USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1911 > Part 3
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GENERAL, EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
Receipts:
Jan. 1
Balance from 1910 $1,108 00
Dec. 30
Town Treasurer, acct. Licenses 1,938 62
Town Treasurer, Int. of Enoch Pratt Fund 400 00
Librarian: Fines and other small collections at desk 164 50
Middle. National Bank, Interest on deposits 16 74
For sale of waste paper and other incidentals 1 50
$3,629 36
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Payments:
Dec. 30, 1911
Librarian
537 46
Assistants
766 80
Janitor
480 00
Fuel
207 21
Light
227 43
Repairs
100 25
Telephone, Printing and other Incidentals
99 34
$2,418 49
Balance
1,210 87
$3,629 36 .
PEIRCE FUND.
Receipts :
1911
Jan. 1
Balance from 1910
$275 65
Dec. 30.
Received from Trustees Peirce
Fund
1,882 16
$2,157 81
Payments:
1911
Dec. 30.
Books, Papers and Periodicals
$1,509 91
Express
18 55
Rebinding
164 08
Printing and other incidentals
113 55
$1,806 09
Balance
351 72
$2,157 81
EDWARD S. HATHAWAY,
Treasurer.
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To the President and Board of Trustees of the Middelboro Public Library:
I herewith submit the annual report of the Middleboro Public Library for the year 1911.
ACCESSIONS.
980 new volumes have been placed in the library this year, 898 by purchase, 33 by gift, and 49 by bound periodicals. The number in the various classes as given in the quarterly bulletins are as follows:
General Works
73
Philosophy
30
Religion
34
Sociology
51
Science
52
Useful Arts
60
Fine Arts
54
Literature
53
History
47
Description and Travel
76
Biography
70
Fiction
197
Young Peoples' Books
181
A new Encyclopedia Brittanica, Edition 11, in 29 volumes has been added to the reference room.
BINDING.
Number of books bound
396
Number of periodicals
49
445
CIRCULATION
The library has been open to the public 304 days. April 1st, a beginning of a twelve hour day was made from 9 A. M. to 9 P. M. This has been found a convenience to many, the month's circulation increasing by several hundreds over the previous year. The hours from 12 to 2 especially are among the busiest of the day, the school children from the suburban districts and those working in the shops coming at that time. The total circulation for the year was 52,083 Adult department 36,206; Young Peoples' 15,877. The average daily circulation was 171 volumes.
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GIFTS.
The following have been presented to the library,
Justice to the Jew, presented by Leo Kohns.
Vital records of several towns in Massachusetts, from Secre- tary of State.
250th Anniversary of Old Bridgewater, presented by Executive Committee.
Christendom astray, presented by author.
Cupid intelligent, presented by author.
Rural vs. urban, presented by author.
After prison, what? by Mrs. Booth, presented by Mrs. Q. A. Shaw.
Little mother stories, by Mrs. Booth, presented by Mrs. Q. A. Shaw.
Dangers of municipal trading, presented by author.
Fundamentals in education, art and civics, presented by au- thor.
Besides these many volumes of reports have been received as gifts, also several magazines.
PICTURE EXHIBITS.
Pictures from the Library Art Club have been received as usual, and the room given last year to the exhibition of school work is still being used for that purpose. These exhibits were all changed in the summer.
REGISTRATION,
364 persons have received new cards this year, 209 adults, 155 children under fifteen. A good proportion of these children are under ten, the former age limit.
Respectfully submitted, ALICE M. ALDEN,
Librarian.
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REPORT OF THE TOWN CLERK.
The following is an abstract of the records of the Town Meetings held during the year 1911.
Annual Town Meeting, March 6, 1911.
The Meeting was called to order by the Moderator at eight o'clock in the forenoon and the Town Warrant was read, omitting the articles which were printed in the Town Report and distributed at the meeting.
Voted-That meeting adjourn until half past eleven o'clock.
