USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > Town annual report of Braintree, Massachusetts for the year 1914 > Part 7
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Auditors for 1914.
.
.
31 88
2,500 00
500 00
140
REPORT OF SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Brain- tree, Mass.
Gentlemen :. Complying with your request I beg to sub- mit the following report of the Department of Sealer of Weights and Measures for the year ending December 15, 1914.
During the past year I have endeavored to perform the duties of the office in a fair and impartial manner. In re- turn I have found our merchants courteous and willing to comply with the laws in relation to the sealing of weights and measures. On March 14, 1912, Section 21 of Chapter 246 of the Revised Laws of Massachusetts was enacted, which reads as follows :
"All fruits, vegetables and nuts, except as hereinafter otherwise provided, shall be sold at retail hy dry measure weight, or by numerical count, and all fruits and vegetables for which a legal weight has been established shall be sold at retail only by weight or numerical count. Whoever violates any provision of this section shall forfeit a sum not exceed- ing ten dollars for each offence."
PROSECUTION ON SHORT WEIGHT.
During the last year I had one arrest and the defendant was found not guilty and discharged.
In reference to the increase of office work where no fees are charged it can be readily seen that the treasury is not receiving the benefit but the general public as the business men are realizing the importance of having scales and meas- ures correct. The housekeepers are also receiving the benefit.
141
RECOMMENDATIONS.
I would earnestly recommend that all hucksters, pedlers and venders be licensed in the Town of Braintree as they are in other towns of the same size and population.
To comply with the law of this year in regard to apoth- ecaries weights and measures I am pleased to state that Brain- tree is one of the towns that has met all the requirements; the first time that the sealing of druggists prescription scales and weights has been done.
On my tour of inspections I had purchased for me food products of all descriptions to the amount of fourteen dollars ($14.85) and eighty-five cents in order to ascertain if the cor- rect weights were being served. It is indeed very pleasing to me to be able to announce at this time, to the purchasing pub- lic of Braintree that in every instance the amount purchased was correct.
COAL RE-WEIGHING.
During the past year I have re-weighed (54) loads of coal in transit, and found (12) heavy or overweighed, and (8) under or short weighed, varying from five to ten pounds, and (36) were correct weight.
COAL IN BAGS-LESS THAN 100 POUNDS.
I have made (65) inspections and found that the dealers who put up coal in this manner are very careful as to the weight. As to the quality of the coal I have no jurisdiction.
I include in this report receipts and expenditures of the Department for the past year and various tables of work done.
I wish to thank all with whom I have come in contact during the past year, and feel sure that future relations could be even more pleasant, all of which help towards the best possible results.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES S. HANNAFORD, Sealer of Weights and Measures. Office Town Hall, Mondays 2 to 4 P. M.
142
INSIDE OR OFFICE WORK -NO FEE CHARGED.
P
Surveyors tapes
Scales tested and found correct 78
Scales tested and condemned 13
Scales tested and adjusted
23
Weights tested and found correct 83
Weights tested and condemned
10
Weights tested and adjusted . .
16
Liquid measures found correct
38
Liquid measures condemned
11
Dry measures sealed
15
Dry measures condemned
6
Total 295
To Dec. 15, 1915. Last year to Dec. 31, 1914, 142 tested.
OUTSIDE WORK.
Scales tested and found correct 198
Scales tested and condemned
8
Scales tested and adjusted
23
Weights tested and found correct
539
Weights tested and condemned
14
Weights tested and adjusted
26
Dry measures tested and found correct
11
Dry measures tested and condemned
1
Liquid measures tested and found correct
189
Liquid measures tested and condemned
22
Linear measures tested and found correct
15
Linear measures tested and condemned
3
Measuring pumps found correct 12
Leather measuring machine not sealed
1
Total 1062
Nine slot weighing machines sealed.
One slot weighing machine condemned.
AMOUNT RECEIVED AND PAID TO THE TREASUR- ER IN FEES, $87.25.
Number of Inspections made from April 1, 1914, to Dec. 15, 1914.
Coal reweighing while in transit 54
Coal reweighing in bags of less than 100 pounds 65
1
3
143
Inspections in stores after scales had been tested 250
Inspections of scales used by pedlers 108
Inspections of scales used by icemen
55
Inspections of jars on milk wagons
24
Inspections of milk jars bearing Mass. seal
18,000
Inspections of junk dealers scales 36
Inspections of coal teams for certificates
44
Total number of inspections
18,636
Appropriation, $150.00, and Expenditures $147.18, year 1914
Hobbs & Warren
$2.00
Globe Stamping Co.
