Town annual report of Braintree, Massachusetts for the year 1938, Part 15

Author:
Publication date: 1938
Publisher: The town
Number of Pages: 286


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Respectfully submitted,


CLARENCE R. BESTICK, Tree Warden.


192


REPORT OF SOLDIERS' RELIEF DEPARTMENT


1937


1938


January


$ 829.31


January


$ 3,286.83


February


1,565.40


February


2,955.12


March


1,445.98


March


2,576.67


April


2,623.76


April


1,675.95


May


1,633.81


May


1,329.82


June


1,123.94


June


1,482.32


July


1,481.03


July


1,303.37


August


1,798.97


August


1,488.89


September


1,536.23


September


1,622.44


October


1,108.94


October


1,470.20


November


1,959.00


November


1,801.43


December


3,941.54


December


2,223.12


$21,046.91


$23,216.16


Above are the figures for 1937 and 1938 for bills contracted during the twelve (12) months of each year. In the year of 1937 the Soldiers' Relief Department spent $21,046.91, of which $7,046.91 was an over- draft.


In the year 1938, $22,850.00 was appropriated. Of this amount $4,000.00 was appropriated at the special town meeting in October, 1938. This $4,000.00 would have been unnecessary but for the fact that in the first two and one half months of the year 1938 approximately $7,500.00 was spent by the previous administration.


We have endeavored to keep within the Budget, but owing to con- siderable sickness which has been prevalent in the town, we have ex- ceeded our budget by approximately $400.00. Since taking office, March 14, 1938, no bills of any kind have been contracted or paid without a written authorization by the Soldiers' Relief Agent. It was the practice in the past for recipients to go to various drug stores and doctors, etc., and charge everything to Soldiers' Relief. This practice has been stopped and no bills from drug stores, and doctors are honored unless first authorized by this department. We take a 2% discount on all bills rendered from stores. All physicians in town have given special rates to the Soldiers' Relief Recipients, who are in need of medical attention.


The recipients vary between 50 and 60 cases and between 200 and 240 persons. All bills are paid one week from date rendered. We have endeavored to proportionate the business evenly among the stores and professional men in town, and all the merchants and professional men have been ready to co-operate fully with us.


The veterans are growing older and while a number of them are employed on W.P.A., this only pays them $13.13 a week, to spend on themselves and their families. There are several Civil and Spanish War veterans on Soldiers' Relief, the majority, however, are World War Veterans, their widows and children.


I have endeavored to be fair and impartial to all who apply to the Soldiers' Relief and believe that, with the exception of some who would complain regardless of how much they receive, we have been successful in this end.


This department has been free from any political interference of any kind.


MILITARY AID. $1,690.00 was appropriated for Military Aid of which $1,530.00 was spent. Of this amount the State reimburses the Town one-half.


BURIAL AND STATE AID. $520.00 was appropriated for Burial and State Aid of which $330.00 was spent, this amount being reimbursed in full to the Town by the State.


SYDNEY WEST, Soldiers' Relief Agent.


193


OLD AGE ASSISTANCE REPORT OF SUPERVISOR


Old Age Assistance is one item in the Town Budget that is bound to increase with each succeeding year for a number of years to come. Since September 1, 1936, when the age limit was reduced from 70 to 65 years, the number of recipients has almost doubled. At the beginning of the year 1938 there were 261 recipients on the payroll in Braintree. At the end of the year there were 301-a net increase of 40.


Following are the Old Age Assistance figures for the years 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1938. They include the estimated cost by the depart- ment, the amount appropriated, the expenditure for the year and the amount overspent. These are Town figures-they include the State's share but they do not include the amounts received monthly from the Federal government, which brought the total cost well over $100,000 in 1938.


Year


Estimate .


Appropriated


Expended


Overspent


1935


$39,880.00


$38,000.00


$44,033.37


$ 6,033.37


1936


47,000.00


45,000.00


49,000.35


5,000.35


1937


54,000.00


47,545.00


59,418.00


12,073.57


1938


71,358.78


72,500.00


67,193.04


($5,306.94 unexpended)


When the present administration took charge of this department on April 1, 1938, the monthly cost of medical services and medicines in Braintree was among the highest in the State. Through the coopera- tion of our local physicians the cost is now one-third of the amount which was being spent under the preceding administration. The bills for medicines and medical supplies have been reduced about 25%. The savings in these two items amounted to thousands of dollars and the result has been accomplished without anyone being deprived of needed medical services.


