USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1886 > Part 4
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The outlet of the County street sewer has been the cause of numerous complaints during the dry weather from the proprietors of the factories near by, as the stream was so low that the current was not sufficient to carry away the objectionable material. The Board had the proper authorities notified to clean the brook about the outlet of the sewer, but when he got there a shower had preceeded him by a few hours, and removed the cause of complaint. During the entire season there was occasionally a day when it was certainly a nuisance, and we think that the opening of the sewer should be carried down the stream a distance of fifty feet, more or less, or remedied in some other man- ner.
Hog pens in close proximity to dwellings has been a source of just complaint this year, as well as in the past,
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ANNUAL REPORT.
but in every instance has been remedied as the Board sug- gested.
Another quite serious nuisance has come from the care- less manner in which cesspools and privies have been cleaned, and in one instance where the Board had ordered them cleaned, the owner spread the contents of both on the ground in the rear of his tenement house, much to the annoyance of his neighbors, and was very much sur- prised when the Board requested him to disinfect the same by covering with loam.
The law for the prevention and the spreading of con- tagious diseases will bear being placed before the physicians and householders of Attleborough, although the Board have made every effort to acquaint all interested with its requirements and penalties, and have in addition, furnished every physician with blanks for reporting their cases, having the law printed on the backs thereof. We feel that the reports are nearly complete, but would ask the physicians to be more careful in furnishing the facts nec- essary for record the coming year, as the record, to be of any value, should answer all the questions asked and not have any omissions. The law which compels the Board to keep this record is as follows:
CHAPTER 98. ACTS OF 1884.
An Act concerning Contagious Diseases. Be it enacted etc., as follows:
SEC. I. When a householder knows that a person within his family is sick of Small Pox, Diptheria, Scarlet Fever, or any other disease dangerous to the public health, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Selectmen or Board of Health of the town in which he dwells, and upon the death, recovery or removal of such persons, the
99
ANNUAL REPORT.
rooms occupied, and the articles used by him shall be dis- infected by such householder, in a manner approved by the Board of Health. Any person neglecting or refusing to comply with either of the above provisions, shall forfeit a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars.
SEC. 2. When a physician knows that a person whom he is called to visit, is infected with Small Pox, Diptheria, Scarlet Fever, or any other disease dangerous to the pub- lic health, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Selectmen or Board of Health of the town; and if he re- fuses or neglects to give such notice, he shall forfeit for each offence not less than fifty nor more than two hun- dred dollars.
SEC. 3. The Boards of Health in the several cities and towns, shall cause a record to be kept of all reports re- ceived, in pursuance of the preceding sections, and such record shall contain the names of all persons who are sick, the localities in which they live, the disease with which they are afflicted, together with the date and the names of the person reporting any such cases.
The Boards of Health shall give the School Committees immediate information of all cases of contagious diseases reported to them according to the provisions of this act.
Whole number of cases reported to the Board under the above act, 41; 22 of which were Scarlet Fever, and 19 of Diptheria.
It is somewhat singular that all the cases, with the ex- ception of four, occurred in East Attleboro, and of the latter, only a single case from North Attleboro, and the remaining three from the South District. Why is it? are there no cases of contagious diseases in North Attleboro, or are the physicians lax in reporting their cases. The Board has made every effort to get the reports, so as to
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ANNUAL REPORT.
aid the Superintendent of Schools in preventing the spread of those diseases in the public schools.
The percentage of death from Diptheria to the number of cases reported, was considerably in excess of what it has been in former years, as 36 per cent. of the reported cases proved fatal. While from Scarlet Fever, but a single case out of 22, proved fatal.
Below we give a tabular statement as to the cause of death as gathered from the physicians' certificates, for the year ending March Ist, 1886.
Whole number of deaths 186, of which consumption had 29.
Pneumonia,
14
Suicide, 4
Cholera Infantum,
13
Cystitis,
3
Apoplexy, 12
Paralysis, 3
Heart diseases,
II
Pemcious Anamia,
3
Accidents,
8
Meningitis,
3
Cancer,
8
Liver diseases, 3
Old age,
7
Cerebro Spinal Meningitis, 3
Diptheria,
7 Convulsions, 3
Brain diseases,
6 Typhoid fever,
3
Still-born,
6
Internal Hemorrhage, 2
Enteritis,
4 Debility,
2
Nephritis,
4
Dysentery,
2
Marasmus,
4 Croup, 2
Frozen, 2.
