USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Merrimac > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Merrimac 1938 > Part 2
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19
TOWN REPORT
The Old Age Assistance records covering approximately 115 cases are handled by a separate bureau composed of Fred T. Hopkin- son and Albert P. Wadleigh of the Welfare Board and John K. Sar- gent as the third member, and their report is printed in a separate part of the Town Report.
The W.P.A. sewing unit sponsored by the Merrimac Welfare Board has been in operation the whole year, employing thirteen women and providing clothing for distribution at the local com- missary and through the Commodity Distribution Office at Haver- hill. Prior to Oct. 1, 1937 the materials were furnished by the Fed- eral Government. Since that time the Federal Government has re- quired a cash contribution from the Town of $10.00 per month per person employed on the sewing project toward the payment of mate- rials, the W.P.A. paying the labor costs plus $7.00 per month per person for material costs. This required contribution from the Town has with rent, lights, etc. increased the cost of this project from $991.65 in 1937 to $2,063.25 in 1938. The thirteen women thus em- ployed received for labor in 1938 approximately $9,000.00 as against the amount of $2,063.25 paid by the Town. Commencing Jan. 1, 1939 the number of women employed has been reduced to twelve and it would appear on the basis of high percentage costs that the Town cannot afford to sponsor any larger number employed on this project.
Applications for the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938 have been few in Merrimac, as the number permitted to be sent from this Town has been very small. These young men who went were certified by the local C.C.C. agent and transportation to the Army Base at Boston provided them.
The W.P.A. wood cutting project operated a few months with a small crew sufficient to cut enough wood in the Town Forest to materially aid in reducing welfare costs both in providing wood to the needy under the rules of distribution as voted by the Town and fur- nishing W.P.A. employment to Merrimac men.
The Merrimac Commodity Distribution Office of Federal food and clothing is also sponsored by the Welfare Board. J. Duncan Howe and Wendell Harvey assigned by the State W.P.A. office have charge
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TOWN REPORT
of the distribution of these surplus commodities. Supplies are dis- tributed only as follows, Soldiers Relief and W.P.A. workers on cards signed by Chairman of Selectmen and Co-Ordinator of Relief Proj- ects; Welfare cases, Old Age Assistance cases, Mothers Aid cases and needy persons on cards signed by the Chairman of the Welfare Board. All commodities taken from the Commissary must be signed for by the recipients, a complete record is kept of the amount of food and clothing received by each individual or family, so that the cash value of these commodities may be taken into consideration in determining the actual amount needed for other aid.
We express our appreciation to all those who have cooperated with us during the year, especially to W. Harold Whiting, Town Ac- countant, who aside from the many financial details required to be kept by him relative to welfare case records, is now obliged to fur- nish the State and Federal Government with financial information in monthly as well as annual Welfare, Aid to Dependent Children, and Old Age Assistance reports.
No one in Merrimac in 1938 has to our knowledge actually suf- fered for want of proper attention and aid. One third of the people of Massachusetts living on relief is not a normal function of govern- ment, and we do not believe that the great majority of Merrimac citizens unemployed want relief if they can find work to support themselves otherwise. The condition however is here and must be met and until such time as business and industry improve, the agen- cies of local, State and Federal government must be exercised to pro- vide relief, within the limits of safe financial methods of administra- tion.
Respecfully submitted,
FRED T. HOPKINSON, ALBERT P. WADLEIGH, HAZEN M. EMERY,
Merrimac Board of Public Welfare.
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TOWN REPORT
REPORT OF MERRIMAC BUREAU OF OLD AGE ASSISTANCE
To the Citizens of the Town of Merrimac:
1 In accordance with a vote of the Town designating two Mem- bers of the Merrimac Public Welfare Board as members of the Old Age Assistance Bureau, those thus elected met and organized for the year as follows: Fred T. Hopkinson, chairman, Albert P. Wadleigh, clerk and John K. Sargent as the third member.
