USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Randolph > Randolph town reports 1913-1919 > Part 41
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One Babcock extinguisher and apparatus
800 00
Two engine houses and lockup
3,800 00
Combination fire auto truck. 5,000 00
Land, Clark estate 1,200 00
Highway plant 5,000 00
Schoolhouse and land, School street. . .
7,500 00
School house and land, Chestnut street. .
1,800 00
Schoolhouse and land, Belcher street ...
9,250 00
1,600 00
Schoolhouse and land, Lafayette street. . Prescott schoolhouse and land, Ward and School street. 17,000 00
Land, North street.
200 00
Turner High school fund.
10,000 00
Stetson High school fund .
20,000 00
Turner Free Library, building and land. .
40,000 00
Turner Free Library
20,000 00
Turner Fund Library
10,000 00
Royal W. Turner Free Library fund.
20,000 00
Coddington fund
1,900 00
E. Fannie Belcher lot. 1,000 00
Stetson High school. 32,000 00
Water works 164,000 00
Total $405,550 00
JAMES P. DUFFY, JAMES H. DUNPHY, ARTHUR W. ALDEN, Assessors.
6
.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SELECTMEN
1918
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT OF SELECTMEN
The local situation seems to require something more in the line of report than the mere routine presentation of receipts and expenditures without further comment.
Conditions have confronted your officials of which the average citizen has no conception. These con- ditions and the problems they presented were not of re- cent growth. We were handicapped by being com- pelled to assume and carry a burden which had been accumulating for years.
Within a month bills of lang standing, some of them dating as far back as 1915, of which this administra- tion had no previous knowledge, have been presented for payment.
Many of the old taxes carried on our books as assets have had a paper value only as they were offset by bills owed by the town to the taxpayers in question. In many instances when pressure has been applied to make these taxes available for current needs, bills in proper form and duly approved by department heads of a for- mer generation have been presented to us for the first time as an offset to the claim of the town.
Many taxes which should have been abated years ago instead of being carried along from year to year, to be abated eventually, and creating a false impres- sion in the minds of the public as to the amount of money due the town and available to meet its bill's, have been dumped on the present Board of Assessors in bulk for action.
For these reasons and others it has been difficult to ascertain at any given time the exact financial standing of the town. The examiners of the Bureau of Statistics, experts in their line, commented upon the difficulty of making a real audit under these conditions.
We think, however, that we are in a position to give to the people the most accurate report of their financial condition which they have received for years. What- ever criticism may justly be laid at our doors there cer- tainly has been no lack of effort and no shrinking from hard, disagreeable work.
8
TOWN OF RANDOLPH
In the quest for information every accessible letter and bill-file has been carefully examined, every vault and dark closet in the Town Hall explored, forgotten rubbish piles, dank and mildewed with age overhauled, documents and fragments of documents exhumed therefrom and honored with the first attention they have received for many moons. The result is that we can furnish the citizens with facts instead of guesses.
The balance sheet in the last town report, page 68. was the best that could be drawn with the information at hand but it falls far short of being a correct expo- sition of the financial condition of the town at that time.
On the credit side we find approximately $47,000 in uncollected taxes. The average citizen would natural- ly assume that this amount was actually due the town and that by applying the proper methods it could read- ily be reduced to cash and devoted to the payment of our bills. For reasons already stated we are convinced that this sum should be discounted at least one-quarter. On the same balance-sheet over $7,000 appear to be due from the Commonwealth and from other towns. Much labor has been expended on these items and every effort made to collect them. For reasons which will appear later, outside of the State Aid account for which we are reimbursed in anywhere from eleven to twenty-two months, it is doubtful if they are worth twenty cents on the dollar. To offset this we have dis- covered and collected and put in process of collection several thousand dollars which did not appear on the balance sheet.
On the other side of the balance sheet appeared an item of $15,000 bills owed by the town. I am prepared to show that $30,000 would be nearer the truth.
Next-and we come now to a vital factor in our financial condition, to a fundamental cause of our trou- bles and to a situation which will require nothing short of a surgical operation to relieve. The report of last year showed that $30,000 was needed in 1918 to pay off notes issued in anticipation of taxes for 1917. This is no new condition. At a conference with the Bureau of Statistics we were informed that this financial stunt
9
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
had been performed annually for ten years. A former official ,of the town informs me that it has been done for 20 years. The condition is nearly old enough to vote.
The idea is this. Each incoming administration finds this little item of $30,000 handed to it by its prede-
cessor. It takes the easiest way out, nonchalantly signs more notes and blithely passes them on the next fellow. As a result we make no progress on this debt, we start the year with a large part of our borrowing capacity spent on a dead horse and to that extent wo reduce our ability to pay current bills.
