
Breaking and entering
149
Breaking and entering and lareeny
136
Lareeny
223
Automobile thefts
140
Forgery, counterfeiting
4
Weapons, carrying, possessing, ete.
3
All sex offenses other than rape
17
Nareotie law violations
2
Gambling
3
Miscellaneous offenses
165
Suspicious persons charges
32
Sudden deathis
65
Missing persons
74
Claims against the eity
31
Fingerprints taken. miseellaneous
180
Prisoners printed and photographed
105
Security cheeks, outside ageneies
1,725
Attempted suicides
9
Miscellaneous investigations
403
Value of stolen property recovered
$30,851.42
Police Boat "Guardian"
The Quiney police boat "Guardian," in commission from May 8 to Oetobed 13, spent a busy season.
It rendered assistance in one form or another to 8 rowboats, 11 outboard motor boats. five inboard motor boats and 13 sailboats, aboard which were 118 persons and which represented a total valuation of $26,875.
It recovered one stolen motor boat. three rowboats, two sailboats and one outboard: total valuation, $2.050.
The "Guardian" regularly patrolled 26 miles of the city's waterfront, including week-end yacht raees.
Miscellaneous missions ineluded: saved one woman from drowning in Quiney Bay; took one man. strieken with a heart attack, off an island: four night details looking for boat looters; removed 11 per- sons from islands during storms; rendered general assistance: cheeked island for stranded persons after storms; polieed stranded boats: pumped out ten boats.
Dog Officer
During 1955 the Quiney Dog Officer, who is a member of the Police Department, picked up 344 dogs. Of these 18 were disposed of by killing: 70 were returned to owners and 256 were turned over to the Angel Memorial Hospital.
0
Annual Report
33
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING
The Department of Planning, supervised by an unpaid board of five citizens, was seriously handi- capped during practically all of the year 1955 by the laek of services of a professional director of plan- ning. It was not until December 27 that the vacancy created by the resignation of the former planning director late in 1954 was filled by the appointment of Regis J. Harrington.
Despite conditions that existed, the Planning Board throughont the year continued to render con- sidered recommendations to the City Council.
During the year the Board held 23 meetings and eight public hearings and conducted 20 field inspection trips.
Other activities included: study and recommendations on 10 street acceptanees, five rezoning appli- cations. Il offers for city-owned land: one street widening, one street renaming; and endorsement by the chairman of 130 division plans not requiring the approval of the board under the Subdivision control law.
The Board approved the change in zoning classification from Residence A to Residence B of 132,000 square feet of land off Palmer and Shed Streets to provide a site upon which the Quiney Housing Authority plans to erect a housing project for the elderly.
Other major projeets upon which the Board took favorable action included: acquisition of MDC property off Chapel Street, Houghs Neck, for recreational purposes: rezoning of the old Squantum Naval Air Station property from Industrial A and B to Industrial A-1 to give the city more control of the type of industries that might locate in this seetion: and the proposed location of a Naval Reserve Training Center on city-owned land off Sea Street.
WELFARE DEPARTMENT
The Welfare Department in 1955 completed its first full year under an integrated system. The entire social staff during the year worked out of the School Street building, processing all applications in the four categories of public assistance. The new system, Commissioner Anthony J. Venna believes, resulted in administrative economies with an increased effieieney in staff work.
The total expenditures for all categories of assistance was $17,620.79 less in 1955 than in 1954. The total ease load fell off from 1643 in January to 1568 in December. Reduction in expenditures was aeeom- plished in face of rising medieal costs brought about by a medical plan - deemed impractical by the commissioner - devised by the state department of publie welfare.
State legislation on publie welfare is reflected in the expenditures of the Quiney Welfare Depart- ment. In 1955. by legislative enaetment, licensed boarding homes for the aged were allowed to increase their rates from $20 to $25 weekly, with resultant inereased welfare costs. Similarly, the Legislature gave most Old Age Assistance eases an extra allowance of $2.50 monthly as a transportation allowance. effee- tive as of January 1, 1956. This alone. it is estimated. will add $36.080 to Quiney welfare costs. Still an- other act increased exemptions allowed to sons and daughters of Disability Assistance recipients, result- ing in further increased welfare eosts.
