USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > Town annual report of Braintree, Massachusetts for the year 1916 > Part 10
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Article 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
Article 2. To choose all other Town Officers except those elected by ballot.
Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, to borrow money in anticipation of the revenue of the current financial year.
Article 4. To see if the Town will hold its Treasurer harmless on his bond from any loss which may arise from the failure of any National Bank or Trust Company in which the funds of the Town may be on deposit, said Bank or Trust Company being designated by the Selectmen.
Article 5. To hear and act upon the reports of the several boards of Town Officers and any committee, and to choose any committee the Town may think proper.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
Article 6. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the salaries of the Town Officers and the expenses of the several departments, includ- ing the bond of the Town Treasurer and the bond of the Tax Collector.
Article 7. To see what sum of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the expenses of Registra- tion and Elections.
Town Hall.
Article 8. To see what sums of money the Town will
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vote to raise and appropriate for the support and mainte- nance of the Town Hall, and for the services of a Janitor.
Article 9. To see if the Town will furnish seats for the lower Town Hall and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Article 10. To see if the Town will vote to allow the Braintree Board of Trade the use of some room in the Town Hall without charge.
Police Department.
Article 11. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the salaries and expenses, of its Police Department and for the necessary expenses re- quired for the enforcement of the law.
Article 12. To see what sum of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the payment of Court ex- penses.
Article 13. To see if the Town will vote to accept the part of Section 37, Chapter 19, of the Revised Laws and amendments thereto, that applies to placing the Police Force under the Civil Service.
Fire Department.
Article 14. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the support and mainte- nance of the Fire Department, and for hydrant service.
Article 15. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the purchase of new hose.
Article 16. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for extra pay of firemen.
Article 17. To see if the Town will vote to purchase a combination pumping engine, and raise and appropriate a sum of money for the same.
Article 18. To see if the Town will vote to add more permanent men to the Fire Department, and raise and ap- propriate a sum of money to pay the same.
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Article 19. To see if the Town will vote to build a Central Fire Station, and raise and appropriate a sum of money for the same.
Article 20. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for repairs to the engine house on Franklin Street.
Article 21. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the support and mainte- nance of the fire alarm system.
Article 22. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for a fire alarm box on Pond Street, near Granite Street.
Inspection.
Article 23. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the sealing of weights and measures.
Forestry.
Article 24. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the suppression of gypsy and brown tail moths, care of trees, and forest fires.
Health.
Article 25. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the salaries and expenses of the Board of Health and salary of a Secretary; also for fumigation, contagious diseases, vital statistics, and for the inspection of milk, animals, slaughtering, meat and pro- visions and plumbing, and care of dumps.
Article 26. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $200 for the collection of garbage.
Sanitation.
Article 27. To see if the Town will appoint a Commit- tee to consider the construction of a sewerage system, and to report with plans and estimates at a future meeting ; also
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to raise and appropriate a sum of money to be used by said Committee.
Article 28. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate a sum of money to build a drain on Tremont Street, north of Central Avenue, and also to repair said street.
Article 29. To see if the Town will raise and appro- priate a sum of money to build a drain on Hall Avenue.
Article 30. To see if the Town will raise and appro- priate a sum of money to build a drain on Pond Street.
Article 31. To see if the Town will raise and appro- priate a sum of money to take care of the water on Middle Street, west of Arnold Street.
Article 32. To see if the Town will raise and appro- priate a sum of money to take care of the water on Pond street, near Town Street.
Article 33. To see if the Town will raise and appro- priate a sum of money to extend the drain on Pearl Street.
Highways.
Article 34. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the support of the High- way Department, repairs of highways, town ways and bridges; also for repairs and building sidewalks, stone roads, removal of snow, watering and oiling streets, and street lighting.
Article 35. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to enter into a contract with the Massachu- setts Highway Commission to lay out and construct a piece of State highway, on a part or on all of the streets, Granite, Franklin and Washington, running between the Quincy line and the piece contracted for in 1916, and raise and appro- priate a sum of money for the same; also to indemnify the Commonwealth against claims for land and grade damages on account of such laying out and construction; also to appropriate the sum of $5,000 to be expended in carrying out the contract made in 1916.
