USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Williamsburg > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Williamsburg 1895-1915 > Part 25
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Water Commissioners' Report.
Balance cash on hand previous report, $4,672 52
Rec'd for Water rent, 2,401 94
Service connections, 132 00
Interest on deposit, 128 50
Iron pipe,
1 00
Dynamite,
15
$7,336 11
· Paid the Haydenville Co. in settlement
of damages, $725 00
for Curb boxes, 22 98
Printing water bills,
3 00
Galvanized iron pipe,
19 68
G. A. Thresher, for care of reser- voirs one year, 32 25
S. A. Clark, to settle damage, 50 00
H. S. Gere & Sons, advertising, 1 00
Norwood Engineering Co., repair- ing hydrants, 24 19
for Suction hose and repair of pump, 22 75
P. J. Murphy, for labor, plumbing and material, 196 13
G. A. Thresher, repairs on waste- way at reservoir, 17 75
The Haydenville Co., for brass goods, 50 98 Edison M'f'g Co., repairs on pump, 2 12
Helen M. Wells, labor, postage, books and mailing bills, 2 00
33
A. S. Hills, salary to March 1, 1907, $200 00
J. W. Hill, 66 66 200 00
F. A. Brooks, “
66
66
200 00
J. W. Hill expenses (Vaughn suit), 563 73
Geo. L. Damon, for team, 2 50 F. A. Brooks, expenses (Vaughn suit), 102 79 Walter A. Stevens, “ 66 75 00
Expense of continuing Vaughn suit from March term, 170 00
John E. Sisco, expense Vaughn suit, 3 00
Bassett & Shaw, " 66
300 00
Herbert E. Howes, for maps and attending court, 33 50 G. A. Thresher, expenses (Vaughn suit), 9 25
H. W. Hill, Treasurer,
2,164 75
Balance cash on hand,
2,141 76
$7,336 11
A. S. HILLS,
J. W. HILL,
Commissioners.
F. A. BROOKS,
3
By-Laws of the Town of Williamsburg
AS AMENDED BY VOTE OF THE TOWN.
AT A MEETING HELD JUNE 10th, 1907.
TOWN MEETINGS.
SECTION 1. All warrants for Town Meetings shall be served by posting attested copies thereof in three or more public places in said Town at least seven days before the day of said meeting.
TOWN TREASURER.
SEC. 1. The Treasurer of the said Town shall give no note as Treasurer unless authorized by vote of the Town to borrow money and under the certified approval of the Selectmen.
SEC. 2. The Treasurer shall pay no draft or order drawn on the Treasury unless the same specifies out of what fund or appropriation it is to be paid ; and when so drawn he shall not pay thereon more than the balance remaining to the credit of such fund or appropriation ; and whenever any appropriation is exhausted shall give immediate notice to the Selectmen ; except for monies required to be paid or advanced under the general laws of the State.
SEC. 3. The Treasurer shall before entering upon the duties of his office, give bonds for the faithful discharge of the said duties to the satisfaction of the Selectmen,
35
which bond may be that of a surety company, or if signed by persons as individuals it shall be signed by those whose unencumbered estates as shown on the valuation book of the Town shall be equal to the sum of five thousand dollars.
AUDITORS.
SEC. 1. The Town shall annually choose two Auditors, whose duty it shall be to audit the accounts of the Treas- arer, the Selectmen and School Committee of the Town and report at its annual meeting.
COLLECTOR.
SEC. 1. The Collector shall prepare the bills for each year within seven days from the time the taxes are fur- nished him by the Assessors. And the same shall be forth- with distributed to the tax payers ; said distribution to be completed at least twenty days before the time fixed in the said bills for the time of payment.
SEC. 2. The Collector of Taxes shall settle with the Treasurer on or before the first day of February of each year, and for all taxes not collected at that time the Col- Lector shall give his note with his bondsmen's names, with interest, and the fiscal year shall close on the first day of February.
SEC. 3. The Collector of Taxes shall before entering upon the duties of his office give a bond to the satisfaction of the Selectmen, which bond may be that of a surety company or if signed by persons as individuals, it shall be signed by parties whose unencumbered estate as shown on the valuation book of the Town shall be equal to the sum of five thousand dollars.
SURVEYORS OF HIGHWAYS.