To summarize. When we assumed office last March we found a treasury as bare as Mother Hubbard's cup- board and $60,000 worth of creditors clamoring for a bone.
Some criticism has been expressed because of failure to take care of street department pay-rolls promptly. It should in fairness be stated that when we assumed office we found awaiting us unpaid pay-rolls extending back to August, 1917. Furthermore we were instructed by vote of the town to use "Tarvia where practicable," but when we attempted to buy Tarvia we were in- formed that the town owed a bill, some of it three years old, for Tarvia, amounting to over $600. We had to make arrangements to pay this old bill out of the cur- rent tax levy before we could get a drop of Tarvia.
This story is characteristic of the conditions found in many departments. We have endeavored in reporting our expenditures to designate the year in which the bill was contracted and it will be apparent to the man who devotes any time to the study of this report that a large percentage of the moneys expended has been devoted to the payment of old bills.
Examination of town records and conferences with state officials have disclosed the fact that for many years there have been tremendous leakages which in the last five or six years we may say conservatively have cost the town at least $10,000. Without casting re- flections upon any official or officials we may say that these leakages were due to inadequate methods of re- cording and reporting, particularly with reference to
10
TOWN OF RANDOLPH
cases where public aid has been granted individuals and reimbursement could be obtained from some source if the cases were properly reported and followed up.
We have definitely stopped these leaks, have saved to the town several thousand dollars which should have been collected in previous years and the funds coming in from time to time on these accounts will help materially in the financial rehabilitation of the town. To prevent a relapse a careful systematizing of ex- penditures and eternal vigilance on the part of officials will be required.
We had absolutely nothing to work with. We knew in a general way that reimbursement was due us from many different sources but no detailed accounts could be found. When itemized bills were called for the old bills had to be looked up and the items dug out-a pound of sugar, a quart of milk at a time.
It was determined to do the work thoroughly and this involved a detailed examination of every book kept by the town for a period of six years and the careful scrut- iny of the vouchers and orders drawn during that pe- riod. As over a thousand orders are drawn a year it will be seen that this meant the examination of thou- sads of orders and vouchers or receipts. Furthermore a single bill oftentimes contains several hundred items. Inasmuch as there were as many different systems of bookkeeping as there were bookkeepers, the work was doubly difficult.
Such a task is drudgery of the most heart-breaking description. In order to get these accounts into pre- sentable shape the chairman of the Board has worked many days 16 and 18 consecutive hours. For months hardly a day passed that some portion of it was not de- voted to this task.
We have salvaged what we could from the wreck, charged off our losses and prepared the way for a clean start.
Let us present some of the details of the work on which we have been engaged with reference to particu- lar communities :
11
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
AMESBURY
According to the figures in the last town report the sum of $115.36 was due us from this town. A careful scrutiny of our vouchers for three years back revealed the fact that Amesbury at that time apparently owed us $395.72. This town has persistently refused to an- swer our letters or in any way acknowledge them and suit has been brought on this account.
ACTON
$152.28 was the sum claimed to be due from Acton. This account has been running since 1911 and we must admit it is badly mixed. Apparently the sum of $330.58 has been due for practically three years the greater part of which is lost. Negotiations are now pending between the chairman of your Board and the officials of Acton who are showing a very fair dispo- sition in the matter.
BILLERICA
Much hard labor has been expended on this account and the result will hardly justify the effort. The last town report shows $395.72 due from Billerica. Our in- vestigations show a balance of $681.47 uncollected and apparently due. The amount which we will receive, however, will fall far short of this figure. Billerica has already paid Braintree for a portion of the time covered by our account on the same case and naturally wants. to know why it should pay two towns. Much of the ac- count has been lost through failure to comply with the law in such cases made and povided. It is a case which requires diplomacy rather than the strong arm and we are endeavoring to work out a fair settlement with the officials of Billerica.
DUXBURY
Duxbury is not charged on our books with any amount. Out of the mass of material examined it ap- peared that this town owed us a balance of $10.58. Upon presentation of the bill, however, Duxbury pre- sented a counter-claim of a larger amount. Obviously, the least said about this matter the better.
EVERETT
This is another account which does not appear on
12
TOWN OF RANDOLPH
our' books but in the general investigation of the situa- tion a balance due against this city of $46.50 appeared. The matter was taken up with their overseers and they convinced us that the case in question ceased to be chargeable to Everett before this account became due and that they so notified us. The case then became a state case and would have become chargeable to the state had due notice been given. The authorities at the State House have advised me that such notice was never given and we must charge off this amount.