Article 36. To see if the Town will vote to accept the
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laying out as a town way, as made by the Selectmen, under a vote of the Town, of Elm Knoll Road, so called, leading southerly from Commercial Street, and raise and appro- priate a sum of money for the same.
Article 37. To see if the Town will vote to accept the laying out as a town way, as made by the Selectmen, under a vote of the Town, of Wyman Road, so called, leading northerly from Webster Road.
Article 38. To see if the Town will vote to accept the laying out as a town way, as made by the Selectmen, under a vote of the Town, of Wilmarth Road, so called, leading northerly from Webster Road.
Article 39. To see if the Town will vote to accept the laying out as a town way, as made by the Selectmen, of Wilson Avenue, so called, leading easterly from Middle Street.
Article 40. To see if the Town will vote to accept the laying out as a town way, as made by the Selectmen, of Bellevue Avenue, so called, leading from Washington Street to the easterly line of Phillips Street, so called, and raise and appropriate a sum of money for the same ; also to change the name of said avenue to Oscaleta Road.
Article 41. To see if the Town will vote to instruct the Selectmen to lay out as a town way May Street. so called, leading westerly from Hobart Street.
Article 42. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money to build a new bridge on Union Street, over the Monatiquot River.
Article 43. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money to extend the sidewalk on Pearl Street to Liberty Street.
Article 44. To see if the Town will vote to accept the provisions of Chapter 50 of the Revised Laws and the Amendments thereto, relative to betterments and other assessments on account of the cost of public improvement.
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Charities.
Article 45. To see what sums of money the Town will raise and appropriate for the support of the poor, and the maintenance, painting and repairs of the Braintree Home.
Article 46. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money to be expended under Chapter 763, Acts of the year 1913.
Soldiers' Benefits.
Article 47. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the payment of State aid, and soldiers' burials and soldiers' relief.
Education.
Article 48. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the support of the Public Schools, and for transporting pupils to and from the same.
Article 49. To see what sums of money the Town will raise and appropriate for the purchase of portable school- houses, and equipment of same.
Article 50. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for new sanitals and heating system at the High School.
Article 51. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for repairs at the Pond School.
Article 52. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for granting a bonus of $75 to all teachers in the employ of the public schools who re- ceive $700 or less.
Article 53. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for fire prevention in the Pub- lic Schools.
Article 54. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money toward the building of a band- stand on the Hollis School grounds.
Library.
Article 55. To see what sums of money the Town will
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vote to raise and appropriate for the Thayer Public Library, for the distribution of books and for the services of a jan- itor.
Recreation.
Article 56. To see if the Town will raise and appro- priate the sum of $1,000 to be expended upon the Parks, Playgrounds and public lands of the Town, under the direc- tion of the Park Commissioners.
Article 57. To see what action the Town will take re- garding boating and fishing on Sunset Lake.
Unclassified.
Article 58. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for miscellaneous expenses.
Article 59. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money to assist Post 87, G. A. R., in defraying expenses Memorial Day.
Article 60. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for insurance under the Em- ployees' Compensation Act.
Article 61. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money to be expended on the Town lands.
Article 62. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $500 to provide ten cloth maps of the Town of Braintree, scale 500 feet to the inch, for the use of the various Town departments.
Electric Light Department.
Article 63. To see if the Town will appropriate from the income of the Electric Light Department the sum of $3,810.98 for the Depreciation Fund; the sum of $330 for interest on bonds; the sum of $430 for the Sinking Fund, and such fur- ther amount as may be needed in the Sinking Fund to equal the amount of the bonds which become due April 2, 1917 ; the sum of $1,954.02 for line extensions, and the sum of $300 for the salaries of the Municipal Light Board.
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Article 64. To see if the Town will appropriate the re- mainder of the income of the Electric Light Department, to- gether with the remaining balance of the income for 1916 for operating expenses, repairs, renewals and new constructions.
Article 65. To see if the Town will raise and appro- priate a sum of money to extend the street lights on Tremont Street, from Academy Street to West Street.
Article 66. To see if the Town will place street lights on Dewey Road and Marietta Avenue and raise and appro- priate a sum of money for the same.
Water Department.