And but one each from Hydrocephalus, Inanition, Em- physema, Indigestion, Diabetes Mellitus, Spinal disease, Scarlatina, Oedema Lungs, Senile Gangrene, Fetanus Phlebitis, Absence of the rectum and Mania.
The most striking fact to be gathered from the above is the gradual decrease of typhoid fever from year to year as
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ANNUAL REPORT.
gathered from the reports of the board; for the year end- ing 1884, there were eight deaths, and for the year ending 1885, but four, while the present report has but threc, growing less each year as the inhabitants are supplied with a plentiful supply of pure water.
With a proper system of sewerage, and a careful sani- tary supervision of the districts outside of the water sup- ply districts, all contagious diseases should show as large a diminution as that of typhoid fever.
As we look back and review all the facts of the past year we feel that the amount of sickness has been less than that of the previous years of the Board's existence. The largest proportion of deaths occurring from those dis- cases which public sanitary measures have the least con- trol over.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE MACKIE, Chairman, JAMES R. FOSTER, Secretary, E. G. MAY, GEORGE N. CRANDALL, J. G. BARDEN.
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ANNUAL REPORT.
AUDITORS' REPORT.
The undersigned, appointed as Auditors at the annual town meeting in March, 1885, respectfully report that they have examined the accounts of the Treasurer and find the same correctly kept, with proper vouchers for all pay- ments.
They have examined the accounts of the Selectmen, and find vouchers for all payments authorized by them, and the amount of money there stated as approved corres- ponds with the amount as charged on Treasurer's book.
Returns of Collectors have been examined and found correct. They hold proper vouchers for all moneys re- ported by them as paid Treasurer, and agree with his books.
They have examined the Road Surveyors' books and find them correctly kept, and that the appropriations have not been overdrawn.
Respectfully submitted.
GEORGE W. CHEEVER, ( Auditors. WILLIAM P. SHAW,
REPORT
-OF THE --
SCHOOL COMMITTEE,
-OF THE-
TOWN OF ATTLEBOROUGH,
-FOR THE-
-
YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 1886.
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ANNUAL REPORT.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
M. O. WHEATON, Chairman,
REV. W. HENRY KLING, Secretary, C. S. HOLDEN,
REV. GEO. E. OSGOOD,* BYRON R. HILL,*
HARVEY CLAP,*
1 Term expires March, 1887.
Terms expire March 1886.
Terms expire March, 1886.
Į Term expires March, 1886.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
HENRY M. MAXSON.
Office hours at the East High school building, from 3.15 to 4.45 P. M., Mondays and Thursdays; and at the North High school building, from 8.15 to 9.30 A. M., same days.
TRUANT OFFICERS.
JAMES W. RILEY, ELIJAH CAPRON,
GEO. F. IDE.
*Appointed by Selectmen and School Committee, to fill vacancy until March, 1886.
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ANNUAL REPORT.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT.
The school year has comprised thirty-eight weeks for the high and grammar schools, thirty-six weeks for the intermediate, and thirty-two weeks for the primaries. The reason the difference was made in the length of the terms in the different grades was to conform to a vote of the town passed last spring, making the length as above.
This change in the length of the terms has interfered materially with the work of the schools as laid out by the School Board, for the course of study marked out was intended to cover thirty-eight weeks, and it can readily be seen that the pupils could not very well perform thirty- eight weeks work in thirty two. So it must necessarily make a break between the grades. Quite a large number of the parents of the primary pupils were alive to this fact, and have sent their children to a private school to make up the extra six weeks, which, in the minds of the Committee, was a very wise thing. The Committee would recommend that if the parents throughout the town think the primary pupils have to spend too much time in the school room, it would be the wiser plan to shorten the daily sessions, and have the school year of the same length in all of the grades.
During the summer vacation, the Superintendent, Mr. A, W. Edson, was offered the position of Superintendent
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ANNUAL REPORT.
of Schools in Jersey City, it being a much larger field of labor, and with a salary of something like a thousand dol- lars more than we could think of paying him; as such chances come usually but once in a lifetime, and feeling that Mr. Edson had the ability to fill the position to which he was called, we deemed it but justice to him to accept his resignation and release him from his engagements with us.