.39
Union Seal Co.
3.50
Chadwick & Car
2.07
Henry Troenner
34.20
E. L. Makepeace
7.20
Adams Express Co.
.56
Chandler & Finnegan
.25
William Cobb
5.75
Chandler & Parker
1.00
Insurance
11.25
Pratt & Pratt
8.25
Prescott Publishing Co.
14.00
Herring & Co.
25.00
N. Y. N. H. & H. R. R.
1.78
C. E. Gilman
3.00
Whithall & Tatum
4.17
Magee & Howard
9.19
II. Bailey
12.50
Hobbs & Warren
1.12
Total
$147.18
Balance of appropriation, $2.82.
CHARLES S. HANNAFORD, Sealer of Weights and Measures.
Examined and approved, receipts $87.25; expenditures, $147.18.
C. FREDERICK TARBOX, OTIS B. OAKMAN,
Auditors.
Dec. 31, 1914.
.
144
FIRE DEPARTMENT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
Gentlemen :- The Board of Engineers herewith submit the annual report of the Fire Department for the year ending December 31, 1914. J. S. Hill, F. O. Whitmarsh, F. A. Ten- ney were appointed Engineers for the year 1914. The Board met and organized as follows: Chief, F. A. Tenney ; Clerk, F. O. Whitmarsh, Assistant, J. S. Hill.
ALARMS.
There have been 33 Box Alarms, 20 for buildings, 6 false, 6 woods, 1 motor boat. There were 24 still alarms woods,
chimney and blower fires.
Valuation of Buildings $93,700.00
Loss on Buildings
12,068.75
Insurance on Buildings 70,300.00
Valuation of Contents 28,588.00
Loss on Contents 3,039.99
Insurance on Contents 11,750.00
There have been 12 permits granted to build or maintain garages, 5 permits to sell small fireworks, 2 permits to use dynamite, 96 to set fires in the open air.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
I would recommend that the sum of $2,586.00 be appro- priated for engineers, firemen, stewards and poll taxes. I would recommend that the sum of $50.00 be appropriated to paint hose wagon, No. 3. I would recommend that the sum of $90.00 be appropriated for a new platform at hose house, No. 2. I would recommend that the sum of $1,200.00 be appro- priated for general running expenses of the Fire Department. I would recommend that the sum of $180.00 be appropriated for three new fire alarm boxes. I would recommend that the sum of $600.00 be appropriated for extra pay of firemen on a 50 cents per hour basis. I would recommend that the sum of $420.00 be appropriated for new hose. I would recommend that the Town appropriate a sum of money for a new fire station.
Respectfully submitted
F. A. TENNEY, Chief.
EXPENDITURES OF SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, 1914
Appropria- tions
Expended
Overdraft
Balance
Credits
Net Ex- penditure
Salaries.
$38,190.00
Dog Tax.
832.99
School Funds.
350.00
$39,372.99
$38,725.75
$646.84
$199.25
$38,526.50
Janitors. . .
4,619.00
4,619.00
4,619.00
Text Books and Supplies
3,000.00
3,016.75
$16.75
276.00
2,740.75
Repairs and Incidentals.
1,000.00
2,166.48
1,166.48
25.75
2,140.73
Incidentals
800.00
850.59
50.59
15.10
835.49
Fuel . ...
2,700.00
2,713.97
13.97
2,713.97
Transportation
1,700.00
2,186.00
486.00
405.78
1,780.22 705.00
Seats, Jonas Perkins, Pond and Penniman Schools
1,130.00
1,130.98
.98
80.05
1,050.93
Floor Penniman School Hall.
300.00
296.70
3.30
296.70
Insurance ..
1,485.21
1,504.15
18.94
1,504.15
Totals.
$56,907.20
$57,915.37
$1,753.71
$745.14
$1,001.93
$56,913.44
Deficit ........ $6.24
145
Interior Decorating, Jonas Perkins School ..
800.00
705.00
95.00
146
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Braintree :
Your School Board of 1914 wishes to place before you for inspection their annual report and also presents for your consideration, suggestion, or approval a general outline of the estimated expenses for 1915.
