USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Douglas > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Douglas, for the year ending 1916 > Part 2
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THE OVERSEERS HAVE RECEIVED FOR THEIR SERVICES.
Henry D. Mowry
$100 00
Paul D. Manning
25 00
Orlan F. Chase.
25 00
$150 00
HENRY D. MOWRY, PAUL D. MANNING, ORLAN F. CHASE,
Overseers of the Poor.
March 1, 1916.
The books of the Overseers of Poor have been examined and the report verified and they are found to be correct.
WM. FRANKLIN HALL, C. P .A. by Arthur T. Byrnes, Att'y.
33
Annual Report of WILLIE R. WALLIS, Agent
ON THE
DEVISE OF MOSES WALLIS To the Town of Douglas
For the Year Ending March 1, 1916.
The agent charges himself with amounts due the town March 1, 1915, as follows :
Notes due the town
$2,225 00
Accrued interest
72 61
Deposited Rhode Island Hospital Trust Co. and interest 39,528 77 0
Cash in hands of agent
$41,826 38
1915
March 1 Cash in hands of agent 0
March 6 Agnes Govin
$ 18 00
April 25 Interest R. I. H. T. Co
242 42
June 5 Frank Duval $7 50
18 00
25 50
June 28 R. I. Hospital Trust Co
3,000 00
Aug. 6 Wm. H. Evans
24.00
Oct. 25 Int. R. I. H. Trust Co
759 72
Nov. 3 Town Douglas, Prin. $3,000 00
66
Int. 45 69
3,045 69
34
1916
Jan. 22 Ordeal Casey
$ 30 00
Feb. 26 Int. R. I. H. Trust Co. to Mar. 1
566 46
Feb. 26 David Lunn .
30 00
Feb. 29 Agnes Govin . 18 00
$7,759 79
Agent has paid out as follows :
1915
April 25 Int. Dep. R. I. H. Trust Co .. .
$ 242 42
June 28 Loaned Town of Douglas . ...
3,000 00
Oct. 25 Int. Dep. R. I. H. Trust Co. . 759 72
Nov. 3 Dep. R. I. H. Trust Co
3,095 19
Mar. 1 Int. Dep. 66
66
566 46
Mar. 1 Agent, care Devise .
75 00
Mar.
1 Dep. R. I. H. Trust Co 21 00
$7,759 79
NOTES DUE THE TOWN MARCH 1, 1916.
Maker of Note
Paid by
Principal
Interest
Selina Casey
Ordeal Casey
$500 00
$3 30
Potter M. Bates
John C. F. Bates
100 00
8 25
Frank Duval
125 00
7 50
Frank Duval
300 00
18 00
David and Amos Lunn
David Lunn
500 00
10 33
Edward M. Southwick
Wm. H. Evans
400 00
12 78
John Vallier
Agnes Govin
300 00
45
$2,225 00
$60 61
RECAPITULATION.
Cash in hands of agent
0
Cash received during year .
$3,191 19
Interest received R. I. H. Trust Co . 1,568 60
$4,759 79
Cash paid out during year :
Deposited R. I. H. Trust Co
$3,116 19
Interest
1,568 60
Care of Devise
75 00
Cash in hands of agent
0
$4,759 79
35
Notes due the town $2,225 00
Accrued interest on notes . 60 61
Deposited R. I. H. Trust Co. and interest to date
41,192 56
Cash, hands of agent 21 00
$43,499 17
Value of Devise March 1, 1915
$41,826 38
Net gain for year ..
$1,672 79
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIE R. WALLIS, Agent.
March 1, 1916.
The foregoing accounts have been examined and found to be correct, and the assets are fully accounted for by the notes and cash balance.
A. T. BYRNES, Auditor.
36
Report of Tax Collector
For 1915.
Douglas, March 1, 1916.
