USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1926-1929 > Part 33
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Experts appear to be so far apart in their estimates of installa- tion cost, yearly running expense, serviceability and durability, that your Committee feels a decision should be postponed for another year. The matter is of such vital interest that it should be given the fullest investigation by the Townspeople.
The present pumping equipment at Haggett's Pond is still in very serviceable condition. Consequently, a delay will involve no risk to the Town.
The Finance Committee, therefore, recommends that a Special Committee be appointed by the Moderator with full power to make a complete survey of the water supply conditions in the Town insofar as they may have bearing on this particular prob- lem and to report their findings and recommendations at the next Town Meeting.
With the foregoing considerations in mind, your Finance Com- mittee thinks it is justified in recommending that the Town Meeting adopt the following Budget and act upon the Special Articles in accordance with the recommendations appended to each thereof :
Infirmary (Decrease $2350)
$8000.00
Outside Relief (Increase $1500)
9500.00
Aiding Mothers with Dependent Children
5000.00
Andover Post No. 8 American Legion
1000.00
Assessors' Survey
3000.00
Board of Health
4500.00
Brush Fires 1000.00
Amount carried forward
$32,000.00
93
Amount brought forward
$32,000.00
3000.00
Claims for Damage to Persons and Property Elections and Registrations (Increase $1200 for State Election) Essex Hospital (Increase $2897.87) (Assessment covers: $3170.47 new addition $4899.89 maintenance)
2200.00
8070.36
Fire Department
29500.00
Post 99 G. A. R.
200.00
Highways Department
Maintenance
50000.00
New Construction (Increase $5650)
22200.00
(Distribution recommended on basis of follow-
ing estimates:
$4400 School St. from Central St. to Ridge St.
5800 Pearson St. including curbing
5000 Essex Street
3500 Avon Street
2000 Binney Street Curbing
1500 Shepley Street Curbing)
Interest (Decrease $4000) 25000.00
Insurance (Increase $940. Of this $389 is a trans- fer from Library Budget)
7540.00
Library (Decrease $389)
7411.00
Memorial Day
850.00
4500.00
Parks and Playgrounds (Increase $500 for new play equipment)
Police Department
29000.00
Pomps Pond (Decrease $400)
1600.00
Printing
600.00
Public Dump (Increase-Labor $50, Repairs $50)
500.00
Reserve Fund
Nothing
Retirement of Bonds (Increase $7000)
55000.00
Retirement of Veteran (Decrease $300)
Nothing
Schools (Increase $1257)
150355.00
Amount carried forward
$429,526.36
94
Amount brought forward
$429,526.36
Sewer Department
6200.00
Snow Removal and Street Sanding (Increase $4000)
12000.00
Soldiers Relief
2500.00
Sealer Weights and Measures
500.00
Spring Grove Cemetery
8000.00
State and Military Aid
500.00
Street Lighting Department
21658.00
(Increase $1858. Additional lights including re-
placements on North Main Street when finished) Town Buildings
4200.00
Town Officers (Inc. $1000 for general expenses)
18250.00
Town Scales
125.00
Tree Warden (Increase $1000. $500 for tree surgery
6000.00
$500 for extra highway trimming)
Moth Work
5000.00
Water Department
Maintenance
30000.00
Construction
12000.00
Wire Inspector
350.00
Total
$556809.36
Special Articles : No.
4.
35000.00
8.
150.00
9.
1000.00
14.
11100.00
15.
3750.00
20.
6000.00
$613809.36
Article 4 .- To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of $35000 to complete North Main Street to the present paved way in the Square, pay property damages and its share of the cost of the Boston and Maine Railroad Bridge, on petition of the Board of Selectmen.
(Approved with the recommendation that the amount be paid out of the tax levy, the same as last year.)
95
Article 5 .- To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $225,000. for the construction and original equipping and furnishing of a new Junior High School on land adjacent to the present Punchard High School, determine how the same shall be raised, or take any action relative thereto, on petition of the School Committee.
(Not approved.)
Article 6 .- Tosee if the town will appoint and authorize a Com- mittee to procure plans and specifications, obtain bids, let con- tracts, and approve bills of building, purchasing furnishings, and equipping the new schoolhouse mentioned in Article 5, on petition of the School Committee.
(No action by Finance Committee necessary.)
Article 7 .- To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of $40,000. for steam pumping equipment, Venturi Meter and other improvements at the Haggetts Pond Pumping Station, on peti- tion of the Board of Public Works.
(Not approved. Appointment of a Special Committee rec- ommended as explained earlier in this report.)
