USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1890-1893 > Part 23
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POOR DEPARTMENT.
The Selectmen recommend an appropriation for the poor department for the coming year of the same amount ex- pended last year, $7,000. It is interesting to notice in this
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connection that the expense of the department has not in- creased in proportion to the expenses of the Town in other departments. While it may, in part, be attributed to the fact that a considerable amount is expended by the Select- men under the provisions for military and indigent aid, which expenditures relieve the present necessities in many cases of persons who would otherwise ask for relief from the Town, it also indicates in a striking degree the general prosperity of the community, and the fortunate absence of serious need. The suffering and destitution which has taxed the resources of so many towns and cities in the Common- wealth during the past year has been singularly wanting here. The experience of our poor department shows that the number of cases seeking relief has not materially in- creased over other years. The employment of deserving labor in the construction and repair of roads, and the ju- dicious action of the Town in laying out new highways, has doubtless contributed to that result. It is a matter of serious consideration whether it is not advisable for the Town each year to enter upon some public improvement, which during the winter months will furnish employment, relieve suffering and enable many of the citizens to meet the payment of their taxes which otherwise would be a serious burden.
TOWN RECORDS.
In the last report of the Selectmen the recommendation was made that the deficiency in the Town record account should remain until the publication be completed. The de- ficiency at that time was $1,441.54, but it has now been in- creased by the payment of expenses incurred in the prepa- tion for publication of the third volume to the sum of $1,545.74. In the present condition of affairs, the Selectmen
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understand that is not the purpose of the Committee to recommend the printing of the third volume of the reports at present. The sale of the two volumes already issued has been less than was expected at first. It now appears to the Selectmen that it is desirable to appropriate enough this year to provide for the deficiency in this department, and that an effort should be made to dispose of the copies on hand (even if at a reduced price) in order that the ac- count may be closed up. The Selectmen have inserted an article in the warrant for the next meeting to consider the Committee's report on the matter of publication of the Town records, and under that article the necessary action can be taken.
COLLECTOR OF TAXES.
Under the annual vote of the Town, the Collector of Taxes has been allowed a salary of seven hundred dollars a year, from which has been deducted one per cent. for un- collected taxes. The present Collector (who was appointed to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Rogers) has under the circumstances been successful in a marked degree in collecting the taxes of present and past years.
The uncollected taxes December 31st, 1892, were as fol-
lows :
$107 91
1890
600 01
1891
2,978 14
1892
11,344 36 1893
Since that date the taxes of 1890 have been paid and the unpaid taxes of other years reduced.
Since the first passage of the vote referred to, the amount of taxes to be collected has largely increased, with no in- crease in the compensation of the Collector. It is rarely
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possible to collect the entire tax levy. The Selectmen are of opinion that in view of the large increase in the amount of taxes to be collected, the fairest way to the Collector is not to increase the amount of his compensation, but to pay him his salary without deductions on account of taxes un- collected, and they recommend that the salary of the Col- lector be fixed at the full sum of seven hundred dollars for the coming year.
ROADS AND BRIDGES.
The amount of appropriation on this account was $14,000, of which $3,500 was voted for macadamizing.
In view of the construction of the sewers in some of the streets where, if anywhere, macadamizing would be desira- ble, it was not thought advisable to macadamize the streets the past year. Of this appropriation, under vote of the Town at the last meeting, $1,243.28 was transferred to the account of "New Roads," and the overdraft is $383.39. No appropriation is necessary to meet this overdraft, as it will be met by the collections of certain amounts now due the Town for outside work done by this department, and by credits from work done for other departments.
An appropriation of $12,500 for the ensuing year is rec- ommended, being $1,500 less than was appropriated for the department last year. The work in this department has been efficiently and economically done, under the direction of the Superintendent of Streets, and the condition of the highways and sidewalks of the Town compare favorably with those of other towns in the Commonwealth.
There are few, if any, which exceed Plymouth in the num- ber of miles of concrete sidewalks, and" its 198 miles of highway require constant care and expense to keep them safe and convenient. The result of the past year justifies
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the increased responsibility which this Board has imposed upon the Superintendent, and the present condition of the roads and bridges is in the main excellent.