The Assessors of Douglas for the year 1915, com- mitted to me on the 12th day of July 1915, the Collec- tor's book, with warrant to collect and pay over to the Treasurer of said Town of Douglas, the sum of . . $22,493 68
Special assessments October and December 23 84
Total $22.517 52
I have collected and paid over to the Treasurer of said town, in cash and abatements. the sum of 22,357 96
Leaving a balance uncollected of 159 56
I have collected since I made up this account the sum of $84 40
Leaving a balance uncollected of $75 16
Interest collected to date 13 19
By vote of the town in March, 1902, the names of all delinquent tax payers are to be printed each year in the town report, and are as follows :
37
LIST OF DELINQUENT TAX PAYERS 1915
Est. Jarvis Adams. .$15 60
Edgar S. Hill. $1 72
Moses H. Balcom . .. 1 17 W. R. Sheldon 6 63
Heirs Alverdo Chase 39 Frank Donaldson (sold
Frank Dupont .
2 00
to parties unknown). 4 68
Munzio Fresolo
9 20
Charles Bell . 9 36
Andrew Hedorsick 2 00
Mrs. Etta R. Phillips
10 92
J. Kurfuske . 2 00
Annie Tillinghast
4 68
John Katosmian. 2 00
Sylvia A. Moss 2 34
Heirs Zilpha Rawson .. 1 09
Heirs Willis Sherman 10 14
Asa Wheeler.
2 28
George Clark 1 56
Harold A. Wheeler 9 80
John Putnam
3 12
Arthur B. Wheeler 2 94
B. J. Seder
3 12
Respectfully submitted,
E. P. HEATH, Collector.
38
TREE WARDEN'S REPORT
For the Year 1915.
The following is the report of work done in setting new shade trees, for the purchase of which the town voted an appropriation of $100, and pruning and filling trees.
SETTING TREES.
Purchase of trees $92 85
Freight on trees 3 57
W. E. Carpenter, 11 days, 5 hrs 28 75
team, 62 days, 73 hrs
9 05
Chas. Ross, 13 hrs
2 60
Italian, 14 hrs.
2 80
W. La Plante, 38 hrs
7 60
F. Foster 43 hrs 8 60
$155 82
SUPPLIES.
W. E. Jones, nails, tar, paint $2 30
W. R. Wallis, rope, lumber 1 44
39
PRUNING.
W. E. Carpenter, 14 days $35 00
team 2 days 3 00
W. L. Carpenter, 6 days, 7 hrs 10 05
R. Jones, 4 hrs
80
M. Southwick, sharpening saws
40
$49 25
Total cost . $208 31
WALTER E. CARPENTER, Tree Warden.
40
REPORT OF
Road Commissioner.
Henry Jarvis, 1035 hours . $310 50
2 horses on cart, 745 hours 223 50
1 horse, 303} hours . . 37 57
2 horses on scraper, 260 hours 97 59
Louis Falloni, 1017} hours
203 50
Walter Putnam, 8 hours
1 60
2 horses on cart, 8 hours
2 40
Frank Revard, 3342 hours
66 90
Robert Lunn, 116 hours
23 20
Alexander Ritchie, 8 hours
60
27 loads gravel.
1 35
G. H. Dudley, 2} hours
50
1 horse, 2 hours ...
25
Alphonso Chase, 299 hours
59 80
Palmer Converse, 183 hours
36 60
1 horse on cart, 151 hours
18 86
Ernest Girard, 171 hours .
34 20
2 horses on scraper, 171 hours
64 12
Joseph Gauthier, 3 hours
60
2 horses on scraper, 3 hours
1 12
O. F. Chase, 198 hours .
39 60
2 horses on cart, 1212 hours
36 45
1 horse on cart, 85 hours
10 62
Leon Chase, 213} hours
42 70
Henry Chase, 146 hours
29 30
Myron Chase, 72 hours
14 40
Edrastus Chase, 1133 hours
22 70
Elwin Chase, 53 hours.
1 10
.
41
James Chase, 33 hours $ 6 60
Fremont Arnold, 10 hours 2 00
Mason Keith, 6 loads gravel
30
James Mowry, 23 hours .
