USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1890-1895 > Part 9
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Superintendence.
Your Committee have looked after the schools with care and diligence, not claiming that they have done all that a good super- intendent could have done, but trusting that their visits have not been useless, and certainly assuring to themselves that the school work has been done decently and in good order, There may be danger of too much superintendence. It may weaken a teacher, and serve to separate the intimate dependence of the school from the citizens of the town. There is danger of too many in- novations, theories and hobbies being introduced, too much money spent for experimental school books. Competent teachers, good text books, and hard study, are the three elements of a suc- cessful school. If teacher and superintendent do too much, the scholar will do too little, " The public school, supported and controlled by the people, is the school for the people." Im- provements have been made by wise educators, but it is begin- ning to be conceded that the public schools cannot be made into academies and colleges by outside appliances, nor by an inside hodge-podge of all sorts and kinds of studies. Simplification rather than complication is demanded.
I am inclined to think that there is wisdom in the statement of a member of the Board of Education, when he says : " The schools have lost much of their strength by the substitution of studies which are foreign to the design of the common school, which are not practical, for the reason that the knowledge gained is to the masses comparatively useless, It is not the learning which should be found in the common school. Again the knowl-
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edge gained is not certain knowledge, but superficial and unsub- stantial. The appendages of elementary science and other sub- jects, which in their time and place are important, have crowded the schools, and left too little time for the acquirement of a thorough training in the essential, fundamental elements of an education.
The schools of to-day smack too much of the university, especially our high schools, which have too much of the restaur- ant system of electives. In each. there is too much required and too little done.
Every country town ought to be able to find one or more competent men or women, who are able and willing to look after its schools, and do better for them and the public interests than any stranger would do, especially with his time divided by one or more other towns.
The parents ought to feel near to the schools, and visit them frequently. They ought to know and understand the teacher, and co-operate with her in what is best for the pupil.
Respectfully Submitted,
GEORGE HILL. THERON BROWN, JOSHUA A. CROCKER.
AUDITORS' REPORT.
The Auditors think proper to make some separate mention of the following matters :-
The people of the town will remember the discussion a few years since about the interest on the town money. Mr. L. W. Bigelow, then Town Treasurer, claimed it as a part of his salary, and that it was so understood when his salary was fixed. The town, by vote, sustained him, though no vote was passed which in so many words said the Treasurer should have this interest. April 5, 1887, $36 51 interest was credited by the New England Trust Company on town money deposited with them by E. L. Bigelow, and he drew out this money April 9th by a check signed by him as Town Treasurer, and kept the same as part of his salary. This sum does not appear upon his account or his report.
Though he was not Town Treasurer at that time, all of this interest was earned while he was Town Treasurer.
Mr. C. E. Pond, who has been Town Treasurer since March 12, 1887, does not claim the interest on the town money as part of his salary, and as his account and report shows, the town received $142 56 from this interest during his term of office up to February 1, 1888.
Sinking Fund.
The Water Commissioners have never made any report or kept any accounts as Trustees of the Sinking Fund. They re- ceived from the town $2,000 appropriated in 1885 and $3,000 appropriated in 1886. They deposited the first $2,000-half in the Dedham Savings Bank, and half in the Suffolk Savings Bank. With the second appropriation they bought $3,000 of the second issue of Norwood Water Bonds from F. M. Baker. Mr. Baker had bought five of these bonds at par (two Aug. 18, one Sept. 25, and two Oct. 12, 1886), upon the understanding that they might be bought back at any time when wanted as an investment of the Sinking Fund, at par and accrued interest. Welare informed that $50 were collected by the Commissioners
82
for interest on the three bonds above mentioned since they were bought back,
The above statement of their dealings covers the time down to August 2, 1887, when they made the Town Treasurer their treasurer. His report includes the interest credited by the savings banks, from the time when the above deposits were made, These deposits still stand on the books of the savings banks as put in for the Water Commissioners, in the name of F. M. Baker, Commis- sioner, and cannot easily be drawn out without his signature,- although he has been out of office over a year.
