USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Palmer > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts 1896 > Part 4
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Many valuable books in the different classes have been added during the year, and a number of kind friends have donated not a few of them. It is the aim of the Library to furnish our people with " the best" in literature so far as the funds at its command will permit, and it is believed that the voters will to this end cheerfully continue the same appropriation as last year.
CHAS. B. FISKE, Librarian.
REPORT OF THE TREASURER.
RECEIPTS.
Cash on hand March 1st, 1896,
$ 152.73
Received for memberships, 40.00
From fines, and catalogues sold, 12.80
G. A. R., for coal, (2 years),
42.05
Publishers' Weekly, rebate,
5.00
Town of Palmer,
1,000.00
EXPENDITURES.
New Books,
$306.17
Papers and Magazines,
63.91
Rebinding Books,
69.10
Miss May E. Robinson, attendant at Library,
166.67
Janitor,
97.00
Fuel and lights,
227.56
Supplies,
4.30
Freight, cartage, express, &c.,
34.55
Cash in treasury,
283.32
$1,252.58 $1,252.58
LOUIS E. CHANDLER, Treasurer.
AUDITOR'S REPORT.
I hereby certify that I have examined the books and accounts of the treasurer of the Young Men's Library Association, and find them correct in every respect. JOHN F. TWISS.
Palmer, March 4th, 1897.
Report of Prosecuting Committee.
The special difficulties encountered by the Committee will be readily recognized by all; but we have endeavored faithfully to perform the work assigned us with the following results :
Fifteen search warrants have been served under our direction. Twelve of these resulted in securing liquors which were forfeited to the Commonwealth.
Seventy-four cases against seventeen persons have been successfully prosecuted in our District Court, and fines amounting to $3,750.00 imposed. Four hundred dollars in fines have been paid into the town treasury, and one hundred dollars have been worked out in jail by one offender. Twenty-three cases in which sentence was given have been appealed to the Superior Court, and thirty-nine cases now await sentence in our District Court.
Of the twenty-three cases appealed to the Superior Court, two only have yet been tried, one resulting in a disagreement of the jury, and one in an acquital. In the first case the defendants have since closed up their place of business, and in the other the offender has not only closed out his business, but has left town.
The members of the Committee have worked without compensa- tion, and all fees received by them for services as officers and witnesses have been used in the prosecution of the work.
Amount appropriated by the town,
$600.00
Amount expended by the committee on account of town, 600.00
Amount of fines paid over to the town, 400.00
FRANK E. JENKINS, G. S. BUTLER, L. H. GAGER.
Report of Thorndike Schoolhouse Building Committee.
PALMER, MASS., JAN. 31, 1897. To the Honorable Selectmen of the Town of Palmer, GREETING : The committee appointed by the Town to build a new schoolhouse at Thorndike beg to make to the Town the following report :
Appropriation, $16,000.00
Expenditures, $15,954.57
Balance, $45.43
EXPENDITURES IN DETAIL.
Chas. S. Ruggles, contract for building $11,650.00
Chas. S. Ruggles, contract for adamant, 125.00
Chas. S. Ruggles, extras not in contract, 176.78
Chas. S. Ruggles, extra account of U. S. School Furniture Co., 44.46
$11,996.24
Smith & Anthony Co., contract for heat- ing, &c., $2,100.00
Smith & Anthony Co., nine grate bars, extra 13.80
2,113.80
U. S. School Furniture Co., contract for seats and desks, $740.00
U. S. School Furniture Co., less account C. S. Ruggles, 44.46
695.54
Harwood Mfg. Co., contract for seats for assembly hall, 196.00
Geo. W. Lyman, moving old building, &c., 253.45
F. R. Richmond, making plans, 275.00
Springfield Union, advertising, 5.13
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Springfield Republican, advertising,
2.55
C. B. Fiske & Co., advertising, 1.38
L. E. Moore, express paid on plans to New York and Boston, .50
J. W. Miller, unloading and storing school furniture, 5.50
John F. Loftus, team to cart hall seats to schoolhouse, 1.50
Andrew Brosnan, work on sewers at schoolhouse,
9.00
P. J. Nelligan & Co., 150 yards concrete at 50c yard, 75.00
Forbes & Wallace, shades for school building, 79.44
F. Granger Clark, installing five call bells, 12.00
Central Mass. Electric Co., wiring schoolhouse,
34.54
Taylor's Music House, one second-hand piano and stool, 198.00
$15,954.57
Respectfully submitted,
C. H. HOBBS,
PATRICK CROWLEY,
H. E. W. CLARK,
GEORGE M. ATKINS, J
Building Committee.
