USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Palmer > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts 1915 > Part 4
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Art. 6. To hear and act on the reports of committees.
Art. 7. To choose committees and give them instruc- tions.
Art. 8. To determine the date from which taxes shall bear interest.
- Art. 9. 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.
J Art. 10. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money to suppress the illegal sale of intoxicating liquors.
Art. 11. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money for the Young Men's Library Association.
Art. 12. 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.
78
Art. 13. To see if the town will vote to raise money for the celebration of Memorial Day.
Art. 14. To see what action the town will take in v relation to sewers. 0
Art. 15. To see what action the town will take in robe, leand regard to lighting the streets and whether it will authorize the Selectmen to make contract therefor, and raise and appropriate money for the same. $7524.
- Art. 16. To see what action the town will take in reference to the planting and preservation of shade trees.
Art. 17. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money for the care and improvement of cemeteries. 1700
Art. 18. To see what action the town will take in regard to sidewalks and curbing. 500 mustar scream. 1
Art. 19. To see if the town will vote to maintain night police in the several village, authorize the Selectmen to em- ploy and appoint in addition a chief of police and to make rules and regulations for the government of all the police officers of the town, and raise and appropriate money for the same, or take any action relative thereto. 2800,-
V Art. 20. To see what action the town will take relative to suits and claims now pending against the town.
( Art. 21. To see if the town will make provision for reimbursing the police officers for expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties, and raise and appropriate money for the same. 100,
› Art. 22. To see if the town will appropriate money for the suppression of gypsy and brown-tail moths and elm tree beetles.
Art. 23. To see if the town will vote to raise and ap- propriate money for the repair and maintenance of the clock located in the Universalist Church tower, in the Depot Village, or take any action relative thereto. 75-
Art. 24. To see if the town will vote to raise and ap- propriate $300.00 for insurance and maintenance of the auto fire truck, for the coming year, or see what action it will take relative thereto. 300.
+100
1400
12 .20
2800
500
396 listes
79
v Art. 25. To see if the town will appropriate money for defraying the town's share of the support of the District Court. 800€
Art. 26. To see if the town will vote to install curbing and raise the sidewalks on the easterly and westerly sides of Pleasant Street in the Depot Village from Pearl to School Streets, and raise and appropriate money for the same, or take any action relative thereto.
5190 3
Art. 27. To see if the town will appropriate such sum of money as may be necessary to defray the cost of pro- viding furniture, fixtures and equipment for offices for the various officers of the town, or take any action relative thereto.
350 -
/ Art. 28. To see if the town will appropriate such suni of money as may be necessary to defray the cost of the rent, janitor service and maintenance of the town offices in the Holbrook Building. 1035.
Y Art. 29. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money for watering public streets and determine the extent to which, and the manner in which, the cost of watering said streets shall be assessed upon the abutting estates, or take any other action relative thereto. 1000,
v Art. 30. To see if the town will vote to raise and ap- propriate the sum of $1,000.00 and pay the same to the Wing Memorial Hospital Association to be used by it for the charitable purposes of the association within the town of Palmer.
$75
« Art. 31. To see if the town will vote to construct an ash sidewalk on the northerly side of State Street in the Village of Bondsville, from the terminus of the presnt tar walk in front of the residence of Mrs. Joslyn to a point near the house of John Lesniak, and raise and appropriate money for the same. 53
Art. 32. To see if the town will vote to locate and maintain two additional electric lights on Main Street in the Depot Village between Central and Church Streets, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
change in 1
laks com
80
cloud.