4 60
H. Humphrey, 17 loads gravel
85
W. C. Williamson, 14 loads gravel
70
F. J. Kenyon, 174 hours. 34 80
1 horse on cart, 35 hours 4 38
2 horses on cart, 139 hours
41 70
Roy Kenyon, 157 hours.
31 40
Mr. Stowe, 166 hours
33 20
Charles Maynard, 51 loads gravel
2 55
Walter Thompson, 11
55
Mrs. Burlingame, 20 66
1 00
66 25 ft. railing
25
Gus Racine, 45 hours
2 horses on cart, 45 hours
Joe
36 hours
7 20
Mr. Green, 35 loads gravel
1 75
Mr. Subetine, 11 hours
2 20
W. P. Wight, 72 hours
14 40
W. Buxton, 627 hours
125 40
1 horse on cart, 36 hours
4 50
Felix Tony, 144 hours
28 80
George Chandler, 48 hours
9 60
Jake Bosma, 98 hours
19 60
2 horses on cart, 98 hours
29 40
Whitin Machine Works, sharpening scraper blade
1 20
Stephen Copp, sharpening picks, welding chain, one ring on pole
40
W. S. Jillson, 65 loads gravel
3 25
Chester Falloni, 40 hours. .
5 00
John Howard for Valcour, 68 loads gravel.
3 40
George Adams, 131 loads gravel
6 55
Wallace Freeman, 8 hours
1 00
James Falloni, 8 hours .
1 00
Xavier Lamoureux, 225 hours
45 00
John Koska, 54 hours
10 80
John Daley, 4203 hours
84 10
John Delaney, 408 hours
81 60
Record, 13 hours
2 60
Arthur White, 43 hours
8 60
Loren Buffum, 2} hours
50
Mrs. A. J. Thayer, 83 loads gravel
4 15
Joseph Faugets, 90 hours
18 00
9 00
13 50
42
Louis Signet, 27 loads gravel $ 1 35
Alfred Parker, 195 hours 39 00
2 horses on cart, 134 hours . 40 20
2 scraper, 86 hours 32 25
Levi Holt, gravel, 129 loads
6 45
Henry Peters, 45 hours
9 00
2 horses on cart, 45 hours
13 50
T. St. Andre, 27 hours
5 40
1 horse on cart, 18 hours
2 25
Amie Belleville, 37} hours
12 50
Frank Francis, 9 hours
1 80
Theodore Hall, 7 hours
1 40
W. H. Parker, 29 loads gravel.
1 45
935 ft. 3-inch chestnut plank for Mumford bridge
23 38
W. R. Wallis, 32 ft. chestnut timber
80
392 ft. spruce, 244-2x6
11 76
1 keg spikes 2 25
10 lbs. nails .
30
10 " spikes
30
$2,296 35
BRIDGES.
Gilboa bridge, 3,971 ft. 3-inch chestnut plank $111 19
22 sleepers, 24 ft. long 120 00
671 ft. 2-inch chestnut plank . 16 77
Bridge at Centerville, 116 ft. 3-inch chestnut plank 3 24 1 keg spikes 2 25
5 40
2 pick handles
40
2 sledge handles
40
6 spades
3 25
O. F. Chase, for railing post
1 50
6 hours
1 20
66 1 horse, 6 hours.
75
Leon Chase, 6 hours
1 20
$267 55
Total for highways and bridges $2.563 90
REPORT OF SNOW ROADS.
Henry Jarvis, 64 hours $19 20
2 horses, 46 hours 13 80
18 ft. 10-inch tile pipe
43
Louis Falloni, 20 hours . $ 4 00
Frank Revard, 8 hours
1 60
Phillip Manning, 1} hours
30
Henry Jarvis, 1 horse, 10 hours
1 25
Palmer Converse, 172 hours
3 50
1 horse, 5 hours .
62
2 horses, 72 hours
2 25
Arthur Morse, 72 hours .