When the meeting was again called to order by the Moder- ator promptly at half past eleven it was voted under Article I of the Warrant to proceed immediately to the election of Town Officers for the ensuing year and that the polls be closed not earlier than 5.30 o'clock in the afternoon. Business was duly suspended to prepare the room for voting and the following were sworn in as Election Officers.
James F. Roberts, William J. Coughlin,
Michael J. Baker,
Michael J. Cronan,
Charles L. Starkey,
Edgar D. Wood,
Chester E. Weston,
Henry W. Sears,
Walter L. Beals,
Elisha T. P. Jenks,
Charles W. Kingman,
Robert Nolan,
Charles M. Thatcher,
John J. Mahoney.
The polls closed at 8.45 o'clock p. m. and the result of the voting was as follows :-
FOR MODERATOR.
Alvin C. Howes had 510
George Fox Tucker had 337
Warren H. Southworth had 1
Blanks 80
55
FOR TOWN TREASURER.
Albert A. Thomas had
798
Edward H. Blake had
1
Blanks 129
FOR COLLECTOR OF TAXES.
Albert A. Thomas had 776
Parker Jenkins had
1
William Coughlin had
1
Blanks 150
FOR SELECTMAN FOR THREE YEARS.
Charles N. Atwood had
498
Edward A. Perry had
405
Blanks 25
FOR ASSESSOR FOR THREE YEARS.
Albert T. Savery had
547
Walter A. Shaw had
262
Blanks 119
FOR OVERSEERS OF THE POOR FOR THREE YEARS.
Edwin F. Witham had 530
Zenas E. Phinney had
297
Blanks 101
FOR MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR THREE YEARS.
Granville E. Tillson had 580
Louis H. Carr had
480
Arthur E. Southworth had
218
William S. Anderson had
193
Warren H. Southworth had
3
Annie, D. Deane had
1
Blanks 387
FOR MEMBER OF MUNICIPAL LIGHTING BOARD FOR THREE YEARS.
Lyman P. Thomas had 572
William F. Stone had 240
Blanks 116
56
FOR MEMBER OF BOARD OF HEALTH FOR THREE YEARS.
Bert J. Allan had
40€
394
Elmer E. Phinney had Blanks 128
FOR TREE WARDEN FOR ONE YEAR.
Luther S. Bailey had
533
William H. Connor had
271
Blanks 124
FOR FENCE VIEWERS.
James J. O'Hara had
319
Henry B. Schlueter had
496
Chester E. Weston had
3
Harlas L. Cushman had
10
Charles W. Weeks had
5
John L. Luippold had
2
22 others had one vote each
Blanks 1927
FOR TRUSTEE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR TWO YEARS.
Theodore N. Wood had 449
Thomas S. Hodgson had
298
Blanks 181
FOR TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THREE YEARS.
Nathan Washburn had
560
Warren H. Southworth had
506
Walter Sampson had
601
John Mahoney had
190
Thomas F. McDonald had
200
Daniel Harrington had
1
Charles M. Thatcher had
1
George Powers had
1
Blanks 724
FOR AUDITOR.
William W. Brackett had
516
16
Percy W. Keith had Blanks 396
57
FOR FISH WARDENS.
Charles N. Atwood had
510
William M. Haskins had
453
Cornelius H. Leonard had
522
William McAllister had John W. Moody had
231
Charles F. Tripp had
193
Blanks
669
FOR CONSTABLES.
F. Herbert Batchelder had
583
Charles E. Guertin had
150
Edward Hannon had
178
Thomas E. Kinder had
113
Samuel S. Lovell had
436
John M. Luippold had
441
William McAllister had
205
John W. Morrison had
174
Walter A. Shaw had
222
George A. Smith had
116
Harry F. Snow had
523
Fred C. Sparrow had
508
Maurice E. Sullivan had
133
David S. Surrey had
418
Harry W. Swift had
590
Ichabod B. Thomas had
528
Thomas Sheehan had
1
John Hanley had
1
Blanks
2104
LICENSE VOTE.
