Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1906-1908, Part 29

Author:
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Town of Plymouth
Number of Pages: 652


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1,792 80


Iron and Plumber with material (4 Ba),


49 06


Iron for 806 shells,


3,643 12


Iron for 806 jackets,


870 48


Iron and rings for 2 Reducers,


8 02


818 sets of rings (c. i.) 35,792,


1,431 68


Rivets,


91 41


Iron for sleeves (837)


421 01


Rivets for sleeves,


5 50


Power Paint,


36 00


Truck for 18-inch,


14 82


Clamp and Patterns,


38 95


$10,714 78


7424.26 feet equals $1.443 cost per ft.


All of which is respectfully submitted,


ARTHUR E. BLACKMER, Supt.


Table showing total rainfall since 1887, and monthly rainfall since 1891. Also annual variation from the average.


YEAR


JAN.


FEB.


MAR.


APRIL


MAY


JUNE


JULY


AUG.


SEPT.


Ост.


Nov.


DEC.


TOTAL


Per Cent. of Variation from Mean


1887


43.14


6.6 Per Cent


1888


50.28


8.8


1889


49.14


6.2


1890


51.80


12.2


1891


8.36


5.32


5.04


4.02


1.99


2.23


2.55


1.43


2.23


5.92


1.79


3.77


44.65


3.3


1892


3.79


2.72


4.56


1.26


3.91


2.12


1.81


4.16


2.41


2.29


7.12


1.75


37.90


18.0


1893


2.88


6.66


6.17


4.45


4.39


2.50


2.71


5.80


1.73


2.16


3.29


5.59


48.33


4.7


1894


3.50


4.85


1.56


3.97


4.35


1.54


1.08


0.73


2.37


7.97


4.98


5.78


42.68


7.5


1895


3.54


0.87


2.71


4.70


2.73


2.04


3.58


2.05


3.27


6.89


3.95


3.85


40.27


12.8


1896


2.75


4.73


5.82


0.88


2.93


3.59


2.27


1.71


5.65


3.60


3.41


1.75


39.09


15.3


1897


4.24


2.08


2.31


4.28


3.65


2.99


2.88


2.31


1.42


0.87


6.42


3.27


37.32


19.2


1898


3.75


4.04


2.27


5.82


5.65


1.93


6.58


7.33


1.35


8.96


8.48


2.24


58.40


26.4


1899


6.52


5.23


6.77


1.18


1.40


3.62


3.79


1.17


6.92


3.03


2.28


1.60


43.51


5.8


1900


4.86


5.35


3.62


1.95


5.11


2.29


1.37


3.28


3.10


5.40


5.36


3.15


44.84


2.9


1901


2.51


1.70


6.86


7.78


8.54


1.46


4.38


2.25


2.77


2.07


2.59


10.20


53.11


15.0


1902


2.22


5.53


7.82


2.98


1.52


3.68


1.89


1.43


3.65


5.32


1.72


6 77


44.53


3.5


1903


4.43


5.36


7.94


7.45


0.67


4.76


2.14


5.44


1.45


6.32


3.22


3.98


53.46


15.8


1904


5.44


3.61


2.47


9.11


2.23


2.58


4.02


3.52


3.18


1.85


3.53


4.10


45.64


1.1


1905


4.50


2.16


2.87


2.32


1.11


8.01


1.78


2.99


6.93


1.72


2.04


4.21


40.64


- 12.0


1906


4.05


5.33


8.69


2.34


5.28


2.36


6.42


2.02


2.98


4.50


3.45


3.13


50.55


9.4


1907


3.92


3.41


2.31


4.08


3.68


2.70


1.10


1.82


11.16


2.91


6.82


6.90


50.81


10.0


1908


3.78


4.37


3.95


2.48


2.98


2.30


3.87


4.41


1.61


10.19


1.53


4.28


45.75


-


0.9


Av.


4.17


4.07


4.65


3.9


3.45


2.93


3.01


3.03


3.57


4.55


4.00


4.24


46.17


-


-163-


PUMPING RECORDS, 1908.


MONTHS


Total lbs. No. gallons Hours run fuel used pumped


Total No. Gals. low service meter from Jan. '08 to Jan. 1, 1907


Rain in inches


Average temperature Daily aver- age water pumped Max. gallons Min.