1 50
Raymond Jones, 3 hours
60
Walter Paine, 3 hours .
60
B. F. Aldrich, 2 horses, 8 hours
2 40
2 men, 8 hours
3 20
W. Buxton, 27 hours .
5 40
F. J. Kenyon, 14 hours
2 80
2 horses, 9 hours
2 70
Mr. Stowe, 7 hours
1 40
Fred Dupont, 4 hours
80
2 horses, 4 hours
1 20
Philip Dupont, 4 hours
80
O. F. Chase, 273 hours
5 50
2 horses, 18} hours
5 55
1 horse, 9 hours .
1 12
Leon Chase, 10 hours
2 00
Elwin Chase, 112 hours
2 30
Henry Chase, 2} hours
50
2 horses, 2} hours
75
Edrastus Chase, 2₺ hours
50
Fremont Arnold, 5 hours
1 00
2 horses, 5 hours
1 50
Nelson Place, 8 hours
60
1 horse, 8 hours
00
Benny Thompson, 8 hours
1 60
J. Mowry, 8 hours .
1 60
$96 44
REPAIRING STONE ROAD.
Henry Jarvis, 227 hours
$68 10
2 horses on cart, 225 hours 67 50
1 horse, 12 hours 1 50
Henry Jarvis, 2 horses on scraper, 22 hours
8 25
Louis Falloni, 252 hours
50 40
Robert Lunn, 186 hours .
37 20
W. P. Wight, 56 hours
11 20
44
W. E. Parker, 30 hours. $ 6 00
Palmer Converse, 141 hours
28 20
1 horse on cart, 141 hours 17 60 2 17 5 10
Arthur Morse, 17 hours
3 40
Walter Putnam, 8 hours
1 60
2 horses on cart, 8 hours
2 40
A. F. Jones, 69 loads gravel .
3 45
John Gerow, 13 hours
2 60
2 horses on cart, 13 hours
3 90
Alphonso Chase, 65 hours
13 00
Ernest Gerard, 97 hours 19 40
27 90
·2 scraper, 4 hours
1 50
Subetine, 21 hours
4 20
$384 42
OILING STONE ROAD WITH SAND TO COVER OIL.
Henry Jarvis, 132 hours
$39 60
2 horses, 88 hours 26 40
Louis Falloni, 79 hours . 15 80
W. Buxton, 65 hours
13 00
1 horse on cart, 64 hours . 8 01
Henry Lafleur, 5 hours 1 00
2 horses, 5 hours . 1 50
Henry Jarvis, 37 loads sand
3 70
John Daley, 38 hours .
7 60
John Delaney, 38 hours
7 60
Alfred Parker, 39 hours
7 80
2 horses on cart, 39 hours
11 70
Albert Foster, 17 hours
3 40
A. F. Jones, 41 loads sand
4 10
Palmer Converse, 35 hours
7 00
1 horse on cart, 35 hours
4 38
Ernest Gerard, 20 hours
4 00
4 horses, 20 hours
12 00
W. P. Wight, 23 hours
4 60
$183 19
HENRY JARVIS,
Road Commissioner.
2 horses on cart. 93 hours
ANNUAL REPORTS
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
and Superintendent of Schools
OF THE
TOWN OF DOUGLAS
FOR THE
Year Ending Mar. 1, 1916
S
746
INCOR
WHITINSVILLE, MASS. : PRESS OF EAGLE PRINTING CO. 1916.
2
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
CHARLES J. BATCHELLER. Term expires March, 1916
WILLIE MANAHAN
March, 1916
HENRY KENDALL
66 March. 1916
FRANK E. JONES .