Article 8 .- To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of $150. for the public observance of Armistice Day in the Town of Andover under the auspices of Andover Post No. 8, American Legion, on petition of Arthur L. Coleman and others.
(Approved.)
Article 9 .- To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Trus- tees of Spring Grove Cemetery to deed the lot known as the Legion Lot to Andover Post, No. 8, Department of Massachu- setts, American Legion, and appropriate the sum of $1000. Five hundred ($500.) dollars to be expended in curbing said lot and in improvements to the approaches thereof and Five hundred ($500.) dollars for perpetual care of same, on petition of Arthur L. Coleman and others.
(Not approved in its present wording. Recommended that the sums requested be appropriated for purposes named: but that the Lot be designated as "Veterans' Lot" and title held by the Town. )
96
Article 10 .- To see if the Town will appropriate $9500. to reconstruct Union Street from its junction with North Main Street to the Lawrence line provided that the State and County contribute a like amount on petition of Walter S. Donald and others.
(Not approved.)
Article 11 .- To see if the Town will vote to accept as a public way, as laid out and approved by the Board of Survey, a road known as Topping Road, extending from Corbett Street to Juliette Street, on petition of Alfred Berube and others.
(No action by Finance Committee necessary.)
Article 12 .- To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of $3000. to cut down the grade to that of the adjoining property and build a sidewalk on Carmel Road from Walnut Avenue to the Town Infirmary, on petition of Howard B. Johnson and others.
(Not approved. Recommended, that if this improvement meets approval of Board of Public Works, the cost be defrayed from regular maintenance item of Highway Department.)
Article 13 .- To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Public Works to extend the water main from the present main at the North School on River Road and North Street to the resi- dence of Arthur Maddox on River Road, also from the River Road at Laurel Lane to the residence of Joseph Landry, and appropriate the sum of $21,000., this being the amount esti- mated by the Board of Public Works to take care of this work, on petition of Edward Shattuck and others.
(Not approved.)
Article 14 .- To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Public Works to extend the water main from Main Street down Rattlesnake Hill Road to Boston Road, along said Boston Road to Gould Road, along Gould Road from Boston Road to Main Street, and appropriate the sum of $11,100. there- for, on petition of Charles W. Damon and others.
(Approved.)
Article 15 .- To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Public Works to extend the water main from Corbett Street
97
along Topping Road to and including the property of Ben White and appropriate the sum of $3750. therefor, on petition of Jude Gognen and others.
(Approved.)
Article 16 .- To see if the Town will vote to extend the water main on Chandler Road from the Chandler Road dead-end to a point opposite the property of George Disbrow, and appropriate the sum of $23,160. therefor, on petition of Daniel Fitzpatrick and others.
(Not approved.)
Article 17 .- To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Public Works to extend the water main from Lowell Street along Brown Street to Bellevue Road, then along Bellevue Road to the existing dead-end and appropriate the sum of $10,950. therefor, on petition of George F. Livingston and others.
(Not approved.)
Article 18 .- To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Public Works to extend the water main from its present terminus on Chandler Road to the intersection of Greenwood Road, thence Southwesterly along Greenwood Road and appro- priate the sum of $8000. therefor, on petition of Thomas F. Walsh and others.
(Not approved.)
Article 19 .- To see if the Town will vote to extend the water main, from the residence of George Lee on Webster Street, to the Lawrence line, about 1000 feet, and appropriate the sum of $2000. to pay for same, on petition of Ethel Hebb and others.
(Not approved.)
Article 20 .- To see if the Town will vote to authorize the building of a sewer, beginning at the terminus of the present sewer on Kenilworth Street and extending along Union Street, to a point near the Lawrence line, an entire distance of about 2100 feet and appropriate the sum of $6000. therefor, and assess better- ments upon the estates benefitted by the above extension. Said
98
work to be done under the direction of the Board of Public Works, on petition of said Board.
(Approved.)
Articles 21 to 24 .- No action by Finance Committee necessary.
SUMMARY
Departmental expenditures recommended
$556,809.36
Special expenditures recommended 57,000.00
$613,809.36
State and County Tax (Estimated)
62,000.00
$675,809.36
Receipts estimated
220,000.00
$455,809.36
VALUATION
Net valuation 1929 $17,263,390.
1930 (Estimated) $17,000,000.
Computation of tax rate for 1930 using the above figures: $455,809.36
=$26.81+
$17,000,000.00
Tax rate for 1926, $28.80 Tax rate for 1928, $25.00
Tax rate for 1927, $25.50 Tax rate for 1929, $25.50
Each $17,000 appropriated adds $1. to the tax rate.