All business of the Merrimac Bureau of Old Age Assistance has been kept entirely separate and distinct from the business of the Wel- fare Board, all records and folders in relation to Old Age Assistance being entered and placed in a different file and register.
On Jan. 2, 1938 there were 102 persons receiving Old Age As- sistance, 25 applications were granted during the year, and twelve cases closed (eight by death, one by request, one by change of resi- dence, and two by the State), making a total of 115 persons on the Merrimac Old Age Assistance Register as of Dec. 31, 1938.
It should be thoroughly understood that no applications for Old Age Assistance can be granted, unless the applicant meets the prop- erty qualifications, and produce legal proof of age and citizenship, and can further prove residence of at least five years out of nine in Massachusetts immediately preceding the date of application, of which period the applicant must have lived continuously in Massa- chusetts for the period of one year prior to the date of application. This proof must be on file in the records of the Merrimac Old Age Assistance Bureau, otherwise the Federal and State Old Age Inves- tigators and auditors will not approve any payments to the Town of Merrimac from Federal or State funds.
In the payment of Old Age Assistance in Merrimac, the Town of Merrimac has to finance and pay the bills, receiving reimbursements only on such amounts, substantiated by proof, as are approved by the Federal and State departments.
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TOWN REPORT
If the proof is not there, the Town cannot be reimbursed. That is why there must be every exercise of due care to prevent any loss of monies due the Town. The Federal Government reimburses the Town to the amount of one half (or not over $15.00 per month per case) of the amount paid, and the State reimburses the Town in an amount equal to two-thirds of the other half. Theoretically the cost to the Town is one-sixth, but owing to necessary hospital or medical bills, the actual cost to the Town is nearer one-fourth of the amount spent.
The total amount of money expended in Merrimac in 1937 for Old Age Assistance was $34,071.68. With the increased number of cases, the actual amount paid to Old Age recipients in Merrimac in 1938 was $39,479.82. Of this amount $17,292.97 was paid from money received in Federal grants, the other $22,186.85 being paid by the Town of Merrimac, subject to that portion of reimbursement to be received from the Commonwealth. An amount of $588.74 was received from the Federal Government for Administrative purposes in 1938 of which sum $550.02 was paid as salaries to the members of the Old Age Assistance board as voted by the Town So far there has been no actual cost to the Town for Old Age Assistance Adminis- trative purposes, but just how long this can continue will depend solely on rulings of Federal and State authorities. Of the appropria- tions by the Town of $22,500.00 for Old Age Assistance the sum of $348.90 was unexpended and credited to surplus revenue.
It now appears to be the intention of the W.P.A. to drop from the W.P.A. rolls all persons over 65 years of age eligible to receive Old Age Assistance and mothers with dependent children qualified to receive that type of allowance in Federal Aid. If such a W.P.A. policy is put into effect, several persons now on the W.P.A. will undoubtedly be added to the Old Age Assistance rolls, the probability being that the average number of Merrimac Old Age cases in 1939 will be 125 to provide for. This will necessitate (exclusive of hospital and med- ical bills) an expenditure of about $45,000.00 of which amount one half will be paid by the Federal Government. The State reimburses the Town in the amount of two-thirds of the balance (including two- thirds of the cost of authorized medical and hospital bills). On this basis it would appear that the Town should appropriate $25,000.00
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TOWN REPORT
for 1939 Old Age Assistance costs, to cover if possible the payments for the whole year without being forced to raise additional revenue for this purpose through Special Town Meetings. After reimburse- ments, the actual 1939 cost to the Town for Old Age Assistance is estimated at $11,000.00.
