Report of the city of Somerville 1925, Part 5

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1925
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 432


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1925 > Part 5
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1925 > Part 5


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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93


TREASURER AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES


..


..


508 40


2,856 80


..


$4 75


2,334 54


94


ANNUAL REPORTS


REVENUE LOANS In anticipation of Revenue


Balance from 1924


$600,000 00


Nos.


1241-1248 274 days @ 2.94 disct.


$100,000 00


1249-1254 259


3.04


* ($4.00) ..


300,000 00


1255-1262 226


3.29


150,000 09


1263-1270 219


3.35


150,000 00


1271-1282 189


3.46


200,000 00


1283-1289 169


3.33


,,


250,000 00


1291-1298 199


3.33


($1.25)


250,000 00


1299-1300 198 ,,


3.21


* ($7.00)


..


100,000 00


1301-1302 226


3.21


100,000 00


1303-1307


& 1314 194


4.03


*($7.00)


150,000 00


1308-1313 229


4.03


150,000 00


1315-1318 185


3.63


*($2.30) ..


100,000 00


2,000,000 00


Paid notes maturing in 1925


2,000,000 00


Maturing in 1926


$600,000 00


*Premium


Amount paid for discount on amount borrowed in 1925


$39,824 35


Notes average 213 days and the average rate 3.365+


Average for 1924, 216 150 / 195 days and


average rate


4.07+


The funded debt December 31, 1925, was $1,613,000.00 classified as follows :


Met. Park Asst. Loan at 31/2 per cent $4,000 00


Lowell Street Bridge at 31/2 per cent 24,000 00


Sewer at 31/2 per cent 32,000 00


Sewer at 4 per cent


137,000 00


Sewer at 414 per cent


18,000 00


City at 31/2 per cent


4,000 00


City at 4 per cent


103,000 00


Highway at 31/2 per cent


6,000 00


Highway at 41/2 per cent


16,000 00


Highway at 5 per cent


55,000 00


City Hall Addition at 4 per cent


64,000 00


City Hall Addition at 41/4 per cent


70,000 00


Public Building at 4 per cent


107,000 00


Public Building at 41/2 per cent 50,000 00


'Schoolhouse at 4 per cent


755,000 00


Highway at 4 per cent


168,000 00


$2,600,000 00


Borrowed by authority of an order of the Board of Aldermen on city notes, as follows:


95


TREASURER AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES


Funded debt within the limit fixed by law


Lowell Street Bridge


$24,000 00


Sewer


187,000 00


City


107,000 00


Highway


245,000 00


City Hall Addition


134,000 00


Public Building


157,000 00


Schoolhouse


755,000 00


$1,609,000 00


Beyond limit fixed by law


Met. Park Asst. (Chap. 325, Acts 1902) .... $4,000 00


4,000 00


$1,613,000 00


96


OUTSTANDING BONDS DECEMBER 31, 1925


City


Sewer


Sewer Outside


Park Outside $1,000


Bridge $1,000


Highway $43,000


City Hall Addition


Pub.


Bldgs.


School $45,000


Total $156,000


1927


19,000


20,000


1,000


1,000


35,000


8,000


17,000


45,000


146,000


1928


17,000


18,000


1,000


1,000


32,000


8,000


16,000


44,000


137,000


1929


16,000


17,000


1,000


1,000


32,000


8,000


16,000


44,000


135,000


1930


15,000


16,000


1,000


28,000


8,000


16,000


44,000


128,000


1931


12,000


16,000


1,000


22,000


8,000


15,000


44,000


118,000


1932


9,000


14,000


1,000


17,000


8,000


15,000


44,000


108,000


1933


14,000


1,000


12,000


8,000


14,000


43,000


92,000


1934


14,000


1,000


12,000


7,000


14,000


43,000


91,000


1935


13,000


1,000


12,000


7,000


8,000


43,000


84,000


1936


6,000


1,000


7,000


4,000


43,000


61,000


1937


6,000


1,000


7,000


4,000


43,000


61,000


1938


4,000


1,000


7,000


43,000


55,000


1939


3,000


1,000


7,000


43,000


54,000


1940


2,000


1,000


7,000


43,000


53,000


1941


1,000


1,000


7,000


43,000


52,000


1942


1,000


1,000


7,000


43,000


52,000


1943


1,000


1,000


7,000


15,000


24,000


1944


1,000


1,000


1945


1,000


1,000


1946


1,000


1,000


1947


1,000


1,000


1948


..