QUINCY
According to the 1917 report Quincy owed us $39.25. Quincy has a counter-claim against Randolph so that nothing is actually due us.
TAUNTON
Taunton owed us $18.00, claimed it never had notice and called for details which we furnished after consid- erable trouble in locating them. Taunton is having troubles of its own and the bill has not been paid.
BRAINTREE
Braintree has been billed for the $4.44 appearing to be due, the amount has not been paid.
HUDSON
After considerable correspondence Hudson sent us its check for its $6.80 account of 1915.
STONEHAM
In going back six years in the search for stray dollars it appeared that Stoneham at that time owed us $312.75. At that time $156.37 or one-half of the ac- count was paid leaving a balance apparently due of $156.38. Stoneham was billed for this amount and we have been informed that the bill was disputed and a settlement made at that time for one-half the bill.
COHASSET
An account four years old amounting to $268.88 was uncovered against Cohasset. It is extremely doubtful if a cent of this could be recovered. They had a pre- vious bill rendered to them of $145.91 and even this ap- parently was outlawed under the two-year statute of limitations. Cohasset, however, agreed to pay $145.91 upon our undertaking to settle a smaller amount owed
13
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
to that town. This amount has been paid into our treasury.
BOSTON
The 1917 report shows a balance due from Boston of $338.31. Our investigation showed an unpail balance for care of Boston's poor of $1,334.48. Even though negotiations are now pending with Boston on this ac- count it must in frankness be stated that much of the account is not now collectable. Furthermore, Boston has an offset of practically $400.
HOLBROOK
We have collected the $17.50 appearing to be due from the town of Holbrook and over $700 more on ac- counts running back for three years or more.
Outside of the State Aid for which we are reim- bursed in anywhere from eleven to twenty-two months there are apparently over two thousand dollars' worth of credits due the town from the Commonwealth. Some of this has been promised us before March 1st.
The tax collection situation presented one of our gravest problems. That situation will be discussed elsewhere in detail. The present collector has made a remarkable record and a repetition of his good work for a year or two will do much toward reinstating the town financially. Of the $47,000 in uncollected taxes reported last March, March 1st of this year will find probably not more than $10,000 left which is actually collectable. With due credits given and abatements made which should have been made from year to year I am convinced that our preliminary report showing 75 per cent. of back taxes accounted for was not an over- statement.
Uncollected taxes are not entirely responsible for the financial plight of the town. Year after year depart- ments have overdrawn their appropriation and the bur- den has fallen with over-accumulating weight on the shoulders of successive administrations. If every cent of collectable taxes had been in last March we could not have paid our bills.
Furthermore, the overlay has rarely been sufficient to take care of necessary abatements so that year after
14
TOWN OF RANDOLPH
year we fail to raise enough revenue to meet the ap- propriations and the function of the overlay is to offset abatements. This situation has been remedied this year and credit should be given to the Board of As- sessors for 1918 for taking this step.
Some space should be devoted to a discussion of con- ditions other than financial. Disturbance, disorder, lawlessness of various kinds, have been less in evidence than for years. Many citizens have expressed their appreciation of the improvement made in this direction.
For some years during the summer months there has been much disorder near the corner of Main and West streets occasioned by residents of other towns who made a change of cars at this point. Many complaints of this condition reached us. This year the district has been adequately policed and the small extra expense involved has been aptly justified by the results.
The year has witnessed the extension of free mail de- livery to all sections not covered by the rural mail serv- ice. Much credit is due the civics committee of the Ladies' Library Association for initiating this civic im- provement. It should be stated that the work of num- bering has been done for about one-half of the amount appropriated.
With a small appropriation and several thousand dollars worth of unpaid bills the street department was badly handicapped from the outset. Less money is now appropriated for this important service than was ap- propriated years ago. Furthermore, the excise tax in former years was devoted to highway repairs. This fund has not been available for two years. Notwith- standing these handicaps Main street was put in the best condition it has been for years. Union street, which was rebuilt in 1917 and which was going. to pieces for the want of another application of Tarvia was saved and such work as was possible was done in other sections. Out of the highway appropriation side- walks must be taken care of and our numerous drain- age problems relieved. Much damage has been suf- fered by citizens in various sections of the town be- cause of inadequate facilities for taking care of surface
15
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
drainage. The conditions at the corner of North and Plain streets are particularly bad and the residents of that section have a just grievance. To give permanent relief will require the expenditure of a large sum of money and the matter should be seriously considered at the town meeting. Other sections also require atten- tion and it is quite possible that action taken at this time may save litigation in the future.