Social security in the form of Old Age Assistance is now an established fact, being fully recognized as a part of the permanent policy of the United States Government to provide protection and security to its citizens as they approach old age. With the possibility of the age limit being reduced to 60 years, and the probability of the payments of $30.00 a month being increased before long, legis- lation is being considered by the State authorities to provide for ad- ministration by districts, supervised by a trained personnel, so that Cities and Towns will receive the full benefits of the Old Age As- sistance grants with the State contributing with the Federal Govern- ment in paying a large share of district administrative costs. In the financing of the large amounts of money needed as the number of cases increase together with the additional clerical work that will be required to properly operate the system of investigation, distribution and records, it is only a matter of time when the administration of old age assistance will be placed on a district or regional basis to strengthen the permanence of security and safeguard the cities and towns against the tremendous losses incurred by not obtaining full reimbursements due them which losses occur by too frequent change of office personnel.
Adequate security for the aged has become a permanent fixture of government, and as such should be administered to provide suffi- cient funds to give reasonable living comforts to Old Age Assistance recipients, as well as in placing the least possible burdens on those who either by direct or indirect taxation have to pay the bills.
Respectfully submitted,
FRED T. HOPKINSON, ALBERT P. WADLEIGH, JOHN K. SARGENT,
Merrimac Bureau of Old Age Assistance.
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TOWN REPORT
REPORT OF CO-ORDINATOR OF RELIEF PROJECTS
To the Board of Selectmen and Citizens of the Town of Merrimac:
At the Annual Town Meeting the Selectmen were authorized again "to appoint a Co-Ordinator (for the term of one year) of W.P.A. or other Federal or State Relief projects, who may be a member of the Board of Selectmen", and being reappointed to that position, I have endeavored for the third consecutive year to secure for the Town of Merrimac and its unemployed such Federal or State relief projects as the Selectmen approved as being of the most benefit to the Town.
The original purpose of Federal Unemployment and Relief legis- lation as the C.W.A .; E.R.A .; P.W.A. and W.P.A., was based on the premise that the economic depression would be temporary and that the need of relief employment would diminish with general business recovery. It is now clearly evident that unemployment will have to be considered as a national problem for several years, either of a semi permanent nature or on the basis of periodic joint relief con- tributions by the Federal, State and local governments.
In small towns of the size of Merrimac this situation is partic- ularly severe. Merrimac is restricted in its ability to provide addi- tional revenue by local taxation for three reasons: 1st., Merrimac is the smallest Town in geographical area in Essex County (9 square miles or 3 miles square, 5545 land acres) ; 2nd., Merrimac is one of the three smallest towns in Essex County from the standpoint of total assessed valuation; 3rd., Merrimac is 85% industrial to 15% agricultural or otherwise, while most other towns show a percentage of less than 50% industrial in population. This further raises the question of how much the town can afford to contribute by local taxation for relief work in addition to its regular appropriations for public welfare and other forms of assistance.
The need of Merrimac citizens in 1938 for W.P.A. work has increased instead of lessened. An average of 120 Merrimac men and women have been employed on local projects throughout the year, as high as 132 persons having been working at one' time. The State
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TOWN REPORT
W.P.A. office has made no new assignments or replacements since Oct. 15, 1938 and at present there is a waiting list of 16 Merrimac citizens seeking this type of work. The amount of money received in Merrimac for W.P.A. labor payrolls in 1938 was over $84,000.00.
The approximate amount of money contributed by the Federal Government for relief purposes in the last five years in the Town of Merrimac follows:
1934-Federal contributions $27,969.61
1935-Federal labor payrolls 40,000.00
1936-W.P.A. payrolls 64,974.48
W.P.A. Material and truck hire 16,500.00
1937-W.P.A. payrolls 60,000.00
W.P.A. truck hire 3,000.00
1938-W.P.A. payrolls 84,000.00
Approximate five year total $296,444.09
Or in round figures, Federal funds of approximately $300,000.00.
These figures do not include the cash value of food and clothing given free to Merrimac by the Federal Commissary.
