USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Milford, Massachusetts 1919 > Part 5
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More normal conditions in library work have prevailed dur- ing the past year. There have been fewer posters to display, few- er inserts to place in books, fewer organizations asking for library co-operation. The Child Welfare campaign and the Thrift campaign have been the most active. Inserts were received from both committees and placed in outgoing books. From the First Federal Reserve District were received several fine posters for display. The Children's Bureau and the U. S. Boys' Working Reserve also sent leaflets.
A new display case was purchased early in the year and placed in the delivery room. This is kept filled with new non- fiction books, and with special exhibits. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, all the books in the library pertaining to the holidays were placed in the case. The pupils and teachers especially, made good use of the books.
In the report of the Public Library of the City of Boston, the Examining Board says-"No effort should be spared to keep every library and reading room clean-floors, windows and entries -. It can be maintained if constant attention be given. It is superfluous to comment on the effect of lack of cleanliness on contagious and infectious diseases." Owing to the fact that the boiler room and coal bin are directly under the stack room, the books and shelves and everything are always dusty. It would require much more care than is now given the room to keep it in proper condition. Yet as the Boston report says this is important.
An effort is made to have the children come to the library with clean hands and to impress upon them that their hands
119
should be clean whenever books are handled. In the reading room no child is supposed to use the books and stereoscopes un- less his hands are passably clean. If we had a lavatory on the library floor, much better work along the line of sanitation could be done.
During the coming year there is imperative need of book stacks. Four hundred books in the miscellaneous department are without shelve room, and in the fiction department, there are as many more waiting for space on the shelves. More units for the card catalogue are needed, as well as a regular card catalogue table. As soon as conditions make it advisable, new encyclo- pedias and new atlases should be purchased.
Mr. William P. Clarke, elected Town Auditor last March, resigned his office as Trustee of the Town Library. He had served efficiently since 1910, and his resignation was accepted with regret. At a joint meeting of the Selectmen and Trustees, Mr. Thomas J. Quirk was chosen to fill the vacancy.
At a meeting of the trustees held Feb. 2, it was voted to re- quest an appropriation of $700 and the dog tax, for the benefit of the Town Library during the ensuing year.
GEORGE W. WOOD,
Chairman.
TRUSTEES.
Thomas J. Quirk, Patrick F. Sweeney, Term expires 1920
Nathaniel F. Blake,
Nathan W. Heath, Term expires 1921
George W. Wood,
Stephen H. Reynolds, Term expires 1922
ORGANIZATION.
George W. Wood, Chairman.
Patrick E. Sweeney, Secretary. Nathaniel F. Blake, Librarian.
120
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TRUSTEES
OF MILFORD TOWN LIBRARY, FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1919.
RECEIPTS.
Balance
$442 09
Appropriation
700 00
Dog tax
920 64
Fines
78 48
Books lost
2 20
Old paper
.
2 40
$2,145 81
EXPENDITURES®
Books
$511 92
Magazines
73 90
Binding
65 35
Supplies
35 67
Salary librarian
420 00
Salary assistant
230 00
Extra help
62 33
Cataloging books
9 88
Express
25 27
Light
98 10
Sundries
50 87
Balance
562 52
$2,145 81
PATRICK E. SWEENEY,
Secretary to the Trustees.
121
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN.
TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN LIBRARY :
GENTLEMEN :- I submit the sixty-first annual report of the library for the year ending December 31, 1919.
The library was open 305 days. Circulation for the year was 36,941 volumes. Largest daily circulation, February .15, was 321 volumes. Smallest daily circulation, March 28, was 18 volumes. Average daily circulation was 121 volumes. Amount received for fines was $78.48. Notices sent delinquents, 228; number of new cards issued, 380. Visitors to the reading room, 6,974.