SEC. 1. The Highway Surveyor shall in addition to his ordinary duties as Surveyor have charge of all Town prop- erty used in his department and be responsible for the samo.
36
SEC. 2. When extraordinary repairs or improvements are deemed advisable but too expensive to be undertaken without special authority from the Town, he shall indicate in his report the character of such improvements with a careful estimate of the cost.
LICENSED OBSTRUCTIONS.
SEC. 1. The Selectmen may grant licenses in writing for such obstructions of any part of the highway or streets or such excavation of the same as may be needful for the purpose of erecting, repairing or removal of any building or for any purpose which to them may seem reasonable.
SEC. 2. In all cases in which a license may be given for obstructing or excavating any highway or street the au- thority granting the same may impose such conditions or limitations as it shall see fit in regard to erecting barri- cades, maintaining lights and taking other precautions for the security of travellers and other persons. Such license shall also express the time for which it shall continue in force.
SEC. 3. Every person receiving such license shall exe- cute a written agreement to indemnify and save harmless the Town against all damages or costs by reason of any claim for damages or any process, civil or criminal, on ac- count of such obstruction or excavation or any injury to any person occasioned thereby. And the authority grant- ing the license may in its discretion require sureties for the performance of such agreement.
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.
SEC. 1. The tenant or occupant and in case there be no tenant or occupant the owner of any estate abutting any · street within the limits of the villages of Williamsburg or Haydenville as shall be designated by the Selectmen on or before the first day of December of each year, and public notice thereof given shall not allow any snow or ice to re- main upon any sidewalk abutting upon such estate for
37
twenty-four consecutive hours, but shall cause the same within that time to be reasonably removed from the entire width of such walk or cause same to be made even and covered with sand to prevent slipping.
SEC. 2. No person shall dig up, cut down, climb, break, peel, cut, deface, injure or destroy any ornamental or shade tree growing or being in any of the streets or highways or on any of the public grounds of the said Town, without the consent of the Selectmen or persons having the said grounds in charge first being obtained in writing.
SEC. 3. No person shall course, coast, or slide down, across, in or along any of the streets in said Town upon any hand-sled, board or otherwise except in such places and under such restrictions as the Selectmen shall designate and require.
SEC. 4. No owner or person having the care of any swine, sheep, goats, horses, mules, or neat cattle shall suffer or permit the same to go at large in any street or highway, common, square or other public place within the said Town.
SEC. 5. No person shall tie or fasten any horse, ox, mule or team of any kind to any ornamental or shade tree, shrub or vine or to any fence or other thing erected for the protection of such tree, vine or shrub in any street, high- way or public place in the said Town.
SEC. 6. No person shall cause to be pastured any cattle or other animals upon or within the limits of any street or way of the Town either with or without a keeper, nor shall willfully or negligently cause cattle, swine or horses to travel on the sidewalks of the Town ; provided that nothing in the by-law shall be construed to affect the legal right of any person to the use of land within the limits of the high- way adjoining his own premises.
SEC. 7. No person shall ride, drive or allow any ox, horse, cattle, sheep or swine to be on any sidewalk in this Town unless in the necessary act of crossing the same.
38
SEC. 8. Three or more persons shall not stand or be near each other in any street of the said Town in such a manner as to obstruct a free passage for passengers therein or over any foot-bridge or sidewalk.
SEC. 9. No person shall use any indecent, profane, or insulting language in any street or public place in the Town, near any dwelling house or other building therein, or be or remain upon any sidewalk, public way, or way to any public hall, or church, or upon any doorstep, portico or other projection of any building, to the annoy- ance, disturbance or obstruction of any person lawfully en- titled to pass or resort thereto.
SEC. 10. No person shall be dealers in, or keepers of shops for the purchase, sale or barter of junk, old metals or second-hand articles or go about collecting the same in this Town unless they are duly licensed by the Selectmen in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 102 Sections 29 to 32 inclusive of the Revised Laws as amended by Sec- tions 1 to 4 inclusive of Chapter 187 of the Acts of 1902.