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Article 67. To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate to be expended under the di- rection of the Water Commissioners for the extension of water mains.
Cemetery.
Article 68. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money to be expended on the Plain Street Cemetery and for the services of a superintendent.
Interest. Municipal Indebtedness.
Article 69. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate such sums of money as may be necessary for the payments due on the municipal indebtedness and for the payment of interest on Town debt and on loans in an- ticipation of revenue.
Sinking Fund.
Article 70. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate such sums of money as may be necessary for the Electric Light and Water Loan Sinking Funds.
Miscellaneous.
Article 71. To see what action the Town will take in regard to interest on unpaid taxes, in accordance with Sec- tion 21, Chapter 237, Acts of 1915.
Article 72. To act upon the report of the Committee
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appointed to codify the By-Laws, and to make such By-Laws as the Town may deem necessary.
Article 73. To see if the Town will vote to accept the Building Regulations or By-Laws submitted to the Town by the Committee on Building Regulations at the Annual Town Meeting in 1913.
Article 74. To see if the Town will vote to convert the Union School to public use by providing a polling place therein, and suitable quarters for meeting places for the local troops of the Boy Scouts of America, and other public welfare organizations within the Town, and to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the same.
Article 75. To see if the Town will accept as a gift from Mr. N. E. Hollis about 21 acres of land on Pond Street, next to the Southwest schoolhouse lot, for park, playground and school purposes, upon the terms and conditions set forth in his letter dated December 11, 1916, and proposed deed of the land, said land to be hereafter known as "The Ellis An- derson Hollingsworth Park."
Article 76. To see if the Town will accept the gift from Mr. N. E. Hollis of the fountain erected by him in Storrs Square, Braintree.
Article 77. To see if the Town will vote to appoint a committee of seven to investigate the "Town Manager" form of government as adopted by the town of Norwood, and petitioned for by the Town of Winchester, consider the advantages that would accrue to Braintree under such an administration, and report to the Town at the 1918 Town Meeting.
Article 78. To see if the Town will vote to appoint a committee of seven to investigate the increased fares on the Bay State Street Railway within the Town of Braintree, confer with the Public Service Commission of Massachusetts in regard to securing a reconsideration of the matter; also to investigate the entire relations betwen the Town of Braintree and the Bay State Street Railway, and submit their report to this Town Meeting.
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You are directed to serve this warrant by posting at- tested copies thereof in three public places in each Precinct . in said Town of Braintree, seven days at least before said fifth day of March, 1917, and by publishing the same once in the Braintree Observer-Reporter and Braintree Bee.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk before the twenty-eighth day of February, 1917.
Given under our hands at Braintree this first day of February, in the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen.
GEORGE H. HOLBROOK, HENRY M. STORM; B. HERBERT WOODSUM, Selectmen of Braintree.
A true copy. Attest :
JEREMIAH F. GALLIVAN, Constable of Braintree.
Braintree, February 8, 1917.
Pursuant to the foregoing warrant, I hereby notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Braintree, qualified as therein expressed, to meet at the time and place for the purposes therein mentioned.
JEREMIAH F. GALLIVAN, Constable of Braintree.
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JURY LIST
As prepared by the Selectmen, February 1, 1917.
Akerstrom, John, 130 Hayward street, harnessmaker. Andrews, George W., 43 Pleasant street, salesman. Atkinson, Courtenay, 46 Academy street, clerk. Barclay, Willard S., 84 Academy street, carpenter. Bates, William, 37 Franklin street, shoeworker. Bond, Francis D., 35 Spruce street, clerk. Bridgham, Oakes A., 985 Washington street, merchant. Bridson, Thomas E., 25 Taylor sreet, retired.
