USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1896 > Part 2
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29
MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
At the time the Municipal Indebtedness act went into effect (January 1, 1876) the funded debt of the city was $1,571,854, its valuation $26,573,400. To-day, with a valuation of nearly $50,- 000,000, the total funded debt is less than it was twenty years ago.
The laws of the Commonwealth fix the limit of taxation, for ordinary municipal purposes, at twelve dollars on each one thou- sand dollars of valuation. From this sum the entire expense of maintaining the several departments, including public schools, must be met. All moneys raised by taxation, in excess of the twelve-dollar limit, are applied to the payment of state and county taxes and for the requirements of the city debt. I have found quite a number of intelligent citizens who entertained the errone- ous idea that it was only necessary to make slight increase in the tax rate in order to have ample revenue for the maintenance of public schools, fire department, police, highways, sewers, and all the other departments. If our tax rate should be raised to twenty-five dollars on a thousand, it would not yield one addi- tional dollar to defray current expenses. The increased rate would merely indicate that we had taken on a heavier burden of debt, and were thereby compelled to appropriate larger sums to meet annual payments of interest and principal thereon.
I know the City Council would gladly make more liberal ap- propriations for the various municipal departments, if it could be done lawfully, and without impairment of the city's credit. The statutes of the Commonwealth, as I have said, prescribe the exact limit to which cities and towns may go in making appropriations for current expenditures, and this limit was fully reached by the appropriation bill of last year. Surely no city council, whatever the personal desires of its members might have been, could have done more. Any criticism of its action, in not providing more generously for the several departments, grows out of ignorance of the exact situation of affairs. Until the Legislature removes the barrier against unrestricted municipal expenditure which it set up in 1885, only one method can be found for adding to our annual budget; namely, by raising the valuation of the taxable property of the city. In my judgment, such a step cannot be safely or properly taken. It seems to be the opinion of those best
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
informed as to real estate, that the property of our citizens is al- ready assessed at its full market value. If such is the case, any further marking up of values would impose unjust burdens upon tax payers, and unduly augment Somerville's share of state and county taxes.
I have shared the regret felt by last year's City Council, that the financial condition of the city forbade the immediate carrying out of several public enterprises of great merit, but it seems reas- onable to hope that some of these much needed improvements may be undertaken the present year. As I have previously stated, but slight addition was made last year to the net funded debt of the city. From this fact, taken in connection with the large increase of taxable property, I am led to believe that you will be able to enter upon several important undertakings which promise much good to our city.
I shall now direct your attention to the condition and needs of several of the important city departments.
SEWERS.
In addition to the ordinary work of the Sewer Department during the past year, several undertakings of unusual magnitude were entered upon and carried to successful completion. I shall only take time to refer to one or two of these measures, as they are fully discussed in the report of the City Engineer.
The long delayed plan for providing drainage for the Tan- nery Brook district and relief for the overcharged sewers in West Somerville has at length been executed in a most thorough and satisfactory manner. The Tannery Brook district, lying partly in Somerville and partly in Cambridge, has an area of about three hundred and fifty acres, and has heretofore been without any pub- lic sewerage facilities. This unfortunate state of affairs is now permanently remedied, and no part of our city is to-day drained in a more complete and scientific manner. It is believed that owners of lands in the vicinity of Davis square will suffer no fur- ther annoyance from the flooding of cellars in times of heavy rain- fall, and that much relief will be experienced along the entire line of the Somerville-avenue sewer.
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MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
The citizens of Somerville owe a debt of gratitude to the men who have given so much of their time and thought to the solu- tion of the sewerage problem in West Somerville. They have often sat far on into the night, diligently studying maps, plans, and figures, in order that no mistake might be made in the costly and difficult undertaking. One of these, patient and conscien- tious public servants, the lamented ex-City Engineer, Horace L. Eaton, was not permitted to witness even the beginning of the work upon which he had bestowed such careful and earnest thought, but his suggestions and services in formulating the ear- liest plans are not forgotten by those who were associated with him. Even at the risk of offending friends, whose modesty leads them to shrink from the slightest public recognition, I will ven- ture to suggest that the general public knows but little of the measure of unselfish labor which has been given to the Tannery Brook sewer enterprise by some of the city officers and em- ployees. Of special value have been the services of our Engi- neers, Messrs. Bailey and Kimball, our City Solicitor, Hon. Selwyn Z. Bowman, and the members of the sewer committees during the years 1895 and 1896.
Two other measures of marked importance, carried out by the sewer department last year, were the connection of the sew- age of Somerville with the Metropolitan sewer system, and the adoption of plans for conducting away the sewage and waste water from the great slaughtering establishments and packing houses in the southerly part of our city. For the interesting de- tails of the work, you are referred to the report of the City En- gineer.