The costs to the Town by local taxation or by using tax title assets in the same years, has been approximately as follows:
1934-C.W.A. and E.R.A. $ 3,747.65
1935-E.R.A. and W.P.A. 1,982.97
1936-W.P.A. 2,830.18
1937-W.P.A. 5,357.64
1938-W.P.A. 14,860.45
Since April 1937, the Federal Government has required that all material and truck hire costs in Merrimac be paid by the Town. The W.P.A. policy since that date has been that in all new projects sub- mitted, the local governments are supposed to contribute 20% of the total cost of the project if possible. As Merrimac could hardly carry
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TOWN REPORT
such a percentage of the cost load, projects have been approved for Merrimac at about 15% without any government contribution for materials. It is understood that some allowances for W.P.A. materials and truck hire may be made to Merrimac in the 1939 program.
On behalf of the Selectmen for the people of Merrimac, I can only express my utmost appreciation to W.P.A. State Administrator, Lt. Col. John J. McDonough and to all his associates in the several W.P.A. offices who have cooperated with us during the year in the administration of Federal relief.
I have continued to perform the work of W.P.A. Certifying Agent of the Merrimac Welfare Board (see Public Welfare Report) although not part of the Co-Ordinators work, in order that the proj- ects and certifications might function more closely to provide em- ployment for Merrimac citizens with the least possible lapse of time for them in the continuous operation of projects.
To secure an uninterrupted work relief program, I have been to the Salem or Boston W.P.A. offices about three times a month, with relation to both the submission and operation of projects, and defini- tion of required procedure.
All W.P.A. projects in operation in Merrimac in 1938, and sub- mitted in 1938 for Federal approval were (except as noted) prepared by me, and are as follows:
Project No. 25-Submitted Aug. 26, 1937. Approved Oct. 4, 1937-Cutting wood in Town Forest. 17 men, 3 months. Federal funds $2,980.00. Operated through 1938.
Project No. 26-Submitted Aug. 13, 1937. Approved Oct. 20, 1937. Farm to Market Roads. 22 men, 10 months. Federal funds $12,751.00. Operated through 1938.
Project No. 27-(Supplement to No. 26 for emergency if needed -not used).
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TOWN REPORT
Project No. 28-Submitted Oct. 18, 1937. Approved Jan. 25, 1938. Sewing Project. 13 women, 6 months. Federal funds $6,158.00.
Project No. 29-Submitted Jan. 14, 1938. Approved Feb. 23, 1938. Farm to Market Roads. 34 men, 12 months. Federal funds $23,773.00.
Project No. 30-Submitted Mar. 31, 1938. Approved May 23, 1938. Elimination of browntail and gypsy moths. 37 men, 6 months. Federal funds $12,896.00. Operation commenced Nov. 1938.
Project No. 31-Submitted July 1, 1938. Approved Aug. 25, 1938. Sewing project. 13 women, 9 months. Federal funds $7,528.00. This project is now reduced to 12 women employed.
Project No. 32-Submitted July 1, 1938. Approved Aug. 25, 1938. Repairs on school houses. 17 men, 2 months. Federal funds $2,622.40. The technical detail of this project was prepared by Howard DeLong and Willard T. Kelly. Intended to operate in 1939.
Project No. 17-Revised March 28, 1938 and approved by State Office. Cement Sidewalks. 42 men, 7 months. Federal funds $18,- 333.70.
Project No. 17-Revised Aug. 25, 1938 and additional funds ap- proved by State Office. 56 men, 2 months. Federal funds $6,989.40. Cement sidewalks.
Project No. 33-Submitted July 23, 1938. Approved Aug. 25, 1938. Farm to Market Roads. 78 men, 10 months. Federal funds $44,770.00.
Project No. 34-Submitted Oct. 26, 1938. Approved by State Office. Now in Washington for final approval. Building drain, catch basins, resurfacing, etc. Pleasant St., Merrimacport, and repairing breaks on river bank on Water and Merrimac Sts. Provides for 35 men, 3 months. Federal grant asked $6,752.20. Approved Jan. 10, 1939.
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TOWN REPORT
Project No. 35-Submitted Oct. 27, 1938 to remove fire hazards caused by hurricane of Sept. 21, 1938. Disapproved Dec. 30, 1938 by State Office after report of National Forestry Service that "the dam- age in Merrimac was not of such a nature as to endanger the public safety materially above normal".