Daily aver- age fuel pounds


January


1841/4


36,475


17,199,450


17,435,000


3.78


35.58


18.77


554,820


1176


February


2131/4


42,325


20,040,750


17,996,000


4.37


31.48


16.55


691,060


1461


March


179


34,840


16,713,1002


17,049,500


3.95


42.7


27.90


539,132


1123


April


172


33,485


15.930.800


17,670,000


2.48


52.63


33.6


531,026


1116


May .


20034


38.040


19.023.750


19,048,500


2.98


65.83


46.8


613.669


1222


June .


2741/2


49,220


26.821,300%


19,088,000


2 30


77.23


54.76


894,043


1640


July .


2861/4


50,400


28,404,950


25,297,000


2.87


81.19


62.5


916,288


1625


August


234


42,675


22,810.200


24,496,000


4.41


73.9


59.


735,812


1376


September


.


206


38,825


20,149,800


16,807.000


1.61


70.3


52 66


671.660


1294


October


.


17714


35,040


16.957.150


7,953,000


10.19


60.16


42.


547,004


1130


November


1543/4


31,055


14,961,000°


11.468,000


1.53


46.9


33.3


498.700


1035


December .


168


33,215


16,150,100


15,072,000


4.28


38.7


22.7


521,064


1071


2450


465,645


235,165,350Z


209,380.000


44.75


Hours run


Total lbs. Fuel used


No. gals. pumped


Av. No. gals. to 1 lb. coal


Average duty for year


New pump Old pump


2271 179


433,030 32,615


222,343,750 12.821,600


513.4 393.1


36,370.000 27.845,000


.


.


.


.


·


.


.


-164-


WATER ANALYSES, 1908.


DATE OF


APPEARANCE


RESIDUE ON EVAPORATION


AMMONIA


NITRO- GEN A8


TOTAL


LOSS ON


IGNITION


FIXED


FREE


TOTAL


IN SOL-


In Sus-


pension


Nitrates


Nitrites


OXYGEN


CONSUMED


HARDNESS


IRON


70434


Boot


1908 Feb. 18


Feb. 19


V. Slight V. Slight


None.


None


1.65


0.85 0.80


.0012


.0090 .0072 .0018 .45 .0010 .0000


.1110.0 .0040


70435


Little South


Feb. 18


Feb. 19


V. Slight


Cons. Uroglina None


None


3.65


1.65


2.00 .0022 .0098 .0096 .0002 .63 .0010 .0000


.09|0.2 .0010


71370


Boot


April 21


April 21


V. Slight V. Slight


.02


V. faintly unpleasant None


V. Faintly unpleasant None


2.25


1.05|


1.20


.0026 .0136 .0116 .0020 .64 .0000


.0000


.12 0.2 .0030


71371


Great South


April 21


April 21 .


V. Slight V. Slight


.00


3.30


1.55


1.75 .0008 .0104 .0090 .0014 .68


.0000 .0000


.12 0.2 .0030


71372


Little Sonth


April 21


April 21


V. Slight Slight


.01


1.75 0.70


1.05


.0010 .0120


.0090 .0030 .66 .0000 .0000


.12 0.1 .0060


72232


Boot


June 16


June 18


Slight


Cons.