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES J. BAILEY, Chairman JAMES H. EATON G. EDGAR FOLK EDMOND E. HAMMOND FRANK W. McLANATHAN
JAMES C. SOUTER JOHN A. ARNOLD, Secretary
99
Trustees of Memorial Hall Library
NATHAN C. HAMBLIN FREDERIC S. BOUTWELL
JOHN C. ANGUS
BURTON S. FLAGG FREDERICK A. WILSON PHILIP F. RIPLEY CLAUDE M. FUESS
Chairman NATHAN C. HAMBLIN
Secretary and Treasurer FREDERIC S. BOUTWELL
Librarian EDNA A. BROWN
Assistants
JULIA E. TWICHELL EDITH DONALD
In Charge of Junior Room AGATHA R. WADE
Assistant MARGARET D. MANNING
In Charge of Ballardvale Branch MARTHA D. BYINGTON
Janitor ARCHIBALD MACLAREN
101
REPORT OF TRUSTEES OF MEMORIAL HALL LIBRARY
-
The Trustees of the Memorial Hall Library refer the citizens to the report of the Librarian for an account in detail of the work of the year. The question of the opening of the Library on Sundays which had been brought up in Town Meeting was tried out experimentally. It was demonstrated that there was not sufficient interest shown to justify the expense of opening. The remodelled building continues to give satisfaction. In the matter of book purchases the Trustees are anxious to serve the needs and desires of the citizens in so far as funds at their disposal permit. Both they and the staff of the Library will welcome any suggestions which will help in this aim.
NATHAN C. HAMBLIN, Chairman FREDERICK A. WILSON FREDERIC S. BOUTWELL PHILIP F. RIPLEY BURTON S. FLAGG CLAUDE M. FUESS JOHN C. ANGUS
Trustees.
102
MEMORIAL HALL LIBRARY
TREASURER'S REPORT
RECEIPTS
Town Appropriation
$ 7800.00
Dog Tax 659.39
Income from Investments paid to Town
3463.02
Fines paid to Town
375.34
Refunds on bills
18.15
Total
$12315.90
EXPENDITURES
Salaries
$ 7918.76
Lighting and Heating
976.83
Periodicals
234.45
Book Binding
571.38
Books
1531.87
Insurance
389.55
Library Office expenses
138.36
Telephone
54.40
Sundries
274.51
Unexpended balance
225.79
Total
$12315.90
MEMORIAL HALL LIBRARY SECURITIES
Bangor & Aroostook R. R., 4s.
$11000.00
Boston Elevated Ry. Co., 4s
10000.00
Boston Elevated Ry. Co., 412s
1000.00
Montreal Tramways Co., 5s
10000.00
Chicago Railways Co., 5s
9000.00
Amount carried forward
$41000.00
103
Amount brought forward
$41000.00
New England Power Association, 5s
6000.00
3000.00
Indiana-Michigan Elec. Co., 5s Boston & Maine R. R., 5s Jersey Central Power & Light Co., 512s New England Tel. & Tel. Co., 5s
2000.00
1000.00
1000.00
Dayton Power & Light Co., 5s
1000.00
Pacific Tel. & Tel. Co., 5s
1000.00
American Tel. & Tel. Co. 4 shares Savings Banks
571.50
$16525. 94
Total
$73097.44
FREDERIC S. BOUTWELL, Treasurer
January 27, 1930
This is to certify that the Securities belonging to the Trustees of the Memorial Hall Library, and the income received therefrom, have been checked and are found to be correct.
All other items in the above statement are examined by the Auditors elected by the Town of Andover.
BURTON S. FLAGG PHILIP F. RIPLEY Finance Committee
104
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEMORIAL HALL LIBRARIAN
January 7, 1930
To the Trustees of the Memorial Hall Library:
GENTLEMEN :
I herewith present the report of the library for the twelve months ending December 31, 1929.
During 1929, the library issued for home use 62,624 books, a circulation of 6.2 books per capita of the population.
It was open 57 hours a week for ten months and 66 hours a week for two months.
It issued 533 new borrowers' cards, making a total of 4383 cards in actual use, almost 44 per cent of the town's inhabitants.
It placed 899 new books on its shelves.
It answered innumerable questions, varying from how to cook cabbage to how to plan a new theatre building.
People, literally by the thousands, have come and gone through our doors during the year just past, and, instead of their original bronze, the door-plates and door-knobs are assuming the ap- pearance of polished brass. Our circulation of books is slightly less than that for 1928, two per cent-a difference which is largely due to the fact that many of our users have left town, owing to industrial conditions. Some of these people have been long and constant patrons of the library, and are missed personally.