I would strongly urge the necessity of taking prompt steps for the improvement of our sewer system in those parts of the city where the present sewers are of insufficient size to do the work required of them. The Union Square district, and a large section of East Somerville, extending on both sides of Cross street, demand immediate attention. It is wrong longer to sub- ject property owners in these localities to the annoyance and loss which they suffer from damp houses and flooded cellars in times of severe storm. I consider this one of the most important and
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
pressing subjects which will engage your attention, and I trust your action with reference to it will be prompt and decisive.
HIGHWAYS.
Nothing contributes more directly to the welfare of a city than smooth, tidy, well-kept streets. Such streets are not only a convenience to the public, but they also enhance the value of property and conduce to the general prosperity of all the people. In our time the character of a city is largely judged of by the con- dition of its highways. It is, therefore, of prime importance that we should not allow the reputation of our city to suffer from un- just condemnation of its streets. Public interest has been thoroughly awakened upon the subject of good roads, and in this city the tax-payers are vigorously demanding that some intelli- gent and practical method shall be adopted for the improvement of our highways. While it is generally conceded that there has been a marked improvement in our streets, as a whole, during the past year, it is manifest that much remains to be done before the public will be satisfied with their condition.
Not a little of the criticism which is passed upon our high- ways is thoughtless and unfair. While they are noticeably in- ferior to those in some sections of Boston, Brookline, and New- ton, I believe they compare favorably, in the main, with the high- ways of many of our suburban neighbors. Credit is due to the Superintendent of Streets and Highway Committee for the satis- factory results which they have achieved during the past year, with the limited means at their disposal. They would gladly have done more had they not been hampered by an appropriation far too meagre for the needs of their department.
The difficulties under which the Highway Department labors are imperfectly understood by the great body of our citizens, and I shall take time to allude briefly to a few of them. The building and repairing of highways in Somerville is far more expensive than in some of the neighboring cities. We have very little suit- able material for good road building within our own borders, and the transportation of crushed stone from distant places adds greatly to the expense of street construction. Our soil is chiefly
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MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
of a clayey nature, and retains storm water for a considerable time. The surface of the city is hilly, and the grade of many of our streets is so sharp as to cause a destructive wash in times of heavy rain. The frequent digging up of our streets, for the lay- ing of pipes of various sorts and for the tracks of the street rail- way, is exceedingly vexatious to the Highway Department, and seriously interferes with keeping the streets in proper repair.
There ought to be concerted action among the different de- partments of the city in their dealings with the streets. It is, in- deed, unfortunate that so much of the labor and expense of the Highway Department should be wasted, in consequence of the action of the Water and Sewer Departments in digging up the streets almost as soon as they are constructed. Under our pres- ent faulty system, there is no certainty that a street, when once built, will long remain in a sightly and passable condition. The Sewer Committee, the Water Board, the gas company, the street railway corporation, may proceed at once to destroy the surface which the Highway Department has so carefully constructed. Some means ought to be found to obviate, in part, the bad results of this haphazard method. When the surface of a street is dis- turbed by the railway companies, or for the laying of gas, water, and sewer pipes, the roadbed should be promptly restored to its former condition. I believe it would be just and proper to re- quire the street railway corporations to pave from curb to curb in all cases where tracks are laid in a narrow street.
Very much depends upon the tidiness of streets and side- walks. It should be the duty of certain employees of the High- way Department to go over the streets at stated intervals and re- move all objects which render them unsightly or unsafe. Our citizens should co-operate with the Highway Department in keep- ing the highways in a tidy and attractive condition. No person who has regard for the beauty and good repute of his city will throw rubbish of any kind into one of its streets. There is no better test of the civilization of a community than the treatment which its streets receive at the hands of the people. When I walk along a highway which is littered and defaced with bits of wood, paper, tin cans, broken bottles, orange and banana skins, I feel at
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
once like diminishing my contributions to foreign missions, for it is apparent that much missionary work yet remains to be done at home. When a street is scraped and cleaned, the waste material should be promptly carted away, and not, as is sometimes the case, allowed to remain in piles in the gutters for several days.
In the building of highways the best materials should be se- lected, and the most intelligent methods pursued. When a street is rebuilt, the work should be done in a thorough manner, so as to yield the longest service. The constant patching of streets which have become practically worn out is a mere waste of money. In- sufficient attention is given to our main thoroughfares. The greater part of the annual appropriation should, I believe, be ex- pended upon them. We boast of the wonderful improvements which have been made during the past century in every depart- ment of human activity, and there can be no doubt that, on the whole, there has been great advancement even in road building; and yet it is a well-known fact that some of the finest roads in the world are to-day found in Italy, and were built before the Chris- tian Era.