..


..


..


..


..


. .


..


..


1,000


1,000


$107,000


$187,000


$4,000


$24,000


$245,000


$134,000


$157,000


$755,000 $1,613,000


..


..


..


..


..


. .


. .


..


. .


..


..


. .


. .


...


...


. .


..


...


. .


1,000


1,000


1949


$19,000


$21,000


$8,000


$18,000


1926


ANNUAL REPORTS


..


..


..


97


TREASURER AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES


BONDS DUE IN 1926


January


April ......... ..


July $1,000 00


October


Total $1,000 00


Lowell Street


Bridge


$1,000 00


1,000 00


Sewer


$1,000 00


9,000 00


11,000 00


21,000 00


City


2,000 00


10,000 00


7,000 00


19,000 00


Highway


6,000 00


22,000 00


15,000 00


43,000 00


City Hall


$8,000 00


8,000 00


Public


Bldg.


5,000 00


5,000 00


8,000 00


18,000 00


Schoolhouse


15,000 00


17,000 00


..........


$29,000 00 $64,000 00 $42,000 00


$21,000 00 $156,000 00


BOND INTEREST DUE IN 1926


April


July $70 00


October


Total $140 00


Met. Park


Lowell Street


Bridge


$420 00


$402 50


822 50


Sewer


1,540 00


2,142 50


1,520 00


1,966 25


7,168 75


City


1,260 00


870 00


1,220 00


672 50


4,022 50


Highway


2,645 00


2,555 00


2,540 00


2,055 00


9,795 00


City Hall


Addition ..


2,767 50


2,767 50


5,535 00


Public Bldg.


2,405 00


860 00


2,305 00


760 00


6,330 00


Schoolhouse


5,400 00


9,700 00


5,100 00


9,360 00


29,560 00


$13,320 00


$19,315 00


$12,755 00 $17,983 75


$63,373 75


BONDS OUTSTANDING DECEMBER 31, 1925 With Interest to Maturity


Bonds


Interest


Total


Met. Park


$4,000 00


$350 00


$4,350 00


Lowell Street Bridge


24,000 00


10,080 00


34,080 00


Sewer


187,000 00


42,845 00


229,845 00


City


107,000 00


14,080 00


121,080 00


Highway


245,000 00


41,390 00


286,390 00


City Hall Addition


134,000 00


51,682 50


185,682 50


Public Bldg.


157,000 00


33,775 00


190,775 00


Schoolhouse


755,000 00


264,320 00


1,019,320 00,


$1,613,000 00


$458,522 50


$2,071,522 50,


...


...


..


..


.....


13,000 00


45,000 00


Met. Park


.. ......


...........


January $70 00


.........


............


..


