USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1932-1935 > Part 10
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Rose G. O'Brien, claim for personal injuries, sidewalk accident, Nahatan Street, settled; amount paid $65.00.
Louis Severance, claim for personal injuries, sidewalk accident, Nahatan Street; settlement pending.
James Curran, workmen's compensation claim, lump sum settlement; amount paid $500.00.
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Samuel Thompson, workmen's compensation claim, lump sum settlc- ment; amount paid $350.00.
Catherine Dillon, action of tort for personal injuries brought in Superior Court for Norfolk County, sidewalk accident, Nahatan Street, compromise settlement; amount paid $500.00.
Charles P. Pond, et al, petition in Superior Court for Norfolk County for assessment of damages for taking of lan ' or extension of Nichols Street where no damages were awarded; action rending.
James J. Drummey, action of contract brought in Superior Court for Norfolk County based on claim for labor and material in connection with grading of Senior High School building lot; action pending.
Eva Braverman, petition for assessment of damages brought in Superior Court for Norfolk County for taking of easement in land for widening of Winter Street; action pending.
Certain other claims were presented through written notices or other- wise as to which either liability has been denied or no action has been in- dicated as yet to the claimants.
The suit in equity of the Metropolitan Crushed Stone Company against Smith, Jr. and O'Brien (Smith Construction Company) as the contractors for the construction of the widening and re-location of a section of Winter Street, brought on December 9, 1931, and entered in the Superior Court for Suffolk County on January 4, 1932, is pending. The Town and the Surety Company of the Contractors, are Respondents also. With respect to the contract, the Department of Public Works under which the im- provement was carried on, reported through final estimate under date of January 28, 1932, that the work had been completed at a value of $17,062.73 The Selectmen thereupon voted to declare the work under the contract completed and approved. By notice on February 2, 1932, the County Commissioners for the County of Norfolk decreased the amount awarded as a contribution to the Town for the improvement from $10,000.00 to $6,696.67.
Orders of Taking
Orders of taking were adopted and ordered to be filed and recorded as follows:
March 15-Fee in land for public library purposes, First Congregational Church in Norwood, assumed owner.
March 22-Easement in land for public way purposes, viz., Highland Strect extension.
April 4-Easements in land for public way purposes, viz .: Hill Street ex- tension, Mountain Avenue extension, and Cedar Street extension westerly from Washington Street.
Easement in land of Nikoli Hellsten, assumed owner, for main drain purposes.
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June 28-Easements in lands of Bird & Son, inc., Winslow Bros. & Smith Co., and New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company, for sewer system purposes. (Hawes Brook sewer line so-called.)
Easement in lands of Paul Zinko and Ellen Linane, assumed owners, for main drain purposes, from Concord Avenue southerly as shown by plan.
September 13-Easement in land of Fred L. Fisher, assumed owner, for water main purposes, being approximately 20 feet wide, in private way running from Washington Street to Highview Street.
Federal Building (Post Office) Site
Upon notification by the United States Treasury Department that, by reason of the reduced area from that reported of the Federal Building site, as indicated by actual survey figures, the sales price in the offer made by the Town should be amended to read $21,800.25 in place of $21,900.00 through the use of a form of assent provided for the purpose. Accordingly the Selectmen on February 2 signed and caused to be forwarded such assent.
The abstract of title to the parcel of land with certificates required and a plan of the Engineer's Survey of the proposed site were prepared and de- livered to the appropriate authorities of the United States government together with evidence of the removal of encumbrances in the nature of fencing covenants as to which releases were secured and recorded, also the draft of the warranty deed conveying the title which were found to be in acceptable form.
On May 12 the deed, which had been executed by the Selectmen and the Town Treasurer, was delivered to the United States government through the Special Assistant of the United States Attorney in Boston and the sale of the land completed by the payment by the United States through the Treasury Department by check to Town Treasurer Sullivan of the sum of $21,800.25.