The library contains as per catalogue, 21,650 volumes, 295 having been added during the year ; by purchase, 243, by gift, 52. There were also purchased 209 volumes to replace those worn out. The donors were: State of Massachusetts, 11 volumes ; United States Government, 8 volumes; Mrs. A. J. George, 8 volumes ; Librarian, 3 volumes ; Thomas E. Barns, 3 volumes ; Frederick E. Kip, 2 volumes ; Smithsonian Institute, 2 volumes ; Interstate Commerce Commission, Library of Congress, Carnegie Institute, Bindery, Girard Trust Company, Bankers' Trust Com- pany, Studebaker Corporation, Manufacturers' Air Craft Asso- ciation, Worcester Bank and Trust Company, Quinshipaug Wo- man's Club, Charles Lothrop Pack, J. Ogden Armour, Major A. E. Foote, League to enforce peace, Vice Commission of Chicago, 1 volume each.
The circulation of the various departments is shown by the following table :-
122
CIRCULATION.
History
Biography
Politics
and Law
Travel
Science
Fiction
Miscellaneous
Religion
Poetry
Juvenile
Total
January
13
43
4
12
13
1508
192
9
35
1341
3170
Feb.
2
43
4
19
8
1481
186
6
24
1637
3410
March
7
6
15
11
1774
218
7
27
1918
3983
April
4
15
8
14
1576
158
8
21
1539
3343
May
5
15
1
16
13
1454
159
4
16
1379
3062
June
8
6
9
3
1271
118
3
14
1257
2689
July
9
7
16
1450
157
3
12
1124
2778
August
7
13
15
2
1477
134
3
12
1163
2826
Sept.
8
5
11
14
1340
133
2
20
1117
2644
October
10
14
1
25
18
1353
128
2
21
1277
2849
Nov.
7
20
3
20
13
1603
131
3
22
1334
3156
Dec.
13
23
4
15
21
1524
139
4
26
1262
3031
Total
93 210
17 181|
130 17811 1853 54 250 16342 36941
The reading room has received regularly the following pub- lications, (those marked * were donated) :-
DAILY.
Boston Post.
WEEKLIES.
Collier's,
Leslie's,
Literary Digest,
*N. E. Division, Bulletin American Red Cross, Outlook, *Patent Office Gazette,
Saturday Evening Post, Scientific American,
*Struggling Russia, Youth's Companion,
*Woman's Citizen,
*War Work Bulletin.
123
MONTHLIES.
A. L. A. Booklist,
*Alpha Aids, American Boy,
American Magazine,
Atlantic,
Bookman,
*Brown Alumni Monthly,
*Bulletin Worcester Art Mu- seum, *Bulletin, Mass. Audubon Society,
Century, *Commonhealth,
*Christian Science Journal, Cosmopolitan,
*Counselor, Country Life in America, Delineator,
*Du Pont Magazine, Everybody's, Garden, Good Housekeeping,
*Japan Society Bulletin, Harper's, Ladies' Home Journal,
*Living Tissue, McClure's,
* Mexican Review, Munsey's, *Museum of Fine Arts Bulle- tin, National, National Geographic, *National Grange Monthly, *N. E. Shoe and Leather In- dustries, North American Review,
*Our Dumb Animals, Popular Science, Polytechnic, Readers' Guide to Periodi- cal Literature,
*Remington Notes,
*Remonstrance, Review of Reviews, Scribner's, St. Nicholas,
*Temperance Cause, Travel, *Vedanta,
*Vocational Summary, Woman's Home Companion, World's Work.
The following exhibits have been received from the Massa- chusetts Art Club :-
Jan. 14 to Feb. 3. Buckingham IX, 34 photographs.
Feb. 4 to Feb. 24. War XII, care of the wounded. Mar. 11 to Mar 31. Tissot, 67 photographs. Apr. 8 to Apr. 28. Baby Beasts, 57 photographs.
124
May 13 to June 2. War X, minor munitions of war.
June 10 to June 30. Mother Goose.
July 1 to July 21. Old Newburyport houses, 67 photo- graphs.
