USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1931 > Part 6
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Chief Joy also asks $1,000 for a forest fire patrol. A law has been passed by the General Court under the terms of which the State Forester can order the local Forest Fire Warden to establish a patrol. The local forester, however, has no such authority, and there can be no patrol in Saugus unless such an extended drought occurs that the State Forester orders Mr. Joy to establish one. The committee feels that this is a proble- metical contingency and that if such a thing should occur this year that it would be well to transfer from the Reserve Fund rather than to create an appropriation which may not be required at all. The committee, therefore, does not recommend any appropriation under this item.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
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Sealer of Weights and Measures
This budget shows a jump from $885 in 1930 to a recom- mended total of $1, 100 in 1931. This consists almost entirely of salary.
The incumbent of this office has been before the Finance Committee for the past few years with a request for an increase in salary. This has not previously been granted but the com- mittee feels that he is entitled to consideration this year.
Mr. Alfred H. Woodward has supplied the committee with a report of his work during the past year. There were 1,306 seal- ings against 390 when he took the job in 1923. He made a total of sealings and inspections of 2,225 this year and also suc- cessfully prosecuted six cases in court concerning the sale of short-weight butter.
The sealer asked for a raise in compensation from $700 to $1,000. The Finance Committee has voted to recommend $1,000 for both salary and transportation, in keeping with its policy of abolishing automobile hire, and as he previously received $120 for auto hire, this makes a net increase in com- pensation of $180 over that of 1930. The majority of the committee feels that this is justified.
Gypsy Moth
This is a budget over which the town has no control what- ever. The State sets the amount which the town must expend as a certain percentage of the valuation. The budget this year calls for $5,000, which is identical with last season. The Finance Committee, therefore recommends $5,000.
Tree Warden
The budget of the Tree Warden calls for no increase over that of 1930. The sum of $1,200 is requested, $200 of which is for the purchase of new trees. Last year the town spent $1,349.81 in this department, but $149.81 was for the removal of several trees in the path of a new sidewalk, and was in the nature of a transfer made by the Finance Committee from the reserve fund. The Finance Committee recommends to the Limited Town Meeting $1,200 for the expenses of the Tree Warden's Department, including $200 for the purchase of new trees.
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School Department
The budget of the School Committee presented to the Finance Committee for the conduct of the town's schools in 1931 pre- sents a total of $220,942. The appropriation of the town in 1930 was $205,550.67.
The Finance Committee recommends to the Limited Town Meeting an appropriation of $215,078 this year.
Of the total budget of the School Committee as presented $188,028 was set aside for salaries. The Finance Committee has reduced this to $186,328.
Members of the Finance Committee are unanimous in the belief that the School Committee should make every effort to curtail expenses this year. The town is faced with one of the most abnormal years in its history and in addition to the many demands upon the general budget, should, in the opinion of the Finance Committee, undertake the construction of a new Senior High School. The construction of this school will necessarily add about $2.oo to the tax rate and the Finance Committee expresses tbe hope that the School Committee, will, in view of this step to care for their more serious needs, attempt to con- duct the business of their department at the figure recommended by the Finance Committee.
The Finance Committee has devoted considerable study to the school budget. The committee finds that an increase in the budget is inevitable. This is due primarily to the fact that the town's school system is growing at the rate of two rooms yearly and also to the fact that automatic increases in the salaries of teacher make it inevitable that the budget shall grow annually.
The Finance Committee, therefore, believes that the School Committee would be faced with an utter impossibility in attempting to keep their budget at the same figure as last year.
The several instances in which the Finance Committee has not recommended suggestions of the School Committee, however, follow :
SALARIES-School Nurse-The Finance Committee does not concur with the recommendation of the School Committee that
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the salary of the school nurse be raised $50 this year. The lady is at present receiving $1,600 yearly. This is nearly the maximum paid by the town for women teachers in the High School. The Finance Committee believes that the school nurse is receiving adequate compensation at $1,600 a year. This sug- gested raise has been deleted from the budget.
Additional Teachers-The School Committee presented to the Finance Committee a request for three additional teachers in the High School at the rate of $1,500 each. The sum of $600 for each teacher was included in the budget to pay their compensation from the opening of school in September until January 1. The Finance Committee finds that all of these teachers are badly needed. Principal Vernon W. Evans of the High School has declared to the Finance Committee that for the 25 teachers in the High School, there are only 16 free periods a day. The result is that many teachers are at work from the opening of school until the closing bell rings. The committee finds that the State department of education recom- mends at least one free period a day for a teacher and in modern High Schools two free periods are provided. In addition to this almost all of the teachers are following paths of higher education. The need of additional teachers in the High School, the Finance Committee believes, is obvious.
Principal Evans declares that there are at present only two department heads at the school, those of science and commer- cial subjects. He recommends heads for the other departments.