.03


Distinctly unpleas- ant. Fishv Distinctly musty organisms


3.85


1.85 2.00


.0034 .0152 .0078 .0074


.64 .0000 .0000


.06 0.1 .0060


72231


Little Sonth


June 16


June 18


V. Slight Cons.


.04


2.55|


1.20 1.35 .0064 .0160 .0108 .0052 .66 .0000 .0000


.11 0.1 .0170


73419


Boot


Aug. 18


Aug. 19


Slight


Slight


.04


2.90


1.20


1.70 .0012 .0280 .0106 .0174 .71 .0010 .0000


21 0.2 .0120


73420


Great South


Aug. 18


Aug. 19


V. Slight


Slight


.01


73421


Little South


Aug. 18


Aug. 19


Slight


Slight


.04


None


3 55


1.10 2.45 .0018 .0220 .0160 .0060 .77 .0000 .0000


.17 0.2 .0100


74665


Great Sonth


Oct. 20


Oct. 20


V. Slight V. Slight


.01


V. Faintly unpleasant None


2.80


1.20


1.60 .0012 .0260 .0220 .0040 .69


0000 .0000


.05 0.0 .0030


74666


Boot


Oct. 20


Oct. 20


V. Slight V. Slight


.01


74667


Little South


Oct. 20


Oct. 20


V. Slight V. Slight


.01


Faintly unpleasant


2.90


1.55


.0014 .0196 .0140 .0056 .74 .0010 .0000


.15 0.0 .0040


75807


Boot


Dec. 15


Dec. 15


V. Slight V. Slight


.02


None


2.10 1.05


1.05 .0016 .0162 .0156 .0006 .66 .0000


.0001


.10 0.2 .0020


75808


Great South


Dec. 15


Dec. 15


V. Slight V. Slight


.00


None


None


3.35


1.60 1.75 .0010 .0146 .0130 .0016 .69 .0000 .0001


.12 0.2 .0060


75809


Little South


Dec. 15


Dec. 15


V. Slight V. Slight


.00


None


Faintly Fishy


2.00


0.95 1.05 .0018 .0136 .0100 .0036 .58 .0000 .0001


.11 0.2 .0060


No.


OF


ODOR COLD


ODOR Нот


ALBUMINOID


POND


COLLEC- TION. .


EXAMIN- ATION.


TURBID- ITY


SEDI- MENT


COLOR


None.


1.50 0.75 0.75


.0018 .0090 .0068 .0022 .51 .0010 .0000


.07 0.0 .0010


70586


Great South


Feb. 26


Feb. 26


V. Slight


.02


Distinctly Oily. Uroglina None


2.40 1.10 1.30


0034 .0154 .0106 .0048 .65 .0000 .0000


.05 0.2 .0120


72233


Great South


June 16


June 18


V. Slight V. Slight


.00


Faintly unpleasant Fishy Distinctly musty Decaying Dist. musty, sweet. Dist. musty, sweet. Anabæna Distinctly musty Anabæna Decaying Distinctly musty Anabæna Faintly vegetable V. faintly vegetable None


2.60


1.00


1.60 .0012 .0112 .0096 .0016 .72 .0000 .0000


.07 0.2 .0090


V. Faintly vegetable V Faintly nn pleasant V. Faintly unpleasant V. Faintly nnpleasant Distinctly unpleasant None


2.80


1.40


1 40 .0010 .0188 .0146 .0042 .70 .0000 .0000


.08|0.0.0050


1.35


UTION


CHLORINE


.00


.00


*


NAME


ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


SCHOOL COMMITTEE


FOR THE


Year ending December 31,


1908


SCHOOL COMMITTEE.


INCREASE ROBINSON, 1910


WILLIAM W. BREWSTER, 1910


EARL W. GOODING, 1911


HARRY B. DAVIS, 1911


J. HOLBROOK SHAW, 1909


EUGENE P. ROWELL, 1909


Chairman, William W. Brewster.


Secretary, Harry B. Davis.


The committee meet at their rooms in Town Square on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7.15 p. m.


Superintendent of Schools, Francis J. Heavens. Office hours, 4 to 5 p. m., each school day.


Truant Officer, A. J. Hogan.


STANDING COMMITTEES.


Finance-Messrs. Shaw and Brewster.


Repairs-Messrs. Gooding, Rowell and Brewster.


Janitors and School House Supplies-Messrs. Rowell and Rob- inson.


Heating and Ventilation-Messrs. Robinson and Rrewster. Text Books and Course of Study-Messrs. Davis and Shaw.


-169-


SCHOOL SESSIONS.


High School-8 a. m. to 1 p. m.


North Schools, Grammar and Primary-Morning session, 9 to 12 o'clock; afternoon session, 1.30 to 3.30 o'clock.


Centre Schools-Morning session, 9 to 12 o'clock; afternoon ses- sion, 2 to 4 o'clock (except from Nov. 1 to Feb. 15, when the afternoon sessions are from 1.30 to 3.30 o'clock.)


The sessions of the other schools are as prescribed from time to time by the committee. A


CALENDAR FOR 1909.


Winter term began Monday, January 4, 1909. Summer term begins Monday, April 5, 1909. School year ends Friday, June 25, 1909. Fall term begins Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1909. Fall term ends Friday, Dec. 24, 1909.


VACATIONS.


March 27, 1909, to April 5, 1909. June 26, 1909, to September 7, 1909. December 24, 1909, to January 3, 1910.


HOLIDAYS.


Every Saturday, Washington's Birthday, Patriot's Day, Me- morial Day; from Wednesday noon before Thanksgiving, the remainder of the week.


REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE.


The School Committee offer this report for the year ending December 31, 1908, with the reports of the Superintendent of Schools and the School Physician.


RECEIPTS.