July 29 to Aug. 18. War XIII, Woman's work in the war. Aug. 26 to Sept. 15. American Illustrators, 60 photo- graphs.
Sept. 23. to Oct. 13. St. Gaudens, 63 photographs.
Oct. 28 to Nov. 17. French pastellists, 52 photographs.
Nov. 25 to Dec. 15. Uniforms of U. S. army, 1775-1918, 46 photographs.
Dec. 30 to Jan. 19. War XIV, War in the air.
Respectfully submitted,
NATHANIEL F. BLAKE,
Librarian.
REPORT OF TOWN SOLICITOR.
February 9th, 1920.
TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SELECTMEN :-
I herewith submit my report for the year just passed.
During the past year, which, I think, has been the busiest year since I entered the office of solicitor in the history of the town, many matters of routine nature such as tax suits have been adjusted. There are pending, however, a few of these tax cases which may be settled before this report is printed. Two of these cases are in the Superior Court and one is in the local court. The only other case pending against the Town of Milford is the case of Desidirio Besiccia for injuries alleged to have been sustained by falling on a defective sidewalk on East Main street, opposite the car barn. The Highway Surveyor and I have investigated the matter, and your honorable board has also investigated it, and we have decided that we are not liable. However, the plaintiff thinks otherwise and has brought suit against the town.
The Town of Milford, through its sewer board, has taken certain rights of way extending on the Milford Coal Company property, through the property of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company, through a private way and over what was known as the Greene Brothers' factories. No adjust- ment of those claims has yet been accomplished.
During the past year there have been many hearings in which the town was interested on the question of street railway increases of fare, all of which have been very satisfactorily ad- justed considering the high prices of all things, and of course the street railways had to receive an increase as well as all other em- ployers of labor. By far the most important hearing in which the town's interest was concerned was the hearing relative to the raising of rates of the Milford Water Company. The result is so well known that I will not take up space in repeating it ; suf-
126
fice it to say that the town employed Mr. F. A. Barbour as its engineer and while the cost was what might be termed consider- able, I deem it a very judicious and wise expenditure in view of the results obtained. I wish to acknowledge my appreciation of the services of Mr. Barbour in the preparation and hearing of this action, without whose assistance we would have been at the mercy of the Milford Water Company that was backed by a most competent engineer and eminent counsel. I also wish to con- gratulate your board on securing such a competent engineer to re- sist the Milford Water Company.
We have, during the past year, put into force a set of street regulations, the importance of which, owing to the increase of automobile traffic, is evident to all. We now have street regula- tions having the force of law to control our street traffic, wheth- er it be motor or vehicle traffic.
I desire at this time to again call the attention of your board to the necessity of a new set of by-laws for the town, and especial- ly to the necessity of a set of building laws. This latter is very evident when one considers the wholesale change of ownership of our blocks in the business section, the owners thereof being strangers to the town and whose motives seem to be simply for gain alone. Looking forward to the possible changes that might suggest an entire change of aspect, one can readily see the neces- sity of having some power to say what shall be built and what shall not be built. The only way to accomplish that is by the adoption of a set of building laws and I urgently recommend their passage.
I again recommend the continuance of the emergency fund which was adopted last year as it may be very necessary for the welfare of the town during a time when the doors are locked to the appropriation of money by the town on account of our string- ent financial law governing appropriations.
I again extend to all the public boards my appreciation of their courtesy to me in my relations with them as town solicitor.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN C. LYNCH,
Solicitor.
AUDITOR'S REPORT.
TO THE VOTERS :- -
GENTLEMEN :- I have examined the Vouchers and Warrants drawn by the different departments of our town government and have found them correct.
I have endeavored to eliminate any and all claims that seemed to me did not come within the intent of the voters, as shown by appropriations made for carrying on the town's busi- ness ..
Thanks are extended to all officers with whom I came in con- tact, for the many courtesies shown.