Project No. 36-Submitted Dec. 12, 1938. Now in W.P.A. State Office awaiting approval. Cement sidewalk project for 1939. Provides for construction of (total length, 22700 running feet) cement side- walks on 26 streets in town. Provides work for 73 men for 7 months. Federal funds asked $32,855.00 conditional on approximate cost of $7,919.00 to the town.
The costs for W.P.A. purposes paid by the Town in 1938 were:
Cement Sidewalks
$ 6,068.23
Farm to Market Roads Improvement 4,797.37
Sewing Unit 2,063.25
Commodity Distribution (including cash contribution to U. S. Government $69.50)
846.28
Moth Elimination
135.00
Moth Elimination (project No. 2)
94.23
Storm emergency (Hurricane) W.P.A. costs
94.50
Wood cutting
5.00
Town Forest
51.42
Cash contribution for Commodity Administration
186.67
W.P.A. Administration, Transportation
118.50
Co-Ordinator Salary 1938 ($7.69 per week)
400.00
Total
$14,860.45
The cement sidewalk project, operated in 1936, but closed in 1937 due to labor quota limitations, was revised and reopened Apr. 12, 1938 and operated continuously with two crews, each with about 25 men until Nov. 18, 1938.
Cement sidewalks were built on the following streets: Grove St. (West side) from Baptist Church to Summer St .; Summer St. (East side) to Prospect St .; Prospect St. from cor. Summer to op-
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TOWN REPORT
posite school house; Summer St. (West side) from cor. Prospect to Grove; Locust St. from cor. Main (East side) to Green St .; Main St. (North side) from cor. Woodland to opposite residence of M. Hale; Main St. (South side) from cor. Woodland to opposite resi- dence of W. Heath; Liberty St. (West side) from Main to Mechanics opposite entrance to Grange Hall; School St. (West side) from cor. Green to Middle St .; Middle St. (North side) from cor. of School to Vale St .; High St., Merrimacport (East side) from Pleasant St. around corner and north side of Merrimac St. to opposite Postoffice; Church St. (West side) from near G. A. R. Hall to opposite residence of Wm. Eaton beyond Nichols St. and brook; Church St. (East side) from opposite Maple St. up Church St. to driveway opposite resi- dence of H. Adams; High St. (West side) and Merrimac St. (North side) in front of and near side of Methodist Church; Prospect St. (South side) from cor. Church St. finishing unconnected links to Summer St .; Church St. (East side) from Mechanics in front of Con- gregational Church. Part of the cement sidewalk built in 1936 on Green St. (South side) in front of the Catholic Church was torn up by falling trees during the hurricane and this sidewalk in such places was entirely rebuilt. The east side of Broad St., Merrimacport from the corner of Pleasant around the corner of Merrimac to a point op- posite the school house was started and the unfinished portion of this section wiil be completed early in 1939. The cement sidewalks built in Merrimac as W.P.A. projects in 1936 and 1938 have cost ap- proximately $40,957.27 of which amounts $7,271.65 has been paid by the Town and approximately $33,686.62 by the Federal Govern- ment. This project has been a great improvement to the Town and is much appreciated.
The streets rebuilt and widened by the Farm to Market project are detailed in the Selectmen's report.
As to the future of the W.P.A. and the unemployment situation, it seems quite evident that for a long time to come, it will be neces- sary for the Federal Government to make appropriations for unem- ployment relief.
In Towns of the size of Merrimac, if unemployment continues it is quite certain that such Towns cannot much longer contribute
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TOWN REPORT
.
any large percentage of the costs of such relief. If State wide or County W.P.A. projects can be worked out so as to relieve locally the cost load by placing large numbers of men on State or County unem- ployment relief projects, the problem may be partially solved.