Unexpended balance from last year, $ 87 91


Appropriation,


50,000 00


From Murdock fund,


18 25


From Commonwealth,


144 00


Reimbursements,


7 07


Overdrawn,


1,232 15


$51,489 38


PAYMENTS.


Salaries,


$35,853 32


Books,


1,774 47


Supplies,


944 18


Fuel and light,


3,609 96


Repairs,


2,683 05


Janitors and care of school houses,


3,519 12


Building supplies,


70 29


Freight and teaming,


185 96


Night schools,


577 25


Transportation,


1,029 84


Truant officer,


100 00


Furniture and furnishings,


765 20


Printing,


94 05.


Incidentals,


240 68


School census,


42 01


$51,489 38


-171-


MEDICAL INSPECTION.


Receipts.


Unexpended balance from last year, $109 08


Appropriation.


300 00


$409 08


Payments.


Services of Physician,


$307 05


Balance on hand,


102 03


$409 08


The foregoing statement shows an overdraft which was un- avoidable, and was feared when the amount of the appropriation was fixed. Increased transportation, desks for the Commercial course in the high school, purchase of books and increase in sal- aries have contributed to make this result. The maximum for salaries of teachers in the grade schools has been raised fifty dol- lars in amount and this will make the pay roll permanently larger, but we hope it may result in greater permanence in the teaching staff. We are to be congratulated in having less changes this year than last.


The expenses of the school department with all proper econ- omy should be greater the coming year than in the last. Sala- ries and repairs will be greater and no considerable item of this year's expense can be saved. We therefore ask for an appropri- ation of fifty-three thousand dollars in addition to the usual sum of three hundred dollars for medical inspection, which service we find to be very beneficial.


The Superintendent of Schools has called attention in his report to the unsatisfactory condition of the school buildings at Manomet. Neither school is now supplied with drinking water, and it is obtained only by the sufferance of the neighbors, and to their great annoyance. Complaint has been made that this has


-172-


led to the occasional use of water wholly unfit for drinking pur- poses. It was thought that the grammar school could be sup- plied with drinking water at a reasonable cost, but an expendi- ture of two hundred dollars in driving pipes there has demon- strated the futility of further attempts to get water in this way. The conditions at the primary school do not invite a simi- lar trial there. The wells in that neighborhood are a hundred feet, or more, in depth.


The out-buildings at both school houses are at the rear, with the unpleasant conditions and exposure incident to such an ar- rangement. The primary school building is an ancient affair, generally regarded as a disgrace to the town, and while the other building is of more modern construction, being of the same type as the buildings at Cedarville, South Ponds, Wellingsley and Russell Mills, it is without a basement or cellar.


The bringing together of two schools at Manomet at some location nearly midway between the present locations would be of advantage in many ways. The older and the younger chil- dren of the same, or nearby families would go to and from school together and the teachers could co-operate in their work and would feel much less the isolation. The care of the pupils at noon, between sessions, would also be less burdensome, and all the children would receive that advantage which always comes from bringing them together in larger numbers.


The construction of approved heating, ventilating and sani- tary apparatus for the combined building would be less expen- sive and its operation more satisfactory than if in separate build- ings, and the cost of fuel and care would also be less.


Your committee deem it advisable that the town construct a two-room building on some location between the present school houses, and where a supply of ground water suitable for drink- ing purposes can be obtained.


The local sentiment strongly favors a three-room building, and the retention of the ninth grade scholars who now attend


-


-173-


with those of the center of the town at the high school building. At present, the present arrangement is believed to be the better, but under changed circumstances, it might be different. If the type of building now under consideration on Maple street in Kingston were adopted, the present school house used by the grammar school could at small cost be brought to the rear and form an annex similar to that on the Knapp building. We be- lieve that this building is needed for the proper care of the health and the comfort of the pupils. and that school conditions must remain very nearly as they now are until the town shall authorize the expenditure.


The facts presented in the Superintendent's report prove the urgent need of a new four-room building at the northerly part of the town to provide suitably for the increasing number of chil- dren following the rapid growth of this section. This need seems to us to be imperative, as. otherwise, we must in- crease the inconvenience of the people at the north, already suf- fering from the excessive transportation of scholars, by the use of temporary and unsatisfactory quarters. as we now have no rooms into which to take the newcomers.


Experience shows that this building should not be located too near the town line, and that the location for the Spooner school was chosen too far to the north. A suitable site may be found back from Court street, where it can be obtained at a less cost than on the main street.