During the year the work on the sewers has necessarily made the condition of some of the streets unsatisfactory, but that important work has been accomplished with less friction and inconvenience than is usual in towns under such circumstances.
In the opinion of the Board, the best results cannot be obtained until to one department is intrusted the sole re- sponsibility of the care of the streets. If street openings are made for sewers and water pipes by other departments, the responsibility for the condition of the streets does not fall upon the street department alone. If it is possible to provide by an arrangement between the various depart- ments of the Town that no openings in the street surface shall be made except by, or under the supervision of the Superintendent of Streets, we shall not see, as in the past, trenches lying open for weeks - a menace and incon- venience to the public. The best results can be obtained only when there is a single Board to be held responsible. The result, if possible, should be accomplished by the har- monious action of the different Boards. If not, then under legislative authority, and vote of the Town, the care of the streets should be intrusted and the entire responsibility for their condition placed in the street department alone.
STATE HIGHWAY.
The Selectmen recommend that the Town avail itself of the provisions of Chapter 476, of the Act of 1893, entitled "An act to provide for the appointment of a highway commission to improve the public roads, and define its powers and duties." Under the provisions of that act the
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County Commissioners, or two or more cities or towns may petition the Commission, representing that in their opinion the common necessity and convenience require that the Commonwealth should acquire as a State highway a new or existing road leading from one city or town to another. This petition should be accompanied by a detail description of such road and a plan and profile of the same. If the Board judge that the common necessity and convenience require that such road be laid out as a State highway, it then becomes the duty of the County Commissioners, at the expense of the County, to cause said road to be surveyed and laid out. The report of the Highway Commission, the plans with the estimate for constructing the road, and the annual cost of maintaining the same, are then to be laid before the Legislature. If the Legisla- ture makes an appropriation for constructing the road, the Highway Commission shall cause the same to be con- structed under contract with the Town in which the road lies, if it desires, which road shall hereafter become a State highway. If laid out as a State highway, the Commission- ers may contract with the town in which the highway lies for keeping in repair and maintaining the highway, and the Commonwealth is liable for injuries to persons or prop- erty occurring through a defect or want of repair upon that highway.
To bring this matter before the Town the Selectmen have inserted an article in the warrant. In the opinion of the Selectmen they should be authorized to cooperate with other cities or towns along the line of the highway in order to secure a finished road under the direction of the State Commission, following mainly the lines of the ancient
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turnpike, and extending from Boston to the Cape. If such a road can be secured, the benefit to the Town would be at once apparent. To secure a convenient and well con- structed road leading from Boston through the Town would contribute in no slight degree to its development and growth. Second only to the advantages of railroad commu- nication are the advantages to be gained by a road built ac- cording to the most approved plan, maintained in the best way, and furnishing a convenient mode of access for carriages and foot travel, not only to all parts of the Town, but also to other towns and cities. The saving to the Town of the cost of construction and maintenance would be the least im- portant of its advantages.
The suggestion has already been made that the name of the streets, now forming a continuous highway from Boston to the Cape, should be so changed that throughout its whole length it may have the single name of the "Plymouth Road." With the approval of the Town, the Selectmen will cooperate with other towns and cities along the line of the Plymouth road, and seek to secure for the benefit of this community at as early a date as practicable the construction of such a road. Whether the effort is successful or not, the opportunity is one which ought not to be neglected. There are strong arguments which at once suggest themselves that this ancient road should be early and favorably con- sidered. Not only its convenience to the public but its an- cient associations mark it as one of the first which the Commission might properly report favorably upon to the Legislature. The Selectmen therefore recommend that favorable action be taken under the article in the warrant to secure that result.
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CONTINGENT.