Art. 33. To see if the town will vote to provide addi- tional shed room at the town storehouse on Pleasant Street in the Depot Village, and raise and appropriate money for the same. +3
Art. 34. To see if the town will vote to locate and maintain two electric lights on Pleasant Street in the Village of Three Rivers, one at the corner of Pleasant and Oak Streets and the other midway between the residence of Albert Barber and Oak Street, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Art. 35. To see if the town will vote to extend the sewer in Pleasant Street in the Village of Three Rivers from its northerly terminus, near the residence of Albert Barber, to the intersection of Pleasant and Oak Streets, and raise and appropriate money for the same. 450-
Art. 36. To see if the town will vote to locate and maintain an electric light in Barker Street in the Village of Three Rivers at a point nearly east of the residence of C. W. Darling, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Art. 37. To see what action the town will take relative to the purchasing of a motor truck for the use of the fire department and for use at forest fires, and raise and ap- propriate the sum of $1,400.00 for the same.
Art. 38. To see if the town will construct a sewer from the present terminus of the Wire Mill sewer, so-called, near the intersection of Shearer Street and the said Three Rivers Road to Orchard Street and westerly through Or- chard Street, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Art. 39. To see if the town will vote to provide ad- ditional school accommodations for the Depot Village and the Village of Three Rivers, appoint a committee to con- sider the proposition, and raise and appropriate money for the same, or take any action relative thereto.
Y 'Art. 40. [To sec if the town will vote to revoke its acceptance of the provisions of Section 336 of Chapter 11 of the Revised Laws relative to the election of a highway surveyor.
81
Art. 41. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of $250.00 for the support of agricultural demon- stration work on land owned by it or by any resident of the town, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 707 of the Acts of 1914. 250€ as an en
« Art. 42. To see if the town will accept and allow a new town way as laid out by the Selectmen as follows: Beginning at a stone bound in the easterely line of land of Anna E. Barton and on the southerly side and at the westerly terminus of Pine Street as formerly located by the Selectmen of Palmer, thence N. 69° W. along land of said Anna E. Barton and land of Jennie L. Taylor five hundred and twenty-five one-hundreths (500.25) feet to a stone bound on the westerly side and at the northerly terminus of Holbrook Street, the line described being the southwesterly side of said town way and the north-easterly line being parallel thereto and fifty feet distant therefrom. Said town way is laid out over land of Anna E. Barton and George E. Buck.
V Art. 43. To see if the town will accept and allow a new town way as laid out by the Selectmen as follows : Beginning at a stone bound on the westerly side of King Street at the southeast corner of land of Clara Marcy, thence N. 53º 10' W. one hundred seventy-eight (178) feet to a stone bound at a corner of land of Anna E. Barton ; thence N. 69° W. two hundred sixty-eight and nine-tenths (268.9) feet to a stone bound in line of land of T. A. & L. M. Norman, the line described being the northeasterly side of said town way and the southwesterly line being parallel thereto and thirty-three (33) feet distant therefrom. Said town way is laid out over land of the heirs of Peggy Knox and land of Anna E. Barton.
V Art. 44. To see if the town will accept and allow a new town way as laid out by the Selectmen as follows : Beginning at a stone bound on the westerly side of the highway leading from the Depot Village of Palmer to the village of Three Rivers, at the southeasterly corner of land
82
owned by Fred C. Gamwell, thence N. 39º 40' W. six hundred twenty-three and twenty one-hundredths (623.20) feet to a stone bound in line of land of the heirs of Andrew Holt, the line described being the northerly line of said town way and the southerly line being parallel thereto and forty (40) feet distant therefrom. Said town way is laid out over land of Henry T. Dobson.
. Art. 45. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate such sum of money as may be necessary to change the grade of the sidewalk on the northwesterly side of Thorndike Street in the Depot Village from Main to Foster Streets, and install curbing, or take any action rela- tive thereto.