The town has three unused school buildings so placed as to be apparently of little or no use now, or in the future. The build- ing on South street is not properly constructed and arranged to meet the present requirements, and with its necessarily boarded up windows and its conspicuous out buildings it is an eyesore on land which the town has tried to develop into a park. A strong feeling exists against the use of the building on Spring street, and vehement protests come from the parents of chil- dren who may be assigned there. Its sanitaries are open to all the objections which may be urged against such out-of-doors ar-


-174-


rangements and its front is near to a stable. As it has a slate roof and is well built it may be advantagously used for other town purposes. The use of the older building on Oak street was abandoned when the new building offered more satisfactory ac- commodations, and it is hardly reasonable to anticipate a growth in this section which will provide enough scholars in the pri- mary grades to warrant the opening of another school. The building is in need of shingling and other repairs, and, to save that expense, we advocate the sale and removal of this building. We also advise the sale of the building on South street, and the transfer of the one on Spring street to the use of some other department of the town.


Attention is invited to all the facts and suggestions presented in the report of the Superintendent. Improvements in courses of instruction and school methods cannot be well made much in advance of the appreciation and approval of the public.


WILLIAM W. BREWSTER, INCREASE ROBINSON, EUGENE P. ROWELL, J. HOLBROOK SHAW, HARRY B. DAVIS, EARL W. GOODING,


School Committee.


SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.


To the School Committee of Plymouth-


The report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year 1908 is herewith respectfully submitted. The table of statistics re- quired by the state authorities and the other data that usually accompany the report are given below. They show an in- creased number of pupils in the schools over last year, an excel- lent record for regular and punctual attendance, one more teacher in the service, and a larger expenditure of money, caused by the increased and increasing needs of the department :


The school census taken in September, 1908, gives the fol- lowing :


1907


1908


Children between 5 and 15 years of age:


Boys,


910


982


Girls,


1003


1042


1973


2024


Children between " and 14 years, the compulsory school age :


1907


1908


Boys,


708


714


Girls,


700


752


1408


1466


Attendance record for school year ending June 26, 1908:


1907


1908


Whole number of pupils enrolled for year, Number under 7 years of age,


2018


2095


357


374


-176-


Number between ? and 14 years,


1394


1455


Number between 14 and 15 years,


117


111


Number over 15 years of age,


150


155


2018


2095


Average membership of all the schools,


1878


1970


Average daily attendance,


1:56


1857


Per cent. of attendance,


93.5


94.3


Number days absence of pupils,


24,210


19,638


Number cases tardiness,


3,750


3,520


Number dismissals before close of school,


1,124


948


Number cases truancy reported,


45


55


Number days teachers absent from school,


122


134


Number school buildings in use,


22


23


Number school rooms in use, including high school,


57


Number teachers regularly employed


59


High school,


Grammar school,


19


Primary school,


29


Ungraded school.


4


Special teachers, one each for


music, drawing and sloyd,


3


62


To meet the requirements of the State Board of Education the following statistics cover the period of the school year, from September to July, 1907-1908, and are compared with the same items for the preceding year :-


1906-7


1907-8


Whole number of pupils enrolled for the year,


2,018


2,095


Number under 7 years of age,


357


374


Number between 7 and 14 years,


1,394


1,455


Number between 14 and 15 years,


117


111


Number over 15 years,


150


155


-177-


Average membership of all the schools,


1,878


1,970


Average daily attendance,


1,756


1,858


Per cent. of attendance,


93.5


94.3


Number days absence of pupils,


24,210


19,638


Number cases tardiness,


3,750


3,522


Number of dismissals before close of school session,


1,124


948


Number of cases truancy reported by teachers,


45


Number of days of teachers' absence from school,


122


134


Number of visits made by superintendent,


680


1,329


Present number of pupils enrolled, Jan. 4, 1909,


2,127


FINANCIAL STATEMENT.


The items given below are based upon the expenditure for school purposes during the financial year 1908. The financial and attendance periods are not therefore identical, but since each covers a full year, the one period being only a little in advance of the other, the returns they furnish are fairly reliable.