The Committee feel that they were fortunate in secur- ing the services of Mr. Henry M. Maxson to succeed Mr. Edson as Superintendent. Mr. Maxson (as is well known) had been the principal of the North High school for six years, and had proved himself well qualified as a teacher, and was well informed in regard to the wants of the schools of the town, and was especially qualified to take up the work where Mr. Edson had left it, and carry it on in a manner which should insure success. Mr. Maxson has shown an unusual amount of tact and ability in his new position, and under his supervision our schools have made good progress, and will, we trust, soon stand second to none in the Commonwealth.
During the year, three of the members of the School Board have resigned their positions, viz .: Mr. S. P. Lathrop, Rev. John Whitehill and Fred B. Byram, Esq. Rev. Geo. E Osgood, Byron R. Hill and Harvey Clap were appointed to fill their places until their successors should be chosen.
REPAIRS.
The Committee in their report last year recommended that the sum of $4,500 be appropriated for repairs on school buildings, which amount just about covered the amount expended during the year, aside from a new heat-
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ANNUAL REPORT.
ing apparatus, which was unexpectedly found to be neces- sary in the North High school building. There will have to be a new heating apparatus put in the Park St. school and one in the East High school building; also the two High school buildings need to be painted, as they are in bad condition. This will constitute the larger part of the amount which will have to be expended the ensuing year in way of repairs.
There has been built during the year one new house on Pine street, containing two rooms, for the primary schol- ars, which we hope will be ready in a few weeks for occu- pancy, as there are plenty of scholars to fill the two rooms. There has also been an enlargement of the house at the Falls, and also of the one at Briggsville.
TEXT BOOKS AND SUPPLIES.
The Committee find that in their estimate for text books and supplies, they fell short of the amount needed about $400. The Committee, with the Superintendent, have carefully considered the subject, and think the amount recommended for the ensuing year will be sufficient to cover all expense in that line.
APPARATUS AND BOOKS OF REFERENCE.
There was appropriated for the purchase of apparatus, books of reference and means of illustration, the sum of $500, which amount has been expended.
CONDITION OF SCHOOLS.
We are pleased to say, that in our judgment, the schools of the town are, as a whole, in better condition than at any previous time, and that they are doing more and better work. Teachers and pupils seem to be interested in their work, and are making good progress; the teachers have
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ANNUAL REPORT.
the confidence and respect of the pupils, and the schools seem to be running harmoniously and with less friction, apparently, than in former years.
We have a live, wide-awake corps of teachers, and with a very few exceptions, think they will compare favorably with the teachers of any town in the State. We think the town of Attleborough may feel that they have been very fortunate in securing such an efficient corps of teachers.
The Superintendent's report, which is submitted here- with, will contain the usual statistics and much other im- portant matter relating to the schools, which we hope will be carefully considered by the parents and all interested in the educational interests of the town.
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, ETC.
Number of schools during year 1884 and 1885, 43
66 March 1, 1886, 50
teachers during year 1884 and 1885, 49
March 1, 1886, 56
66 pupils registered in 1885, " 2,567
66
1 886, 2,604
RECOMMENDATIONS.
Ist. Our estimate of the amount needed to cover teach- ers' salaries, fuel and janitor's services, for thirty eight weeks is $32,000, and advise that that amount be placed at the disposal of the School Board,
2d. Repairs of school buildings, $3,000
3d, For text books and various supplies, 2,500
4th. For educational and incidental expenses, 1,500
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ANNUAL REPORT.
5th. For salary of Superintendent, with bal- ance on hand for that purpose, 1,500
6th. For the purchase of apparatus, books of reference and means of illustration, 500
7th. For transportation of pupils, 600
M. O. WHEATON, C. S. HOLDEN, W. HENRY KLING,
GEO. E. OSGOOD,
BYRON R. HILL, HARVEY CLAP.
School Committee.
REPORT
-OF THE-
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT,
-OF THE-
TOWN OF ATTLEBOROUGH,
-FOR THE-
YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 1886.
ANNUAL REPORT.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
To the School Committee of Atileborough.
The third annual report of the Superintendent of the Attleborough Public Schools is hereby respectfully pre- sented. Of necessity it is partly based on the work of the efficient Superintendent, Mr. A. W. Edson, who served you until September.
In preparing the report, I have kept in mind the fact, that it is the custom to print it and distribute it among the tax-payers; I have, therefore, written, not for the out- side public nor for the committee alone, but, primarily, for the Attleborough public, the supporters and patrons of the schools, of which this is a report, that they may know something of what our schools are, what they are doing and the principles and purposes that govern their opera tion.