The year on the whole has been one of progress, and we look back upon much work done with the schools and the study clubs, as well as that constant routine which goes on steadily and which takes so much quiet and patient work on the part of the staff. The smooth running of any library is due to this type of effort, the very existence of which is hardly suspected by the public.
The use of the junior room has been large. The number of children having cards and drawing books is 849. There is no age restriction regarding the borrowing of books. Any child who can
105
write his name may have a card. Mothers often borrow on their own cards books for children even smaller. Books to be read aloud to the littlest ones are gradually being added. There are about four thousand volumes on the shelves of the junior room, ranging from picture-books to those used by the junior high school. So comprehensive and so satisfying is the selection that it is a common occurrence for the freshmen in Punchard to ask permission to go back to the junior room to use for their school work, the simpler encyclopedias and reference books. To tide over this transition, we have duplicated books in some instances, so that they may find friends immediately at hand in the main library. Many of the books on the freshman reading lists have already been read by them while using the junior library.
Good-Book week was observed in the junior room by the awarding of certificates for reading completed on the State lists. A play, the "A B C Club", was given by the children before a large audience in the assembly room of the Stowe school, and repeated at Ballardvale. This play was written by Miss Wade, and staged under her direction. It dealt with books and with the library, and attracted new borrowers to the junior room.
Dolls from Spain and Brazil have been gifts to the room's permanent collection of those from other lands, as well as an Italian cart from Sicily, and a very charming Nativity scene. This was in place at Christmas, and attracted much attention. At this time of the year, the junior room, festive with greens which the children themselves gather, is an unusually pretty sight.
Much thought and attention have been given to the selection of books for purchase. The choice of fiction in these days is no easy task. The standards of New York have never been those of Boston, but Massachusetts librarians are placed in a difficult position through the working of the state censorship law. There are always those in every town who wish to keep up with erotic literature, and the banning of a book by the censor is the signal to demand it at once from the public library. It sometimes chances that a novel escapes the censor, receives wide advertise- ment, perhaps even a newspaper prize-an award which means little concerning its real value-and yet, because of its subject
106
matter, is an undesirable purchase for an open-shelf library. In such cases, when the book has been wanted for real study by a group, it has seemed best to buy it, but such procedure has inevitably been followed by protests from other readers. The truth of the proverb that "what is one man's meat is another man's poison," seems nowhere truer than in different opinions about current fiction. The present demand for detective stories seems a protest against this type of novel. They, at least, are free from sensual passages, even though few possess any literary value.
Fortunately there never was a time when there were written so many really interesting books other than fiction. Travel and biography, science and history, are all being presented in more readable form than ever before. The library has bought largely of these books, many of which have been requested, and they have been received by an appreciative public. We have taken pleasure in supplying books needed by teachers and normal school students, and we are proud of our rapidly developing art collection. Due to the decision that the income of the Cornell Art Fund may be legitimately used for books about art as well as works of art, we have added to our shelves recent books upon varying phases of this subject, and they have met with an eager response. Not long ago we were asked to borrow from the Boston Public Library several books upon Italian art. Upon looking at the list presented, we found that we could supply every one from our own collection, much to the surprise of the inquirer, who frankly said that she wished she had come to us before taking the trouble to go to Boston.
The year has brought us many gifts of books which are wel- come on our shelves. One especially thoughtful one was a copy of the History of Arbroath, Scotland, bought in Glasgow especially for the Memorial Hall Library. As soon as this gift was an- nounced, we had a waiting-list of people who wanted to read it. We also appreciate the flowers and plants which have come to us at all seasons of the year.
For a time there had been some discussion in town about the advisability of having the library open upon Sundays. Although the experiment had been tried before with negative results, in order to test the present wishes of the community, the Trustees
107
arranged to open the reading room on Sundays through January and February, planning to continue this privilege should use show that it was really desired. Careful records of the Sunday attend- ance were kept, and at the same time a check was made of the weekday use, in order to have a basis of comparison. The library was open continuously from three to nine in the afternoon and evening, and the average use was 27 people, contrasted with a weekday average of 215 people daily. These figures seemed con- clusive as to the desires of the town, especially as 75 per cent of the Sunday visitors were high school students, already in the habit of coming every day. This result proved entirely in line with reports from other Massachusetts town libraries. The Trustees therefore discontinued the experiment after the two months' trial.
This test of Sunday opening is an example of how the library tries to meet the wishes of its community. It is always glad of suggestions as to methods of better serving its public.