During the year we have collected $6,881.05 from other towns and cities, a large part of which had been allowed to pass the statute of limitations through failure of the previous administration to follow up the billings with the correspondence and personal calls necessary to obtain settlements. We paid other cities and towns $1,569.58 on Old Age cases, and we are now protecting the Town on all payments due us for Old Age Assistance given to recipients whose place of settlement is in these outside towns and cities.


In 1937 there was a steady increase in our monthly cost per case of Old Age Assistance until this cost per case in Braintree was the second highest in the state. Our costs have been reduced over $1,000.00 a month under the present administration.


Here is the 1938 record of cases, complete costs, and medical serv- ices by months. You may note the decreasing costs of medical services and medicines, beginning April 1st, bearing in mind that the number of cases increased materially, and that a considerable portion of the medical bills paid in April and May were contracted by the previous administration during the first three months of 1938.


194


Number of Cases


Total Cost


Doctors' Bills


Med. Supplies


January


261


$9,066.57


$ 853.00


$183.17


February


268


9,261.41


899.00


211.19


March


273


9,461.12


1,182.00


168.99


April


276


8,913.72


468.50


150.24


May


276


8,963.34


410.00


143.64


June


276


8,829.74


347.00


107.24


July


271


8,539.93


159.00


107.60


August


278


8,588.36


181.00


116.60


September


283


8,981.37


258.00


151.16


October


289


9,164.58


264.50


138.56


November


299


9,446.54


287.00


151.16


December


301


9,461.44


207.00


184.94


At a Special Town Meeting held on October 10, 1938, the Bureau of Old Age Assistance asked for an additional appropriation of $7,500 on account of unnecessary spending during the first three months of the year, to take care of the large increase in the number of recipients and to insure against an overdraft at the end of the year, in the event that the monthly Federal grant, due the latter part of December, failed to arrive until after December 31st. This grant came through on time and $5,306.96 of the amount appropriated was saved and returned to the Town.


Every consideration is being given to those on Old Age Assistance and we have helped many a family out of distressful situations. The Supervisor and Investigator have both run their own cars as the Town failed to provide cars for their use-a situation that should be remedied at the 1939 Town Meeting, as both men are obliged to spend the greater part of their time in calls upon Old Age recipients throughout the Town.


In conclusion, let me say again that the number of recipients of Old Age Assistance will increase year by year for a number of years to come and the trend of legislative thought is to increase rather than decrease the amount of payments. Due to the large increase in the number of those receiving assistance and the fact that the W.P.A is no longer giving employment to men and women over 65 years of age, the amount asked for Old Age Assistance in 1939 will exceed the figure for 1938.


Not only is the W.P.A. not employing those over 65 years of age, but on December 13, 1938, it informed our department that it had noti- fied twenty men over 65 years of age who were on the W.P.A. rolls in Braintree to apply immediately for Old Age Assistance as they were to be dropped from the W.P.A. Should this policy be carried out it would mean an increase of about $9,000 a year in the cost of assistance for this group alone and inasmuch as their W.P.A. earnings are about twice as much as we could give them on Old Age Assistance our Wel- fare Department will be called upon to make up most of the difference to take care of the families of these men, thus putting a larger share of assistance upon the Town.


195


Statistics show that since 1900 the proportionate percentage of old folks has been increasing year by year while there has been a steady percentage decrease in the number of people under fifty years of age. Better living conditions, and more advanced medical treatment in homes and hospitals is prolonging life-while higher living costs and lowered remuneration in most lines of activity have tended to lower the birth-rate. Just so long as such conditions remain and the trend toward more liberal provision for old age continues-larger expenditures on the part of the Town will be necessary each year and will add to the tax rate. Having passed laws to remove the fear of old age poverty and dependence-we must assume the growing costs of such assistance.


Respectfully submitted,


BUREAU OF OLD AGE ASSISTANCE, ALBERT L. RICE, Supervisor.


196


CEMETERY DEPARTMENT TOWN OF BRAINTREE


January 25, 1939.