As this has been peculiarly a year of settling down and crystalizing results after the changes and growth of the past few years, I have thought it best to extend my report to more than the usual length in order to present some of the particulars of this growth,
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ANNUAL REPORT.
STATISTICS.
I .- POPULATION. 1
Population of Attleborough, State Census,
May, 1885, 13,175
Number of children between 5 and 15 years of age, May 1, 1885, 2,191
Decrease from number May 1, 1884, 40
II .- SCHOOLS.
Number of High Schools, 2
Grammar Schools, grades, VII, VIII, IX, 6
Intermediate "
IV, V, VI, II
Primary
I, II, III, I7
Semi-graded 6
Ungraded 8
Total number of schools, 50
Number of schools during the year 1884-5,
43
Increase in number of schools over the year 1884-5, 7
Number of school buildings, 23
III .- TEACHERS.
Male, 3, female, 55. Total,
58
Number of teachers in High school,
4
.
Grammar school, 8
Intermediate grades,
II
Primary grades, 19
Semi-graded schools, 6
Ungraded schools, 8
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ANNUAL REPORT.
Number of Music teachers, 2
Increase upon number employed during year 1884-5, 7
IV .- PUPILS.
Enrollment:
High, boys, 30; girls, 58; total, 88
Grammar, boys, 149; girls, 162; total, 311
Intermediate, boys, 260; girls, 257; total, 517
Primary, boys, 542; girls, 485; total, 1,027
Semi-graded, boys, 190; girls, 185; total, 375
Ungraded, boys, 137; girls, 149; total, 286
Whole number enrolled, boys, 1,308; girls, 1,296; total, 2,604
Increase upon year 1884-5, 37
Total enrollment, Attleboro 712; North Attleboro 903; Falls 251; Hebronville 122; Dodgeville 143; City, IIO.
Average Membership:
High school,
86.5
Grammar school,
292.4
Intermediate school,
453.9
Primary school, 752.4
Semi-graded, school, 243.2
Ungraded school,
212.4
Total,
2,040.8
Increase upon 1884-5,
72
Average Attendance:
High schools,
77.9
Grammar schools,
274.2
Intermediate schools,
411.8
Primary schools,
649.6
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ANNUAL REPORT.
Semi-graded schools, 217.2
Ungraded schools, 181.7
Total, 1,812.4
Increase upon 1884-5, 76
Percentage of attendance based on average membership 1885-6, .89
Pro rata of tardiness based on average mem-
bership 1885-6, 2.48
V .- COST OF THE SCHOOLS.
For Tuition alone:
Based upon whole number different pupils en-
rolled, $8 62
Based upon average membership, II OO
Based upon average daily attendance, 12 38
For Text Books and Supplies:
Based upon whole number different pupils en- rolled, $1 17
Based upon average membership, I 49
Based upon average daily attendance, 1 68
For all Expenses except Repairs and New Accom- modations:
Based upon whole number different pupils en- rolled, $13 40
Based upon average membership, 17 10
Based upon daily attendance, 19 25
GROWTH OF THE SCHOOLS.
Even a casual study of the statistics presented will show that our school interests have kept pace with the other interests of the town in their growth
It would be instructive if the growth of the past five years could be fully presented in a tabulated form, but it seems
ANNUAL REPORT.
best here, merely to point to the erection within this time of two large high-school buildings, three four-room build- ings, and two two-room buildings, besides extensive re- pairs and enlargements of other buildings. The report of 1880 shows that the Park street schools then employ- el five teachers, the Bank street schools four, Falls three, and Sanford street seven. The same interests are now cared for by eight, nine, six and thirteen teachers respect- ively, nearly twice the former number.
The average attendance of the three villages was then, Attleboro 309, Falls 108, North Attleboro 412. It is now 712, 251, 903. When the small number of appli- cants for the high school, who are now rejected, is com- pared with the number then rejected, and the preparation for high school work shown by the entering classes, then and now, are considered, it will be seen that the growth is not merely in accommodations and numbers.
COST OF THE SCHOOLS.
With the growth of the schools, there has been in some minds a feeling that the expenses have unduly increased. As a basis for a fair discussion of the question, I have collected statistics from what sources I could, showing the attendance and cost of the schools for five years pre- ceding the present. (See Appendix).