No had
536
Yes had
275
Blanks 117
Voted-That David S. Surrey, Herbert S. Sylvester and Kenelm Winslow be elected as a Committee on Suppression of Crime and that the sum of Four Hundred Dollars be appropriated for their use.
Voted-That the sum of One Hundred Dollars be appro- priated for Band Concerts during the current year.
Voted-To adjourn to Monday Evening, March 20, 1911 at Seven o'clock.
Adjourned Town Meeting, March 20, 1911.
Meeting called to order by Moderator Howes at 7.05 p. m.
206
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Voted-That the Selectmen be authorized to draw an order for the sum of One Hundred Dollars, the amount appro- priated for Band Concerts, to the Treasurer of the Middle- boro Band.
Voted-That moneys received from dog licenses and other licenses be appropriated for the use of the Middleboro Public Library.
Voted-That a Committee of three be appointed by this meeting, and that they be and are hereby authorized to ex- amine the accounts, books, records, papers and vouchers in the Town Treasurer's Office for a period of ten years preceding the assumption of the duties of the position by Albert A. Thomas, and as far previously thereto as they may deem expedient, to investigate and explain a discrepancy of over ten thousand dollars between the ledger balance and the aggregate of Notes and Bonds outstanding against the Town, that they make their report in writing at the meeting to which this meeting shall adjourn or as soon thereafter as possible, and that they be authorized to expend for the services of an accountant to assist them in the discharge of their duties a sum not exceeding two hundred dollars.
The following Committee was duly appointed :- George Fox Tucker, Walter L. Beals and Elmer E. Phinney.
Voted-That George W. Stetson, Chester E. Weston, Augustus Pratt, Levi O. Atwood and Albert A. Thomas be elected a committee on appropriations and that they be empowered to fill the vacancy caused by the ineligibility of Granville E. Tillson.
Voted-That the sum of two hundred dollars be appro- priated for the use of Post 8, G. A. R. on Memorial Day and that the same be paid to the Quartermaster of the Post.
Voted-That the Chief of Police be authorized to appoint one night watchman in addition to the one man now em- ployed.
Voted-That the Town extend the electric lighting wires to the Town Farm and install electric lights in the buildings thereon and that the sum of five hundred dollars be appro- priated to cover the expenses of same.
Voted-That the following report read by William M. Has- kins be accepted.
Your Committee appointed at the last Annual Town Meeting to investigate and report an equitable system for sewer assessments have attended to their duty and respect- fully submit the following report.
In considering the matter, our judgment is that an equitable
59
method of assessment is an annual rental based on the amount of water used.
As the understanding of the abuttors on the present system is that the twenty-five dollars entrance fee paid should cover the whole expense to them, we do not feel that the time has yet arrived to recommend any change, but when our system is enlarged we would recommend in addition to an annual rental fee an assessment on abuttors.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM M. HASKINS, BERT J. ALLAN.
Committee.
Voted-That Henry W. Sears, Cornelius H. Leonard and Chester E. Weston be appointed a Committee to inves- tigate the proposition to install a new gas plant and appro- priate money for same, said committee to report at an ad- journed meeting and that in addition to the three men named the Moderator appoint three additional members to serve on said committee. The Moderator appointed as additional members Augustus M. Bearse, Samuel Shaw and Henry B. Schlueter.
Voted-To adjourn to Monday evening, April 3, 1911 at 7.00 o'clock.
Adjourned Town Meeting April 3, 1911.
Voted-That the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, or a majority thereof, be and hereby is authorized to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of taxes of the present municipal year to an amount not exceeding in the aggregate the sum of eighty-five thousand dollars, and to issue notes or a note therefor payable within one year, and any debt or debts incurred under this vote to be paid from the taxes of the present municipal year.