Motor Bus Transportation Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway Company
On April 4 a hearing was held on the application of the Eastern Massa- chusetts Street Railway Company for a license to operate motor busses in the carriage of passengers for hire on Washington Street between Guild Street and the Norwood-Walpole boundary line, being an extension of the licensed privileges granted in 1931. The Public Trustees of the Company indicated that they were ready to give favorable consideration to discon- tinuing the electric street car service and substituting motor vehicle service on the entire route from the Boston line to East Walpole with half hourly service on a thirty minute schedule between Forest Hills and Guild Street and forty-five minute schedule between Forest Hills and East Walpole
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and with the then present rates of fare to be continued. Following the hearing the license was granted and the company was informed that the Selectmen would give favorable consideration to a modification of the con- tract conditions requested by the Trustees with respect to the purchase of electric energy requiring a six months' notice on the part of the company of its intention to abandon the contract. On June 12 the Company sub- stituted motor bus operation for electric street railway operation in Nor- wood as previously notified to the Selectmen with request for the cancella- tion of the power contract as of said June 12. The Selectmen thereupon voted to cancel the contract as requested, waiving the required notice.
New England Transportation Company
On June 7 upon the application of the New England Transportation Company it was voted to modify its existing license to transport passengers for hire by the operation of motor coaches in the town on the route between Boston and the Rhode Island-Massachusetts state line to the extent that will permit transportation from the Norwood Central Station of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company through Broadway, East Hoyle and Washington Streets to the Walpole-Norwood line on tickets of said Railroad Company with respect to two round trips daily, as specifically indicated in the petition for such modification, except on Sundays and holidays, with the definite understanding, however, the passengers carried to East Walpole shall be discharged at or near the East Walpole Railroad Station on the Wrentham branch of said Railroad Com- pany and that no passengers shall be taken in Norwood except at the said Station and that all motor busses operating over East Hoyle Street shall come to a stop before entering Washington Street at its intersection with said East Hoyle Street.
South Metropolitan Sewerage System Neponset Valley Branch
On June 28 a notice was received from the Metropolitan District Com- mission under date of June 21 certifying that the construction of the main trunk sewer line of the Neponset Valley Branch of the South Metropolitan Sewerage System had been so far completed as to furnish an outlet to receive the sewage from Norwood and Walpole on or before July 1, 1932, and that in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 384, Acts of 1928, all assessments to meet the cost of maintenance and operation of the sys- tem to be paid by these towns would be included in the taxes levied for the current year as required by law.
On November 1 following a report received from a committee appointed for the purpose, consisting of the General Manager, the Town Clerk and Accountant and the Chairman of the Assessors, which committee consulted with the X. H. Goodnough, Inc., sanitary engineers, through Engineer Goodnough, and conferred with representatives of Winslow Bros. & Smith Co., it was voted that the basis upon which the property of said
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Winslow Bros. & Smith Co. should be connected with the new Neponset Valley Branch of the South Metropolitan Sewerage System, as recom- mended by Engineer Goodnough, be established as follows, namely, the sum of $2,688.00 be the fee charged to be paid by said Company for the use of the common sewer for the disposal of sewage, said sum being deter- mined by the Selectmen pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 83, General Laws and that in consideration of such payment no further assessment in the future shall be laid or imposed on the area shown on a plan entitled "Plan Showing Area Covered by Payment of Fee for Use of Common Sewers in Town of Norwood in the Disposal of Industrial Sewage in the Winslow Plant of Winslow Bros. & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass. A. W. Thompson, Engr." dated November 1, 1932, such industrial sewage re- sulting from manufacturing processes now located or which in the future may be located within the area as shown on said plan. The basis thus fixed was accepted by Winslow Bros. & Smith Co.