Report of Committee on Town Debt.
PALMER, MASS., March 4, 1897.
Your Committee find the indebtedness of the town to be $44,275, held by the Palmer Savings Bank. Eight thousand dollars of this amount was incurred in paying for land damages caused by the separation of grade crossings, and as some portion of this amount will be repaid by state and railroad, your Committee think it will not be necessary to borrow the whole amount named.
We recommend the issue of 32 bonds of $500 each, to be known as " school bonds," dated May 1, 1897, the first four (4) to be paid Nov. 1, 1898, and four each year thereafter, (the Massachusetts statutes do not permit a bond issued for school purposes to exceed a ten-year period.) interest at the rate of four per cent per annum, payable semi-annually, May 1 and Nov. 1.
We recommend the issue of 48 bonds of $500 each for the purpose of funding the balance of the $40,000 debt, in addition to the above- named "school bonds" to be dated May 1, 1897, the first four payable Nov. 1, 1906, and four each year thereafter, and interest at the rate of four per cent per annum, payable semi-annnally, May 1 and Nov. 1. The principal and interest of all bonds issued payable at the office of the Town Treasurer in Palmer, the bonds to be signed by the Selectmen and Town Treasurer, and certified by the Town Auditors.
The above recommendation contemplates the issuing of bonds to pay for school buildings already constructed amounting to $16.000, and for funding the remaining town debt to the amount of $24,000, in all amounting to $40,000, and provision commencing Nov. 1, 1898, for paying $2,000 per annum upon the principal.
Respectfully submitted, C. H. HOBBS, GEO. M. ATKINS, J. B. SHAW, A. L. HILLS,
Committee.
Town Warrant.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, HAMPDEN, ss.
To H. A. Northrop, Constable of the Town of Palmer,
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn all the inhabitants of the town of Palmer qualified to vote in elections of town officers, to meet at the several polling places in said Palmer, designated by the selectmen, to wit : In Precinct A, at the Engine House on Park street in the Depot Village ; in Precinct B, at Union Hall on Commercial street in Thorndike ; in Precinct C, at the room occupied by the Athletic Club near the dwelling house of Charles S. Ruggles on East Main street in Three Rivers ; and in Precinct D, at Liberty Hall on Main street in Bondsville, on Monday, the 15th day of March, A. D., 1897, at half past six o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to give in their votes on one ballot to the precinct officers of the several voting precincts of said town, for the following town officers, to wit : Three Selectmen, three Assessors, a Town Clerk, a Town Treasurer, a Collector of Taxes, two Auditors, five Constables, three Fence Viewers, all for the term of one year ; one Overseer of the Poor for the term of three years ; two members of the School Committee for the term of three years ; two members of the School Committee for the term of one year ; one member of the Board of Health for the term of three years ; one member of the Board of Health for the term of one year ; also to vote by ballot which it shall be "Yes" or "No" in answer to the question. "Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town ?"
The polls will be open at half past six o'clock in the forenoon, and may be closed at three o'clock in the afternoon.
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And you are further hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Palmer, qualified to vote in town affairs, to meet at the Town House, at Four Corners, in said Palmer, on Monday, the 29th day of March, A. D., 1897, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to act on the following articles, viz :
ARTICLE 1. To choose a moderator to preside at said meeting.
ART. 2. To choose two or more field drivers, measurers of wood and bark, and all other usual town officers.
ART. 3. To see if the town will vote to establish a town library, raise and appropriate money therefor, pass any vote or take any action relative thereto.
ART. 4. To act on the reports of the town officers.
ART. 5. To raise money and make appropriations to defray the expenses of the town for the ensuing year.
ART. 6. To see if the town will authorize its treasurer to borrow money in anticipation of the taxes for the ensuing year, the same to be paid from said taxes.
ART. 7. To see if the town will authorize its treasurer to borrow money not to be paid from the taxes of the ensuing year.
ART. 8. To hear and act on reports of committees.
ART. 9. To choose committees and give them instructions.
ART. 10. To see if the town will allow a discount and determine what interest shall be paid on the taxes to be assessed for the ensu- ing year.
ART. 11. To determine the manner and state the terms and conditions of collecting the taxes for the ensuing year, and fix the compensation of the collector of taxes.