Voted-The following appropriations for the current year: Support of Schools :- Instruction (including $671.43 above minimum requirements recom- mended as an increase in the pay of teachers of the larger suburban schools) current expenses and Super- intendent's Salary $32,000.00
60
Transportation Repairs Salary of School Committee
1,750 00
1,000 00
150 00
Support of Poor (including Salaries)
6,500 00
Soldiers' Relief
2,300 00
Military Aid
550 00
Town Officers (Overdraft $226.47, Town Clerk Treasurer & Collector $1,200.00,
Selectmen $800.00, Assessors
$1,150.00, Registrars and Elec-
tion and Caucus Officers $500.00,
Moderator $20.00, Auditor,
$200.00, Inspector of Animals $200.00) 4,296 47
Town Officers Expenses (Clerk for Town Clerk and Treasurer and
Selectmen $450.00, Assessor's
Expenses, including horse hire, clerical help and miscellaneous, $750.00, Department of Sealer of Weights and Measures $200.00, Expenses of Registrars and Elec- tion and Caucus Officers $250.00) Incidentals
1,650 00
2,000 00
Water Supply
1,500 00
Town Debt, (Sewer Note due Nov, 1 1911, $5,000.00, School House loans due Nov. 1, 1911, $2,300.00) Interest Middleboro Gas & Electric Plant- Estimated operating expenses for 1911 $18,000 00
Interest required 2,708 00
Notes due Nov. 1, 1911
3,000 00
Depreciation (4% of cost of Plant
as authorized by special vote of the State Board of Commissioners) 5,637 10
Total $29,345 10
Less estimated income 19,995 10
Balance to be appropriated $9,350 00
Suburban Lighting 400 00
7,300 00
3,700 00
$34,900 00
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Office Rent 150 00
Commissioner's Salaries 300 00 10,200 00
Board of Health (Including Inspec- tion of plumbing and dressed meats) 1,500 00
· Highway Department-
Superintendent's Salary and trans- portation of men 1,500 00
Clearing snow, general repairs and street cleaning in addition to re- ceipts from other sources 2,500 00
Repairs for outside districts 6,000 00
Sidewalks 1,000 00 11,000 00
Police Department-
(Chief $1,000.00, Two watchmen
$900.00 and $850.00, Expenses $400.00) 3,150 00
Sprinkling Streets, equal amount to be assessed on abuttors 600 00
Tree Warden's Department(In- 1 cluding Salary) 1,200 00
Destruction of Gypsy and Brown Tail Moths
1,857 92
Amount due on State Highway Con- tract of 1903 3,377 58
Voted-That the sum of $1,000.00 be charged the Taunton Law Suit account and credited incidentals to make good the overdraft in the incidental account as of January 1, 1911.
Voted-That the $500.00 appropriated at the last meeting to install electric lights at the Town Farm be expended under the direction and on orders of the Overseers of the Poor. Voted-On the reading by Walter L. Beals of the report of the committee to examine the books of the Town Treasurer previous to July 1, 1910, that the report be referred back to the committee with instructions to add to their report a resolution stating that the funds of the Town were left in- tact by the late Town Treasurer and that Mr. G. E. Tillson be added to the committee.
The following report was read by Mr. Chester E. Weston for the Committee appointed to investigate regarding instal- ling a new gas plant.
Your committee have attended to their duties and beg leave to submit the following report.
We first obtained the approximate cost of taking our pre-
62
sent gas house and machinery and put it in shape for mak- ing water gas. We have a bid from the Davis & Farnum Manufacturing Company, of Waltham Mass., to install a new and up-to-date water gas set, using our present gas- ometer and a small portion of the machinery now at the plant with a fifty thousand cubic foot holder exclusive of found- ations for $11,168.00. It is estimated that the foundations and minor repairs to be made by the Town will not exceed $1,832.00 making the cost of putting the present gas plant in a position to put out one hundred and twenty-five thousand cubic feet of water gas per day at about $13,000.00. A new eight inch gas main from the gas house to the four corners would cost three thousand dollars.