A practice initiated the preceding year and continued through 1955 was the assignment to the Welfare Department of a Quiney police officer to handle non-support and desertion eases. During the year he investigated 81 eases. 19 of which involved non-support of illegitimate children. Warrants were issued in 37 cases, of which 31 resulted in court action. Fines totalling $800 were turned over to fami- lies, and many other cases brought court orders for support, thus relieving the department of consider- able expenses.
The Department collected $37.685.93 from recipients and their estates through enforcement of the property liens and other statutory provisions, resulting in savings to taxpayers.
The City Home was maintained during the year at nominal eost with a limited number of occupants. providing a necessary function in the eity in earing for homeless men and providing temporary shelter for families otherwise homeless.
During the year federal food surplus was given to families on assistance rolls, the commodities pur- chased at a fraction of their actual value. Such items as butter, cheese, shortening, rice and beef with gravy were of great assistance in stretching the food budget of large families.
Expenditures in the four classifications of welfare and the city home were as follows in 1955: gen- eral relief, $120,707.55: aid to dependent children, $182,639.07; old age assistance, $741,988.36: disability assistance, $105,978.98, and eity home, $14,796.98.
City of Quincy
3-4
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Total fire losses in Quincy in 1955 were $393.673 as against $261.523 in 1954.
Total value at risk was $7.657.871 in 1955: total insurance carried was $6.388.102: and insurance paid was $122,151.
Building losses during the year were $309,279. while losses to contents and other possessions were $84,39 1.
Fires in buildings were as follows: residential, 279: non-residential, 64: mercantile, 54: manufactur- ing, 28: storage, 1; miscellaneous, 9: total. 435.
In addition there were 1473 grass fires, 119 fires in automobiles and other machinery: 21 mutual aid calls: 137 malicious false alarms: 60 needless or accident alarms: and 475 first aid emergencies.
Fires resulted in the death of three citizens during the year.
During the year there were 2771 alarms; including 390 from boxes; 2058 from telephones: 230 stills from stations: 77 radio alarms and 16 from mutual aid and A.D.T. circuits.
In 1955, 13 new boxes were added to the fire alarm system.
Major construction work and installation carried on by the fire alarm maintenance division in- cluded: 7935 feet of multiple cable: 4000 feet of supporting messenger: 7920 feet of single couductor, and 300 feet each of composition duct and iron duet.
New equipment procured by the Fire Department in 1955 included: a 1000-GPM triple combina- tion Seagrave pumper, delivered in December: a deputy chief's ear and a service car. both four-door Chevrolet sedans, and both delivered in June.
During the year the Quincy auxiliary fire department personnel completed 1473 tours of duty. served 7504 hours: and responded to 248 bell alarms and 203 still alarmis.
In 1955 the Quincy Fire Department lost from deaths Captain Ernest L. Donovan, Firefighter Wil- liam K. Egan and Charles F. Litchfield. a pensioned firefighter.
PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT
The total number of city employees increased in 1955 from 1759 on January 1 to 1766 on Decem- ber 31. Permanent employees fell off during the year. 1509 to 1493: while temporary employees increased from 250 to 273. Personnel records do not include school employees.
The number of applications for employment in the labor service showed a sharp decrease. In 1954 there were 576 Civil Service labor applications processed as against only 396 in 1955. There were 393 such applications in 1953.
The shortage in specialized fields encountered during the preceding two years was continued in 1955. presenting a recruitment problem in certain areas.
In-Service Training for Quincy city employees was again accentuated during 1955, with 91 employees of various departments attending courses. conferences and institutes.
Effective July 4, 1955, by an order passed by the City Council, the entire salary schedule was raised one step on the increment plan. Employees who had received $200 increases previously during the year were not included. The one-step advancement averaged a salary increase close to $200 annually.
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