USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1938 > Part 22
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October
13, 1938-On
Gypsy Moth (private) 932.60
December 20, 1938-On Polls 80.00 December 20, 1938-On Real and Personal 84.64
May 17, 1938-On Water Liens 5,171.32
December 1, 1938-On
Water Liens
2,140.20
Tax Rate per one thousand- $46.00
Abatements
Levy of 1931-
Retirement Fund
636.90
On Real Estate $165.85
Levy of 1932-
On Real Estate 149.74
Levy of 1933 --
2.00
Auditing Municipal Ac- counts
5,594.66
State Parks and Reser- vations
11,876.21
97.32
Veterans' Examinations Underestimates
2,445.73
County ax
25,527.62
Tuberculosis Hospital.
6,331.30
Underestimates
514.02
Overlay
20,000.00
Gross amount to be
raised
$1,005,673.77
25,577.50 467.00
Board of Tax Appeals Judgments
45,692.26
John R. Jacobs Judg- ment .
125.00
1937 W. P. A. Appro- priation
7,000.00
Audit of Tax Collector's Account
1,577.78
Chapter 90 Maintenance State Tax
.83
20,560.00
Abatement of Smoke Nuisance
176.97
On Polls
On Real and Personal Estate
504.57
On Old Age Assistance 1.00
Levy of 1934-
On Tax Title 44.70
On Polls
4.00
On Real and Personal Estate 304.35
Levy of 1935-
On Polls 96.00
On Real and Personal Estate 502.76
On Gypsy Moth 1.60
Basis of Taxation
Town Appropriations .... $831,472.67 Deficits in Overlay Ac- counts for years 1931, 1935, 1936, 1937
Old Age Assistance
1938]
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES REPORT
189
Levy of 1936-
On Polls
180.00
On Real and Personal Estate
1,414.09
On Tax Titles
106.80
Levy of 1937- On Polls
326.00
On Real and Personal Estate 26,780.86
On Gypsy Moth
17.27
On Sidewalks
11.73
On Interest on Side- walks 2.82
Levy of 1938-
On Polls
314.00
On Real and Personal
Estate
29,071.60
On Gypsy Moth
66.79
1938 Tax Appeal Judg- ments 40,836.62
Motor Exercise Tax Committed To Tax Collector
January 27, 1938 $363.86
WASHINGTON L. BRYER.
Report of Sealer of Weights and Measures
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
I submit the following report for the year ending Dec. 31, 1938.
Sealed Not Sealed Condemned
Scales:
Platform over 5000 pounds
5
Platform, 100 to 5000 pounds
2
Counter, 100 to 5000 pounds
1
Counter, under 100 pounds
17
1
Spring, 100 to 5000 pounds
5
Spring, under 100 pounds
64
6
Computing, under 100 pounds
45
2
3
Personal weighing
3
1
Prescription
4
2
Weights:
Avoirdupois
30
Apothecary
28
Metric
21
Capacity Measures:
Liquid
33
1
Fuel Baskets
6
Gasoline Meters (electric)
105
19
Gasoline Meters (hand)
6
2
Fuel Truck Meters
17
1
Bulk Station Meters
4
Oil Pumps
56
Grease Measuring Devices
Stops on Pumps
140
-
536
58
36
April 14, 1938 18,532.03
October 20, 1938 5,630.63
November 30, 1938 322.96
Abatements on Motor Excise Taxes
Levy of 1938 $4.63
Levy of 1934
116.17
Levy of 1935 385.67
Levy of 1936
511.17
Levy of 1937
370.75
Levy of 1938 1,405.11
Committed to Town Accountant October 5, 1938:
Special Tax-Water De- partment of the City of Lynn $848.70
Respectfully submitted, JOHN J. MULLEN,
Chairman;
DANIEL C. WILLIS,
190
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Trial weighings of commodities put up for sale: Total Tested Number Correct
Incorrect
Under
Over
Bread
396
353
28
15
Butter
461
406
52
3
Coal (in paper bags)
680
603
55
22
Coal (in transit) Sugar
318
308
10
Beans
120
83
37
Flour
205
195
6
4
Potatoes
217
195
11
11
Beer Barrels
7
6
1
2410
2155
200
55
Inspections made:
Paper of fiber cartons
22
Pedler's licenses
11
Bread markings
493
Food packages
1321
Coal in paper bags
680
Clinical thermometers
42
Oil jars
2862
Weights and Measurements for the Town:
Gasoline
33,726 gals.