66 March, 1917
WALTER PARKER 66
66 March, 1917
CORNELIUS F. McLAREN 66
March, 1917
MRS. W. E. SCHUSTER
66
66 March, 1918
GILBERT W. ROWLEY
66 March, 1918
WILLIAM T. LOOMIS
March, 1918
SUPERINTENDING COMMITTEE
MRS. W. E. SCHUSTER, Chairman
GILBERT W. ROWLEY, Secretary
WILLIAM T. LOOMIS
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS C. L. JUDKINS
PURCHASING AGENT CHARLES J. BATCHELLER ATTENDANCE OFFICER ALEX. R. JOHNSON
3
SCHOOL CALENDAR.
HIGH SCHOOL.
Spring term-April 3, 1916- June 23, 1916, 12 weeks.
Fall term-Sept. 5, 1916-Dec. 22, 1916, 16 weeks.
Winter term-Jan. 1, 1917-March 30, 1917, 13 weeks. Spring term-April 9, 1917-June 22, 1917, 11 weeks.
Thanksgiving recess-Nov. 30-Dec. 4. Christmas vacation-Dec. 23-Jan. 1.
Spring vacation-March 31-April 9.
GRADES.
Spring term-April 3, 1916 -* June 9. 1916, 10 weeks.
Fall term-Sept. 5, 1916-Dec. 15, 1916, 15 weeks.
Winter term-Jan. 1, 1917 -* March 16, 1917, 11 weeks. Spring term-April 9, 1917 -* June 15, 1917, 10 weeks.
Thanksgiving recess-Nov. 30-Dec. 4. Christmas vacation-Dec. 16-Jan. 1. Spring vacation -* March 17-April 9.
*East Douglas Grammar and Sub-Grammar schools close one week later.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL.
Three blasts of the whistle at 7.45 A. M. indicate "no school" for the morning session.
The same signal at 11.45 A. M. signifies "no school" for the afternoon session.
4
REPORT OF School Committee.
Pursuing a policy stated last year, the Second Grade school- room in the main building was renovated during the summer. A new metal ceiling was put up and the room redecorated like the one across the corridor. These two rooms now present so pleasing an appearance in contrast to the other two on the same floor that it makes us more anxious than ever to continue the good work.
But it is our belief that the outside districts should be made as attractive and as sanitary as any in town, so we directed our at- tention this year to the West Douglas district. The school room there was thoroughly renovated and redecorated. The long needed repairs cost something, to be sure, considering the distance masons and painters had to be transported, but the great satisfaction of par- ents, pupils and teacher repaid the outlay.
It became necessary in the fall to again open the schoolroom in the old Fire Engine hall, because of the excess in numbers of first grade children. This increased our expenses in three ways, the salary of new teacher, that of the janitor and the fuel, but the children gained by the change, receiving the greater individual at- tention this first year, when it is especially beneficial.
To one arguing that the school appropriations are mounting higher, we would say our transportation charges are a larger item this year than ever. Two barges are now needed to convey the pupils from across the railroad track and a special team has to convey one child from the Wallum Hill District to Douglas Center.
5
The Summer Sewing Classes met this year as last and the work accomplished justifies the maintenance of such classes. It is undertaken voluntarily and a surprisingly good record of attend- ance is made. Incidentally these classes serve a two-fold purpose. Not only are these girls taught to sew practical articles, such as pillow covers and aprons, but these recreation hours of a long vaca- tion are profitably spent, and life-long habits of industry are formed.
We believe that certain changes should be made as soon as possible in the course of study offered to the grades, and are in- formed that our new superintendent is giving his attention to this matter. In this connection we may say that the committee unani- mously agree that the time has now arrived when it is poor busi- ness policy to delay longer the appropriation of the small sum needed to install courses in domestic science and manual training. By far the greater majority of our pupils end their school days with the eighth grade. It is no longer true that the majority of the girls in East Douglas are trained at home in what domestic science im plies, and experience has demonstrated that manual training is of practical value to boys. It will always be true in town affairs as in private that as one progresses his expenses will increase. But surely our wisest voters will see to it that these additional items be met in the school appropriations, even as they have been in other mat- ters pertaining to the interests of our town, such as the water works, better roads and sidewalks, etc. We cannot believe that you will again refuse us the $600 that we ask for this purpose.