The Finance Committee finds, however, that the starting salary for women teachers at the High School is $1,050. It is unable to reconcile this with the request of the School Commit- tee for sufficient funds to pay salaries of $1,500 each to the three new teachers. The starting salary of men teachers is $1,300 and this, also, does not concur.
It is the understanding of the Finance Committee, however, that the School Committee desires to engage at least one depart- ment head This instructor would, necessarily, command a higher salary. The Finance Committee, therefore, has recom- mended $1,600 in the budget for teachers at the High School as contrasted with the $1,800 requested. Again it must be made plain that this money is only to pay the teachers from the open- ing of school in the fall until January 1.
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The intention of the Finance Committee is to provide one teacher at a starting salary of $1,500 and two others at $1, 250. By hiring one department head and two women instructors the committee should be able to adjust this to best suit the needs of the school.
Included also in the item for additional teachers is a request for one additional elementary teacher at $500, which would mean a salary of $1,250 annually. This, in the opinion of the Finance Committee, is also a request higher than necessity dic- tates. The starting wage of the School Committee for elemen- tary school teachers is only $900 and even if a somewhat ex- perienced teacher is sought the salary is high. The Finance Committee has recommended $400, which will provide a salary of $1,000.
The state has forced the town to establishi another "Oppor- tunity Class" for mentally retarded pupils in addition to the two maintained for the past year. This necessitates another teacher. The Finance Committee again recommends $400 to give a salary of $1,000. The committee finds that one of the town's two teachers in these classes was engaged last year at $900.
Members of the School Committee also impressed upon the Finance Committee the advisability of engaging a male super- visor of physical education and giving him a girl assistant. They requested $Soo in their budget to enable them to secure a male supervisor at $2,000 a year.
The Finance Committee finds that the present director of Physical Education, Mr. Albion R. Rice, is at present teaching mathematics at the High School. He also coaches the school's athletic teams and gives such physical education as has been attempted at the present time.
The Finance Committee finds that Mr. Rice is receiving a salary of $2,200 a year. The School Committee asserts, how- ever, that his work as a physical director is hampered by the fact that he is teaching at the High School.
The Finance Committee recommends to the members of the Limited Town Meeting that Mr. Rice be relieved of his duties as an instructor at the High School by one of the additional
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teachers to be elected. As provision has been made for an algebra teacher, this should be possible. The committee recom- mends that Mr. Rice be placed in sole charge of physical edu- cation. He has been trained for this work and would in the opinion of the committee, be as qualified as another man who would be engaged at an additional cost of $2,000 to the tax- payers of Saugus.
The Finance Committee also finds in the salary budget an item at $1,600 for a girl assistant to help the supervisor in the physical training work of the elementary schools. The com- mittee finds that this was the salary being paid a director of this work since deceased. The Finance Committee, while favoring the hiring of an assistant to Mr. Rice, does not believe that it is necessary to give her a salary at the start such as was enjoyed by the former incumbent after several years of service. The Finance Committee has reduced this figure to $1,100. This, in the opinion of the committee, will provide a suitable assistant instructor.
The Finance Committee fully realizes the need of a proper physical education for the school children of the town. It be- lieves, however, that for the town to engage a man at $2,000 a year, a girl at $1,600, and an athletic coach at $2,200, giving a net total of $5,Soo a year for physical education, would be inconsistent with the needs of the town and very unwise. The Finance Committee believes that one of the three additional teachers recommended can relieve Mr. Rice of his teaching at the High School, and that for another $1, 100 a suitable assistant can be procured. This will reduce the School Committee's estimate of $5,800 to $3,300.
The Finance Committee believes that the town is liable to over emphasize the physical education work such as the music work of the town appears to be over stressed at present. The Finance Committee finds that there are three music teachers in Saugus and that the total expended for this study is $4,300. All of these adjuncts of modern education should, in the opinion of the committee, be treated in their proper relationship to the more necessary elements.
The Finance Committee finds that there is need of a more complete study of the present salary system of the town.
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Teachers in all of the elementary schools and women teachers at the High School are under a salary schedule. There is, however, no such system for the men teachers. The Finance Committee finds a situation here with which it cannot concur. Two glaring examples might well be pointed out.
The Finance Committee finds that the School Committee engaged a sub-master of the High School last year at $2,600. The former sub-master, who was promoted to the principalship, had worked for 10 years and attained in his last year a salary of only $2,500. The Finance Committee finds that this man has three of the 16 periods free from duty distributed among 25 teachers, although in one of them he takes charge of the school while the principal is at lunch. It finds, further, that he only teaches four periods a day. As an extreme opposite the Finance Committee cites the case of Principal Leon C. Young of the combined Junior High Schools. He starts work at the Sweetser Junior High School in the morning and remains there until the school closes at one o'clock, Then he hastens to Saugus Centre and takes over the Central Junior High School until five o'clock. He has the complete responsibility of two entire schools on his shoulders and receives a salary $2,500, which is $100 less than the sub-master of the High School receives for teaching four periods a day. This, in the opinion of the Finance Committee, is entirely unjustifiable.