Addition


98


ANNUAL REPORTS


YEARLY BOND MATURITIES WITH INTEREST


Date Due


Pricipal


Interest


Total


1926


$156,000 00


$63,373 75


$219,373 75


1927


146,000 00


57,156 25


203,156 25


1928


137,000 00


51,343 75


188,343 75


1929


135,000 00


45,771 25


180,771 25


1930


128,000 00


40,366 25


168,366 25


1931


118,000 00


35,348 75


153,348 75


1932


108,000 00


30,781 25


138,781 25


1933


92,000 00


26,613 75


118,613 75


1934


91,000 00


22,926 25


113,926 25


1935


84,000 00


19,361 25


103,361 25


1936


61,000 00


16,073 75


77,073 75


1937


61,000 00


13,603 75


74,603 75


1938


55,000 00


11,173 75


66,173 75


1939


54,000 00


8,983 75


62,983 75


1940


53,000 00


6,831 25


59,831 25


1941


52,000 00


4,716 25


56,716 25


1942


52,000 00


2,621 25


54,621 25


1943


24,000 00


846 25


24,846 25


1944


1,000 00


192 50


1,192 50


1945


1,000 00


157 50


1,157 50


1946


1,000 00


122 50


1,122 50


1947


1,000 00


87 50


1,087 50


1948


1,000 00


52 50


1,052 50


1949


1,000 00


17 50


1,017 50


$1,613,000 00


$458,522 50


$2,071,522 50


MEMORANDUM OF PAYMENTS IN 1925 ON ACCOUNT OF DEBT


Bonds, General City Debt


Principal $151,000 00


Interest $61,858 75 39,824 35


39,824 35


On account of


Metropolitan District Debt:


Sewers


30,399 23


23,378 91


53,778 14


Parks


3,962 42


13,641 15


17,603 57


Wellington Bridge


25 30


25 30


Charles River Basin


305 69


3,381 73


3,687 42


Alewife Brook


818 39


179 04


997 43


Water


14,180 47


80,534 66


94,715 13.


Somerville's proportion for debt requirements:


In State Tax


16,896 14


22,106 00


39,002 14


In County Tax


15,402 00


5,889 00


21,291 00


$232,964 34


$250,818 89


$483,783 23


Total $212,858 75


Revenue Loans


............


99


TREASURER AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES


TREASURY DEPARTMENT, 1925


Appropriated in budget ......... $25,300 00


Salaries and Wages:


Treasurer and Collector


$4,000 00


Deputy Collector


2,200 00


Cashiers


2,781 45


Clerks, including tracer


10,799 30


Other Expenses :


Books, postage and supplies


3,074 86


Printing and advertising


930 58


Telephone


153 87


Bonds


310 00


Carfares and car hire


25 20


All other


110 96


Special Items:


Typewriters and repairs


283 00


Check endorser


190 00


Receipting machine


163 00


Convention expenses


78 31


$25,100 53


Balance unexpended


199 47


$25,300 00


100


ANNUAL REPORTS


PUBLIC WELFARE AND RECREATION COMMISSION 1925


CHARLES S. CLARK


Chairman


MRS. SOPHIE C. BATEMAN


Vice-Chairman


MEMBERS


Term Expires January


MRS. SOPHIE C. BATEMAN


1927


GEORGE H. EVANS 1927


ERNEST W. BAILEY 1927


WILLIAM E. COPITHORNE 1927


DR. WINNIFRED P. DAVIS 1927


CHARLES S. CLARK 1926


WILLIAM STUART HOWE


1926


MRS. FLORENCE B. HAMILTON


1926


MISS MARY M. McGANN


1926


MRS. ELBRIDGE NEWTON


1926


FRANCIS J. MAHONEY


Secretary to the Commission


101


WELFARE AND RECREATION COMMISSION


CITY OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS


February 19, 1926


To the Honorable, the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen :


The Public Welfare and Recreation Commission submits this report of its work for the municipal year 1925 with recom- mendations for the development of the interests committed to its care. The municipal appropriation for the work of this Commission during the past year was $8,000. An itemized statement of the expenditure of this money is given in a table in another part of this report. The Commission has carried on during this last year the general undertak- ings which have been established in previous years and which have heretofore been reported upon by the Commission and by the Director of Recreation, employed by the Commission. All of these branches of work have been carefully managed and developed as far as public interest and the resources at the command of the Commission have warranted. As the Com- mission has no control over outdoor areas or over buildings or parts of buildings, its work has been mainly in providing serv- ice. During the winter it has carried on recreational activ- ities in certain schoolhouses ; during the summer it conducted supervised playgrounds on certain parks and school grounds, and during the open season it has also provided supervisors of play for certain localities and on certain days of the week. A full account of these activities for the year 1925 will be found in the report of the Director of Recreation, presented herewith. In its concern for the development of recreational opportu- nities in the City of Somerville, the Commission notes with pleasure the advances made by the City during the year 1925 in the erection of a commodious Field House for Dilboy and Somerville Fields and the purchase of additional land for the Burns School playground. It recognizes also the interest in playgrounds shown by the Planning Board and approves of the recommendations made by that body for increasing the play areas under control of the city. It gives approval to the pro- posal of City Engineer Ernest W. Bailey to devote the north- easterly end of Saxton C. Foss Park to playground purposes, affording for the eastern part of the city opportunities equiv- alent to those now provided by Dilboy and Somerville Fields. In connection with these actual and proposed additions to the playgrounds of the city, the Commission calls attention to the fact that practically the only play areas now open to the use of