LENA ALDRICH SCHUSTER,
Chairman Superintending Committee.
6
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
Total amount appropriated by town $8,500 00
Total amount received from state . 2,262 38
Received from Perry McMasters, Wallum Pond .... 52 75
Received from town of Sutton for tuition . 35 00
Town Fund, two years. 112 96
Balance on hand March 1, 1915
271 16
Total receipts $11,234 25
Total amount expended from March 1, 1915, to Feb- ruary 29, 1916
11,065 93
Unexpended balance
$168 32
ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES.
Teachers' salaries
$6,557 70
Superintendent's salary
748 02
Janitors
775 10
Fuel
879 53
General expense
206 77
Books and supplies
612 35
Repairs . .
322 46
Transportation 964 00
$11,065 93
7
Appropriations are asked for as follows :
General expenses, including superintendent's salary, expenses of school committee and enforcement of the law $400 00
Expenses of instruction, including teachers' salaries, text books and supplies, and night school, also miscellaneous expenses in connection with the schools . 6,200 00
Expenses of operating school plants, including janitors' salaries, fuel, and miscellaneous expenses in con- nection with operating school plants 1,750 00
Maintenance, repairs, etc., of school buildings 400 00
Auxiliary agencies, including health and transportation 1,000 00
Miscellaneous expenses (sundries) . 150 00
Manual training and domestic science
600 00
$10,500 00
MRS. W. E. SCHUSTER, GILBERT W. ROWLEY, WILLIAM T. LOOMIS,
Superintending Committee.
S
REPORT OF THE Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee of Douglas :
I herewith submit my first report of the schools of Douglas. it being the fifteenth in the series of superintendents' reports in this town.
ATTENDANCE.
The attendance in all the schools. except the West Douglas and the South Douglas schools. has been unusually good. Inas- much as the average attendance in the state is 93%, and that of the town of Douglas was nearly 95% for the school year ending last June, and nearly 96% for the first four months of the present school year, we may feel proud on the whole that such excellent results in this direction have been attained.
An inspection of the two attendance tables at the end of this report. however. shows that all our schools can not share in this pride. for while the average attendance in all the other schools was about 96%. and while all these schools ranked well up into the 90's, the attendance of the South and the West Douglas schools was only about 87%. Examination of the school registers for the past few years also shows about the same state of affairs, which clearly ought not to be, and should not continue. There is no reason why the attendance in these two schools should be any lower, or the per cent of tardiness any higher, than in the other schools of the town. Indeed, in many rural schools the attendance is better than in the village schools, and ought not to be 10% lower, as is the
9
case in Douglas. Quite a number of pupils of the two schools mentioned above were absent for as many as fifty or sixty days out of the total of the one hundred and seventy days the schools were in session last year. It is needless to state that in none of these cases are the pupils up to grade. I can not impress upon parents too strongly the importance of insisting that their children attend school every day the schools are in session, unless their attendance is rendered harmful or impracticable by illness or some other neces- sary cause.
THE HIGH SCHOOL.
The State Board of Education advises that our high school in its present form be discontinued, and that a junior high school, so called, be established, or in the event of this not being favorably considered by the town, that the high school be given up altogether and the pupils transported to some larger neighboring high school where it will be possible for them to avail themselves of greater educational advantages.
The establishing of a junior high school requires the abolish- ment of the ninth grade and the combining of the seventh and eighth grades with the first two years of the high school into a four years' course in which both elementary and high school subjects are taken up, and necessitates that pupils who wish to attend college or other higher institutions complete their courses elsewhere in some larger high school. The junior high school plan also obli- gates the employment of three regular teachers.
The second plan proposed by the State Board of Education, to give up the high school altogether and transport the pupils to some other larger high school, as that of Whitinsville or Uxbridge, it is alleged, would give our pupils all the advantages, such as en- thusiasm and competition, which come from large numbers of pupils, athletics which appeal to boys and girls alike, domestic science, manual training, commercial training, and the privilege of entering any college, normal, or technical school, on certificate.