SEC. 11. In the observance of the anniversary of our national independence the bells of the mills and churches shall not be rung before sunrise on the fourth day of July or on the following day when the observance comes on that day, nor after ten o'clock in the evening of the said days. And in such observance, except by special permission of the Selectmen, no person shall fire any cannon, cracker, torpedo, gun or pistol, blow horns, beat drums, ring bells or behave in a rude or disorderly manner before sunrise nor after ten o'clock in the evening of the day observed.
SEC. 12. No person shall paint, put upon or in any manner affix to any tree, fence, pole, rock, building which is the property of another in any of the public places or ways of this Town any words, signs, placards or adver- tisements or posters without first obtaining the written consent of the owner of the said fence, tree, pole, rock or building.
39
SEC. 13. Any citizen may prosecute every violation of the foregoing by-laws ; and each violation of these by-laws shall upon conviction of the parties violating them be punished by a fine of not less than two nor more than twenty dollars.
A true copy.
Attest :
HENRY W. HILL, Town Clerk. WILLIAMSBURG, Dec. 24, 1907.
Report of School Committee
For the Year Ending February Ist, 1908.
To the Citizens of Williamsburg :
Our Annual Report is respectfully submitted for your consideration. This includes report of Superintendent, report of Music Teacher, Truant Officers, Committee and Treasurer.
ANNUAL REPORT.
The High School has been in session forty (40) weeks and the others thirty-six (36) weeks. South Street School has not been re-opened. The pupils have been transported to the Center.
Transportation is being paid for nine (9) pupils from Haydenville to Williamsburg High School.
REPAIRS.
Haydenville Center building has been painted outside and improvement in lighting the third primary room at Haydenville, which, if not as it should be, is decidedly better.
Searsville and Skinnerville buildings have been shingled, and new stoves at Searsville and North Street.
Regarding the Williamsburg Center sanitary arrange- ments there has not been anything done, as the Committee did not think that they could do the work with the money 1. at their command, as we did not think the cellar arrange-
42
ment advisable, and decided to leave it to the voters to decide what should be done. We think that if we can have the same appropriations as last year and the balance on hand, we could put in the cellar arrangement.
Superintendent Goodhue has a plan which he will pre- sent to you that we think better, but more expensive, which is to put an addition of twenty feet on the rear of the present building, and make room for a full-grade High School, which would probably cost about twenty-five hun- dred dollars.
NEEDED REPAIRS.
A new stove at Skinnerville and some repairs on furnaces and closets at Haydenville Center building, and some work inside Williamsburg Center building.
We recommend the following appropriations for the year 1908-09 :
Teachers,
$4,500 00
Superintendent,
375 00
Text-books and Supplies,
450 00
Tuition,
250 00
Ordinary Repairs,
400 00
$5,975 00
MARTHA S. BISBEE, THO. T. DUNPHY, H. P. GODDARD.
Superintendent's Report.
To the School Committee of Williamsburg :
MADAM AND GENTLEMEN :- The report of the schools of the town herewith presented for your consideration has reference to the year closing Feb. 1, 1908, the statistics are for the year closing June, 1907. It is a pleasure to state that there has been improvement in several schools during the year.
The unfortunate conditions existing in one school during a portion of the year not only affected that injuriously, but also others associated with it.
We have been extremely fortunate in securing good teachers for salaries lower than the average in towns of like character. This is due principally to conditions which made it possible to retain teachers who are willing to sacri- fice financially in order that they may remain in their homes, and to chance. The former are reasonably stable, the latter is more often productive of failure and wasteful- ness than otherwise. The element of chance should be eliminated from matters of so much importance as far as possible ; while it will always exist in some degree, there is no good reason why it should be a dominant factor in the securing of able instructors.
Its presence means that, while we may be fortunate enough to secure reasonably good teachers at present sala- ries, the probabilities are against it.
The work done in all schools can fairly be considered good, this being especially true since the opening of the
44
fall term in September. A few changes in our teaching force were necessary ; Mr. Richardson accepting the po- sition of principal of the Meredith High School, Mr. Dewey one at West Point, N. Y., Miss Mullaly being transferred to the Williamsburg Primary School, Misses Whitmore, Partridge and Brown resigning for various reasons. It was with the greatest regret that the resignation of the teachers of the Williamsburg Center School, Misses Whit- more and Tenney, were received ; both were teachers not easily spared from our number and the faithful work done by them will continue to exert an influence for good on the schools for a long time to come. We were very for- tunate in securing teachers in the places of all who left us that are proving their ability to continue the work success- fully and hold it well up to the desired standard of effi- ciency.