Very truly, WILLIAM P. CLARKE,
Auditor.
CAST OF "THE OBSTINATE FAMILY." AND "HOLLY TREE INN." HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR DRAMATICS, 1919.
MILFORD
MASSACHUSETTS
ANNUAL SCHOOL
REPORT
SCHOOL YEAR 1918-1919
FISCAL YEAR 1919
GELEANO
CILLEY. O
1
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
JOHN V. GALLAGHER,
Term expires 1920
CHARLES W. GOULD,
Term expires 1920
JOHN C. LYNCH,
Term expires 1921
JOHN E. SWIFT,
Term expires 1921
GEORGE E. STACY,
Term expires 1922
ALFRED B. CENEDELLA,
Term expires 1922
ORGANIZATION. GEORGE E. STACY, Chairman. ALMORIN O. CASWELL, Secretary.
SUB COMMITTEES. Rules and Regulations.
GEORGE E. STACY JOHN C. LYNCH
Finance.
JOHN V. GALLAGHER CHARLES W. GOULD
Repairs and Fuel.
GEORGE E. STACY
ALFRED B. CENEDELLA
Books and Supplies.
JOHN C. LYNCH JOHN V. GALLAGHER
Teachers and Salaries.
JOHN E. SWIFT
CHARLES W. GOULD
ALFRED B. CENEDELLA.
SUPERINTENDENT.
ALMORIN O. CASWELL.
The superintendent is a member of each sub-committee ex- officio.
4
COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
The regular meetings of the committee are held on the first Friday of each month at 8 P. M., in the committee room at the George E. Stacy school.
SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE.
Office at the George E. Stacy building. Office hours from 8 to 9 A. M. and 4 to 5.30 P. M. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thurs- days. Thursday evenings, 7.30 to 8.30.
SCHOOL PHYSICIANS.
JOHN M. FRENCH, M. D., Office and residence, 2 South Main street.
1
JOHN V. GALLAGHER, M. D., Office, 64 Main Street, Residence, 104 Spruce street.
SCHOOL NURSE.
MISS LILLIAN M. SINCLAIR, Residence, 376 Main street.
ATTENDANCE OFFICERS.
RAPHAEL MARINO, P. O. Box 113, Residence 27 Court street, Office 144 Main street.
ALMORIN O. CASWELL, Residence 25 Claflin street, Office Stacy School.
TUITION RATES.
High School, $1.50 per week. Grades, 75 cents per week.
5
SCHOOL SESSIONS.
High School-8 A. M. to 1 P. M. George E. Stacy School :-
High School Section-8 A. M. to 1 P. M.
Grammar School Section and Plains District-8.45 to 11.45 A. M. and 1.30 to 3.30 P. M.
Grammar Schools-9 to 12 A. M.
Primary Schools-1.30 to 3.30 P. M.
Country Schools-9 to 12 A. M .. 1 to 3 P. M.
Evening School-7.15 to 9.15 P. M.
NO-SCHOOL SIGNAL.
Adopted January 1, 1908.
22 repeated three times on the fire alarm.
At 7.30 A. M .- No morning session for all schools, including the high school.
At 8.00 A. M .- No morning session below the high school.
At 8.30 A. M .- No morning session for grades below the 5th. At 12.30 P. M .- No afternoon session for all grades.
Between 12.45 and 1 P. M .- No session for grades below the fifth. At 6.30 P. M .- No session of the evening school.
When, the no-school signal is sounded in the morning and not repeated in the afternoon, there will be an afternoon session.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
The flight of time admonishes us that it becomes necessary to make report to the town of the conditions and needs of the school department. The following report of the Superintendent of Schools, which has been adopted by the School Committee as the report to the town, treats upon important matters, which need careful attention. Give heed then, "Act well your part, there all the honor lies."