Art. 46. To see if the town will vote to locate and maintain an electric light on Squier Street near the house of John W. Millerick in the Depot Village, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
v Art. 47. To see if the town will vote to locate and maintain an electric light on Church Street in the Depot Village midway between Main and Pleasant Streets, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Art. 48. To see if the town will vote to extend the sewer in State Street in the Village of Bondsville, from its easterly terminus near the residence of M. R. Sullivan easterly to a point opposite the residence of Patrick Cavin, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Art. 49. To see if the town will vote to construct a sidewalk, with curbing, in front of the residence of J. P. Lynde on the westerly side of North Main Street in the Depot Village, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
. Art. 50. To see if the town will vote to repair the ash walk on the highway leading from the Village of Three Rivers to the Village of Thorndike between St. Anne's Church and St. Mary's Church, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
1000
83
/ Art. 51. To see if the town will vote to raise and ap- propriate money for the purchase of a steam roller. 3200.
v Art. 52. To see if the town will vote to pay to Charles T. Brainerd the sum of $175.00 being the amount expended by him in the construction of a sewer in Park Street in the 1 Depot Village, or take any action relative thereto.
Art. 53. To see if the town will vote to locate and maintain three electric lights on Park Street in the Depot Village between Breckenridge and Pinney Streets, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
, Art. 54. To see if the town will vote to macadamize la the car, the Commercial Street in the Village of Thorndike, from the end of the present macadam near Exchange Block to the May do Ky si hay intersection of said street with High Street, and raise and appropriate money for the same. 900×27 2800.
And you are hereby directed to serve this warrant by posting up attested copies thereof in some one public place in each of the four villages of the Town, known as the Depot Village, Thorndike, Three Rivers and Bondsville, seven days at least before the holding of said meeting, and by publishing an attested copy thereof in at least two issues of the Palmer Journal, a newspaper published in said Palmer, the first publication to be not less than seven days before the holding of said meeting.
Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, at or before the holding of said meeting.
Given under our hands this twenty-fifth day of January, A. D. 1916.
HAROLD W. BRAINERD, CHARLES D. HOLDEN.
Selectmen of Palmer.
A true copy, Attest :
GEORGE A. BILLS, Constable of Palmer.
١
Town of Palmer
SCHOOL REPORT
For the year ending December 31, 1915
School Committee 1915-1916
Dr. George A. Moore, Chairman. Clifton H. Hobson, Secretary.
William Kerigan, Term Expires 1918
Dr. John F. Roche,
Term Expires 1918
Samuel E. Thayer,
Term Expires 1917
James Wilson, Term Expires 1917
Dr. George A. Moore, Term Expires 1916
John F. Shea, Term Expires 1916
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held at 7.30 p. m., on the Tuesday before the last Friday of each school month.
All bills must be in the hands of the Superintendent be- fore the above date.
Superintendent of Schools, Clifton H. Hobson.
Office, High School Building. Telephone, 54-4. Residence, 30 Pearl Street. Telephone, 54-3.
Office hours : 8 a. m. to 12 m., 1.30 to 5 p. m .; Saturdays, 9 a. m. to 12 m .; Tuesdays, 7 to 8 p. m., except the Tuesday before the last Friday of each school month.
TRUANT OFFICERS.
George A. Bills, T. J. Crimmins,
Edward McKelligett,
Thomas Holt,
William Smith,
John Mansfield,
Arthur Bennett,
Depot Depot Thorndike Three Rivers Three Rivers Bondsville Forest Lake
JANITORS.
Charles Johnson, Charles Johnson, P. J. Sullivan, C. E. Fuller, William Smith,
High School Palmer Thorndike Bondsville Three Rivers
Calendar
HIGH SCHOOL.
Winter term begins January 3, 1916 ; ends February 25, 1916. Spring term begins March 6, 1916; ends April 28, 1916. Summer term begins May 8, 1916; ends June 30, 1916. Fall term begins September 5, 1916; ends December 22, 1916. Winter term begins January 2, 1917 ; ends February 23, 1917. Spring term begins March 5, 1917 ; ends April 27, 1917. Summer term begins May 7, 1917; ends June 29, 1917.
OTHER SCHOOLS.