The Town of Merrimac is doing the best it can to protect the welfare of all of its citizens, with the assistance of either Federal, State or County Aid in the form of projects to provide unemploy- ment relief. The programme for 1939 is being worked out to give employment to as many Merrimac men in need of work as the W.P.A. office will assign to work. Federal funds available will de- pend on the appropriations made by the Congress of the United States for unemployment relief.
Respectfully submitted, ALBERT P. WADLEIGH,
Merrimac Co-Ordinator of Federal or State Relief Projects.
IN MEMORIAM
MORTIMER E. SULLIVAN 1898 - 1938
Selectman of Merrimac 1933
Registrar of Voters 1930, 1931, 1932
:
32
MERRIMAC
APPROPRIATIONS MADE IN 1938
$ 12.00
Moderator
Selectmen (chairman) Z 450.00
Selectmen (Clerk)
125.00
Selectmen (other member)
100.00
Selectmen's Departmental Expenses
500.00
Board of Public Welfare (chairman)
200.00
Board of Public Welfare (clerk)
200.00
Board of Public Welfare (other member)
100.00
Town Accountant
1,300.00
Town Accountant Expenses
125.00
Treasurer
350.00
Treasurer's Expense
950.00
Tax Collector
800.00
Tax Collector Expense
600.00
Assessors (chairman)
275.00
Assessors (other two, each $187.50)
375.00
Assessors Expense
200.00
Town Clerk
225.00
Town Clerk Expense
50.00
Registrars of Voters
112.50
Town Hall Maintenance
1,000.00
Town Hall Maintenance (Janitor of Town Offices)
120.00
Town Hall Repairs
150.00
Bonding Town Officers
310.00
Election Officers
240.00
Police
3,550.00
Fire Engineers
200.00
Fire Department
3,000.00
Sealer of Weights and Measures
90.00
Sealer of Weights and Measures Expense
50.00
Sealer of Weights and Measures Balance of Expense 1937
18.70
Inspector of Wiring
90.00
Inspector of Wiring Expense
5.00
Dog Officer (to cover fees)
100.00
Moth Department 850.00
Moth Department (Pump and Sprayer Repairs)
75.00
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TOWN REPORT
Tree Warden
250.00
Town Forest
300.00
Forest Warden
150.00
Board of Health
750.00
Public Health Nurse and Expense
1,150.00
Inspector of Animals
20.00
Inspector of Milk
20.00
Essex County T. B. Hospital
706.39
Highway Department and Chapter 81
5,750.00
Snow and Washouts
2,000.00
Sidewalks, Railings and Bridges
100.00
Rocks Bridge
1,175.00
Street Lights
3,283.30
State Aid
250.00
Public Welfare
18,000.00
Soldiers Relief
3,000.00
Aid to Dependent Children or Mothers Aid
1,500.00
Old Age Assistance
20,000.00
School Committee (chairman)
50.00
School Committee (clerk)
.75.00
School Committee (other member)
50.00
School Department
28,250.00
Public Library
1,000.00
Memorial Day (American Legion)
150.00
Vocational Education
100.00
Town Counsel (fees)
75.00
Lighting Town Buildings
631.58
Insurance
2,300.00
Reserve Fund
500.00
Interest
600.00
Cemeteries
1,000.00
Municipal Loan Note
3,600.00
Vital Statistics
75.00
Water in Town Buildings
307.29
Printing Town Reports
296.74
WPA or other Federal or State Relief Projects
6,000.00
Co-Ordinator of WPA or other State or Federal Relief Projects 400.00
100.00
Inspector of Slaughtering
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MERRIMAC
Chapter 90 General Laws, Road Maintenance work
1,500.00
Purchase of Land for Town Forest 150.00
Cement Sidewalks on Grove and Summer Streets 750.00
Improvement and Embellishment of Cemeteries
325.00
Cemetery claims prior to Dec. 31, 1935
200.00
Light extension on Merrimac Street
1,125.00
Purchase of Hose for Fire Dept. 500.00
Playground Commission
250.00
$125,663.50
REPORT OF CHIEF OF POLICE
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
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