The last report of the Water Commissioners, which was not accepted by the town, was as follows :-
NORWOOD Water Works, 1887-Balance Sheet.
RECEIPTS. DR.
IS37. Jan. 1. Cash on hand Jan. 27, 1886, $2,327 11
From water rates,
1,637 65
service pipes, 4,820 06
sale of materials, 74 36
sale of bonds, premiums on same, loans and interest, 29,987 03
$3S,S46 21 CR. 1887. EXPENDITURES.
Jan. 1. Bills paid, as per vouchers and receipts for samc, $38,846 21 STATEMENT OF COST OF WORKS,
AS PER VOUCHERS PAID TO JANUARY 1, 1887.
Previous payments as per last report, $77,184 89
Bellevue reservoir, 38 30 Distribution piping, 22,105 50
Pumping plant, including balance of contract, 1,331 76
Land damages and right of way,
1.313 00
Service pipes, 5,453 51
Amount carried forward,
$107,426 96
83
Amount brought forward,
$107,426 96
Meters, 2,456 17 IIO 50
Pumping station,
Office expenses. ISO 54
Services of Commissioners from March 30, 1885, to July 1, 1886, 1,500 00
$110,674 17
Less amounts received from service pipes
and meters, $4,820 06
From sale of materials, 74 36 4,894 42
NET COST OF WORKS, $105 779 75
January 1, ISS7.
'The cost of maintenance the past year has been :---
Salary of Engineer, $1,000 00
Fuel, oil and repairs, 720 47
Taxes-Town of Dedham, 136 46
$1,856 93
The Auditors have carefully examined the accounts and vouchers, and therefrom make up the following statement :-
1 SS7.
RECEIPTS.
Jan. 1. Balance as per previous report, page 10, $2,327 II
From water rates, 1,637 65
66 service pipes,
4,S20 06
06 sales of material,
74 36
.. sales of bonds and premium, $26425 00
interest on deposits-N. E. Trust Co., 45 79
Loan from G. H. Morrill, 3500 00
Advanced by F. M. Baker, 16 24
29,987 03
$38,846 21
84
EXPENDITURES.
Bellevue reservoir, $ 35 85
Distribution piping and other "con-
struction," 22,140 39
Pumping plant, including balance of contract,
1,331 76
Land damages and right of way,
1,315 50
Pumping station,
I22
54
$24,946 04
Service pipes,
5,008 17
Meters,
1,454 50
6,462 67
Salary of Engineer,
999 96
Bill of Engineer for extras,
107 99
" Maintenance,"
660 58
Dedham, taxes,
136 46
Office expenses,
175 55
Bill of Engineer Blake,
99 88
Miscellaneous bills as follows,
232 08
(Perhaps part on account of construction the vouchers do not show it.)
Voucher 147, for mercury, $41 60;
66 170, E. A. Morse, $25; J. W. Roby, $41 33 ; H. R. Ellis, $1 50; E. W. Talbot, $30 31 ; Whitney's Ex- press, $21 15; Wm. Foreman, $25 07; T. Thayer, $15 62=$159 98.
Voucher, 174, G. E. Metcalf, $2 50.
For oil-cups, $53 20 ; for spring, $3 30.
For stop-cock, $1 50=$60 50.
For accident to horse, 25 00
2.437 50
Loan repaid G. H. Morrill,
3,500 00
Retained by Commissioners as compen- sation-J. E. Everett. $1,000 ; F. M. Baker, $500 ; G. H. Morrill, o. 1,500 00
$38,846 21
85
COST OF WORKS.