We would recommend the employment of clerical help at the Town Hall. There is an immense amount of detail work in connection with the accounts of the va- rious departments. The amount of necessary corre- spondence is larger than the average citizen would be- lieve possible. The chairman of the present board has written over one thousand letters,in connection with town affairs. If the executive officer of the town is compelled to put several hours a day into service which an ordinary clerk could perform. his time for investi- gating complaints, conference with various bodies and the ordinary executive functions of his office is neces- sarily limited.
We also recommend the adoption of the statute pro- viding three-year terms for selectmen. A man must serve at least one year on the board to gain any con- ception of the nature, kind and detail of the work in- volved. Annual changes in the office do not tend to the training and experience without which efficiency is impossible.
To conclude. It is a deplorable fact that so many of our citizens are more interested in their personal quar- rels and more concerned about who is to receive this or that picayune appointive position than in the welfare and progress of the town. Until we forget our petty rivalries and jealousies, get together on a common basi: of unity and co-operation and work for the interest of the town 'with rancor toward none,' our civic progress will be slow.
WALTER F. STEPHENS.
Chairman
16
TOWN OF RANDOLPH
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Paid F. W. Hayden 1917 bill $ 1 82
R. E. O'Brien, $180.31, 1917 bill 299 31
Rufus A. Thayer, gravel, 1914 bill 53 50
C. F. Lyons, supplies, 1916-17 bill 16 78
John B. McNeill, $44.35, 1917 bill 93 80
Clinton Wire Cloth Co., 1917 bill 6 15
Duncan Henderson, labor,
1917 bill 3 45
F. W. Harris, teaming, 1917 bill 40 00
Randolph Coal Co., $172.62, 1917 bill 224 96
Chas. Truelson, freight and supplies 5 11
Geo. E. Belcher, supplies,
1917 bill 1 00
Edwin M. Mann, fuel, $23.25, 1917 bill 26 25
Randolph Cash Store, sup- plies, 79 cents, 1917 1 31
E. C. Young Co., wood. 65
F. Diauto, fuel, 1915 bill. . 67 32
Jas. Fardy, $30.10, 1917 bill .. 55 00
N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Co., freight 25 31
17
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
Puritan Iron Works, 1917
bill
13 50
Barrett Co., Tarvia, 1915-
1917 bill
625 96
Town of Holbrook, rent of sprinkler 75 00
Chas. Truelson for M. M. Sul- livan, use of town team ... 155 35
Chas. Fish, engineer . 373 50
Chas Truelson, payrolls, de- tails accessible at Town Hall, 1917 and 1918. .... .
3,520 75
Sundry persons on payrolls,
paid direct, details acces-
sible at Town Hall
($301.33, 1916-1917 bills .. 680 92
$6,366 70
Old accounts paid. .... $2,896 21
Current accounts paid .. 3,470 49
Snow Removal, 1918
Paid James Devine.
$
19 05
W. L. Mann, $12.75 on 1916-
1917 bills
28 50
James M. Dyer, $6.05, 1917 bill 29 05
-$
76 60
Lockup, 1918
Paid Bernard Moore.
$
114 05
Randolph Coal Co.,
1917
bill, $10.50, fuel.
54 25
B. F. Hayden, labor and sup- plies 48 96
Herbert A. Poole, supplies. ..
4 20
18
TOWN OF RANDOLPH
George A. Roel, labor. 3 00
M. S. Reid, mason work. 8 20
-
-$
232 66
Gypsy Moth Department, 1918
Paid F. M. Hayden Co., 1917 bill $ 15 43
C. F. Lyons, 1917 bill . 50
Merrimac Chemical Co., 1917 bill 252 00
John B. McNeil, 1917 bill .. 3 25
J. Edward Riley, payrolls. 868 39
F. W. Harris.
60 00
$1,199 57
Tree Warden, 1918
Paid Charles F. Blanche, 1916
bill $ 2 00
John T. Moore, payrolls.
191 10
- -- $ 193 10
Forest Fire Warden
Paid J. M. Hardy, supplies, 1917 bills $ 52 14
Herbert A. Poole. 2 70
Jeremiah F. Harty 9 50
James M. Dyer
22 25
Fred Diauto
3 50
Michael Kiley, 1917 bill . .