Electric Service Rates
On June 28, 1932, the following action was taken with respect to electric service rates effective as of July 1, 1932, namely:
"In amendment of the existing rates, a further discount of three per centum on the net amount of each bill due for electric energy furnished each domestic and commercial consumer after June 21, 1932, and not exempt from the provisions of the Federal Revenue Act, is to be allowed, said discount, however, to be retained by the Treas- urer as Collector of Electric Service Rates as the tax due to the United States and to be paid in accordance with the requirements of said Revenue Act of 1932."
Rules and Orders in Amendment to Existing Rules and Orders for the Regulation of Carriages and Vehicles Used on Public Ways
On March 1, 1932, action was taken as follows, namely, "Voted that the rules and regulations for the regulation of carriages and vehicles used on public ways in the Town of Norwood, Massachusetts, adopted on July 12, 1927, as amended on April 8, 1930, be and hereby are further amended by the adoption of the following section, viz .:
Section 25. Every driver of a vehicle, street car or other conveyance, approaching an intersecting way at which there exists, facing him, an official sign, authorized by this rule and order, said sign having apart from this regulation, the written approval of the Department of Public Works of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and bearing the word "stop," shall before entering and proceeding through the intersection, bring such vehicle, street car or other conveyance to a complete stop at such line as may be clearly marked, or, if there is no
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line so marked, at a place between the said sign and the line of the street intersection. In the case of a line of two or more vehicles ap- proaching such "stop" sign, the drivers of the second and third vehicles in any group shall not be required to stop more than once at said desig- nated line or place or in the immediate vicinity. This rule and order shall not apply when the traffic is otherwise directed by a police officer or by any other lawful traffic regulating sign, signal or device.
And be it further Voted that said amendment be published in the Norwood Messenger in the issue of Friday, March 4, 1932, and be effective upon such publication and upon its approval in writing by the State Department of Public Works."
The amendment was published as required and the approval in writing of the State Department of Public Works was obtained on March 22, 1932.
Unemployment Relief
As was stated in the report of the activities of this department for the year 1931, there was appointed on October 27 of that year a local com- mittee on unemployment relief, in line with an earlier request of Governor Ely. This committee continued to act in the year 1932. Keenly appre- ciative of the effect of unemployment conditions existing in Norwood as well as in municipalities generally throughout the state and nation, the Selectmen, independently of the committee, endeavored to aid in the improvement of such conditions through the departments under their control and had the active cooperation and assistance to that end of the General Manager and other officials including department superintendents. As was the case in the year 1931 every effort has been made during the past year to utilize the services of those who needed employment to the greatest possible extent permitted by the use of all funds available for the purpose. In recognition of the work of the Committee above mentioned, the Selectmen took action on June 7, in the form of an expression of appre- ciation to the Committee for its cooperation and to the donors of funds contributed and made available to relieve unemployment which had re- sulted in material benefit to the citizens of the Town particularly as it appeared that two thirds of the cost of the improvement made in Highland View Cemetery was met from such funds.
Conferences were held with the Committee from time to time at which it reported as to its activities. Conferences were held also with the Nor- wood Council of the Central Labor Union and with others, particularly with the Board of Public Welfare, with respect to the employment situa- tion and relief measures.
On November 9, the Committee reported suggesting its discharge in view of the performance of the work which had been assigned to it and it was voted that gratitude and appreciation for the services rendered by it during the years 1931 and 1932 be extended to the Committee.
Changes in the personnel of the Committee were as follows, namely:
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January 19, resignation of Spencer B. Montgomery received and ac- cepted. January 26, Selectman John M. Mutch appointed to fill the vacancy. February 9, resignation of Francis W. Smith received and ac- cepted. February 16, resignation of Hollis W. Plimpton received and accepted. March 29, resignation of Nora A. Walsh received and accepted. As to each of said former members appreciation for services rendered was expressed.