Previous payments as per former report, $77,184 89 Less charges in same stated as for " maintenance," $391 88
Allowance on brick received
as per same, 5 00
396 88 $76,788 0I
Expenditures as above stated included in last year's report,
24,946 04
Expenditures for service pipes and meters,
6,462 67
31,408 71
Less amounts received for service pipes and meters and material sold, 4,894 42
Total cost to Jan. 1, 1887,
26,514 29 $103,302 30
The Auditors think it impossible for them to make up a more satisfactory report than the above without the help of a profes- sional accountant, and hope the same may be considered a suffi- cient discharge of their duty. The books and accounts of the Water Commissioners, in their opinion, have not been properly kept, but there has been much improvement in this respect dur- ing the past year, and we are informed that other improvements are intended.
They recommend that auditors be authorized to hire a pro- fessional accountant, or book-keeper, to assist them when they think necessary,-to be paid by the town.
The Auditors found some slight discrepancies and errors in the Water Commissioners' accounts,- so small as hardly to be worth mentioning. The largest, a mistake of Mr. Baker of $1.00 in favor of the town, was corrected by payment to him of that sum.
Water Commissioners' Salaries.
The above-mentioned $1500, retained by two of the Water Commissioners for their services, was kept by them without any
-
86
warrant of law or authority from the town to do so. Mr. Everett has also retained $300 more out of the water money dur- ing the past year for his services as Water Commissioner. (M .. Gay has been paid his legal salary, $60, by the Selectmen. Mr. Morrill has never made any charge for salary, and Mr. Baker has made no charge except the $500 above mentioned, as we are informed.)
The Auditors do not express any opinion as to whether the work done by Mr. Everett and Mr. Baker was worthy of being paid for by the allowance to them of the $ISoo above mentioned, but we believe and say that it is the right of the town to fix the salaries of its officers, and that it was neither right nor proper for the Commissioners to undertake to pay themselves in this way without permission from the town.
In this connection we would refer to the decisions of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in the cases of
Farnsworth vs. Melrose, 122 Mass., 268, Sikes ys. Hatfield, 13 Gray, 347,
in which it was decided that Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Surveyors of Highways, are not entitled to any pay for their official services without a vote of the town, or statute, authorizing it, and the custom of other towns, or the same town, to pay for such services, will not make the town liable.
Judge Hoar in his opinion in the latter case said, " The courts are of the opinion that there is no such relation between a town and the officers, which it is required by law to elect, as will oblige it to make compensation to them for the discharge of ordin- ary official duties where no provision for any compensation is made by law, and in the absence of any contract."
The auditors are of opinion that it is entirely optional with the town whether they shall allow the Water Commissioners anything for compensation before the time when salaries were voted to them, and if anything is allowed, it rests entirely with the town to say how much.
87
Water Commissioners' Powers.
Some question is made as to the legality of expenditures for extensions by the Water Commissioners, and it seems possi- ble that some question may be made as to the legality of the present arrangement whereby the Town Treasurer acts as their treasurer.
The Norwood Water Act provides (Sec. 1I, Chap, S2, ISS5), that the Water Commissioners " shall be subject, how- ever, to such instructions, rules and regulations as said town may impose by its vote."
Your Auditors recommend that the town, by vote, impose the following regulations upon the Water Commissioners :-
FIRST. The Water Commissioners shall choose a treasurer, who shall hold his office till his successor is chosen and qualified, and shall give bond, and shall have the custody of their money's and securities, both as water commissioners and trustees of the Sinking Fund. When the Town Treasurer shall be chosen their treasurer his bond as town treasurer shall cover his liability as treasurer of the Water Commissioners.
SECOND. No expenditures shall be made by the Water Commissioners for extensions or maintenance of the waterworks, except upon vote and appropriation made by the town in the same manner in which other votes and appropriations are made.
Respectfully submitted, JOHN C. LANE, JOHN P OLDHAM, Auditors, MICHAEL E. HAYDEN.
ERRATUM.
On page 68, County Commissioners should read Cemetery Commissioners.
NORWOOD WATER * WORKS.
THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS,
1888.
NORWOOD : ADVERTISER AND REVIEW JOB PRINT. 1888.
91
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
The Board of Water Commissioners present the following third annual report of the operation of the works, together with an account of receipts and expenditures, from Jan. 1, 1887, to Jan. 1, ISSS :-
Pumping Station.
The report of the Engineer gives the following details :-
Number of days during which the pump was run - IOI
Number of hours run 650₺
Number of gallons pumped 48,407,606
Pounds of coal consumed -
145.892
66 66 for steaming 46,516
.6
" pumping 99,376
Estimating the number of inhabitants iu the town at 3,000, the consumption has been at the rate of 44.21 gallons of water per day for each inhabitant.
The greatest variation in the height of the pond from one day's pumping was 7-8 of an inch.
The depth of water at the lowest level of the pond, over the end of suction-pipe, was 12 ft. 4 in.
Two short sections of fence have been placed along the edg of the pond, where it was open to the public road, at a cost o $15 50.
During the dry season, when the pond was at its lowest, ad- ditional filling was placed over the suction-pipe to a point where the pipe was four feet below the surface of the water at a cost of about $15.
92
Service Pipes and Extension of Mains.
Number of service pipes laid during the year 69
Total number of takers 333
Number of meters in use 64
No takers have discontinued the use of water, and no services have been shut off for non-payment of rates.
Early in the season petitions for extension of the pipes in several streets were presented, and the Commissioners decided to use such funds as were in their hands and not needed for operating expenses for that purpose, and accordingly extensions were made as follows :-
On Walnut Avenue connecting with the Washington Street main, 245 ft. of 6-in. pipe was laid, for which the following amounts were paid, viz. :
Paid John T. Langford for pipe . $140 37
trenching and laying pipe, 61 25
lead, caps, fuse and powder 7 61
66 Chapman valve Co. for gate. 15 13
66 J. E. Everett, drilling, caps and fuse 9 35
Total $233 71
The annual water-rate from this extension is' at present $23.00.
(NOTE .- The amounts paid Mr. Langford as above do not agree with the amount set down in the list of expenditures, because more 6-in. pipe was bought of him at the same time and 12-in pipe given in exchange.)
On School Street connecting with Nahatan Street main, 200 ft. of 1 1-4-in. pipe was laid by Mr. Bucknam, employing the men regularly employed by him in laying service pipes. The esti- mated cost was $61 27, including $10 worth of rock work. The annual water-rate from this extension is $11.00 at present, and another service pipe is laid and will be used in the spring, making the total $17.
93
On K. Street 225 ft. of 3-4-in, pipe was laid by Mr. Buck- nam at a cost of $48 27, including $12 worth of rock work. The water-rate from this extension is $6. Petitions for exten- sions in several other streets have been received, but lack of funds in some cases, and in others the fact that the streets had not been accepted by the town, prevented any action being taken.
In making the above extension the Commissioners have acted as they consider wholly within their authority and for the best interests of the town, but as their authority to use the money received from water-rates for any purpose other than necessary operating expenses has been questioned, they will, at the coming March meeting, ask the town for instructions.
In accordance with proposition of the Commissioners- made in their first annual report-the Town Treasurer has been appointed Treasurer for the Commissioners, and on Aug. 2d the funds in hand were turned over to him, and since that time all bills have been paid by orders. At the same time Mr. George Bucknam was appointed Collector, and he is now the only person authorized to receipt water and construction bills.
It has been decided to make a slight change in the manner of collecting the water-rates from those using meters, so that hereafter, the amount due for water used in excess of the amount allowed to a meter under the rate paid in advance, will be col- lected only on Jan. I.
One water-rate remains unpaid, but as the meter on which it is due was taken by other parties Oct. Ist, the water has not been shut off.
Following will be found a statement of receipts and ex- penditures for the year, and of the net cost of works to the Ist of Jan. 1888.