Winter term begins January 3, 1916 ; ends February 25, 1916. Spring term begins March 6, 1916; ends April 28, 1916. Summer term begins May 8, 1916; ends June 16, 1916. Fall term begins September 5, 1916; ends December 22, 1916. Winter term begins January 2, 1917 ; ends February 23, 1917. Spring term begins March 5, 1917 ; ends April 27, 1917. Summer term begins May 7, 1917; ends June 15, 1917.
VACATIONS-ALL SCHOOLS.
Winter-February 26, 1916, to March 5, 1916, inclusive. Spring-April 29, 1916, to May 7, 1916, inclusive.
Summer-(Grades) : June 16, 1916, to September 4, 1916, inclusive.
(High) : June 30, 1916, to September 4, 1916, inclusive. Fall-December 22, 1916, to January 1, 1917, inclusive. Winter-February 23, 1917, to March 4, 1917, inclusive. Spring-April 27, 1917, to May 6, 1917, inclusive.
HOLIDAYS.
Fair Day, Columbus Day, Convention Day, Thanksgiv- ing (with the day following), Washington's Birthday, Pat- riot's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day.
Report of School Committee
To the Citizens of the Town of Palmer :
The School Committee of the Town of Palmer submits its annual report.
The past year has been one of quiet, orderly progress in your schools, marked by harmonious co-operation of offi- cers, teachers, pupils and public.
We venture to ask for an extension of this co-operative assistance on the part of parents. An easy and effective way to respond to this request is by regularly examining the report cards made out and sent to you by the teachers for your information as to the work being done by the pupils.
The schools doing grade work in the Depot village and in Three Rivers are crowded. More than thirty-five pupils in a room is not desirable, although forty can be handled by one teacher to reasonable advantage; yet we have rooms in each of which the teacher must care for more than fifty pupils. Some grade pupils are housed in the High School, and others in temporary quarters that conform neither to health nor fire regulations as outlined by law. It need not be said that this condition is bad for all concerned, and that some early provision must be made to apply a remedy. Your committee is studying needs and is conferring with the one-time members of a town committee appointed to consider capacity of schools; and, without doubt, some action will be taken to place before you plans for the solu- tion of our school room problem.
The attention of voters is called to Chapter 714 of the Revised Laws, in effect July 1, 1914. Some of the pro- visions of this law, in the opinion of your committee, are not entirely equitable.
6
An appropriation of $48,600 was made last year for school expenses. Of this amount, your committee has ex- pended $48,580.19, leaving a balance of $19.81.
It was necessary to expend a considerable sum of money, about $2100, for items that could not be foreseen, and had it not been for the practice of rigid economy and some temporary financial benefit accruing from change in teach- ing force, a deficit would have been shown instead of the small balance above noted. A list of unforeseen expendi- tures follows :-
High School-Opened new room ; furniture ; additional teacher.
Three Rivers Grammar-Opened new room ; furniture; additional teacher.
Palmer Grammar-Procured gravel and graded yard; raised curb ; new tar walk on School street.
All schools-Total of seventy tons of coal more than arranged for.
Night School-Night school maintained 37 nights in- stead of 24.
Your committee believes that the sum of $52,125 will be needed this year, as shown and comparedl in the ap- pended table, and thinks that this amount will provide for the keeping of your property up to its usual standard of excellent repair and for the prosecution of educational work.
7
COMPARISON OF RECOMMENDATIONS .*
1915
1914 Difference
General Expenses,
$3,225
$3,000
+$225
Teachers' Salaries,
27,700
26,500
+1,200
Textbooks and Supplies,
2,750
2,500
+250
Transportation,
3,100
2,900
+200
Janitors' Services,
2,650
2,600
+50
Fuel and Light,
3,650
3,400
+250
Maintenance of Buildings and Grounds,
1,000
1,000
0
Rent,
200
200
0
Repairs of School Buildings,
800
500
+300
Music, Manual Training and Drawing,
1,950
1,900
+50
Commercial,
3,500
2,600
++-900
Furniture and Furnishings,
600
300
+300
Other Expenses,
1,000
1,200
-- 200
$52,125
$48,600
+$3,525
Totai Increase,
$3,525
* "+" indicates increase ; "_", decrease.