102


ANNUAL REPORTS


children are those owned or controlled by the city. Vacant lots have almost entirely disappeared. Backyards no longer furnish room for the play of children, such spaces now either being occupied by dwellings or by garages. The streets are unsafe and the sidewalks are too narrow for children's play. Hence, the only chance they have for play is upon the public areas. Therefore, it is important that these areas shall be nu- merous enough to provide room for all the children and shall be in such a condition as to furnish a fit place for children to play all the year round. Neither of these conditions is true at the present time. There are not enough play areas and those that we have are not properly and adequately conditioned. Such being the case, the Commission conceives it to be its duty to call the public attention to this situation and to offer a rea- sonable plan for escape from it. With this purpose in view the Commission presents the following program of improve- ments to be undertaken progressively during the next five years. This program is expressed in two parts. The first contains a minimum statement of things which ought to be ac- complished within that time; the second contains a list of things which it is desirable to have provided within five years but which, owing to their greater cost. the Commission does not urge as a part of its five-year minimum provision.


The Commission recommends that an appropriation be made this year for a part of this work and that in succeeding years appropriations be made to carry on the improvements continuously until the whole undertaking is accomplished. The Commission is convinced that it is necessary for the City to do this work before its recreational areas can yield their full value. Never before has there been such urgent need of places of safety and refuge for children from the dangers of the street as exist today. Moreover, the urgency of this need will grow with the increase of building and with the increase of traffic congestions in the streets of the city. The Commission believes that the adoption of the following program of improvements would, in five years, go a long distance in the direction of providing adequate outdoor recreation for the whole community.


Program I The Commission urges that the following improvements be made progressively during the next five years.


1. Resurfacing parks and playground areas and certain schoolyards.


2. Fully equipping all playground areas with apparatus varying according to the size and nature of the play- ground. Specifically it is urged that suitable out-


103:


WELFARE AND RECREATION COMMISSION


door permanent equipment be installed on Lincoln: Park, Trum Field, Cherry Street Grounds, and Dil- boy Field.


3. Enlarging the wading pool at Lincoln Park, repair- ing the wading pool at Trum Field, and providing. wading pools in other localities.


4. Constructing running tracks at Somerville Field and Lincoln Park.


5. Converting the northeasterly end of Foss Park into a playground in accordance with plans of the City Engineer approved by the Somerville Planning Board.


6. Providing a new Public Bath House on the Mystic River to take the place of the one now located at the Wellington Bridge. This Bath House and Beach is no longer suitable for public use because of a new storm drain which has recently been constructed on account of the Ford plant located nearby. This: drain crosses the bathing beach to empty into the Mystic and greatly reduces the amount of free space available for beach purposes.


Program II


1. Erecting recreation houses to contain storage rooms, showers, toilet, etc. at Cherry Street Playground and Foss Park.


2. Acquiring additional play areas for neighborhood playgrounds.


CONCLUSION :


There are many evidences of a new and increasing inter- est among the people of Somerville in improving the recrea- tional opportunities of the city. This condition encourages the Commission to believe that the adoption by the City Govern- ment of this plan of progressive improvement would have the approval of citizens generally. In this hope and belief the Commission makes this report and asks for it the thoughful consideration of those in authority as well as of all persons to whose benefit and enjoyment these improvements would greatly contribute.


Respectfully submitted, for the Commission,


CHARLES S. CLARK,


Chairman.


104


ANNUAL REPORTS


REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF RECREATION


To the Public Welfare and Recreation Commission :-


In addition to the customary annual statement covering the year's activities, undertakings, and accomplishments under your Commission, the Director has been required by vote of the Commission at its December 1925 meeting, to present, as sup- plementary to such report, a further statement,


(a) analysing the present status of the Commission's general undertakings :


(b) setting forth the Director's judgment regarding provisions which are necessary or highly desirable for the future success of Recreation and Welfare in the City ;


(c) offering suggestions and information that may as- sist the commission in defining its policies and elaborating and reorganizing its service.