94 STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
Receipts.
Town water rates, due in IS86, $25 50
60 .6 66 Jan. to July, 1887, $2,042 84
66
" July, 'S7 to Jan., ISSS, 2,41I 25
Total water rate in 1887,
4,454 09 Town service pipes and meters due in 'S6, $154 53
" in '87, 1,079 44
$1,233 97
Town sale of pipe, 7 76 Town interest from N, E. Trust Co. on
deposit, 6 30
$5.727 62
We have examined the accounts and books of the Water Commissioners, and find that the condition of the same (except as to the sinking fund) is correct'y stated in the foregoing report.
M. E. HAYDEN. JOHN C. LANE, JOHN B. OLDHAM, S
1 Auditors.
95
EXPENDITURES.
Paid F. M. Baker, return of loan, $16 24
Operating Expenses.
Paid Geo. A. P. Bucknam, salary, $999 96
Geo. A. P. Bucknam, use of horse IS months, 300 00
J. C. Williams, 12 cords of pine wood, 48 00
Albert Fales, 3 1-2 cords of pine wood, 19 25
E. Hartshorn, 77 1-2 tons of coal at pumping station, 508 64
E. Hartshorn, 1330 lbs. of coal at office, 4 65
T. O. Metcalf, bill-heads and order book,
13 75
F. W. Crooker, advertising, 7 00
Postage, envelopes and office supplies, IO 37
E. F. Roby, painting and repairing wagon, 23 25
Supplies at Pumping Station,
6 41
W. E. Rhoades, sealing scales,
2 00
Gas,
2 70
John Pond, mowing reservoir bank, 8 00
J. E. Everett, services in 1886,
300 00
2,253 98
Amount carried forward,
$2,270 22
96
Amount brought forward, Construction.
$2,270 22
Paid Walworth M'f'G. Co., pipe and fit- tings, $292 41
J. H. Cunningham, pipe and fittings, 195 09
Bingham & Taylor, cock boxes, 51 77
Boston Lead Co., lead pipe,
92 35
Chapman Valve Co., hydrant and gate, 41 69
John Nugent, repairing streets, 367 31 voted by town.
N. A. Johnson, " 66
101 61 “ ..
National Meter Co., meters,
366 40
Geo. Miles & Co., repairing boiler,
83 06
Labor, digging and laying services, Tools,
18 98
J. W. Roby. sharpening and repair- ing tools, 25 97
Geo. E. Metcalf, horse, 2 1-2 days covering suction, 4 38
Wm. Foreman, labor on service pipes and connections, 24 16
John Nugent, covering service pipes,
7 37
Freight and expressage,
27 37
J. T. Langford, Walnut Ave, Exten- sion, 193 42
Fuse, caps, and drilling Walnut Ave. Extension, 9 35
American Powder Mills, powder and caps, 6 25
N. A. Johnson, carting pipe, 5 00
E. W. Talbot,' fence-wire,
5 34
$2,437 28
4,707 50
Balance in treasury,
1.020 12
$5,727 62
518 00
97
STATEMENT OF COST OF WORKS.
1
Net cost of works, Jan. 1, 1887,
Construction account, Jan. Ist, 1888,
$105,779 75 2,437 28
Less amount received from service pipes
$108,217.03
and meters, $1,233 97
Less amount received from sale of material 7 76
1,241 73
Net cost of works, Jan. 1, 1888,
$106,975 30
SINKING FUND.
To comply with the requirements of the public statutes, the Town Treasurer has been appointed Treasurer of the Sinking Fund, and the account of the investments for that will be found in his report.
J. EDWARD EVERETT, WARD L. GAY.
TOWN MEETING WARRANT.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Norfolk, ss.