Honorable Board of Selectmen


Town Hall


South Braintree, Massachusetts


Gentlemen:


I submit herewith the Annual Report of the Superintendent of the Plain Street Cemetery, for the year ending, December 31, 1938.


There were fourteen burials: nine adults, three minors, two still- born, and one removal. On these burials I saved the Town of Braintree, sixty-three dollars ($63.00) over expenses which went into the E. & D. Fund.


Eleven graves that had caved in from settling were filled with loam, regraded, and seeded. Several moss covered lots were raked, limed, loamed, and seeded. Broken up tarvia walks, tarvia removed and replaced with stone dust. All shrubbery trimmed and edged around base.


I received many compliments how well the cemetery looked the past year.


Through the co-operation of Mr. Henry Higgins, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and Mr. Henry Storm, Secretary of the Finance Committee, was able to put through a $17,000.00 W.P.A. Project to build a stone wall surrounding cemetery from Plain Street to Plain Street, which will make good available lots and add to the appearance of the cemetery. This was approved by the Federal Government as a worthy project.


In closing, I wish to thank the Honorable Board of Selectmen, Mr. Fred Lawley, Welfare Director, and Mr. John Wentworth, Super- intendent of Streets, for the co-operation they have given me.


Respectfully submitted,


HERBERT F. STACKHOUSE,


Superintendent of the Plain Street Cemetery.


197


ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


Planning Board


OF THE


Town of Braintree


FROM


December 31, '37 to December 31, '38


198


REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD


The Planning Board presents its report for the year 1938.


MUNICIPAL PLANNING


Your Board recommends your further consideration of the new Planning Board Act, referred to in its annual report for 1937 and discussed briefly at the 1937 Annual Town Meeting. At this time it does not seem desirable to consider the whole act but only those sections, 81F to 81J, inclusive. These sections cover subdivision development, contain no zoning or other features which would cause increased ex- pense to the town or private parties. They provide rules and regula- tions requiring new sub-division developments where the construction of a street or streets becomes necessary to conform to existing public ways and public utilities. A plot of the proposed sub-division is re- quired to be submitted to the Board of Survey for their approval or disapproval. Full details may be found in General Laws, Acts of 1936, Chapter 211.


ZONING


Your Board gave some brief consideration to the question of some form of modified or partial zoning, but in view of the many problems confronting the Town, thought it desirable to make no recommendations.


COMPREHENSIVE TOWN PLAN


Your Board reviewed during the past year the work already done in previous years, and acting with a consultant, considered problems associated with bringing existing plans up to date as well as extending the existing work towards completion. Further study will be required by the Board before recommendations can be made.


HAZARDOUS INTERSECTIONS


Your Board while favoring a study of this problem is not prepared at this time to make any further recommendations.


NEW FIRE STATION SITE


Your Board renews its recommendations of other years that when financial conditions permit it that the Town Fire Department replace its present inadequate and poorly located building in the East Section with a suitable new station to be erected on the Adams Street Play- ground at the junction of Adams and Commercial Streets.


NEW LIBRARY SITE


Your Board in its 1937 Report called attention to the necessity of some provisions for improved and enlarged library facilities. It recom- mends the acquisition by the Town when financial conditions might per- mit it, a substantial section of the French estate opposite the Town


199


Hall for the new site as well as future Town needs and to round out a possible Civic Center development. These recommendations are re- newed.


ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PROPERTY


Your Board has this past year given some consideration to the future growth of the Town and the need for additional lands for play- grounds, recreation and park purposes. It has therefore prepared a general plan showing all Town owned properties including those taken under the Tax Title Act. This map is available for use at the Town Engineer's office. This Board will recommend the retention by the Town of such properties as will serve the best public interests of the Town.


Respectfully submitted,


EDWARD J. ROSE, Chairman JAMES F. BRITTAIN, Secretary JOHN F. CLINTON JOSEPH W. PARKER FRANK L. HEANEY JOHN J. DRINKWATER, Town Engineer ..


REPORT OF TAX COLLECTIONS - Year Ending December 31, 1938


Commitments


Cash


Abatements


Added to Tax Title


Tax Title Takings


Credits by Statute


Journal Entry & Returns for Appor- tionment


January 1,1939 Balance


% of Original Commit- ment


200


GEORGE H. GERRIOR, JR.,


Tax Collector.