The loss of the valued services of our former chairman, Mr. Kneeland, by his retirement in March, was keenly felt by all and the general expression of regret was a fine tribute to his earnest and able leadership in the educational work of the town.
The Philergians were again granted the use of the High School for their summer courses in Domestic Science, the value of which is apparent to all interested enough to investigate this much-needed branch of study; in thanking the ladies of the Philergians for their thoughtfulness of our girl pupils, it is a cause of regret that no club or society of technically trained men have volunteered to assist our boys, by manual or prevo- cational training. to the end that a smaller number on leaving school may be misled into accepting positions governed sole- ly by the financial returns, to the detriment of that remark- able development that comes only in following the vocation to which one is naturally adapted ; and which should be embraced by our boys to insure their future success : to say nothing of recognized value of the mind and body in concerted action.
Your Committee think that in reporting the condition of the School Property, they should anticipate the needs of the future as far as possible, that the items may be taken up in order of most importance.
The South School is in fair condition for an old building but needs a heating plant and seats, unless growth in that vicinity warrants a larger and better 'building soon.
The Southwest and West districts should be combined in a new school located on the School Fund Lot, just north of the Old Poor Farm on Town street.
The Noah Torrey continues to be one of our finest build- ings. To complete seating of hall 150 seats are needed and should be provided.
The Pond, on account of its excellent accessibility to the small children of the South Village, should certainly be re- modeled and improved as suggested, by plans submitted to the Town.
147
The High School building needs consideration. The furnaces of more than twenty years hard service cause many repair bills and when it comes to replacing, as it soon may, substituting with steam would be logical. The sanitary ar- rangement is by no means modern, in fact, the interior of the building should be entirely renovated in the near future.
The condition of the Hollis is certainly deplorable, the failure of the builders and consequent inability of the Com- mittee to compel them to waterproof the walls in a proper manner has resulted in the loss of a large part of the interior decoration, which as soon as the exterior work is satisfactorily accomplished should be attended to.
It is regrettable that the Town should have seen fit to take no action at the earlier opportunities presented to it; for each delay adds many dollars to the ultimate cost of repairs.
The Penniman School furnaces are badly deteriorated, which with the plumbing, cause repair bills out of ratio with the value of the building and number of pupils accommodated. Both items are near future considerations.
The Jonas Perkins for a twenty-year-old building, is in very good condition. The boilers, however, are nearing the age limit; but may last some time. By increasing the radia- tion, the pressure may be cut down, which is advisable.
No mention of the Jonas Perkins School would be com- plete without commending the long and faithful service of Mr. Orr. its former janitor. It is due largely to his careful management that the boilers have lasted to the present time. He was faithful, efficient, was deeply interested in all that concerned the school and the community, and retires after twenty years of service holding the goodwill and affection of the community and the two decades of children that passed through the building. We regret that a pension fund is not available, that the services of Mr. Orr which, so richly merit it, could not be rewarded by some small remuneration during his retirement.
The physical condition of the Lincoln school is better than generally supposed and because of the rapid growth in that vicinity, we strongly recommend the addition of four rooms to this building, and that the grading around the build- ing and cesspool be completed.
It is the suggestion of your Committee that the Union Building be disposed of, either by moving bodily or in sections to the Town Street lot, or sold to be moved away, and that
148
the lot, except what may be necessary for the firehouse, be sold. That all proceeds, together with such sums as may be appropriated, be expended in completing or erecting a School building on the School Fund lot of not less than six class rooms.
In conclusion we wish to state that we have tried to make cur expenses as low as could be consistently done in the prop- er discharge of our duties, and had it not been for items not in our control, such as the requirement of State Police, some cxtra repairs and a deficit of $550 on the Pond School, we should have a sum to refund; but these items, the increased pay to teachers which was primarily brought about by the State Pension Act and the placing of $1480 or more insurance in our expense column has made the per capita cost $32.66 but without which the cost would have been far below usual.
The most earnest co-operation of the officers and mem- bers of the parents or school associations, is both invited and äesired.
A closer relationship between your school committee and these associations is bound to be of positive and material bene- fit to our schools and to our community.
We thank the citizens for the support and assistance rendered and trust they may approve the following items for 1915.
SCHOOL APPROPRIATIONS 1915.