Following report on October 4 from a group conference which recom- mended the appointment of an advisory committee on emergency relief to cooperate with the Board of Public Welfare thereafter in 1932 and in 1933 and on request of the Board of Public Welfare, a committee to be known as an Emergency Relief Committee was appointed on October 18 as follows, namely, Henry J. Cronan, Evelyn M. Prescott, Amy E. Wald- heim, Paul I. Bernier, Michael Shergals, Maude A. Shattuck and Anna M. Flaherty. On November 1, Helen E. Buell was appointed to membership in place of Mrs. Prescott, who was unable to serve. On November 22, S. Maude Bernier was appointed to membership in place of Mr. Shergals, who was unable to serve. On November 9, the new committee submitted recommendations and plans of action which received consideration and which was followed by a further report from such committee through its Chairman on November 15, with respect to the unemployment situation.
Salary and Wages Reduction
On May 3 a request was received from the Finance Commission that a general reduction, to continue until further notice, be made in all salaries, wages, fees and other payments for personal services rendered to the Town. This action by the Finance Commission was due apparently to the unsatis- factory results obtained from the attempt to secure voluntary contribu- tions from municipal employees, particularly such large groups as the school teachers, police officers and permanent members of the fire depart- ment classified under the Civil Service Rules. Before acting upon the request conferences were held with representatives of the police officers and the permanent members of the fire department with a view to ob- taining voluntary contributions from them of 5% of their respective salaries for the remainder of the year to be received by the Town Treasurer and used in accordance with the action taken at the town meeting held on March 10. Thereafter, namely on May 24, the Selectmen were notified by said police officers and permanent firemen that such voluntary contribu- tion would not be made by them. Consideration was given on June 28 to a schedule of salaries and compensation to be paid to officials and others respectively holding appointive positions or being employed under the Selectmen which showed the effect on such salaries and compensation of a reduction for the period from July 15 to December 31, 1932, on the following basis, namely, salary and compensation less than $1201.00-5%
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reduction, on $1201.00 to $3001.00-74% reduction and on $3001.00 and above, 10% reduction.
On advice from the Town Counsel that action with respect to police officers and permanent members of the fire department looking to a lower- ing in their compensation required preliminary action by the town meeting in reduction of the appropriations previously voted for the salaries in the police and fire departments, a special town meeting was called to be held on July 7 to permit of appropriate action to be taken in the matter. On July 5 action was taken establishing the reductions shown by the schedule above referred to as of July 15 effective however only if the town meeting took affirmative action by way of reducing the appropriations for salaries in the police and fire departments under Article 9 of the warrant for that meeting and that with respect to such established reductions, the heads of departments under the Selectmen be requested to take similar action. At said special town meeting it was voted not to reduce the above men- tioned appropriations.
On November 29 the Selectmen received notification from the Finance Commission of a vote adopted by it in which it indicated its opinion that a wage and salary reduction should be put into effect on January 1, 1933, in all departments of the town, namely, as to all salaries and wages under $1500.00 a 10% reduction, from $1500.00 to $3000.00 a 122% reduction, and as to $3000.00 and above, a 15% reduction, and that the wages of employees of the town on an hourly rate be adjusted commensurate with the rate paid in industry for the same class of work and that automatic increases should be put into effect as usual and reductions made from such increased rates and that budgets should be revised on such basis.
On said date the Selectmen unanimously voted approval of the principle set forth in the notification and further voted that with respect to regular men employed by the town the hourly rate of compensation be reduced on the same basis as the salary reductions, and that as to all employees in departments under the control of the Selectmen, except as to officers and employees classified under the Civil Service Rules such reductions in com- pensation be effective as of January 1, 1933, and that as to the permanent members of the fire department classified under the Civil Service Rules the Acting Chief of the Department be requested to take appropriate action with the approval of the Selectmen seasonably to lower in compensation such permanent members effective as of January 1, 1933, for service to be rendered on and after that date to 872% of the existing rate.
With respect to the police officers the following action was taken:
"Voted, that the Clerk issue notices to every police officer classified under Civil Service Rules that Selectmen contemplate the lowering of compensation of each for services to be rendered on and after January 1, 1933, to 872% thereof at the existing rate, specifically stating the rate and percentage, for the following reasons:
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1. The necessity for economy in town expenditures for the general welfare of the town in view of general conditions of business.