$ 9,304.37


$


15,965.57


$ 2,850.26


$ 149.24


$ 11,152.81


$ 1,813.26


Unapportioned Sewer Connection


12,648.92


4,108.80


4,980.09


3,560.03


Advanced Apportioned Assessments : Sewer


2,099.00


1,866.00


233.00


Sewer Connection


243.00


243.00


Street Betterment


158.00


104.00


54.00


$ 31,114.49


$ 9,172.06


$ 436.24


$ 16,132.90 $ 5,373.29


Grand Total


$1,343,861.36


$957,191.76


$ 18,543.40


$ 29,175.74


$8,498.64


$ 98.84


$ 16,130.50


$314,222.48


Miscellaneous Income :


Interest


$ 8,808.07


Accounts Previously Abated


2.00


Fees


391.30


Tax Information


103.00


585.42


21.47


291.81


Poll Taxes


699.00


546.00


119.00


34.00


$ 240,392.31


$181,870.84


$ 1,753.82


$ 7,673.48


$ 98.64


$ 37.87


LEVY OF 1936


Real Estate Taxes.


$ 47,906.03


$ 39,486.99


$ 381.87


$8,037.17


Sewer Assessments


1,097.74


867.00


6A 5.00 Cr.


235.74


Street Betterment Assessments


130.00


105.00


25.00


Moth Assessments


36.75


34.25


2.50


Committed Interest


559.44


459.45


2.10 Cr.


102.09


Motor Vehicle Excise


295.09


206.98


72.09


CA 16.02


Personal Property Taxes


318.45


264.49


11.41


44.95


2.40 Cr.


Poll Taxes


52.00


36.00


16.00


$


50,395.50


$ 41,460.16


$ 483.87


$


7.10 Cr. $8,400.00


$ 60.97


$ 2.40 Cr.


Real Estate Taxes.


$ 220,897.45


$166,028.56


$ 962.48


$ 7,395.58


$ 91.84


$ 46,418.99


Sewer Assessments


4,956.13


3,658.88


157.30


5.00


1,134.95


Sewer Connection Assessments


339.07


266.23


7.40


65.44


Street Betterment Assessments


719.80


643.30


25.00


51.50


Committed Interest


2,689.58


2,057.71


88.20


1.80


541.87


Personal Property Taxes


2,978.38


2,455.96


86.92


$ 16.40


419.10


Motor Vehicle Excise


7,112.90


6,214.20


1,668.03


771.71


Poll Taxes


10,430.00


9,653.50


496.50


280.00


$1,021,959.06


$724,688.70


$ 15,869.47


$ 21,509.36


$259,891.53


25%


LEVY OF 1937


$916,847.94


$637,654.36


$ 12,454.71


$ 20,260.28


$246,478.59


Sewer Assessments


12,963.85


7,036.06


839.50


5,088.29


Sewer Connection Assessments


999.09


613.54


14.00


371.55


Street Betterment Assessments


1,708.40


1,031.40


43.00


634.00


Sewer Committed Interest


5,267.49


2,790.29


11.27


338.06


2,127.87


810.74


496.99


2.06


14.52


297.17


Personal Property Taxes


32,181.72


27,102.47


1,236.90


3,842.35


Motor Vehicle Excise


40,749.83


38,310.09


Other Committed Interest


$ 48,957.66


5%


LEVY OF 1938


Real Estate Taxes


Unapportioned Sewer Assessments ..


201.


ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


Highway Department


OF THE


Town of Braintree


FROM


December 31, '37 to December 31, '38


i


202


REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAY


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


Gentlemen:


I respectfully submit to you my report as Superintendent of the Highway Department for the period since my appointment on March 8th, 1938. At that time I was instructed by the chairman, Mr. Higgins, to take full and complete charge of the department, that it was the desire of the Selectmen to have the department run as efficiently and as economically as possible.


I found the personnel to be excessive, the weekly payroll being $677.40 for twenty-three permanent employees, exclusive of the super- intendent. Twelve men were discharged and the positions that had to be refilled were given to former employees, men with eight to twelve years' experience, who had lost their jobs the year previous through no fault of their own, but merely to make room for political appointments. The present personnel consists of fourteen permanent men at a weekly payroll of $462, also three temporary men who work on an hourly basis at 50c per hour, when needed.