With each passing year the use of the bicycle becomes more general, and the claims of the multitude who ride the silent steed cannot be fairly ignored. Hundreds of our citizens who have not yet ventured to ride the wheel would do so if our main thorough- fares were in such a condition as to make bicycle riding a safe and pleasant pastime. Wheelmen and wheelwomen are among the most energetic and progressive members of the community. They contribute largely to the public revenue, and their conven- ience and pleasure should be kept constantly in view. I have sometimes thought it would be feasible to pave the gutters of some of our principal streets with asphalt, instead of granite blocks or cobble stones, so as to furnish a smooth, dry surface for bicycle riders at most seasons of the year. It might, at least, be proper to try the experiment on a single street, such a one, for ex- ample, as Highland avenue.
During the past year extensive repairs were made upon sev- eral of the main thoroughfares. Beacon street was thoroughly macadamized and surfaced, from its northerly terminus to Kent
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MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
street and from Buckingham street to the Cambridge line. The remainder of the street should be rebuilt the present year.
It was found, near the close of last year, that Mystic avenue was in a state which rendered it unsafe for public travel. This condition was due in part to long neglect, and in part to the ex- cavations made within its location for the purpose of laying the Metropolitan sewer. The Superintendent of Streets, acting un- der the direction of the Highway Committee, has just completed a roadbed, twenty feet in width, extending nearly the entire length of the avenue. The street is now in a passable condition for the winter, but its thorough rebuilding at full width should be undertaken at an early date. Mystic avenue is one of the most important arteries of travel in our city. It furnishes direct com- munication between Boston and the northerly suburbs. It has a level grade, and if once put in good order would be extensively used for the heavy teaming which now passes over Broadway and Medford street. It would also be a favorite road for bicycle rid- ers, on account of its freedom from hills. By diverting from Broadway to Mystic avenue the heavy traffic which now passes over Winter Hill, the first named street, which is one of the broadest and most beautiful in our city, could be kept in excel- lent repair at a much less cost than at present.
Much-needed repairs were made last year upon Highland avenue, Summer street, Central street, and Cross street. Granite paving blocks were laid in Washington street, between Medford and Tufts streets, and in Medford street, between the Fitchburg railroad and Somerville avenue. The improvement of Washing- ton street, at the point where it passes under the railroad bridge, is deserving of special mention. A spot which has been un- sightly and dangerous for many years is now in excellent condi- tion. The paving of Somerville avenue ought to be continued as rapidly as the finances of the city will permit. This street is the principal thoroughfare for heavy traffic, and no roadbed of macadam, however carefully constructed, will long withstand the wear and tear to which it is subjected. The unpaved portions of the avenue are now in a deplorable condition, and I trust you will be able to do some paving upon them the present year.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
Last year's appropriation for highways was $60,000; and the money was expended in a prudent and judicious manner. It was, nevertheless, inadequate for the needs of the department, and I hope it will be possible to make a much larger appropriation this year. Not less than $70,000 should be set apart the present year for the building and improvement of highways, if it can be done without undue encroachment upon the needs of other depart- ments.
The public must not expect too much in the way of street improvement in a single year. The present unsatisfactory condi- tion of our streets is the result of a long period of neglect and the persistent practice of faulty methods. I know you will do all in your power to bring our highways into such a condition as to meet the approval of those who now justly complain.
STREET SPRINKLING.
Commendable effort was made last year to promote the com- fort of bicycle riders, and others. who make frequent use of the highways, by the adoption of a more rational method of street watering than had previously prevailed. The sprinklers were so adjusted as to settle the dust without unnecessary flooding of the streets. Owing to carelessness or lack of experience on the part of some of the drivers, the work was occasionally done in a faulty manner. I trust that still more careful attention will be given to this matter during the present year. Nothing is more exasperating to the owner of wheel or carriage than to ride along thoroughfares which have been fairly drenched with water. The slimy condition of the streets produced by such uncalled for drenching is a grievous annoyance to the wheelmen, and a con- stant menace to life and limb. Judging from the harsh expletives which I have heard from the lips of prostrate and muddy bicy- clists, I should say that such a wholesale use of water, even in our no-license city, was not conducive to the best moral development of our people.
STREET RAILWAY ACCOMMODATIONS.
I believe that the people of Somerville are entitled to better service from the West End Street Railway Company than they
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MAYOR'S INAUGURAL, ADDRESS.
are at present receiving, and that it is the duty of the Board of Aldermen to make every reasonable effort to secure further con- cessions from the road. A greater number of cars should be run during the hours of the day when there is most travel, and the present system of free transfers should be so extended and im- proved as to allow our citizens to reach any point on the various routes of the corporation by the payment of a single fare. The present transfer station at Charlestown Neck, consisting of an abandoned horse car and a peripatetic conductor, reflects slight credit upon a corporation capitalized at nearly twenty-five mil- lions of dollars.