2. The necessity in view of general conditions of reducing the existing tax burdens on the tax payers of the town.
3. The necessity of reducing the cost of town government in part by the reduction in compensation of town officers and employees to avoid the probable increase of the tax burden on the tax payers of the town resulting from known and prospective losses of revenue to the Town from state income tax and state corporation tax and other receipts, and from known and prospective increased appropriation requirements.
4. In view of a contemplated general and graduated reduction of all salaries and wages (of compensation) of officers and employees of the town in all departments under the control of the Selectmen on the grounds of economy.
5. The necessity, in view of existing economic conditions, of reducing the cost of government of the town by the contemplated action and other appropriate action.
and that the Selectmen will hold a full hearing on the subject matter of such notice in Memorial Hall, Municipal Building, Thursday, December 8, 1932, at 7.30 o'clock in the afternoon and that in accordance with the provisions of law such hearing shall, if the officer so requests in writing, be public."
In accordance with the vote above set forth notices were given to the several police officers and thereafter replies were received from them in which they requested that the hearings should be public under the pro- visions of the Civil Service laws and in which they stated that they objected to the lowering of compensation and wished to contest the same and designated an attorney to represent them.
The hearings were consolidated and held on December 8 and by con- tinuance on December 16, 17 and 20. An agreement was reached with the several police officers affected that the proceedings be discontinucd and that contributions from their respective salaries would be made for the year 1933 of sums representing 10% of their respective salaries in lieu of salary reductions. On December 21, appropriate written instruments signed by the police officers affected and signed for approval and acceptance by the Selectmen and containing other provisions agreed upon were exchanged and the hearings discontinued. With respect to the permanent members of the fire department, acting Chief Parker took the appropriate prelimi- nary action requested by the Selectmen to lower in compensation such members, but the members affected entered into contribution agrcements similar to those made with the police officers as above set forth and the proceedings with respect to them were also discontinued. With respect to other officials appointed by the Selectmen and all employees in dc-
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partments under control of the Selectmen, the action taken on November 29 as to reduction in compensation was reconsidered on December 20, and it was voted that such reduction should not be put into effect, on the under- standing and agreement, however, as consideration therefor, that contribu- tions be made from the respective salaries or wages of such officials and employees on the following basis, namely, as to annual salaries and wages not exceeding $3,000 ten percent, and as to salaries over $3,000 fifteen per cent, and as to regular men employed at hourly rates in such departments the contribution be made on the same basis.
Miscellaneous
Brief reference is made in the following form to matters which received attention during the year and which indicate to some extent the varied and extensive character of the duties which have been performed, namely:
Bond of Town Treasurer and Collector of Taxes with the Century Indemnity Co. of Hartford, Connecticut, as surety, in statutory form and in the amount of $72,000.00, approved. On December 20, notice received from Department of Corporations and Taxation that the amount of the bond required from the Town Treasurer and Collector of Taxes for the coming year would be $58,000.00. Due to the record established by the Collector of Taxes with respect to the prompt collection of taxes, this amount is substantially less than the amount required for the past year.
Order adopted and signed on December 27 for assessment of betterments for the improving constituting the extension of Nichols Street, involving lands of Norwood Estates, Inc., S. M. Winslow and Charles P. Pond, et al, assumed owners, and same to be filed.
On March 22, it was voted to accept the provisions of Chapter 94, Acts of 1932, entitled "An Act Providing for Advance Payments on Account of Taxes for the Current Year in Certain Cities and Towns" and that notice of action taken be given to the Commissioner of Corporations and Taxation and to local officials involved and to the general public.
On April 25, it was voted that roller skating be permitted between the hours of sunrise and sunsct in the following designated area, viz .: that portion of Nichols Street between Shattuck Road and the southerly boundary of the Senior High School premises.
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