Next came the calling for bids on the various materials to be used during the year, such as: asphalt materials, gasoline, coal, fuel oil, sand, gravel, cement, pipe, etc. It may seem to some of the taxpayers and citizens that the town should not buy gravel when we have a pit of our own, but this was done to save money. We had a contract with the State Department of Public Works to supply approxi- mately 10,000 cubic yards of gravel for the Church and Center Street project at a unit price of 55c per cubic yard in place. Therefore, money could be saved if we could get a reasonable price from an independent contractor. This we did, the Crystal Concrete Corporation bidding 43c per cubic yard delivered, when and where needed in Braintree. Furthermore, if we supplied the gravel from our own pit (which, by the way, is located on Oak Street, Randolph, 4.5 miles from the project using the largest quantity), our repairs to equipment would have been increased tremendously, as Highway trucks would have been on a continuous haul from Randolph. We would also have had to hire trucks to carry on our regular maintenance work.


Another substantial saving was made in the purchase of sand. In 1937, 60c per ton was paid to the Crystal Concrete Corporation. Since April 1938, 371/2 per ton has been paid to the same concern.


We found that No. 2 fuel oil was adaptable for our burner at the Highway barn instead of No. 1 fuel oil, which reduced oil cost approxi- mately 2c per gallon.


500 gallons of 100% Penn oil were purchased at 30c per gallon. In 1937, 57c per gallon was paid for the same oil.


I might state that all Highway supplies have been purchased at the lowest possible figure. After consulting several dealers on prices, quality, etc., the order was given to the dealer with the lowest quotation.


GENERAL MAINTENANCE


Shortly after our annual town meeting in March, our usual "spring cleaning was started with approximately thirty men, of whom fifteen were picked from the welfare rolls to help reduce expenditures in this department. Upon being hired, these men were requested to apply at the W.P.A. office to register for employment. As soon as "they received notice to report on a W.P.A. project they were dis-


203.


missed by the Highway Department and put on the W.P.A. In this. manner we were able to reduce the welfare burden and also give- help to the individuals who were not eligible for W.P.A.


Our patching was at first general throughout the entire town, repairing the worst places in advance of the thorough patching which took place later.


Our next operation was to make a general survey of the town to locate the streets which must or should be tarvia treated in order to save an expensive repair job the following year.


We have listed on the two following pages, streets tarred in 1938 showing linear feet, amount of tarvia and the cost for same; also a list of streets tarred in 1937 for comparison:


STREETS TARRED YEAR 1938


Lin. Ft.


Arbutus Ave .- Standish to Wildwood.


800


Brewster St.


2,100


South St.


900


Wildwood-500 ft. School-West to C Basin.


600


Standish St.


1,700


Plymouth St.


550


Liberty St .- Division to 300 ft. North of Plain St.


14,000


Peach St.


3,500


Pearl St .- Liberty to Dwyer's Pit


1,800


Crawford St.


750


Colbert Ave.


200


West St .- South Weymouth Line


1,900


Town St.


3,000


Holbrook Ave.


700


Jefferson St .- Highland Ave. to Top of Hill 600 ft.


800


Highland Ave .- Hancock to Jefferson St ..


800


Plain St .- Liberty to end of screened gravel rd.


800


Hobart Ave.


2,350


Lakeview Ave.


1,000


Sumner Ave.


750


Summer St.


200


Hollingsworth Ave.


2,500


Academy St.


2,100


Weston Ave.


1,700,


Safford St.


850


Sampson Ave.


600


Sherbrook Ave.


1,150


Robinson Ave.


950


Oak St.


1,800


Walnut Ave .- West to Hollis Ave .- Storrs to Park Side


1,100


Ellsmore Ter.


750


Colby Rd.


1,500


Storrs Ave.


350


Clark St.


1,200;


Wyman Rd.


475


Wilmarth Rd.


750


Webster Rd.


700


Myrtle St.


500


Vine St.


500.


Spruce St.


West St .- from Route 128 to Randolph Line


4,500


River St. Ext.


850*


2,000


Pond St .- Glendale to Farm River Bridge


700


:204


Lin. Ft.


River St .- R.R. Crossing to Washington


800


Lemoyne St.