The Williamsburg High School accomplished a good year's work under the instruction of Principal Richardson and Miss Whitmore, a class of five received certificates of a completed course, four in the classical and one in the scientific. The character of the Haydenville High-Gram- mar School greatly improved under the management of Mr. Dewey, the close of the year finding the pupils again doing fairly good work. Mr. Bonelli, who came to this school in September, took hold of the work with vigor and good judgment and much was accomplished during the fall term. His resignation was received at the close of the term with great regret, but again good fortune seems to have favored us, and Mr. Howard is carrying on the work very successfully. At the present salary paid in this school it can be only by accident that we secure a teacher of abil- ity ; the chances are that we shall, during most of the time, have poor instruction and discipline, to the detriment of all schools in the building.
Nine pupils are now attending the Williamsburg High School from Haydenville.
Little need be said of those schools taught by teachers who have been with us for several years, because of this, they are among our most valuable ones,
45
The out schools kept pace with the others well, and in no case has there been any evidence of inferior work, while in some there is noticeable improvement on last year. It is, of course, quite necessary that the course of study in our schools shall correspond, in great measure, with those in use in others, as pupils are constantly leaving and enter- ing other schools, but it has never been satisfactory, since it produces a great waste of time and energy. There is now a strong feeling among educators that there should be a change and the work be better adapted to the needs of a majority of our children, and that their possible needs be consulted in the selection of courses for them. There is a decided attempt to introduce more manual training and instruction in household and other arts into the common schools.
It seems only reasonable that attention should be paid the teaching of agriculture, horticulture and forestry, as these subjects are likely to be of vastly more importance to the majority of our pupils than Latin, French and Geometry. Already provision is made for paying to any town supporting a school for education in these branches one-half the expense, and a petition has been made for legislation which shall still further aid in this work by giving state aid to any town teaching these subjects in the high school. It is just as necessary for us as for any other town, and it is to be hoped that we may soon see some decided move in this direction. Your Superintendent has for three years attempted to interest the pupils in agri- culture and gardening by distributing seeds, furnishing pamphlets with directions for planting and cultivating, text-books on agriculture and blank report sheets to be filled in and returned by the pupil when crops are har- vested. Some children have shown a decided interest in the matter and their reports are well worth reading, but the majority has done little or nothing. In order that such teaching be successful it is necessary that the teacher feel a real interest in the subjects and the pupils receive some encouragement in their homes. So far as I am able
46
to ascertain, the most of the parents consider the instruc- tion useless and pay little attention to the matter. It seems quite difficult to convince some people that, in some mysterious manner, the ability to extract cube root and perform problems in compound proportion is not to be more valuable to the boy who will never leave his home town, than to be able to understand some of the principles which must be employed in successful farming or other occupation of his life. Several states are publishing pam- phlets on these subjects which are distributed to all schools and the teachers expected to make use of them in their daily work. After employing many methods of teaching certain common school branches of study and faithful labor on the part of the instructors, it is found that the results are so meager and unsatisfactory that the conclu- sion is natural that a good portion of many years has been positively wasted in the school rooms. For instance, after six or seven years of study of English we find the results so insignificant as to be hardly appreciable or so ridiculous as to cause contempt. Pupils continually come to our high schools totally unable to compose, capitalize or punc- tuate correctly a simple essay or letter. This is not because they have not studied grammar or the teacher has failed in her duty, they have both been wandering in the desert of terms and forms and rules, and have never thought of making use of the abundance of material right at their own doors. It seems to be sometimes quite difficult to cause either teacher or pupil to acknowledge by act any connec- tion between grammar and ordinary expression of thought. A decided effort is now making to correct this fault in our schools by employing methods which seem to offer some degree of success, and the teachers are engaged in the undertaking with real interest and faithful compliance with directions. During the past year special attention has been given instruction in penmanship with most grati- fying results, in those schools where the teachers have understood the directions given and faithfully carried them out there has been great improvement. In one room with
4%
thirty-six pupils in attendance the copy-books when re- cently examined showed not one which was not a credit to the pupil using it.