The deficiency in this account is $404.37, and is to be attributed in part to the new items of $150 for compensation of the Inspec- tor of Cattle, an officer whom the Selectmen are now required by law to appoint ; to the necessary expense of $164.13 for protect- ing and trimming trees, and the cost ($124) of new uniform closets at the Guards' Armory. The salaries and expenses of the Board of Health, over which apparently the Selectmen have no control, were $538.52 the past year, and as the Town made no appropriation therefor are charged to this account. The same appropriation as last year ($4,000) and an appropriation of $404.37 to meet the deficiency will be necessary and are recom- mended.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The overdraft on this account is $2,310.90, and was incurred under the vote of the Town authorizing such expenditure as may be necessary in altering buildings for the use of the department, for which expenditure no special appropriation was made.
In order to provide for the new apparatus it was necessary to build the new hose house on Court Street. This department is now thoroughly equipped and in excellent condition. It is prob- able that some saving of expense in the cost of maintenance could be effected if some arrangement could be made by the street and water departments so that some of the town horses could be kept in the rear of the engine house on Main Street. The Selectmen recommend an appropriation of $4,500 to meet the expenses of the department for the year 1894, in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Engi- neers, which is $500 less than last year, and an appropriation of $2,310.90 to meet the deficiency.
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STICKNEY FUND.
Under the will of the late J. Henry Stickney of Baltimore, Md., the sum of seventy thousand dollars was devised by him to trus- tees to be applied under certain limitations in public improvements in the Town of Plymouth. The trustees of this fund are the Presi- dent and Treasurer of the Pilgrim Society, the Presidents of the two National Banks in Plymouth, the President of Plymouth Savings Bank, Treasurer of Plymouth County, Chairman of the Selectmen of the Town of Plymouth, and the Judge of Probate of Plymouth County. Of this amount, $4,000 is to be appropriated to the building of a monument on Clark's Island, $21,000 to buying land and extending Cole's Hill south to Leyden Street and filling out to Water Street so that the pres- ent curved line and finish of the Hill and wall on the easterly side may be continuous from North Street to Leyden Street. If the Pilgrim Society shall think it desirable, $10,000 is to be ap- plied to the removal of the canopy over the Rock to Cole's Hill, and the erection of a light but substantial iron structure around the Rock. Ten thousand dollars is devoted to the improvement and protection of Burial Hill, and $3,000 to improving the lot on which the Pilgrim Monument is erected and the approaches thereto. Ten thousand dollars is devised, the income of which is to be used in keeping Pilgrim Hall in good order and repair and pay- ing the current expenses, and $12,000 is to be applied under the following provisions, as stated in his will :
6. " And believing it would be for the great advantage to the said Town of Plymouth to widen Middle Street, from Main Street to Cole's Hill, thereby rendering Cole's Hill more accessible, as well as opening it to view from Main Street, I give and bequeath to the said Trustees of the Stickney fund the sum of twelve thousand dollars, to be appropriated and applied by them to aid in so widening said Middle Street-upon the condition, however, that the said Town of Plymouth shall make the said improvement, and shall enter upon the work of making the same within one year of my decease : otherwise, the said twelve thousand dollars shall pass into and be a part of the residue of my estate."
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The trustees therein named have already organized and have been in communication with the executors of the will. It is now probable that these legacies will be paid within one year from the decease of Mr. Stickney, which was in May last. Under this provision it will be necessary for the Town to act during the early Spring. The Selectmen have had plans prepared for the proposed widening of Middle Street," and have had several hearings thereon. As the object which Mr. Stickney had in mind in providing for this widening was "to render Cole's Hill more accessible, as well as opening it to view from Middle Street, and as it has been suggested that the canopy, if removed from the Rock, should stand at the foot of Middle Street, this widening should be carried into effect in such a way as will best conform to the changes contem- plated upon the Hill itself. The trustees of the fund have arranged to secure the services of eminent engineers to report a plan for these changes on Cole's Hill, and the removal of the canopy. As incidental to that plan the lines along which the widening of Middle Street should take place become important. Before submitting a report in detail to the Town, or laying out the widening, the Selectmen desire to be guided by the report of that engineer. It is hoped that before the April meeting the details of the plan can be furnished, and the widening made, and reported to the Town at that meeting for its acceptance. At that time the Selectmen will submit for the information of the Town a full and detailed report aad plans of the widening proposed. Until these plans are completed, it is not possible to determine how large the expense would be which the Town would have to incur, in addition to the amount to be devoted to the purpose by Mr. Stickney's will. But at the annual meeting the Selectmen recommend that some formal action be taken by the Town, in recognition of the generous legacy of Mr. Stickney. It is by far the largest bequest ever made to Plymouth. If judiciously expended, in accordance with the provisions of his will, it will not only preserve and mark those historic localities inseparably con-
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nected with the beginnings of a great people, but will also contribute in a striking manner to the improvement and beautifying of this ancient Town. The citizens of Plymouth, in whose history and associations he took so deep and generous an interest, will long hold in grateful remembrance the name and memory of J. Henry Stickney.