Accordingly this communication, in form and in content, varies somewhat from previous reports by the Director, and from the more common form of routine statement that is con- noted by the term "Annual Report". Whereas customarily the emphasis is placed upon presentation of statistics, records, comparison with previous records, and specific details of the work in hand , the emphasis in this Report is transferred to the other divisions of the Report, mentioned above as additional, and distributed among them. For more complete and more specific information concerning the details of the work carried on during the year, reference is made to the Annual Report of the Director of Recreation for 1924, contained in the Annual Report of the Public Welfare and Recreation Commission for 1924. The details given in this previous report explain the system, the methods, the conditions of carrying on the work, etc. The extension of this system and these methods, the im- provement or mastery of these conditions, and the initiating of entirely new enterprises for Public Recreation, have been the business of the year 1925, just closed.


The customary record of the year's activities under my supervision is submitted first; and the other business of the report comes later in this communication.


105


WELFARE AND RECREATION COMMISSION


STATEMENT OF 1925 ACTIVITIES


It seems wise, in presenting this report, to give separate consideration to the various branches of the Recreation work. They include


I. The Summer Playgrounds


II. The Spring-and-Fall Supervised Athletics


III. The Saturday Playgrounds for Small Chil- dren


IV Evening Adult Recreation Centers


V. The Neighborhood Center


VI. The Preserving and Canning Activities of School Children


VII. The Recreational Activities Involving the General Public


VIII. The Experiment in Community Recreational Drama


IX. Public Celebrations.


Summer Playgrounds


The essential character and general mode of the Summer Playgrounds Season are the same as those of the 1924 season, reported a year ago by the Director.


Features


But some new features of the season of 1925 are conspic- uous to the observation of the Director, and are judged worthy of special mention under this caption. More detailed reference to them, each under its proper heading, will follow.


New units of supervised play, added to the Summer Play- grounds system this year to serve the interests of children in sections of the City hitherto served most meagerly or not at all, have, in the Director's estimation, been so successfully operat- ed as to constitute one of the most beneficial accomplishments that can be cited under consideration of Summer Playgrounds for some time.


Enlargement of the supervisory corps, consequent on the expansion of the system, has increased and complicated the Director's task of unifying and vitalizing the work, standard-


106


ANNUAL REPORTS


izing objectives, co-ordinating the various units, superintend- ing details, supplying materials where and when needed, assist- ing in training the workers to highest efficiency, and evaluat- ing the relative efficiency of the workers.


A marked public interest in playground work, noted and. reported last year, has continued to express itself this year, even to more marked degree and in greater variety of ways, especially among citizens in those sections of Somerville where new playground units have been supervised this past Summer for the first time.


The zealous corps of play-supervisors and assistants. whose previous accomplishments have brought forth many fa- vorable comments of public officials, private citizens and the public press, has undergone some important changes in per- sonnel for 1925, without any lowering of efficiency, in the Di- rector's opinion. While regretting the withdrawal from the ranks of several well-qualified, trained, loyal workers, whose contributions to the system make the community their debtor, the Director reports an asset in the addition to the corps of an. even larger number of equally valuable workers.


Grounds


Fourteen areas were used for playground purposes during the past Summer. Seventeen units were conducted, however, some of these areas having separate units for boys and girls. The various units are named as follows, and the names suggest the areas utilized :


Bennett School Ground (for girls)


Central Hill Park


(for girls and boys)


George Dilboy Field (for boys)


Fellsway East (for boys)


Saxton C. Foss Park (for girls)


Glen St. Playground (for girls and boys)


Hodgkins School Grounds


(for girls)


Joy St. Playground


(for boys)


Kent Street Boys' Playground


Kent Street Girls' Playground


Lincoln Park (for boys)


Morse School Grounds


(for girls and boys)


Perry School Grounds


(for girls)


Richard Trum Boys' Playground


Richard Trum Girls' Playground


Tufts College Old Campus (for girls)


Western Playground (for boys) ยป


(At Western Junior High School Grounds)


Two of these units were new this year to the Playgrounds system :- those at Glen Street Playground and at Tufts Col- lege Old Campus. We have already stated that they have been


107


WELFARE AND RECREATION COMMISSION


operated with complete success, in the Director's opinion, and that, in service to the play needs of Somerville children, their operation seems to be a very considerable development in Play- grounds system.