Salaries, Teachers & Superintendent $41,041.00
Janitors
4.950.00
Text Books & Supplies 3,000.00
Incidentals
1.000.00
Repairs & Incidentals
1,500.00
Fuel
2,700.00
Transportation
1,900.00
Insurance
428.05
Total
$56,519.05
I. WENDELL GAMMONS,
MRS. BROOKS, JAMES FOLSOM, WILLIAM GALLAGHER,
MRS. LORING,
BENJAMIN HAWES, Chairman.
149
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT
TO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF THE TOWN OF BRAINTREE :-
Herewith is submitted for your approval the report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year ending Dec. 31, 1914. This report is the thirtieth in the reports of the Superintend- ents.
The schools have shown a net gain in the average mem- bership over the average membership of the year 1913 of 100 pupils. Unfortunately this increase has not come evenly but has concentrated in the East, and the South parts of the Town with no way of relieving pressure by transfer and transporta- tion. The formation of a double grade at the Abraham Lin- coln school for a time helped the crowded conditions at the Jonas Perkins school. Two sixth grades now send pupils to the seventh grade of the Jonas Perkins school. In this grade 60 pupils are enrolled. This number is greater than the ca- pacity of the room and manifestly more than one teacher can handle for the best interests of pupils. I recommend to your Committee that by the use of a movable partition a room be set off in the hall of The Abraham Lincoln school and a sev- enth grade formed in that building. This would be but tem- porary relief as the eighth grade in the Jonas Perkins school both by accretions from the outside and by promotion will in another year be too large for the facilities of the room and for the care of one teacher. Plans for enlarging the Jonas Perk- ins or the Abraham Lincoln school should be drawn at once, and submitted to the Town.
The situation in South Braintree offers the same problem, the only solution of which is increased facilities for the ac- commodation of pupils. The Pond school must have for the health of the children permanent improvements in the sani- tals. A flush system of sanitation should be installed at once.
I recommend that in the estimates for this work that plans for enlarging the Pond school be submitted to the Town, and that the work be done in the summer vacation.
As provided by the special appropriation new and ad- justable seats and desks were placed in one room of the Pond two rooms of the Penniman three rooms of the Jonas Perkins schools. To complete the equipment that all of the rooms in
150
all of our schools may have the modern adjustable type of seat and desk, 550 seats are needed.
GIFTS TO THE SCHOOLS.
At the beginning of the year the Teachers Association de- cided to start a fund for the purchase of victrolas for the schools. Twenty-five dollars for this purpose was given to each of six schools; added to by contributions from the Par- ents' Associations, and from the proceeds of entertainments given by the children sums of money were realized with which victrolas were purchased for the Jonas Perkins, Noah Torrey, Pond, Penniman, Hollis, and The Abraham Lincoln schools.
A. piano, the gift of the Penniman School Association, has been placed in the Penuiman school hall.
The Noah Torrey Parents' Association presented a gas range to the school and gave the equipment for a lunch coun- ter.
Through the efforts of Mr. Maddocks, the principal, a stereopticon has been placed in the Noah Torrey school hall.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL.
There seems to be some mis-understanding in regard to the No School Signal. If the signal is given at 7.30 A. M., there is no school in any of the schools for the forenoon ses- sion ; if at eight o'clock, there is to be no school in the kinder- garten, and the first four grades in the forenoon. If the sig- nal is given at 11.30 A. M., there is to be no afternoon session for any of the grades ; if sounded at 12.30 noon, there is to be no afternoon session in the first four grades.
It is very hard to know when to sound the No School Sig- ral. The signal has been given when in a short time the weather has cleared to a perfectly good school day. Many times when it has not been sounded the storm has developed, making a rough day for children to be out.
On the basis that the schools are kept open 180 school days, it costs over three hundred dollars a day to run our schools. Of course the monetary loss of the closing of the schools would be insignificant, if by exposure any child be- came dangerously ill. The parents should decide, however, if their children are physically able to attend school. The schools are warm and excellent care is given to the children who come
151
in wet. Again the schools should not be lightly closed, if we desire children to have an appreciation of their worth.
If it meets with the approval of your Committee, the No- School Signal will be sounded only when there is no doubt about the storm, or when the walking is very bad indeed.
As a great many of our school patrons are so situated that they do not hear the Signal, I recommend to your Committee that as an additional warning the street lamps be turned on at the same time the signal is sounded, and that they remain on for one minute.