Burgess, H. Sands, 748 Washington street, vaudeville. Burke, Jeremiah, 75 Plain street, car inspector. Cain, Ralph C., 2070 Washington street, farmer. Carson, Walter K., 46 Hollis avenue, salesman. Catlin, Seth, Jr., 381 Washington street, broker. Chamberlain, Frank A., 20 Frederick road, shoeworker. Chase, Harry L., 59 Tremont street, salesman. Cook, Alfred A., 40 Mt. Vernon avenue, tile mason. Crocker, Fred M., 25 Liberty street, machinist. Cushman, Henry T., 4 Hall avenue, shoeworker. Dobson, George R., 125 Hayward street, carpenter. Dow, M. Alva, 87 Middle street, electrician. Downey, Thomas, 1356 Washington street, carpenter. Drake, William R., Highland avenue, poultry dealer. Drinkwater, Joseph S., 11 Jersey avenue, bookkeeper. Dutton, Worthen S., Dearing avenue, salesman. Dyer, F. Eugene, 1102 Washington street, bank treasurer. Ellsworth, George G., 117 Adams street, clerk.
Emerson, Merton L., 135 West street, superintendent.
Field, William E., 14 Elm Knoll road, architect. Folsom, James E., 49 Mt. Vernon street, superintendent. Gazan, Samuel E., 30 Oak street, salesman. Gillette, Marion C., 21 Hancock street, shoeworker. Gould, Thomas H., 1461 Washington street, painter. Hagan, Hans, Hayward street, carpenter.
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Harding, William C., 132 Hollis avenue, bookkeeper. Harrison, William C., 23 Thayer avenue, draftsman. Hastings, Arthur H., 70 Ash street, clerk. Hathaway, Charles M., 408 Commercial street, electrician. Hawes, Benjamin, 516 Middle street, carpenter. Hobart, Charles A., 691 Washington street, painter. Hobart, Sanford W., 699 Washington street, carpenter. Holbrook, Alfred H., Cleveland avenue, carpenter. Hollis, Henry M., 157 Middle street, farmer. Holmes, George W., 22 Myrtle street, gardener. Hunt, Horace F., 92 Tremont street, retired. . Illingworth, John W., 1724 Washington street, lineman. Jennings, George W., 317 Washington street, engineer. Jordan, Charles G., 155 Allen street, grain dealer. Jordan, Frank H., 210 Commercial street, grocer. Keating, Gordon M., 132 Cedar street, clerk. Kingsbury, George D., 115 River street, bookkeeper. Kinna, James T., 159 Hollis avenue, foreman. Kirby, John H., Jr., 81 School street, carpenter. Kjellander, Edward, 401 Union street, carpenter. Knight, Bradford Y., 193 Shaw street, carpenter. Landrey, Urban T., 110 Pond street, piano worker. Leben, L. Francis, 76 Howard' street, machinist. Levangie, Wilfred C., 308 Franklin street, chauffeur. Long, John E., 18 River street, retired. Loring, George B., off Allen street, boat. builder. Lothrop, Charles M., 12 French avenue, merchant. Luce, Charles F., 14 Fountain street, shoeworker. Ludden, George E., 226 Shaw street, leather worker. Macomber, Ellwood G., 16 Highland avenue, machinist. Manning, Fred N., 47 French avenue, bookkeeper. McInnis, George A., 169 Hancock street, carpenter. McRae, Augustus, 30 Sheppard avenue, carpenter. Miller. Charles O., 38 Liberty street, insurance. Morgan, Frank H., 125 Allen street, druggist. Ness, Thomas W., 95 West street, machinist. Nickson, William, 685 Union street, mill hand. Osborne, Walter S., Liberty street, shoeworker.
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Pack, Fred P., 16 Brookside road, undertaker. Pettendreigh, William, 8 May avenue, machinist. Poore, Walter A., 94 Claremont street, grocer. Pratt, Stillman F., 365 Washington street, editor. Reed, Bert H., 17 Academy street, agent. Ryan, Henry L., 285 Liberty street, florist. Sampson, George E., 25 Hobart avenue, real estate. Scollard, Nicholas F., 11 Bowditch street, shoe dealer. Senecal, Alfred J., 108 Academy street, shoeworker. Simonds, Walter E., 55 Tremont street, shoeworker. Singleton, James, 60 Harrison avenue, superintendent. Sullivan, John F., 36 Oak street, painter. Sullivan, Michael L., Division street, milk dealer. Summers, William B., Norfolk road, draftsman. Swallow, Fred A., 45 Fountain street, shoeworker. Torrey, N. Gleason, 20 Pond street, retired. Thayer, Elmer F., 279 Pond street, farmer. Vaughan, Ernest M., 36 Quincy avenue, merchant. Vinton, Harry F., 38 River street, engineer. Watkins, Edwin F., 569 Washington street, R.R. employee. Watson, Fred B., Union street, shoeworker. Welch, George, Jr., 105 Tremont street, shoeworker. White, Hartley L., 40 Maple street, civil engineer. Wilken, Andrew H., 259 Union street, printer.