Respectfully submitted,
DR. GEORGE A. MOORE,
DR. JOHN F. ROCHE,
WILLIAM KERIGAN,
JOHN F. SHEA,
JAMES WILSON,
SAMUEL E. THAYER,
COMMITTEE.
Report of the Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee of the Town of Palmer :
Gentlemen :- I herewith present my fifth annual re- port as Superintendent of the Schools of Palmer. This is the twenty-third in the series of reports issued by the super- intendents of the town.
In this report, the statistics in regard to attendance, un- less otherwise denominated, refer to the school year from September, 1914, to June, 1915.
INTRODUCTION. In the four preceding reports of the present incumbent, many matters have been presented to you somewhat in detail ; many ques- tions of an educational nature, both general and particular, have been discussed. This course of procedure has been followed for certain definite and distinct reasons. An hon- est attempt to inform you and the community about, in- terest both of you in, and to secure your ardent co-operation in, all those concerns vital to the best welfare of your schools has been made. The manifestations of interest and support evidenced by you and the community as a whole are safe in- dications that such desires upon the writer's part have ,ma- terialized. Such being the case, the necessity of such free use of space in the Annual Town Report is thereby obviated this year. Long treatments of such phases of school work as Attendance, Discipline, Cost, Loss of Teachers, Non-Pro- motions, Child Labor Laws, and Health of School Children are not necessary.
There are a few problems, nevertheless, that demand a somewhat full setting forth. These will be stressed in this report. Before their amplification is begun, nevertheless, a brief comment will be made upon some of those questions previously dealt with at length.
9
The attendance statistics for the school
ATTENDANCE. year of 1914-1915 indicate a healthy con- dition in your schools. The percentage of attendance, 96.44%, is the highest ever attained. There were 159 cases of tardiness : this number was 36 in excess of that of last year. The number of pupils perfect in attendance-neither absent nor tardy-was 306, or 181/2% of the average mem- bership, an unusual showing. These figures speak for themselves. To get and appreciate their full significance. kindly study the tables of comparison of attendance and tardiness in this report.
COST. Palmer's average cost per pupil in average member- ship still continues to remain very low. The total amount expended from January 1, 1915, to January 1, 1916, the present fiscal year. was $48,580.19; $885.73 of this was spent upon Evening Schools, leaving a total of $47,694.46 spent upon day schools ; the average membership for this same period was 1,671.26. The cost per pupil was $28.54. When it is remembered that the average cost per pupil for the State of Massachusetts is about $41, it will be readily seen that Palmer's cost is low. In fact, the local cost is some $12 or $13 below that of the State; in other words, the cost per pupil is but 70 per cent. of the State average.
The table given below will furnish an excellent basis for comparing the one fact that makes Palmer's school expen- ditures seem much higher than they, in reality, are. The wealth of Palmer is low. Her valuation per inhabitant is very low. This table gives her assessed valuation for every pupil in average membership, her population, her rank in population in the State, her tax rate on April 1, 1912, her cost per pupil, and the amount per $1,000 of valuation raised by taxation for school purposes. These are compared with the same items in the 353 cities and towns in the State. This table as given here was taken from the latest report of the State Board of Education, and includes only the towns that have a smaller valuation per pupil in average membership than that of Palmer.
10
COMPARISON OF 33 TOWNS
Assessed
Valuation
per Unit
of Average
Membership.
Population.
Rank in
Population.
Tax Rate,
April, 1912.