In granting locations to street railway corporations great care should be taken to protect the rights of the city, and promote the welfare of our citizens. The privileges which these corpora- tions enjoy are extensive and profitable, and the public which con- fers them has a right to demand the most efficient service and the most ample accommodations in return. In no case ought any irrevocable franchise to be granted. The people should retain ownership and control of the highways, and have it at all times in their power to evict any corporation which pursues an unreason- able or oppressive policy. I look with alarm upon the modern tendency to grant, for a pecuniary consideration, permanent fran- chises to quasi-public corporations. Unless this practice is checked, we shall soon find that we have virtually transferred the title in our public streets to grasping, monopolistic corporations. The granting of a twenty-years' lease of the Boston Subway to the West End road is the most recent and startling example of the ease with which the people are robbed of their most valuable rights and shorn of their highest prerogatives.
PUBLIC PARKS AND BOULEVARDS.
It is not necessary, at this late day, to enter into any lengthy argument as to the desirability of laying out parks and play- grounds in a populous city, nor to dwell upon the advantages- pecuniary, sanitary, and aesthetic-which are sure to result from a broad and liberal policy in dealing with park questions. It can- not be doubted that a beautiful public park, located in a residen-
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
tial district, greatly increases the value of taxable property in the neighborhood, and conduces to the happiness and prosperity of the people. Open spaces in the thickly settled portions of a city are a beautiful and healthful feature, and they often prove of great service in preventing the spread of disastrous conflagrations. Too little attention has been given in the past by the inhabitants of Somerville to the subject of public reservations.
Our pleasure grounds and parkways never received more careful attention than during the past year. They were kept in the best of repair, and excellent taste was displayed in their adorn- ment. It is to be hoped that the Committee on Public Grounds of the present City Council will manifest like diligence and skill, and that the practice of spending a reasonable portion of the ap- propriation for flower beds, rustic baskets, and ornamental shrub- bery will be continued.
There is a widespread feeling in the community in favor of setting apart a portion of the vacant lands on Prospect Hill as a public park. This project is one which possesses great merit and appeals strongly to the patriotic impulses of our people. Our hearts swell with pride when we recall the stirring events which transpired in the early days on the summit and along the slopes of Prospect Hill. It is a spot rich in historic associations, and about it cluster tenderest memories. Energetic efforts should be made, either by the City Council or public-spirited citizens, to protect its sacred soil from further desecration, and to preserve it for all time as a local shrine of American liberty and patriotism. The land is now in a rough and unsightly condition, and the approach to it from Walnut street furnishes a marked example of the thoughtless and haphazard methods pursued by some of our cit- izens in the development of private lands. The construction of a public park on Prospect Hill would greatly enhance the value of all the adjacent property, and I believe it is one of the cases where special betterment assessments might properly be levied. The whole subject is deserving of searching investigation by the present City Council.
I presume further efforts will be made during the present year to acquire the so-called Sanborn field as a public park. If
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MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
this tract and the Wyatt pit grounds should be converted into a park, it would be of great advantage to that part of Ward 2 in which the lands lie. Many of the residents of the ward are desir- ous of the success of the proposed measure. They believe that the real estate in the vicinity of the park would rapidly appreciate in value, and the people residing in the neighborhood would be greatly benefited in many ways. Unless steps are soon taken to secure Sanborn field for public purposes, it is probable that the land will be closely built up with cheap tenement blocks. It will be for you to decide whether the borrowing capacity of the city will permit of the purchase of the land at this time, and of the relative importance of the undertaking considered with reference to other projects.
It is probable that the present year will witness the comple- tion of a broad and beautiful boulevard connecting our city with the Middlesex Fells. The projected boulevard will furnish a direct and convenient approach to the Fells reservation, and ena- ble our citizens to avail themselves of the pleasures and advan- tages afforded by such a noble and extensive forest domain. The boulevard will run from the Fells, through Malden and Welling- ton, to the easterly end of the Broadway Park. I believe it would be of great benefit to Somerville to secure the extension of the boulevard to Broadway. This could be easily and cheaply done by widening Winthrop avenue. A line of electric cars will doubt- less be established along the course of the boulevard, so that a ride of ten minutes will bring our people to one of the main en- trances to the Fells reservation. Quick communication between Somerville and the Fells will be of great advantage to our city. As yet, comparatively few of our people have become intimately acquainted with the Fells region, and a delightful surprise is in store for them when they explore its charming nooks and leafy wildernesses. The Fells reservation is really a part of the Somer- ville park system, and I desire that our citizens should think of it as such. Somerville has been largely assessed on account of the Metropolitan park system, and we are called upon to make liberal contributions each year to its maintenance. The construction of the Fells boulevard will be the first important step taken towards bringing the advantages of this great system within easy reach.
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