In conclusion, the following appropriations are recommended by the Selectmen and the several departments :
Schools
$26,000 00
School books and supplies
2,000 00
Insane poor
2,500 00
Poor
7,000 00
Fire department
4,500 00
Roads and bridges
12,000 00
Sidewalks.
500 00
Contingent
4,000 00
Lighting streets
5,800 00
Sexton
125 00
Assessors
1,500 00
Collector
700 00
Treasurer
700 00
Watch and police
2,200 00
New roads.
2,500 00
Duxbury & Cohasset Railroad
1,500 00
Town debt and interest.
20,005 00
$93,530 00
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DEFICIENCIES.
Town records.
$1,000 00
Indigent aid
350 00
Military aid under act of 1890
960 35
Schools
1,919 31
Training green
36 57
Contingent
404 37
Fire department
2,310 90
Town debt and interest
1,317 66
8,299 16
$101,829 16
LESS.
Corporation tax
$7,700 00
Bank tax .
2,200 00
Miscellaneous receipts
500 00
10,400 00
Balance
$91,429 16
Leaving the sum of $91,429.16, which it will be necessary to raise by taxation, if these appropriations are adopted for the expenses of the Town, for the year 1894.
Respectfully submitted,
ARTHUR LORD,
LEAVITT T. ROBBINS,
Selectmen of
FREEMAN H. HOLMES,
JAMES MILLAR,
Plymouth.
HORACE M. SAUNDERS,
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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
OF THE
TOWN OF PLYMOUTH
FOR
1893.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
TERM EXPIRES.
WILLIAM H. DREW,
1896
ELIZABETH THURBER,
1896
CHARLES I. LITCHFIELD,
1895
JAMES MILLAR,
1895
H. N. P. HUBBARD,
1894
GIDEON F. HOLMES,
1894
CHAIRMAN-Charles I. Litchfield.
SECRETARY-Elizabeth Thurber.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS-Charles Burton.
At the annual meeting in March elections must be held for two members of the School Committee for three years.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
The School Committee respectfully submit their an- nual report for the year ending December 31st, 1893, together with the report of the Superintendent of Schools.
At the annual meeting in March, 1893, the Town made the following appropriations :
Support of schools
$26,200 00
Books and supplies 1,800 00
In addition to the above, the School
Department has placed to its credit. 18 25
Credits $28,018 25
Expenditures for 1893 29,937 56
Balance overdrawn $1,919 31
CLASSIFIED EXPENDITURES.
Salaries of teachers $18,785 50
Salary of Superintendent. . 1,200 00
Horse hire for Superintendent. 150 00
Salary of music teacher and horse hire .. 750 00
Books and supplies 1.912 77
Fuel
1,670 38
Janitors and care of school houses. 1,648 59
Binding books 126 40
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Printing $143 50
Truant officer 100 00
Town of Bourne 135 19
Black boards 114 68
Furniture 337 89
Repairs .
2,324 41
Incidentals 538 25
$29,937 56 The Committee recommend the following appro- priations for the current year : Support of schools
$28,000 00
Books and supplies 2,000 00
The amount recommended to be appropriated for the present year will, we think, make up the defi- ciency of the past year, as no extensive repairs appear to be necessary.
All the school houses, of which there are 29, with the exception of those at Indian Brook and West Plymouth, which are unoccupied, are in good con- dition.