The matter of repairs and new buildings need no com- ments. It is generally conceded that the children must be provided with school accommodations, and there is to- day, but one unoccupied room in the three large villages, and that will no doubt be occupied in the fall, while the primaries everywhere are full.
The fairest way to consider the comparative cost of the schools, is on the basis of average membership, or average
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ANNUAL REPORT.
attendance. Considering it in this way, table IV shows that with all the added excellence of our teaching, and the increased wages of the teachers, the teaching actually costs less per pupil than it did six years ago.
Talle V shows that it now costs $17.10 per pupil of average membership, to support the schools, $3.21 more than it did six years ago, but it should at the same time, be borne in mind that the pupils then bought their own supplies, but now it costs them nothing; also, that the figures representing the cost in 1880-'81, contains noth- ing for desks, apparatus, reference books, crayon, ink, &c., furnished the district schools.
If these items were deducted, as they should be for a fair comparison, the increase would be less than $1.00 per pupil.
I have not at hand the figures for a comparison with the cost in other towns, with equally good schools, except Quincy and Dedham, in which the same expense in 1885, based on the average membership, amounted to $20.96 and $27.38 respectively.
In considering the comparative cost, one should also consider the quality of the article furnished. In schools or in business, the better the quality the higher the price. This, however, cannot be shown in the tables.
LENGTH OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
By a vote of the town at the annual meeting, the school year was shortened to thirty-six weeks for the Intermedi- ate, and thirty-two for the Primary schools. In compli- ance with this vote the Primaries were considered to in- clude grades I, II and III, and the lower departments in the Hebronville, Dodgeville and City schools, twenty schools being closed Jan. 15th. Intermediate were deci-
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ANNUAL REPORT.
ded to include ungraded schools, and the higher depart- ments at Hebronville, Dodgeville and City, as they con- tain few pupils in the higher grades, and grades IV, V and VI of the village schools, twenty-two schools being closed Feb. 12th. The lower department at the City was allowed to continue beyond its time by use of local funds, at the request of the parents.
As one appointed by you to look after the best interests of our schools and to study for their advancement, I enter my earnest protest against such a vote. The school year should be of regular, unvarying length, in order that com- mittee, superintendent and teachers may wisely plan their work, and, in these days when so much is demanded of the schools, thirty-eight weeks are none too long. One of the greatest defects of our schools in the past has been the lack of a uniform system of study to guide the teach- ers in their work. Such a course has now been outlined and is being tested and revised by the experience of the teachers. This course is planned on the basis of nine school years of thirty-eight weeks each. The limitation forced upon us this year, if made permanent, shortens the time by twenty-four weeks, requiring excessive crowding somewhere in order to accomplish the work. It is plain that no definite system can be formed and followed unless there be a definite unvarying length of school year.
I was not present to hear the discussion that led to the adoption of this year's limitation, but understand there were two motives; first, a feeling that thirty-eight weeks' attendance at school was injurious to the younger pupils; second, a desire for economy.
First; As to the matter of health. I challenge the statement that thirty-eight weeks' attendance, under prop- er conditions and wise teachers is too much for the aver-
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ANNUAL REPORT.
age child. Nearly seven eights of our attendance is in the village schools. It is on these schools therefore, that the judgment should be based, and I invite all who are inter- ested in the question to visit any one of the village prima- ries, to watch the faces of the pupils and study the work- ings of the school and decide for himself whether thirty- eight weeks of such work properly broken up by vacations is too much for the large majority of the children. Indee l, when I enter the warm, pleasant rooms and see the inter- est with which the children take part in the "play-work" which drills them in numbers, or the reading and story- telling which drill them in language, when I see the care- ful oversight which the teacher exercises in all matters pertaining to health and morals and consider the condi- tions that surround most of the children when out of school, I am impelled to believe, not only that their pres- ence in the school-room the extra six weeks is no injury to them, but that they are much better there than they would be outside. It should be borne in mind that the methods of instruction are far different from what they were in our childhood days and that now every effort is made to place the child amid the most natural and healthy surroundings while in the school-room and to vary the ex- ercises and break them up by singing and calisthenics so as to prevent weariness. In further support of this idea, I invite your attention to the description of primary work given in another part of this report and to the paper pre- pared by one of the teachers, which gives a view of a day in the lowest grade. (See appendix). If there be a short- ening in any direction it should be in the length of the daily sessions, not in the length of the year. It is a mat- ter of question whether two-hour sessions are not better than two hour and a half for the first two or three years of
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