650


Wilson Ave.


350


Hawthorne Rd .- Home Park to Washington


1,000


Pleasant St.


950


Fairfield St.


1,200


Lowell St.


500


Charles St.


500


Park St.


1,250


Vinton Ave.


200


Town Hall-Parking Area


900


Elm St .- Adams to Commercial.


3,200


Drinkwater Ave.


500


Commercial St .- Adams to Quincy Line.


5,300


Wilkins Rd.


800


Dobson Rd.


1,800


Howard St .- to Quincy Line


2,700


Hayward St .- Howard to Shaw


1,200


Shaw St .- Hayward to Howard


1,500


Dewey Rd.


1,000


Cotton Ave.


1,550


Shepard Ave.


1,600


Beechwood-Argyle to Waterfront


1,200


Arthur St .- Arborway to Edgehill


800


Vindale-Arborway to Pleasantview Ave.


800


Faxon St.


1,000


Middle St .- Liberty North 1000 ft.


1,000


Washington St .- Elm to Cherry.


1,800


Independence Ave .- Washington to Holmes


1,150


School St .- Washington to President Rd.


250


Middle St .- Harrison Ave. South


2,600


Arnold St .- Middle St. to end.


1,200


Walnut St .- Prop. Storrs Ave. to Park Drive.


500


Newton St .- Newton Ave. to Bickford .


250


Newton Ave .- Shaw to end of acceptance


400


Bickford Rd .- West end


300


Adolph Rd .- Commercial St. to end


250


Holden Rd .- Commercial St. to end.


300


Roberts St .- Elmlawn to Quincy Line


300


Hobart St .- Front to Oakland St ..


1,250


Oakland St .- Prospect to end of tar pavement.


250


Trefton Drive-Quincy Ave. to end of tar pavement


1,600


Pleasantview Ave .- Quincy Ave. to stone road


600


Total feet tarred 113,975


For the above work, 55,517 gals. of tar were used at the cost of $6,011.22.


We are listing the tarring done in 1937 for comparison :


Wildwood Ave.


Lin. Ft. 3,650


Crescent Ave.


500


Jefferson St.


3,400


Cleveland Ave.


2,700


Front St.


1,650


Central Ave.


1,600


Jersey Ave.


.750


'Shaw St .- Mill Lane to Howard St.


4,200


Howard St .- Shaw St. to Quincy Line.


1,450


West St .- Washington St. to Walnut St ..


2,150


Hawthorne Rd .- Thorndike to Washington St.


1,250


.


205


Lin. Ft.


Thorndike St.


300


Hunt Ave.


700


Allen St.


850


Elmlawn Rd.


3,075


Bower Rd.


800


Morrison Rd.


700


Middle St .- Cleveland Ave. to Elm St ..


2,350


South St.


300


Washington St .- Capen's Bridge to Hawthorne Rd.


1,200


Marshall St.


1,150


Cedar St.


2,200


Commercial St .- Adams St. to Quincy Line.


3,650


40,575


For the above work, 45,119 gals. of tar were bought at the cost of $5,269.97.


Total cost of Tarvia & Sanding for 1938:


Labor $4,251.31-Hauling $840.84-Material $3,909.23-Total $9,001.38.


Total cost of Tarvia & Sanding for 1937:


Labor $5,043.47-Hauling $2,296.92-Material $2,859.61-Total $10,200.00.


W.P.A.


In March 1938, we were confronted with a very serious condition, there being only one project available for W.P.A. under Highway jurisdiction. This had a tendency to keep our welfare list overburdened with men who were eligible for W.P.A. but could not be assigned work because of lack of projects. Projects were written and approved as promptly as possible, but it takes approximately six to eight weeks to get a project into operation from the time it is submitted for approval until it is returned and ready for operation. It was, there- fore, about May 1st before we started to operate projects on a large scale. There were six groups of men totaling about one hundred employed on curbings, sidewalks and roadways. These men were on Highway work until the hurricane of September 21st, when projects were written to take care of rehabilitation, such as removal of stumps, trees, limbs, etc., which came under the supervision of our Tree Warden, Mr. Bestick. The Highway Department also had a project for repairing damage done by the hurricane, such as repairs to retain- ing walls, sidewalks, curbs, fences, etc.




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