On account of the crowded condition of one of the schools at the Mt. Pleasant school house. the partition in the second story was changed, the rooms made of equal size, and accommodations better suited to the wants of both schools obtained. This, with the neces- sary outlay in rebuilding the chimneys above the roof, caused an expense not contemplated when our last re- port was made.
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Slate blackboards, which in the opinion of the com- mittee are far superior and more economical, although entailing more expense at first, were also used where required.
At a special town meeting held in May last the School Committee was authorized to purchase land and erect three new school houses, and the sum of $12.000 was appropriated therefor. This, with the sum of $3,000 already appropriated, placed at the disposal of the Committee the sum of $15,000 for the erection of four buildings.
Two have been completed and are now occupied. The third is in process of completion and will probably be ready for occupancy at the commencement of the Spring term.
The expense incurred in the erection of these build- ings has been more than at first contemplated, but the improvements over what was at first planned will no doubt meet the approval of the Town.
The cost of the school house located on Spooner street, in the north part of the Town, the land for which was presented to the Town by the Plymouth Cordage Company, has been $3,150.47, about $150 more being needed for grading.
The school house on Allerton street, including $600 paid for the land, has cost $3.550.13, about $75 more being needed for grading.
These schoolhouses are heated by furnace and ventilated to the approval of the State Inspectors ;
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have each one well lighted and well arranged school- room, with accommodations for fifty scholars; suita- ble clothes rooms and a teacher's room, and are provided with slate blackboards. The plumbing has been carefully attended to, and the sanitary arrange- ments are perfect. The closets have been placed in the basements, the floors of which are concreted.
As stated in the report of last year, it still remains evident that some arrangement must sooner or later be necessary looking to the establishment of a school in the Ship Pond district.
The long distance to be traveled by the scholars and the difficulty of providing transportation seems to point to the opening of a school in that locality at no late day.
The number of teachers employed by the Town is forty, and the number of scholars 1,567. The loca- tion of the schools, names of teachers and salaries paid will be found in the Superintendent's report.
CHARLES I. LITCHFIED, } WILLIAM H. DREW, H. N. P. HUBBARD). ELIZABETH THURBER, JAMES MILLAR. GIDEON F. HOLMES, 7
Committee.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
To the School Committee of Plymouth :
I respectfully submit for your approval my report for the year 1893 :
In reporting the condition of the schools of the Town, from year to year, sameness is unavoiadable ; and yet, it is very proper and necessary that the citi- zens of the Town should have all the means possible of knowing what is taught in their schools and the methods by which the instruction is accomplished.
The schools, it is true, are always open to all who wish to learn what is going on within, but, for many reasons, we are not often called upon to show and explain our work.
THE EXHIBIT.
At the last Convention of the Plymouth County Teachers, held in this Town, a very favorable oppor- tunity was offered to our citizens to see at a glance the results of what is done in our lower grade schools annually ; for it is necessary to except the High
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school from which there was no work on exhibition , a very great deficiency, as one hundred and seventy of the most mature pupils of our schools are found there. It is to be hoped that such an omission will not occur again.
In looking over the papers, it was at once observa- ble that the practice of drawing prevails in all the schools, and in all the studies to which drawing can be applied as an illustration. For three years, great efforts have been made to have every teacher do all that time and ability will allow, in training her pupils in what is known as Nature Study, that is, the study of the flowers and tree, the animals and minerals of the surrounding country. This was done without regard to the experience or inexperience of the teacher or the awkwardness of the child ; with nature and a few simple books as guides, they were asked to do the best they could. This simple direction and these simple guides transformed the instructions given in the lower grade schools. All the children have be- come, in their way, interested observers of nature .- They explore fields and forests in order to procure subjects for their pencils and specimens for future use, thereby constantly improving their powers of observation and increasing their skill of hand. To the intelligent teacher the readiness with which very young children acquire knowledge of this kind, when presented to them in a simple and natural way, is a source of continued surprise and wonder,
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This public presentation of the work of the public schools was not limited, however, to Nature Study proper, but it included, especially, a very large exhibi- tion of geographical work in the form of map-draw- ing. An entirely new interest has been given to this very important part of public education by mak- ing the study a rational one, instead of a mere memo- rizing of facts.
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