We are informed that we can make and put gas in the holder on an output of seven million cubic feet of gas per year for fifty cents per one thousand cubic feet and that we should be able to distribute it to the consumer for an additional fifty cents.
The trustees under the will of Thomas S. Pierce informed us that they, in case the Town desired it, would make this expenditure of $16,000.00 this year from the income of the fund and that they will each year put in a substantial sum from the income until there shall been have laid new pipes to all possible consumers of gas to whom it is a business proposition to lay pipes.
We have been approached by the officials of the Taunton Gas Light Company of Taunton, Mass., who have made us a proposition which is as follows :--
Chester E. Weston, Esq.,
Secretary of Special Gas Committee,
Middleborough, Massachusetts.
Dear Sir :-
Your communication of March 28th relative to prices at which our Company might supply Middleborough with gas has been considered by our board of directors.
In answer to your first inquiry I am authorized to say that our directors recommend that we supply the consumers of Middleborough with gas at a price not to exceed one dollar and a half per thousand cubic feet, less ten cents per thousand for prompt payment, making the net price one dollar and forty cents ($1.40) per thousand cubic feet :- provided the Town of Middleborough grants us a franchise
.
63
similar to that under which we operate in Taunton, Dighton and Berkley.
Without at this time giving a direct answer to your second and third inquiries we do not recommend supplying gas at your holder or at your town line, owing to the necessity of a long term contract at prices that seem to us prohibitive.
Very truly yours, WALTER T. SOPER,
Treasurer.
In view of the fact that we had the above propositions, we thought best to appear before the State Gas & Electric Light Commissioners and ask them to recommend to us a practical gas man, one who had made a success in the busi- ness and had no ax to grind. The Commissioners recommended Charles F. Pritchard, Superintendent of the Lynn and Brock- ton Gas Light Companies. Both private corporations. Mr. Pritchard made us a visit, looked over our plant, talked over the two propositions and then wrote us a letter which we submit in full.
March 31, 1911.
Mr. Henry W. Sears, Chairman Lighting Committee, Middleborough, Massachusetts.
Dear Sir :-
As a result of my inspection of your plant and proposed enlargement, and conference with your committee, I beg to say that I find the location of your plant a suitable one, the plant in extremely poor condition, the buildings in fair condition and the street mains, so far as I could gather in- formation, in rather poor condition.
The plan proposed by the Davis and Farnum Manufactur- ing Company for the installation of a small water gas plant with holder and other appliances at the price named in the bid, appears to me to be suitable, of sufficient size and reason- able in cost. It will be necessary to spend at the plant for foundations, connections etc., not furnished, as I understand it, by the contractor, the sum approximately $1,500.00
64
additional. It is also estimated that $3,000.00 will have to be spent to lay a suitable, larger main from the works to the square, a center of distribution.
There are now installed something over 150 meters and about three miles of pipe. To supply the 5,500 people located in the so called "Fire District" it will be necessary, I am in- formed, to cover 10 miles of street, and it seems probable that little if any of the pipe now installed should be retained if good service is desired.
Assuming that there are 500 customers to be secured, it will be necessary to spend on improvements at plant, street mains and the necessary work in laying services, installing meters and obtaining such additional customers, not less than $50,000.00.
The volume of business to be secured depends entirely upon the character of service, the selling price of the gas, and the ability with which the business is pushed.
Although the sales of gas are now but about one million cubic feet per annum, it ought to be easy to secure a sale of six mil- lion cubic feet per annum with the expenditures above named.
This gas, if the plant is operated carefully and with the minimum of labor in plant, office and distribution, allowing a fair leakage and reasonable repairs, should be manufac- tured and distributed for about $1.05 per 1,000 cubic feet, allowing nothing for interest and depreciation.
Five per cent on the investment of $50,000.00 or $2,500.00, if allowed for a fair and reasonable return on the money in- vested, would add to the cost 42 cents, a total of $1.47, or, as we say in round figures, $1.50 per thousand.