SCHOOL STUDIES OF THE YEAR.
A change in the usual manner of teachers' meetings was made at the beginning of the year. The teachers of each grade organized, electing a leader to study the problems connected with their grade work, compare notes, and experiences, sug- gest improvements in methods, contribute to the course of study, and send forward to the principals and the superin- tendent the findings of the groups with such recommendations f'er changes in material and methods, as their experiences in the grades seemed to demand.
This form of organization has been a great help to the teachers not only in the better understanding of their own grade work, but it gives them the exact knowledge of what and where the work is in the other grades of the Town, be- sides acting as a healthy stimulus to the spirit of inquiry, and the growth of the professional idea.
Fairness to the child has demanded a greater effort to find out the individual needs of children, and to give help wherever required. The teachers have been loyal to the best interests of the children under their care, have carefully, and systematically studied the sources of difficulties, and have done their best to help the pupils to help themselves in over- coming these difficulties.
The one session plan adopted by your Committee in June and September greatly helped in the work with slower pupils; as for one hour in the afternoon pupils needing help were given special undivided assistance.
The question of teaching the first principles of how to get thought from the printed page has occupied our attention. The pupil is taught to select the most important features in a lesson, instead of repeating verbatim the words used by the
152
author. More time has been given to the preparation of the lessons under the supervision of the teacher. In this connec- tion I wish to urge that the school session is too short to give the time to the supervised preparation of lessons. I would recommend to your Committee that the school day in the upper grades be lengthened by one half hour, and that this time be devoted to a study period under the supervision of a teacher. This plan would do away with much of the home study that the work of the upper grades now seems to require. This would of course not forbid home study, but would in iarge measure take its place.
Responsibility for a good recitation, and the pride of pu- pils in making a good recitation has been encouraged and de- veloped. We have made a small attempt in the year to under- stand the differences in children as they develop mentally and physically. The Binet-Simon tests have been used with some degree of success in one of our schools, but we need more of experiment before a detailed report can be made.
The playground work has been continued with the result- ing teaching of the great human lessons that can be taught no where so well as upon the playgrounds. The pleasure of the playground work would be increased by the setting up of sim- ple apparatus for children.
The suggestion has been made to Parents' Associations and to several clubs in the Town that a grand school field day held some time in May would produce the necessary funds not only for equipping the school grounds but the Town play- grounds as well.
HIGH SCHOOL.
The popularity of the High School is evidenced by the in- creasing number of those who enter, and the growth in the per cent of those who remain in the upper classes. From the grammar school graduating classes, numbering 128, 114 en- tered the High School.
The aim of the school is to realize its responsibility to all of its pupils, and to keep as much of the work as is possi- ble in touch with the main interests of the Town and the Com- munity. The Commercial Course which is the only strictly vocational course that the school offers has 60% of the pupils In this department the details of office work have been em- phasized, while in the senior year time has been concentrated
153
upon stenography, typewriting and book-keeping. In the Spring term our students are sent out to the offices and stores of those desiring extra clerical help that they may receive practice under real business conditions. Employers of sten- ographers, and typewriters are sent a list of those students graduating in June who are competent to do office work.
The Science Department under the able direction of Dr. Chapin has identified itself in a small way with the pure food interests of the community. Milk, ice cream, cream, vinegar, wall paper (tested for arsenic) have been tested, while simple tests for the adulteration of food stuffs have been success- fully made. Members of the community are urged to send in samples of suspected articles.
The study of Social Science has been broadened to include the active research of our pupils in the fields of social service, and the study of the vocational resources of the community.
The school has a fine orchestra, and a good chorus. It is to be hoped that a yearly concert free to the patrons of the school, and the public may be arranged that the really excel- lent work of the department may be enjoyed by the people
That the courses of the High School may be understood by the pupils intending to enter from the grammar grades, the Principal holds yearly conferences with the graduating classes, studying the records of the graduates, and suggesting courses where there is no preference.
SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENS.
2300 High Schools in the United States are teaching agri- culture in some one of its forms. The number of elementary and grammar schools thus engaged is not known, but the very many boys and girls clubs in the public schools that are formed for promoting an interest in agricultural projects would indicate that the attention of children in the elementary and grammar grades everywhere is being directed to the culti- vation and the use of the soil.
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