Regarding the expense involved, it is stated, that as it costs about $1,500 a year in excess of what the state reimburses the town to maintain the present high school, the sending of the high school pupils elsewhere would mean a net saving to the town of about $1,000 a year, which amount could be utilized in providing the pupils of the grades with advantages, such as domestic science and manual training, which it might not be possible otherwise to provide. This saving in expense would come through reimbursement from the state, which pays transportation to towns, which like Douglas
IO
are not obliged to support high schools, to an amount not exceed- ing one dollar and a half per week for each pupil, and as this re- imbursement would amount in the aggregate to thirty dollars or more a week, it would be sufficient to pay the entire cost of trans- portation. One-half the tuition would also be refunded by the state and since this would amount to some $500, the net saving to the town by sending its high school pupils elsewhere would be about $1,000 a year, as stated above.
RECAPITULATION OF EXPENSE.
Maintaining high school in present form $2,000 00
Amount received from the state 500 00
Net cost to town $1,500 00
Maintaining Junior high school, net cost to town .. $1,500 00
Total expense to town by sending high school pupils elsewhere 500 00
Net saving to town by sending high school pupils elsewhere $1,000 00
MANUAL TRAINING AND DOMESTIC SCIENCE.
Closely connected with the above question is that of the teach- ing of domestic science and manual training in our schools.
It is certainly a move in the right direction to introduce these subjects into the schools, as their introduction is strongly recom- mended by the State Board of Education, and nearly all progressive towns have introduced them. Many of our pupils leave school so early in their course (see table of enrollment by ages at end of this report) that instruction in these subjects would be, next to the three R's, of more practical benefit to them than anything else.
The transportation of the high school pupils to another town would solve the problem of how we might have manual training and domestic science taught in the grades, as it would release the two rooms now occupied by the high school, and provide ample accommodations, as well as the needed funds.
I I
In case the high school is continued as at present, and the town is willing to appropriate the five or six hundred dollars a year required for maintaining these subjects, the first floor of the engine house on Cottage street could undoubtedly be utilized, without great outlay to put the rooms in proper condition, for this purpose.
REPAIRS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
I would recommend that metal ceilings be put up, and the walls painted in some of the school rooms of the large building each year until all the rooms are in first-class condition. Some minor repairs should also be made here.
A flag pole should be erected at the schools on Cottage street. A new flag pole is desirable at the Douglas Center school also.
A full set of maps should be bought for the West and the South Douglas schools, and a larger stove put into the latter school building before another winter.
I wish that instructions in both music and drawing might be given by special teachers in all the schools of Douglas once a week.
A large electric gong, or better still, two smaller ones, should be placed on the large school building, and the whole system wired over, as it is out of order now far too much of the time.
I recommend that the entire series of Montgomery's U. S. histories be introduced into the grades, also the Manly-Bailey books on language-these to be put in at once-and that next year the old Smith's arithmetics be superseded by the Wentworth and Smith arithmetics. The introduction of these text-books will tend to im- prove the work of our schools.
A new course of study is also in process of compilation, which is urgently needed.
A system of cumulative record cards has also been introduced by which it is possible for the superintendent to keep informed concerning the entire school life of every pupil from the time he first enters school until his final disposition, either by entering school elsewhere, going to work, or completing the course, and even then a "follow up" record is possible.
To the school committee, teachers, parents, pupils and all who have contributed to advancing the welfare of the schools, I extend my sincere appreciation for their co-operation and good will.
C. L. JUDKINS,
Supt. of Schools.
Uxbridge, February 1, 1916.
Attendance for School Year Ending June 25, 1915.
SCHOOL
TEACHERS
Enrolment
Under 5 years
Between 5-7 years
Between 7-14 years
Between 14-16 years
Over 16 years
Average Membership
Average Attendance
Per cent. of Attendance
No. Tardinesses
No. Dismissals
and Special Teachers
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