We ask for the following absolutely necessary appropria- tions :-
Salaries of Teachers
$76,952 82
Fuel
8,000 00
Supplies
4,000 00
Janitors' Wages
6,920 00
Incidentals :
Regular
$2,000 00
Insurance
500 00
$2,500 00
Supervision :
Salary of Superintendent
2,700 00
Salary of Attendance
Officer
300 00
$3,000 00
Medical Inspection
1,000 00
Repairs
3,500 00
Transportation
2,200 00
Carriage Hire
800 00
Evening School
500 00
$109,372 82
7
Unpaid Bills, 1919 Regular
2,150 35
H. S. Heating Plant
119 30
$2,269 65
Special Salary Appropriation
7,271 10
$118,913 57
Reimbursement from the General School
Fund
14,000 00
Net Amount to be Raised
$104,913 57
GEORGE E. STACY,
For the Committee.
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
GENERAL ACCOUNT.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation
$82,650 00
From State-ordered repairs
acct.
20 86
$82,670 86
EXPENDITURES.
Salaries of teachers
$57,291 76
Fuel
6,665 17
Supplies
2,525 15
Care (janitor's salaries) . 5,775 90
Incidentals
2,474 76
Supervision :-
Sup't of Schools $2,310 01
Att'd'ce officer
.
225 00
$2,535 01
Medical Inspection 600 00
Repairs
1,745 02
Transportation
2,028 77
Carriage hire
769 72
Evening school
258 50
$82,669 76
Balance
10
STATE ORDERED REPAIRS.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation
$500 00
EXPENDITURES.
J. F. Luby (contract) $437 80
W. T. Phillips ( fees) 41 34
To Town Treasurer 20 86
$500 00
$82,670 86
9
NEW HIGH SCHOOL HEATING PLANT.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation $6,500 00
EXPENDITURES·
J. S. Ranahan
(on
acct.
contract)
$6126 70
W. T. Phillips
(fees)
369 60
J. F. Damon
3 70
$6,500 00
ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES.
Fuel :-
L. H. Barney estate $224 20
320 50
301 06
420 91
1,104 43
$2,371 10
H. M. Curtiss Coal Co. ..
$727 98
268 13
811 10
411 78
13 00
$2,231 99
B. Vitalini
$731 65
770 75
35 50
$1,554 90
Milford Coal Co.
$59 64
154 04
281 50
$495 18
Stanley L. Lutz
$12 00
$6,665 17
Repairs-Carpenter Work :-
Waters & Hynes
$189 89
10
Electrical Work :-
Holtzer Cabot Electric-
al Co.
$125 00
W. C. Tewksbury Co. 92 49
H. F. Neally
7 65
- $225 14
Mason Work :-
Peter Consigli
$200 00
Plumbing :-
Clark Ellis & Sons
$110 53
Staples & Gould
253 31
$363 84
Painting :-
E. F. Porter
$168 53
Eldredge & Son
288 83
$457 36
Miscellaneous :-
Powers Regulator Co. ..
$137 89
Avery & Woodbury Co. . . 80 65
C. L. Barnard
14 50
Johnson Service Co.
22 95
J. F. Davoren
42 70
J. L. Higgiston
10 10
$308 79
$1,745 02
Supplies :-
J. Q. Adams
$37 50
Allyn & Bacon
21 04
American Book Co.
222 62
E. E. Babb & Co.
145 00
Beckley Cardy Co.
50
G. M. Billings
3 50
A. O. Caswell
55
Central Scientific Co.
42 29
Oliver Ditson
7 20
Educational Publishing Co.
4 62
Emerson & Co. 1 47
.
.
11
Crowell & DeWitt 7 06
David Farquhar
115 50
General Chemical Co.
18 77
Ginn & Co.
142 90
J. L. Hammett Co.
316 68
Henry Hyle Chemical Co.
14 60
D. C. Heath & Co. 60 27
Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
17 88
Kenney Bros. & Walkins
420 79
L. E. Knott Apparatus Co.
47 64
Little, Brown & Co. 33 27
Macmillan Co.