2 00
D. N. Courtemarche, 1917
bill
2 00
Charles J. Dolan
4 00 -_ $ 98 09
19
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
County Tax
Paid County Tax, 1918. $3,244 45 $3,244 45
State Tax
Paid State Tax, 1918. $8,030 00 $8,030 00
State Highway Tax
Paid State Highway Tax, 1918. .. $ 580 33
$ 580 33
Soldiers' Exemption
Paid Soldiers'. Exemption, 1918. . $ 31 92
31 92 $11,886 70
Care of Clock
Paid Arthur W. Alden. . $ 20 00 -$ 20 00
Paid District Nurse, 1917 $ 250 00 -$ 250 00
Town Treasurer's Bond
Paid Joseph T. Leahy. . $ 100 00
100 00
Tax Collector's Bond
Paid Joseph T. Leahy $ 100 00 -$ 100 00
-
20
TOWN OF RANDOLPH
Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1918
Paid P. H. Mclaughlin, 1917 bill. $ 82 40
A. W. Myrick, 1917 bill .... 8 75
A. L. Chase, 1917 bill .. . . 50
John B. Wren (1917) $7.75 .. 27 75
Cartwright & Hurley, 1917 bill 17 50
Geo. V. Higgins, 1917 bill ...
5 75
~_ $ 142 65
Salaries
Town Treasurer
Paid Patrick H. Mclaughlin. ... $ 50 00
Herman W. French 250 00
-$ 300 00
Selectmen and Assessors
Paid James P. Duffy ($75, 1917) .$ 415 00
James H. Dunphy ($100, 1917) 405 00
Michael E. Clark (1917) 160 00
Arthur W. Alden
150 00
---- $1,130 00
Moderator
Paid James E. Foley
$
25 00
Auditors
Paid John B. Wren.
$
20 00
Michael F. Cunningham
40 00
60 00
21
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
Registrars of Voters
Paid
Patrick H. Mclaughlin, (1917) $ 75 00
Frank M. Condon (1917) . . . 50 00
Harold F. Howard (1917) .. 50 00
John H. Field (1917)
50 00
- -$ 225 00
Inspector of Animals
Paid Weston L. Mann (1917 ..... $ 100 00
-$ 100 00
Collector of Taxes
Paid Jeremiah J. Desmond (1917) $ 47 10
Edward Long, previous years . 109 73 -$ 156 83
$1,996 83
Poor of Other Towns
Paid Geo. H. Eddy, supplies, $96.07 (1917) . $ 134 97 Randolph Coal Co., fuel $63.50 (1917) . 128 95
Randolph Cash Store, supplies. 47 40
F. C. Granger, medical attendance, 1915, 1916, 1917 283 72
F. W. Hayden Co. 39 57
$
634 61
Old accounts .
$443 29
Current accounts.
191 32
To be refunded.
22
TOWN OF RANDOLPH
Board of Health
The work of the Board of Health has grown to such proportions that we would recommend in the future that the Selectmen should not perform the functions of this body. It is eminently desirable also that one mem- ber of this board should be a physician.
We would recommend also a larger appropriation for the Board of Health. There is at the present time due from the town for the care of tubercular patients a sum larger than the annual appropriation. Situations continually arise which demand the expenditure of sub- stantial sums and the law requires us to take action re- gardless of expense.
Disbursements in 1918
Paid Carrietta Crockett, a liability incurred in 1917 for condemnation of property 146 11
C. F. Blanche, horse and team, 1915- 1916 22 00
John B. Wren, fumagating supplies, all 1917 145 75
Cartwright & Hurley, fumigating, 1917 29 00
Robert Hamilton, interment of canine. . 1 00
Geo. V. Higgins, professional services 1917 7 50
N. E. Tel. & Tel. Co. 2 81
A. L. Chase, professional services 9 00
$ 363 17
Old accounts $350 36
Current accounts 12 81
23
EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
Mothers' Aid Account
Paid F. W. Hayden Co., supplies, $20.09 (1917) $ 156 77
C. H. Saunders, supplies, $98.58 (1917) 452 50
A. Hagney, supplies, $37.68 (1917) ... 52 81 Percy Blanchard, supplies, $6.38 (1917) 28 29
Florence Marcotte, rent, $12.00 (1917) .
104 00
A. L. Chase (1917 bill) . 26 50
Rand Coal Co., fuel, $31.75 (1917)
98 80
Cash 55 50
Chas. R. Powers, supplies, $2.12 (1917) 17 17
Geo. W. Shedd, supplies, $17.50 (1917) 27 50
W. J. Woods, Inc. (1915 account) 7 90
Geo. H. Eddy . 81 23
$1,108 97
Old bills . $341 73
Current bills 767 24
One-third to be reimbursed.
Soldiers' Relief
Paid Eugene Thayer, supplies, 1916-1917 ac- counts $ 275 02
F. C. Walsh, supplies. 12 50
Geo. A. Poole, supplies. 176 00
Geo. H. Eddy, supplies, $114.82 (1917) . 254 03
F. W. Hayden Co., supplies. . 80 78
Randolph Coal Co., fuel, $93.00 (1917) . 102 45
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