With reference to the present arrangement of the High Schools in this town little need be said, its deficiencies and wastefulness, in certain ways, have been so often called to the attention of the people that the subject is becoming stale. In order to produce needful and reasonable results, econo- mize expenditure, secure a proper return for the outlay and do justice to pupils and people the following conditions should exist : The High School classes of Haydenville and Williamsburg should be united, a complete course be adopted and carried out, salaries paid in the High School which shall guarantee efficient and continuous service, a school build- ing erected so arranged and equipped as to make instruc- tion in the natural sciences possible and with space and sanitation in accord with health and decency. It is diffi- cult to understand why we should rest content with half doing much work, making an annual present to North- ampton, losing a yearly assistance of five hundred dollars from the state and subjecting our pupils to inconvenience and possible sacrifice of moral principles. It hardly seems possible that we have any citizens with so little pride in the institutions of their own town as to wish to make our High School a mere annex to the schools of Northampton, . not on the score of economy but that the few may enjoy certain advantages at the expense of the many. There are pupils who would gladly complete a high school course could they do so and remain in their home town, it being practically impossible for them to attend elsewhere.
The instruction in music has been excellent and the progress made by the children very satisfactory. The facility and correctness with which the pupils read music, their recognition of harmony and time and increased appreciation of composition are really remarkable in many cases. The manner in which two and three part songs are rendered in the grammar grades is deserving of much credit. If our citizens would visit the schools and listen
1
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to these exercises they would not only better appreciate the value of this work, but also enjoy a real treat. It is manifestly unjust that so many of the schools cannot receive instruction under the direction of the supervisor.
The teaching of drawing in the Haydenville schools, made possible by the special fund, is also of excellent char- acter, and without doubt of much value, being in line with the recommendations of the State Board for increased attention to the study of the arts and sciences. The pupils enjoy the work and profit by the thorough instruction given.
It will be seen on reference to the statistical table that there have been no great changes, the attendance being about as last year. Since the opening of the term in Sep- tember the average attendance based upon average mem- bership has increased, owing to the absence of epidemic diseases and the unusually mild winter. The number of cases of tardiness has increased, and this is a great evil in the schools, leading to habits of carelessness and creating indifference to school duties. It is also inexcusable since, in most instances, it could be easily remedied by the parents.
The number of state and city wards has steadily in- creased until, at present, there are about seventy in town. While many of these are desirable pupils and rank well in scholarship and deportment, yet the very fact that previous conditions were such as to make them dependent tends to make many of them very undesirable acquisitions. We have no choice in the matter, but must accept good and bad alike, often to the great detriment of our schools and the morals of the children. Oftentimes while the bad influence exerted by them is very evident, it is impossible to designate particular acts which would warrant their exclusion from the schools, and so no remedy is found. While there should be and is genuine sympathy and inter- est in these children, yet we are bound to consider first the welfare of our own boys and girls. The money received for tuition may be a welcome addition to our school fund,
49
but there are values which cannot be estimated in dollars and injuries which cannot be atoned for with cash.
The repairs made during the year were much needed and have been made in the most economical way consistent with efficiency. For details see report of Committee. The painting of the Haydenville house is among the most noticeable of the improvements, and has transformed an unsightly building into one of pleasing appearance. The Committee devised a plan whereby the third primary room in Haydenville could be supplied with additional light, and its execution has made this room much more fit for school purposes and removed, in great degree, the danger which has so long threatened the pupils.
There are yet many improvements needed to make con- ditions reasonably proper and in accord with modern ideas of school surroundings. The furnaces at Haydenville are practically worn out and must soon be replaced by new heating apparatus. The waste of fuel in the central build- ing alone is sufficient in value, if prevented for a short time, to pay the entire expense of installing such ap- paratus. Owing to the loose construction of the house and the condition of the furnaces it is impossible to warm the rooms whenever zero weather is experienced, and at such times the schools must be closed for a session or longer. The entire amount paid for fuel used in the schools of the town last year was a little over five hundred dollars, and of this amount about one hundred was ex- pended in the nine schools outside Haydenville and about four hundred in that village ; ten tons of coal were used in the central building during the month of February, and even then it was necessary to close the schools several times because the cold was so great in the rooms as to threaten the health of the children.
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