The Finance Committee finds further that three men teachers were hired by the School Committee last year. All of them were college graduates teaching for the first year. Two of them were paid $1,300 a year and the third received $1,050-the woman's starting salary. This is a further instance of what the Finance Committee believes a serious inequality in com- pensation.
Teachers' salaries are as a whole very low in Saugus. The Finance Committee finds a first-class Latin teacher at the High School working at a salary of $1,250 annually, which is some- what less than the town's laborers receive. There should, in the opinion of the committee be a general revision of the schedule and men teachers at the High School should be provided with a schedule so that such inequalities as those stated would cease to exist.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
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The Finance Committee has taken into consideration the fact that the School Committee is faced with a serious task in attempting to retain teachers of high character and ability in Saugus when other communities provide higher wages. The Finance Committee has met with nothing but courtesy from any member of the School Committee in the consideration of their budget and the assistance of Superintendent Jesse W. Lambert of the department has been particularly invaluable. The Finance Committee does not question the contention that the pay recommended for any of the additional teachers would be proper, but the committee feels that it is inconsistent with the schedules at present in force and that in this year of abnor- mality caution must be employed.
Changes in the General Budget
The general budget of the School Committee, exclusive of salaries, totals $32,914. The Finance Committee recommends $28,970.
The major changes follow :
JANITORS' SUPPLIES-The Finance Committee finds a request of $1,000 for janitors' supplies. The committee has cut this to $500, in view of the fact that $1, 137.43 was expended last year. The town should be well supplied with janitors' sup- plies for some time to come.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES-The School Committee requested $5,000 for supplies, $2,500 for both the Elementary and High Schools. The Finance Committee has cut this to $4,000. The committee believes that this, too, should be maintained at a lower figure this year.
FUEL AND LIGHT-The School Committee asked for $5,300 for fuel against $4,So8.22 expended last year. The Finance Committee recommends $4,900. It is believed that this is sufficient. The committee asked for $1,000 for light against $965.68 expended last year. The Finance Committee recom- mends $900. The committee believes that the teachers and pupils of the schools should attempt to economize on light as much as possible by not burning the lights unnecessarily. All great industrial plants are at present attempting to save money on these small details and the town of Saugus would do well to
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follow suit. The Finance Committee believes that with econ- omy $900 will be sufficient for lights.
Books-The School Committee asked for $3,600 for books in the High School. The Finance Committee recommends $3,100. The committee asked for $2,500 for books in the elementary schools. The Finance Committee recommends $2,000. Books also must be made to last as long as possible in his period of retrenchment.
SURVEYING-There was an item of $50 in the budget for surveying. The Finance Committee has deleted this with the understanding that the Public Works Department will do the work.
MINOR REPAIRS-The Finance Committee finds several items in the general budget for carpentry, painting, glass, plumbing, and things of a like character, the School Committee asking for $500 for this total in 1931. The Finance Committee has recommended $8,605 for schoolhouse repairs and feels that this item can well be paid from that sum. This sum has been deleted from the budget.
The Finance Committee, in closing the discussion of this budget, calls attention to the fact that even with the suggestions of the committee, the budget is approximately $10,000 higher than last year. This raise, the Finance Committee believes, will enable the School Committee to conduct the schools in an efficient manner as formerly. Economy must be the watch- word of the department for the coming year.
Schoolhouse Repairs
Members of the School Committee requested a total of $10,915 for Schoolhouse Repairs in 1931. The Finance Com- mittee unanimously recommends $S,605.00.
The Finance Committee has spent considerable time on this budget and believes that the sum represented will be sufficient to do all the work necessary this year. The committee has taken from the budget submitted by the School Committe several items. They follow :
FENCES-The School Committee several years ago started the general policy of fencing all of the schools. With this
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policy the Finance Committee heartily agrees. The committee believes, however, that this is an abnormal year, that the demands upon the treasury of the town are out of all proportion to the ability of the town to meet them, and that the School Committee should temporarily abandon this policy for the ensuing year. The Finance Committee also calls attention to the fact that none of the money appropriated for this purpose would benefit any local citizen as it would be done entirely by out-of-town concerns. The Finance Committee, therefore, has made no recommendation for fences at the various schools.
RETAINING WALL-The School Committee suggested an appropriation of $275 for a retaining wall and fence at the Emerson School. In view of the fact that the committee has recommended $1,285 for replacing the toilets at this school, the committee felt that this was all that should be expended there this year. The Finance Committee has, therefore, taken this from the budget.