Respectfully submitted,
EDNA A. BROWN, Librarian
108
STATISTICS OF THE LIBRARY
Number of books issued at the Memorial Hall
55932
Number of books issued at Ballardvale
6692
Total number issued for home use
62624
Number of borrowers' cards in use
4383
Books added by purchase
756
Books added by gift
143
Total additions
899
Books withdrawn, worn out, lost, etc.
442
Number of volumes in the library
27795
Volumes rebound
436
Volumes bound, periodicals, etc.
299
BALLARDVALE BRANCH
Number of books issued for home use
6692
Books added by purchase
77
Books added by gift
16
Total additions
93
Books now belonging to branch
2460
1
Gifts of books and pamphlets are acknowledged from state and government departments, from other libraries, from the Abbot Academy Alumnae Association, the American Legion, Andover Natural History Society, and from the following individuals: J. N. Ashton; E. T. Brewster; Miss J. B. Carpenter; E. B. Connors; W. W. Cook; Albert Curtis; Miss A. S. Davis; Mrs. E. C. Edmands; Mrs. V. M. Fitzhugh; Dr. C. M. Fuess; F.P. Garvan; Mrs. M. E. Gutterson; Mrs. N. C. Hamblin; G. E. Hagerman; E. E. Hammond; W. H. Hays; Rev. C. W. Henry; Miss A. C. Jenkins; J. S. Jeissonides; Miss Faith Kidder; Mrs. Andrew Lawrie; Mrs. G. S. Minor; Rev. C. H. P. Nason; Mrs. M. S. Nichols; E. C. Richardson; Alfred Ripley; G. B. Ripley ; Rev. F. R. Shipman; Miss Mary Shipman; A. P. Thompson; Mrs. E. B. Thornton, and Miss Emily Tracy.
109
HOW TO USE THE LIBRARY
The Memorial Hall Library is open every day except Sundays and holidays, from 9 to 12.30 in the morning, and from 3 to 9 in the afternoon and evening. The junior room is open from 3 to 8 p.m.
Any resident of Andover may have a library card upon filling out an application blank. Any child who can write his name may have a card, but children in grades below the Punchard School are required to have their applications endorsed by both parent and teacher.
Children may borrow one book at a time. All grown people are allowed to take any reasonable number of books, provided that only one is a current magazine, and only one is a seven-day book.
Books are issued for fourteen days, the date upon which the book is due being stamped plainly on the "date due" slip at the time of issue. A book kept overtime incurs a fine of two cents for every day overdue. A few of these books most in demand are issued for seven days only. All these are labeled upon the book pocket, "Seven-day book." Books lost or damaged must be paid for.
Seven-day books are not renewed nor reserved for anyone, nor may they be transferred from one card to another. They must be definitely returned to the library by each borrower. Other books may be renewed if no one else has asked for them, and if a work not fiction is especially desired for any serious purpose, notice of its return to the library will be sent on request.
The shelves of the library are open to all grown people. The books are arranged according to subjects, and it is often much more satisfactory to go to the shelves and examine the books than to depend upon the catalogue.
The new books are listed at intervals in the weekly paper, and cumulated in the yearly library report, but the only complete record is the card catalogue. This catalogue is arranged alpha- betically like a dictionary.
The new books purchased each month are placed for some weeks in a special case, so that the most recent additions to the library may be found there. The library buys only a limited
110
amount of new fiction but it tries to fill the wants of the com- munity in regard to other books desired. People are invited to suggest for purchase the titles of books they wish.
The library staff is always glad to answer questions or in any way to help visitors find what they want.
LIST OF PERIODICALS AND NEWSPAPERS TAKEN FOR THE READING ROOM
American Boy
American City
American Home
American Legion Monthly (gift)
American Mercury
Antiques
Atlantic monthly
Blackwood's magazine
Bookman
Book review digest
Catholic world
Century
Christian Endeavor world (gift)
Country life in America
Cumulative book index
Current history
Drama
Etude
Forum
Guide to nature (gift)
Harper's magazine
House beautiful (gift)
Illustrated London News
India rubber world
International studio (gift)
Ladies' home journal Landmark
Libraries
Library journal
111
-
Life Literary Digest London weekly Times Manchester weekly Guardian Missionary review of the world Nation National geographic magazine
Nature (gift)
New England Quarterly
Nineteenth century
North American review
Outlook
Popular mechanics
Radio news
Readers' digest
Readers' guide to periodical literature
Review of Reviews
Outdoor Life
Outlook
St. Nicholas
School arts magazine
Scientific American
Scientific monthly (gift)
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