ART. 12. To determine the manner of repairing the highways and bridges for the ensuing year.
ART. 13. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money to suppress the illegal sale of intoxicating liquors.
ART. 14. To act on the list of jurors as prepared by the selectmen.
ART. 15. To see if the town will raise money for the Young Men's Library Association.
ART. 16. To see if the town will raise money to convey pupils to and from the public schools, and instruct the school committee as to the manner of letting the contract for such conveyance.
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ART. 17. To see if the town will raise money for the celebration of Memorial Day.
ART. 18. To see what action the town will take in relation to sewers.
ART. 19. To see what action the town will take in regard to lighting its streets, and whether it will authorize the selectmen to make contract therefor.
ART. 20. To see what action the town will take in reference to the planting and preservation of shade trees.
ART. 21. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of three hundred dollars for necessary aid to soldiers and sailors and their families, and the families of the slain, and intrust the same to L. L. Merrick Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, under the provisions of Chapter 189 of the Acts of 1885.
ART. 22. To see what action the town will take with regard to licensing non-resident peddlers.
ART. 23. To see if the town will vote to maintain night police in the several villages and appropriate mouey for the same, or take any action relative thereto.
ACT. 24. To see what action, if any, the town will take in regard to funding its debt.
ART. 25. To see if the town will vote to hire the present tramp room and lockup.
ART. 26. To see if the town will authorize the selectmen to contract with the Massachusetts Highway Commission, and authorize its treasurer to borrow money, to construct such section of state highway as said Highway Commission may lay out within the town.
ART. 27. To see what action the town will take in regard to sidewalks.
ART. 28. To see if the town will vote to construct a sewer or sewers in Park street, School street and Pearl street, in the Depot Village, and raise and appropriate money for the same or take any action relative thereto.
ART. 29. To see if the town will vote to locate an arc electric light on the road leading from Northrop's cider mill to the Carpet mill, at or near a walnut tree on the right hand side of said road.
ART. 30. To see if the town will vote to locate an electric light at or near the corner of Pine and Pond streets, in the Depot Village.
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ART. 31. To see if the town will vote to construct a sidewalk from the store of Maurice Lawlor to the upper crossing of the Ware River Railroad near the dwelling house of Michael Roche in Thorn- dike, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ART. 32. To see if the town will vote to purchase a new hearse. and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ART. 33. To see if the town will vote to fix the salaries of the town officers or take any action relative thereto.
ART. 34. To see if the town will vote to construct a sidewalk from the lumber yard of T. D. Potter & Co. to a point near Parent's store in Bondsville, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ART. 35. To see if the town will vote to construct a sidewalk from the post office in Bondsville to the bridge near the Athol depot, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ART. 36. To see if the town will vote to construct a sidewalk on Main street in Thorndike from Commercial street to a point near the dwelling house of George W. Keith, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ART. 37. To see if the town will vote to construct a sewer in Main street in Thorndike, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ART. 38. To see if the town will accept and allow a road as laid out by the selectmen in the Depot Village, and described as follows, viz : Beginning at a stone monument on the Westerly side and at the Northerly terminus of Grove street and at the Southeast corner of land of Julia A. Blodgett, thence N. 36 degrees W. 198 feet to a stone monument, thence N. 12 degrees W. 2142 feet to a stone monument, thence N. 0 degrees 40 minutes E. 540 feet to a stone monument at the Southeast corner of land of George W. Powers ; said road is laid out 50 feet wide on the Westerly side of the line described.
ART. 39. To see if the town will vote to instruct the selectmen to purchase, or take under the statutes, the land of John M. Converse, Northerly of and for an addition to the cemetery in the Depot Village, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
ART. 40. To see if the town will vote to accept and allow a road as laid out by the selectmen in the Depot Village and described as
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follows, viz : Beginning at the end of Central street and running in the same direction as Central street about 150 feet through land of Oliver LaSalle to land of Charles E. Dewey.
And you are hereby directed to serve this warrant by posting up attested copies thereof at the different public places designated by the vote of the town, seven days at least before the holding of said meeting, and cause this warrant to be printed in the Palmer Journal, at least two issues before the holding of said meeting.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, on or before the holding of said meeting.
Given under our hands this fourth day of March, A. D. 1897.
JOHN F. TWISS, Selectmen CHARLES T. BRAINERD, of GEORGE M. ATKINS, Palmer.
A true copy-Attest :
H. A. NORTHROP, Constable of Palmer.
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