The Playground at Tufts Old Campus had been originat- ed in 1924, and financed in greater part not by the City, through this Department, but through the private initiative and enterprise of citizens in the upper Clarendon Hill sec- tion, led by the Mothers' Circle. These ladies had enlisted the interest of parents and children and sought assistance and encouragement from the Public Welfare and Recreation De- partment. This year the activities of this playground were more completely incorporated into the City-wide system main- tained under the Commission. New permanent play equip- ment, including swing frames, swings, sand boxes, etc., was installed at expense from the Commission's funds, and the Commission and the Mothers' Circle shared the expense of Supervision. The local supervisor was paid by the Circle for 5 weeks. The Commission financed the remainder of the payment of this position,-and provided the services of the Director and the special supervisors in dancing and hand- work; while workers under the Commission attended to pub- licity for the enterprise and co-ordination with other play- ground units. The City supplied also the portable play ma- terials. In this enterprise a third cooperating agency was the Trustees of Tufts College, who in public spiritedness granted the use of an attractive, ample and suitable section of its grounds.


The Glen Street Playground unit was entirely new. It is located on the vacant land (a large part of which is City property) at the junction of Glen and Oliver Streets,-a piece of land which the Director urges upon the Commission as ex- tremely desirable for complete ownership by the City and for very thorough-going conversion into a playground. Its opera- ation during the past Summer was a boon to hundreds of chil- dren who reside in an area hitherto totally unserved. The imme- diate district, within four minutes of this land, has a child population of several hundred, and the districts outlying are also unequipped with playgrounds. Several main thorough- fares for motor vehicles-Franklin Street, Cross Street, Wash- ington Street, Medford Street, Glen Street and newly paved Pearl Street-pass within one or two minutes' walk of this playground, constituting a menace to so many hundred chil- dren who might be freed from danger by means of a properly equipped, active and attractive playground. Regardless of more detailed plans the Director urges complete fencing of this area by a 12 ft. wire screen fence; provision of drinking-


108


ANNUAL REPORTS


water facilities and seats ; resurfacing; re-placement of base- ball back stop; provision of shelter or shade trees or both.


In the Director's fourteen years of experience with City supervision of play no such response on the part of children and their families has been shown, when supervised play op- portunities have been provided, as was shown during the past Summer when this unit was first operated. Scores of expres- sions have come to the Director from residents of the neigh- borhood, to the effect that this operation has supplied a much felt need of long standing and that even in the opening weeks very tangible evidence of good had resulted. The spontaneous response of the children was inspiring to all connected with the enterprise. (The Director feels an urge to express at this point admiring appreciation for the enthusiastic leadership supplied by the two persons assigned to supervision at the Glen Street Playground : Miss Mary Eaton and Mr. William Koen.) Further comments on the grounds, their conditions, etc., are made in the supplementary statement later in this report.


Supervision


Twenty-six persons including the Director were employed in the supervision of the Summer play. Of this number, four were assigned to individual playgrounds; two acted as special supervisors of folk dancing; and one as supervisor of hand- work.


All but three of the supervisors are residents of Somer- ville. This statement is made to indicate that despite the Civil Service requirements as to qualifications, it is possible to secure from our own residents efficient supervision. The Director feels that this policy should be continued in Somer- ville unless its continuance should in any way hand- icap the effects of the playground organization. All of the three non-residents were specialists, specially trained, for whose positions no trained Somerville applicant could be found in spite of thorough investigation.


New problems in organizing the supervisory corps, grad- ually presenting themselves previously, have now become major problems of the whole undertaking, as a result of the increased number of playgrounds and the increased number of children under supervision.




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