If the business was increased to ten million cubic feet per annum, and an allowance of five per cent on the invest- ment of $50,000.00 amounting to 25 cents per 1,000 be made for interest, the gas could be delivered to the consumer for approximately $1.25 per 1,000.
Your committee will understand, as explained in our in- terview, that these costs depend upon amount of business, costs of material, energy devoted to minimize cost of pro- duction, and many varying elements of costs, and these figures are based upon data given me by the Committee and Manager, and the expectation that the plant and business will be handled in a first class manner, with no unusual costs for office, taxes, etc.
With these figures and the prices to be given you by that Taunton Company, before your Committtee, it becomes a matter of individual opinion as to the wisdom of the town
65
engaging in a manufacturing business, and I would hesitate to express my opinion on the matter had it not been so spe- cifically asked for.
Being directly asked to do so, I will say that were I one of the Committee I would not advise the Town to engage in a manufacturing business of an intricate and somewhat hazardous nature for the small, if any, apparent profit to be derived from it. I should expect it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a municipality to so operate a gas business in a Town of the size of Middleborough as to reach a ten million cubic feet per annum of sales, in which case the price must be and remain higher than if a larger business was secured: and I should expect that a much larger organization like the Taunton Gas Company, by reason of its size, its knowledge of the business, its skilled employees, its personal interest and devotion to its business would fur- nish better and more reliable service and would at all sales per annum be able to undersell the Town plant to the direct benefit of those of the townspeople who decided to use gas; and I would believe that the interest on the fund at the disposal of the Town could be used to better advantage of the population as a whole.
I would not expect that the gas business, if operated by the Taunton Gas Light Company, would work to the detri- ment of your Electric Light Plant. I should rather expect it would result, through a kind of competition, in efforts to improve the Electric service and reduce the cost.
On the other hand I would fear that were the Gas Plant and property operated by the Town there might be the temptation to keep the selling price of Gas higher than it should be to the detriment of the people of the Town who desired to use gas, in the effort to protect the Electric Light Plant.
I do not think this would be at all necessary, for I believe there is sufficient demand for each kind of service if supplied at proper and reasonable rates and in a reliable manner.
Very truly yours, CHAS. F. PRITCHARD.
There is one feature between the Gas made by the Taunton Gas Co., which is coal gas, and the water gas which the Town will make if it continues in the business, and that is the poisonous nature of the water gas, it containing twenty-
1
66
five per-cent carbonic acid against seven per cent carbonic acid in the coal gas making it of a more deadly nature.
Should the Taunton Gas Company secure a franchise and lay their pipes here very little of our present gas equip- ment will be of any use to them. So that the remainder will simply be old junk. The Taunton Gas Co. inform us that should our actions be favorable to them, they would start immediately to put their pipe over here from Taunton, but that they would not in all probabilty be able to give us gas before the first of August 1912.
The Company would also be taxed for their pipe lines which would add a little something to our valuation. On the other hand, must be taken into consideration the fact that the Taunton Gas Co. ask for a perpetual franchise for which the Town gets nothing except the benefit which the consumers of gas get in the rate quoted by the Company. There must also be taken into consideration the fact that we allow a com- petitor to come in and compete with our Electric Plant which we depend upon for lighting our streets and which de- pends largely for its income upon its lighting of public and private buildings.
The whole proposition seems to sum itself up as follows ;- We can give the Taunton Gas Light Company a perpetual franchise, for which the consumer of gas will receive the price quoted in the Company's letter, namely $1.40 per thousand cubic feet, net, introduce opposition to our present electric plant, possibly to the detriment of the inhabitants of Middleborough, or we can have our present plant revised so that at the end of ten years at the most we should receive our gas as cheap as the Taunton Gas Light Company could afford to sell it, without any direct cost to the tax payers of Middleborough.
The majority of your committtee, therefore, recommend that a franchise be granted to the Taunton Gas Light Company in accordance with their proposition.
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