146 98
Milton Bradley Co.
285 76
Mittag & Volger
47 00
Thomas Nelson & Sons
.
6 00
Office Appliance Co.
6 27
A. N. Palmer Writing Co.
12 20
Prudential Trust Co.
62 13
Royal Typewriter Co.
58 15
Benjamine H. Shanborne Co.
110 33
School Specialty Co.
1 25
Shea Bros.
49 75
Charles Scribner's Sons
15 97
Silver, Burdett & Co.
41 71
$2,525 15
Incidentals :-
Merrill W. Allen
$10 00
Ames Decorating Co. 25 00
Avery & Woodbury Co.
7 50
George R. Bascom
48 00
G. M. Billings
239 75
Boston Feather Duster Co.
15 17
A. O. Caswell (sundries acct.) 77 58
H. S. Chadbourne
31 43
William F. Clancy
69 68
Otis Clapp & Sons
14 40
J. H. Cunniff 69 68
12
Lewis Hayden 69 68
Henry A. Daniels
69 68
H. I. Dallman Co. 97 76
Dillon Bros. 25 00
W. O. Hartshorne 11 00
J. F. Hickey 69 68
F. J. Jameson
41 51
C. H. Kimball
11 21
Library Bureau
8 00
Massachusetts Commission for the
Blind 10 22
Masury-Young Co.
78 13
Milford Daily News
19 00
Milford Electric Light & Power Co.
238 66
Milford Furniture Co.
3 75
Milford Gas Light Co.
27 17
Milford H. S. Athletic Association. .
100 00
Milford Water Co. 638 86
William J. Moore
40 00
New Eng. Tel. & Tel. Co.
64 79
D. M. O'Brien
13 50
E. F. Porter
3 25
J. H. Plunkett
16 00
Reformatory for Women
39 93
Rochester Germacide Co.
22 00
Peter Scartissie
6 00
E. Schoepflin & Co.
5 50
Sherborne-Coughlin Express 36 87
W. J. Walker
72 36
West Disinfecting Co.
17 50
Yawman & Erbe Co.
9 56
$2,474 76
13
RECAPITULATION.
RECEIPTS.
General appropriation $82,650 00
From State ordered repairs acct. 20 86
.
Appropriation for State ordered repairs 500 00
Appropriation for H. S. heating plant. . 6,500 00
$89,670 86
EXPENDITURES.
General
$82,669 76
State ordered repairs
500 00
H. S. Heating plant
6,500 00
Balance
1 10
$89,670 86
UNPAID BILLS.
GENERAL.
Edward E. Babb & Co.
$998 76
A. P. Clarridge
50 00
Roberto Costa
9 03
H. M. Curtiss Coal Co.
248 73
Paul Doane
37 60
Eldredge & Son
42 55
Clark Ellis & Sons
21 75
F. E. Mann & Son
139 36
Milford Coal Co.
108 86
M. & U. St. Ry. Co.
25 32
Rochester Germicide Co.
52 50
Staples & Gould
43 38
James M. Sullivan
39 16
W. C. Tewksbury Co.
22 55
V. Vitalini
134 25
Wadsworth, Howland & Co.
120 50
Waters & Hynes
56 05
$2,150 35
14
HIGH SCHOOL HEATING PLANT.
J. S. Ranahan
$119 30
The reports of the secretary and superintendent have been read and accepted, and will constitute a part of the report of the committee to the citizens of Milford.
ALMORIN O. CASWELL,
Secretary.
15
ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURES, 1919.
.9. CARRIAGE HIRE 2.3% REPAIRS
3.3% IN CIDENTALS
.7%- MEDICAL INSPECTION
8.4% FUEL
4%
SUPPLIES
6.8% CARE
61.6%
CHERS' SAL.
2.9% SUPERVISION JOOHOS LHOIN 200 ALARIES.