TO EITHER CONSTABLE THE TOWN OF NORWOOD, IN SAID COUNTY, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Norwood, qualified to vote in elections and town affairs. to meet in Village Hall. in said town, on Monday, the Fifth Day of March next, at Twelve o'clock and Thirty minutes in the afternoon, then and there to act on the following articles, viz. :-
ARTICLE I .- To choose a Moderator to preside in said · mới ting.
ARTICLE 2 .- To choose all necessary Town Officers for the year ensuing.
ARTICLE 3 -Shall license be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town ?. The check-list shall be used and the vote shall be by separate ballot, and ballots shall be Yes or No in answer to the question.
ARTICLE 4 .- To hear and act on the report of the Auditors on the Selectmen's, Treasurer's. Collector's and Water Commissioner's accounts.
99
ARTICLE 5 .- To see if the Town will accept of the List of Jurors as prepared by the Selectmen, and posted as re- quired by law.
ARTICLE 6 .- To see if the Town will authorize the Collector of Taxes to use the same means a Town Treasurer may use when acting as Collector.
ARTICLE 7 .- To see if the Town will fix the time within which taxes assessed therein shall be paid, and authorize the Collector to charge interest at the rate of seven per cent., or less, a year, on all taxes remaining unpaid at that time.
ARTICLE S .- To see what compensation the Town will allow for the Collection of taxes.
ARTICLE 9 .- To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, to borrow money in anticipation of taxes of the ensuing year, and to issue notes of the Town therefor, and the debts incurred under the authority of this vote are hereby made payable from said taxes,
ARTICLE 10 .-- To hear and act on the reports of Com- mittees.
ARTICLE II .- To see what sum of money the Town will raise and appropriate for the repairs of highways, and agree upon the method of repairing the same.
ARTICLE 12 .- To see if the Town will accept of the extension of Nahatan Street and Broadway, as laid out by the Selectmen, and raise and appropriate money to pay the land damage.
100
ARTICLE 13 .- To see if the town will accept of the extension of Fulton and Myrtle Streets, as laid out by the Select- men, and raise and appropriate money to build the same.
ARTICLE 14 .- To see if the Town will accept of a new street running from Chapel to Washington Street to a point near the Balch School House, and raise and appropriate money to build the same.
ARTICLE 15 .- To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate money to build the extension of Nahatan Street and Broadway, from that street to the foot of Day Street, as laid out by the Selectmen.
ARTICLE 16 .- To see what sum of money the Town will' raise aud appropriate for the support of the organization of the Fire Department the ensuing year.
ARTICLE 17 .- To see what sum of money the Town will raise and appropriate for the support of schools the en- suing year.
ARTICLE IS .- To see what sum of money the Town will raise and appropriate for the teaching of music in the public schools.
ARTICLE 19 .- To see what action the Town will take in the matter of the disposal of Engine House No. I.
ARTICLE 20 .- To see what action the Town will take in regard to furnishing more school accommodation, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
101
ARTICLE 21 .- To see what action the Town will take to provide suitable places for the confinement, discipline and in - struction of habitual truants and others as required by Section 10. Chapter 48 of the Public Statutes, and what other action the Town will take to satisfy the requirements of the provisions of law contained in said section, and to see whether the Town will require the County Commissioners of the County ot Norfolk to establish a truant school in this County, or to unite in establishing a truant school in this county, or in some other County contiguous to this, in accordance with the provisions contained in Section 14, Chapter 48 of the Public Statutes and the act amendatory thereof.
ARTICLE 22 .- To see what disposition the town will make of the money received for dog licenses.
ARTICLE 23 .-- To see if the town will raise and appro- priate money for the support of the Public Library.
ARTICLE, 24 .- To see what sum of money the Town will raise and appropriate for the prosecution of illegal sales of liquor, and agree on the manner of expending the same.
ARTICLE 25 .-- To see if the town will raise and ap- propriate the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars for the use of George K. Bird Post, No. 169, Grand Army of the Republic, for the purpose of decorating soldiers' graves, &c., on Memorial Day.
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