TOILETS-The Finance Committee has included in the gen- eral budget $1,285 for toilets at the Emerson School. The town provided funds for this purpose last year but the School Committee spent it elsewhere. There is probably not a school in Saugus where such deplorable toilet facilities exist as at the Emerson School. The situation is so bad that the Finance Committee is convinced that the School Committee should take steps to remedy it at once by installing the modern system which they have asked funds for. The Finance Committee has again recommended money for this item and trusts that this year the work will be done.
PAINTING SCHOOL-The School Committee asked for $300 to paint the North Saugus School. The Finance Committee is of the belief that $200 is ample to give the building one coat and has recommended this figure.
FLOORS-The School Committee several years ago started to replace floors at the Felton School. There are two rooms left with old floors. A personal inspection, however, has convinced that Finance Committee that the floors are not in great need of replacement at the present time. The hall, however, should be relaid. The Finance Committee, therefore, has cut the request of the School Committee for $500 to $100 for the purpose of relaying the corridor.
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ANNUAL TOWN MEETING.
FIRE ESCAPE-The School Committee asked for $400 in their budget for a fire escape on the Old Centre School, the upper floor of which houses the Town's Opportunity Classes. The Finance Committee, after viewing the premises, passed a vote directing the School Committee to install the fire escapes at once, and promising to recommend sufficient funds. The committee granted the contract for $360. The Finance Com- mittee, therefore, has cut the committee's request to this figure.
PARTITIONS-The quarters of the Opportunity Classes at the Old Centre School are deplorable. But for the fact that the Finance Committee transferred $200 from the reserve fund last summer for the purpose of placing plaster-board partitions there, the school would probably not have been able to function. The School Committee has asked $1,000 to place permanent partitions on the upper floor of the building. The Finance Committee is unanimously convinced that this work should be done. The committee, however, believes that $Soo is ample to do the job and has so recommended.
MISCELLANEOUS-The School Committee has placed an item of $100 in each instance for miscellaneous repairs at all of the schools. The Finance Committee has reduced this figure to $50 in the case of every school but the Senior High School. Here it was felt that $100 was probably necessary.
The Finance Committee wishes to impress upon the members of the Limited Town Meeting and the officers of the town that 1931 must be a period of careful expenditure of municipal funds. The construction of a new Senior High School, which has been recommended by the Finance Committee, is one of the greatest things which the town has ever undertaken. The Finance Committee, therfore, believes that the School Com- mittee should accept the slight deductions made by the Finance Committee in the spirit which they were given. The Finance Committee believes that the $8,605 recommended by the com- mittee for schoolhouse repairs will take care of the most necessary things for the year 1931. Fences and things of this nature may well be installed by the town in years when the demands are not so pressing. The committee believes that the budget outlined will care for the major needs of the School Committee,
[Dec. 31
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
Library
For the expenses of the Library Department in 1931, the Finance Committee recommends $7,5So against a request of the Board of Library Trustees for $S, 110.
The changes are as follows :
SALARIES-The Board of Trustees engage the services of several High School girls at small wages, averaging 25 cents an hour, in the main and branch libraries. Last year they spent $933.54 for this service. This year the board asks for $1,060. The board finds that a reasonable raise in compensa- tion, results in benefit to the town. The committee recommends this slight increase. The salary of the librarian remains identical with last year at $1,440.
REBINDING BOOKS-The trustees explain that they have on hand a large number of books which need rebinding. As the books grow older, more are in need of this service. They spent $495.85 for this in 1930 and ask $600 in 1931. The com- mittee recommends the latter figure.
MENDING MATERIAL-This is the first of several items in which the Board of Trustees have apparently deviated from their budget in prior years. They received $125 for this service in 1930, spent $16.20 and again ask for $125. The policy of the board has apparently been to ask for unnecessary amounts on several of these items and then apply the money not needed for other more essential things such as the purchase of books. The Finance Committee, however, cannot look with approval upon such a policy, for it completely eliminates the value of the budget system in municipal government. The committee, therefore, has recommended only $40 for mending materials in 1931. Several other minor items have also been treated in the same manner and the committee has in each instance reduced the requested total to a nominal figure.
FURNITURE-The Board of Trustees has asked for $450 for furniture this year in the expectation of an addition being con- tructed. The committee, however, recommends that the board add this sunt to the appropriation necessary for the construction of the addition, as there is no certainty that this step will be
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taken this year. The money would then be unnecessarily appropriated were it included in the general budget. The Finance Committee has included only $50 in the budget for furniture, believing that this will care for the routine needs of the present library.
MISCELLANEOUS-The Finance Committee has raised the esti- mate of the Board of Trustees from $50 for this item to $100, believing that this is a much better system than arranging the budget so that money may be deviated from sources other than that for which it was appropriated.
The Finance Committee, therefore, recommends $7,580 for the Library Department for 1931.
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