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REPORT OF BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
ORGANIZATION.
Report of Water Commissioners and Commissioners of the Sinking Fund for the Year 1916.
HON. JAMES T. STEVENS, Chairman JOHN KELLEY WILLIAM C. HARRISON
OTIS B. OAKMAN, Treasurer
WILLIAM E. MAYBURY, Superintendent
W. L. GAGE, Secretary and Collector JOHN W. MULCAHY, Engineer
In accordance with the requirements of the Town By- Laws, Art. 2, Section 2, there is herewith submitted the an- nual report of the Water Board for the year expiring December 31, 1916.
There are now 2136 water services in active operation, and a reference to the report of the Registrar shows an amount of unpaid water rates carried over to the new year of $2562.71. This evidence of slowness in settling water bills is a cause of much annoyance to the Commissioners, and really should not be allowed to continue. As the De- . partment is dependent on collections from consumers for money for operating expenses, it sometimes finds itself short of funds to meet obligations when due, and the delinquen- cies add to the expense of the Department for stationery and postage used by the Collector for sending out reminders of bills over-due. It is to be hoped, for the credit of the Department, that consumers will take this into considera- tion, and show a greater readiness to settle accounts when due.
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At the annual meeting in March, the Town voted to raise and appropriate the sum of seven thousand dollars fon the extension of the water mains on Union Street and Hill- side Road. The Board advertised for bids for the comple- tion of the work, and received several bids, none of which came within the appropriation and all of which were re- jected. Realizing the importance of this work, we took the matter under careful consideration, and after much corre- spondence with producers of materials, and having received a proposition for performing the labor, it was decided to proceed with the work, and orders were given for the mate- rials. This job would have been complete and the mains in operation early in November, but delays were encoun- tered owing to embargoes on freight shipments by the rail- roads, and it was late in November before the required amount of material was at hand, when the weather had be- come so unsettled as to prevent continuous work of exca- vating and laying pipe. At present the pipe is all in the trenches, but the back-filling has not been so far perfected as to allow of the water being turned into the mains, and the full completion of the job awaits the coming of suitable weather.
During the year the matter of opening up Little Pond to the public for pleasure purposes has been brought up to the Board, and before rendering a final decision, the Commis- sioners felt that matters pending between them and the State Health Department should be settled, and the Superin- tendent and Secretary were instructed to appear before that Department, and a date for a hearing was given them.
After stating all of the facts in the case, the matter was taken under consideration by the State Health Depart- ment, and the result is given in a letter, of which the fol- lowing is a copy.
State Dept. of Health, Boston, Oct. 21, 1916. To the Board of Water Commissioners, Braintree, Mass.
Gentlemen : The State Department of Health has con- sidered the circumstances affecting the question of boating
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and fishing in Little Pond. It appears to this Department that, if it should make rules and regulations for sanitary protection of Little Pond, which is maintained at present for use only in case of emergency, a number of the inhabi- tants about the shores of the pond would be put to consid- erable expense in the course of the enforcement of the regu- lations. Under the present conditions, it does not appear to the Department reasonable to adopt this course.
Without the adoption of rules and regulations by this Department, it will be impracticable for the Department to authorize your Board to regulate boating and fishing on Little Pond.
(Signed)
Respectfully, A. J. MCLAUGHLIN, Commissioner of Health.
This letter above quoted was the first instructions of a definite nature that the Board had received from the State Health Department, and we felt that, being governed by this ruling, we had no authority to either grant or withhold permission for pleasure purposes on the pond. Notwith- standing the position we have taken, the Pond is still, in the estimation of the State Health Department, a source of sup- ply in case of emergency, and any abuse of any privileges that may be exercised on or around the pond will be pun- ishable under the statutes governing domestic water sup- plies.
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