1. Assessed valuation of real and personal property in Plymouth, May 1, 1908, $10,483,042 00


2. Per cent. of valuation expended for cur- rent expenses of schools in 1907-'08, .004613


3. Expense per pupil on average membership, 24 55


4. Expense per pupil on same for schools, of State, 1907-'08,


30 15


5. Expense per pupil on average member- ship on total expenditure for schools in 1907-'08, 26 29


6. State average on same basis, 1907-'08, 38 32


7. Average monthly wages of men teachers in Plymouth in 1907-'08, 102 50


8. Average monthly wages of men teachers of the State, 1907-'08, 155 95


Plymouth 12


-118-


1


9. Average monthly wages of women teach- ers in Plymouth in 1907-'08, 51 12


10. Same paid women teachers in the State, 1907-'08. 59 58


In this statement the items are based upon the average mem- bership of the schools, 1970. Items 2 and 3 are based upon the whole amount ($49,711.80) which the Committee has spent, less the cost of repairs ($2,683.05) building supplies ($70.29) and expense of evening schools, ($677.28). The items which make up this amount are payments for salaries, transportation, fuel and care of schoolhouses. text books and supplies, incidentals. The sum thus expended ($48,365.81) is by the act of the Legis- lature, to be regarded as the current expense of the schools, and is the sum to be certified to the State authorities as having been raised by taxation and expended "for the support of the public schools." This sum shows that during the past year the town raised by taxation, and expended for the school support of each child in the average membership (1970) of the schools, the sum of $24.55. The State average on the same basis was $30.15. While the town, in the total expense for its schools paid an average of $26.29 for each pupil in the average membership, the State average for each child on the same basis was $38.32.


There are 354 cities and towns in Massachusetts. During the past year there were 148 of these cities and towns which im- posed upon themselves a heavier tax for the school support of each child in the average membership of their schools than Plymouth, and 205 that imposed upon themselves a lesser tax. There were 216 of these same communities which paid a larger percentage of their assessed valuation for school purposes than Plymouth paid, and only 137 of them that paid less.


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ATTENDANCE.


The schools have been in session nominally for forty weeks. but the closing of them for various reasons during term time has reduced the time to an actual average session of less than thirty-nine weeks for each school. Two thousand and ninety-five pupils have been connected with the schools for a longer or shorter period during the year, while the average membership, the number which shows the constant membership of the schools for the same period, has been 1970. The average daily attendance was 94.3 per cent. of the number in the average membership. These figures, compared with those of last year, show a substantial increase-ninety-two-in the average member- ship for the year, and an increase of one hundred and one in the average daily attendance. There has been an increase of nearly one per cent. in regularity of attendance of those in average membership, and a considerable lessening of the number of late and dismissal marks. This is an excellent record, and speaks well for the efforts of teachers and the response of the pupils in their attempts to secure the habit of regular and punctual at- tendance.


ACCOMMODATIONS.


At the beginning of the school year for which this statistical report is made, the number of pupils enrolled was 1947. At the present time the number enrolled is 2,127, an increase of 180, a number large enough to fill four school rooms. This increase has come principally at the north and center of the town, and represents about the normal increase of pupils year by year. Accommodations have been found for all pupils, but the in- creasing number is unduly crowding some rooms, particularly at Russell street, as it is necessary to send nearly one hundred pupils who live in the Knapp school district to schools at Cold


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Spring and Russell street. Transportation is furnished at an expense of about $500 a year to about forty of these pupils who live too far north to walk to Russell street. Most of these chil- dren are sent to the Cornish school, where only scant accommo- dation can be given them. To relieve the Knapp school, and to furnish accommodations for those now transported to Russell street, another school building should be provided at the north at once. And this new building should be large enough to allow the abandonment of the Hedge school. That school house is old and dilapidated, not worth repairing or remodelling, without sanitary conveniences, and altogether fails to meet the require- ments of a modern school. The intention was to abandon this building when the Knapp school was built, and again when the addition was made to the Knapp, but in each case the increased number of pupils made the continued use of the Hedge building necessary. The health, comfort and progress of the children who must attend this school require better conditions than can be furnished them there.


The school conditions at Manomet call for consideration. The number of pupils enrolled there is the same as that en- rolled eight years ago: but the public demand better school con- ditions and conveniences than were demanded at that time. Both the buildings at Manomet are old and worn. A few years ago an addition was made to the smaller building, and ventilat- ing shafts were built in both, at an expense of about $800. But the condition of the buildings today requires a complete ren- ovation, the doing of which would be expensive, and only tempo- rary and unsatisfactory. A larger amount of money than is necessary for repairing these buildings could be spent to much better advantage in securing a good lot some where between the two school buildings, and erecting theron an entirely new building which should contain a modern heating and ventilating system, and satisfactory sanitary arrangements. There is no way to better the sanitary conditions of those schools in their present location, because of the apparent impossibility of securing water there.




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