Expenditures for general school purposes 1919 $82,669 76 Unpaid bills, general school purposes, 1919 2,150 35
Total costs, for general school purposes, 1919, upon which the above graph is based $84,820 11
The graph shows the percentage that each partial appropria- tion is of the total cost, $84,820.11.
TEACH
2.4% TRANSPORTATION
SUMMARY OF STATISTICS.
SUMMARY OF STATISTICS.
Public schools 59
School buildings 20
*Teachers employed 74
High School 13
Elementary
61
(Including special teachers 2.)
Number of children in Town April 1, 1919, 5-16 :-
Boys
Girls 1660
Total
3207
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, 1918-1919.
Number enrolled, 7-14
1835
Total enrollment 2467
Average membership
2254.3
Average attendance
2095.8
Percent of attendance 92
Cases of tardiness
2499
Cases of dismissal
862
Cases of Corporal punishment
6
Cases of truancy
19
Cases of visits of Superintendent
499
Cases of visits by the Committee
60
Cases of visits by others
931
* Indicates one half-time teachers in the High School.
1547
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the Honorable School Committee of the Town of Milford, Gentlemen :-
I have the honor to present my ninth report as your super- intendent of schools, the forty-second of such reports in Milford.
ATTENDANCE ROLL OF HONOR.
Notwithstanding the broken and disturbed conditions under which we were living and working during the school year 1918- 19, there were eighty-five pupils in the public schools with a per- fect record of attendance. I congratulate these pupils and their parents on this achievement. The names of these pupils will be found farther on in this report.
THE SCHOOL YEAR 1918-1919.
The outstanding feature of the school year 1918-1919 was the epidemic of Spanish influenza and the consequent loss of time and break-up of regularity and continuity of instruction. Our schools lost six weeks in the fall of 1918, but, as was fore- casted in last year's report, three weeks of this were made up dur- ing the spring, and all the schools closed in June with a fair year's accomplishment to their credit. Tests in addition and spelling were conducted from time to time. Particularly creditable re- sults were gained in the latter subject.
18
GENERAL OUTLOOK .*
More than 143,000 teachers have left the service during the last year, many for economic reasons. One of the best tests, whether a school system is alive, and one of the greatest compli- ments that can be paid a school system is the fact that the fixity of its personnel is breaking up and its teachers are being selected for better positions in other places. Milford's school system reached this stage recently. This department has met the situa- tion fairly and we believe generously in the new salary schedule that went into effect January 1, 1920, whereby all employees of the school department received substantial increases. The new rates of compensation are as follows :-
Superintendent
$2,700 00
High School :
Principal 2,300 00
Sub-master
1,500 00
Head of Science Department
1,300 00
Assistants Senior Grade 1,100 00 Assistants Junior Grade 1,000 00
Principal of the George E. Stacy School
1,900 00
Grade Principals :
Maximum grade salary plus $25.00 plus $10.00 for each extra room besides her own.
* Some idea of the acuteness of the teacher shortage may be . gained from a recent address of Philander P. Claxton, U. S. Com- missioner of Education, at Boston University. Commissioner Claxton said that 41,000 schools throughout the country are taught by teachers unqualified for their jobs ; the average pay of school teachers is $600 a year, as compared to $900 paid to tele- graph company boys, aside from the latter's overtime pay ; 500,000 children failed to receive any instruction at all this year, as 20,000 schools are closed ; the average life of country teachers is 48 weeks ; rural mail carriers receive $1500 a year, and many new teachers are leaving the profession to become mail carriers.
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Grade Teachers :
1st year, $700; 2nd year, $750; 3rd year, $800; 4th year, $900; 5th year, $1000. $1,200 00
Supervisor of Music
Supervisor of Drawing 1,400 00
The total amount of the increases is about $18,000 and under the new general school fund law Milford will be reimbursed from general fund to the amount of about $14,000 leaving some $4,000 to be raised by local taxation.
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