Cost per
Pupil
Amount per $1000
Valuation for
School Purposes,
Gill
$1,277.51
942
274
$15.50
$39.05
$6.90
Gay Head
1,376.13
162
349
10.96
61.65
5.68
Clarksburg
1,706.62
1.207
243
23.00
24.75
4.40
Savoy
2,13S.26
503
313
22.00
41.65
8.31
Hawley
2,199.64
424
324
22.50
45.96
8.32
Middlefield
2,324.79
354
334
15.00
46.65
6.56
Huntington
2,325.54
1.473
220
25.00
33.65
9.35
Avon
2,462.59
2.013
183
21.10
22.99
7.63
Colrain
2,518.39
1,741
201
18.50
33.51
7.98
Berkley
2,590.21
999
268
18.80
33.65
5.92
Belchertown
2,593.97
2,054
181
20.40
29.07
8.17
Chester
2,610.41
1,377
230
25.00
33.40
7.32
Leverett
2,728.52
728
293
17.50
31.67
5.40
Auburn
2,758.96
2,420
157
17.20
22.00
6.38
Leyden
2,775.69
363
333
15.00
40.15
3.88
Provincetown
2,839.35
4,369
115
23.75
19.90
5.91
Templeton
2,855.89
3,756
123
21.00
29.52
9.10
Rehoboth
2,861.99
2,001
184
18.80
25.41
6.26
E. Longmeadow
2,874.18
1,553
216
17.75
37.09
7.00
Williamsburg
2,929.18
2,132
175
18.75
27.01
6.18
Monson
2,994.43
4,758
110
19.30
31.85
10.22
Groveland
3,011.37
2,253
162
23.80
28.65
8.54
Hinsdale
3,018.06
1,116
254
20.60
29.95
6.86
Somerset
3,060.21
2,798
144
16.00
22.60
6.91
Rowe
3,067.01
456
320
23.00
46.23
2.94
Bernardston
3,096.39
741
291
19.00
36.11
4.68
Brimfield
3,123.13
866
281
11.25
33.19
7.39
Heath
3,179.33
346
335
17.50
53.93
6.13
Charlemont
3.187.77
1,001
267
20.00
49.69
8.12
Holbrook
3.202.42
2,816
143
21.00
23.46
7.20
Northbridge
3,225.57
8,807
62
17.60
28.48
8.37
New Ashford
3,322.35
92
353
21.00
77.64
2.29
Palmer
3,371.82
8,610
64
16.40
29.25
8.21
Average
$2,715.38
1,976.7
227.33
$19.21
$35.45
$6.81
11
The comparison of these 33 towns shows that Palmer has the largest assessed valuation, is second largest in popu- lation, is twenty-seventh in rate of taxation, twenty-second in cost per pupil, and eighth in amount raised per $1,000 of valuation. Remember that out of 353 towns and cities in the State-the total number of both-these 32 are the only ones with a lower wealth per pupil in average membership. There are 320 towns and cities with a larger proportionate wealth. Notice Palmer's comparative rank in tax rate ; her low rank in cost per pupil. Also, note that she ranks high in amount raised per $1,000 of valuation when she should rank low, in view of her rating in these other items. Why this seemingly unwarranted discrepancy? Every town with a lower amount per $1,000 raised by taxation is one which receives fairly generous State Aid. The State reimburses small towns which maintain high schools or are in School Superintendency Unions. This reduces largely, in small towns, the amount to be raised by direct tax. Take Belcher- town as an example. The cost per pupil based on the ac- tual amount yielded by taxation per pupil is $21.05 ; the ac- tual cost based on the amount yielded from all sources is $29.07, or $8 02 more. In other words, she is reimbursed to the extent of $8 02 for every pupil in average membership. For that : ame year, Palmer's costs were $28.45 and $29.25 respectively ; Palmer's reimbursement-all from local funds -was $0.80 per pupil. This citation explains why we raise and spend for school purposes such an amount as $8.21 per every $1,000 of valuation. Looked at from any conceivable angle, the Palmer School Committee can not be arraigned as being wasters of public money.
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