Soft
1,113,230 lbs.
Hard
360,020 lbs.
Bituminous products-
Tarbo C
45,108 gals.
Tarbo B
9,432 gals.
Penetration
12,374 gals.
100/200
4,428 gals.
50/60
6,813 gals.
65%
1,270 gals.
RC3
3,794 gals.
SA4
1,282 gals.
I make the same recommendation that I made last year, that the Town purchase a thirty-ton scale, so that everything purchased may be weighed.
Respectfully submitted,
ALFRED H. WOODWARD, Sealer of Weights and Measures.
Report of Playground Commission
The Board of Playground Com- missioners submit to you their an- nual report.
As was promised last year, our new stadium on Stackpole Field, was opened and dedicated on Sep-
tember 10, 1938. The total cost of this plan was approximately $60,- 000.00 with $11,000.00 of this for materials. The total seating capac- ity is 5300. The clubhouse and play- ing field is one of the best in the
-
Coal:
293
6
6
191
PLAYGROUND COMMISSION'S REPORT
1938]
state. If it were not for the W. P. A. this stadium could never have been built. The Town share was only for materials. The completion of the stadium this year resulted in our school Athletic Council hav- ing a surplus for the first time in many years. The baseball diamond which is now under construction will be finished next spring. There are no intentions on the part of the Board to prevent children in this locality from using these grounds for their playground.
A project has been submitted that will make our Anna Parker Playground a real public park. The plans call for a club house, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, skating rink and pool. A large area will be specially fenced off for the sole use of very small children. The pool will be used in the summer time, and in the winter it will serve the high school athletes for their hockey games, including skating for the public. We thank the Board of Selectmen and Mr. Murphy for their co-operation in drawing up this project for us.
The installation of equipment in the school yards of the North Sau- gus and Lynnhurst schools has worked wonders for the children in these two sections of our Town. North Saugus, under the direction of Miss Jean Hawks, had a very successful season. Thousands of children during the summer months made use of the equipment that was installed. The Lynnhurst sec- tion under the direction of Miss Ada Mudge also enjoyed a success- ful season. We intend to continue our drive for more equipment in these parts of our Town for the benefit of the children.
The Stocker playground enjoyed one of its most successful years with a large program of different sports, our daily attendance was very high. With the Sewer Com- mittee taking a right of way through this playground we are not sure of what can be done to im- prove this playstead. Only time will tell.
The Bristow Street Playground has had the highest attendance
since it was opened. No improve- ments on the land have been made, but provisions have been made with the Public Works Deaprtment to have all the debris that is collect- ed around the Town dumped on a marshy piece of land. Since the Town purchased this playspot there have been no automobile deaths of our children, because they were playing in the street.
The recreation project, under the direction of Freeman Murray, has done well. The attendance for one year has been 63,000 children. Tap dancing, music, sewing, photo, drawing, and other outdoor activi- ties did a lot to bring about this attendance. Every W. P. A. work- er should be highly commended for their work. The Federal govern- ment we thank for the funds that they have provided in the line of wages for these instructors. We feel that this recreation project is here to stay, it has done a great deal of good.
Our budget for 1939 is 15 per cent lower than that of last year. We are interested in a lower tax rate. For the first time in the history of our Town the playground commissioners were able to spon- sor a Christmas party to the needy children of Saugus; 766 children were given candy, fruit, toys and entertainment. The total cost for this party to the Town was ap- proximately $50.00. The balance of the cost for this party was shared by the Connolly Candy Com- pany of Lynn, and our own local ice cream dealer, Theodore J. Bel- mos, including a donation of toys from the Lynn Sporting Goods Company. These companies con- tributed towards making this party a huge success, because we gave them the right to sell their wares within the walls of our new sta-
dium. We are glad to have started this yearly event. We hope that it will be carried on in future years by other boards. We want to thank everybody who helped make this one of the outstanding events of the year, and in closing let us re- iterate once more that we are de- termined to carry out our program for better equipped playgrounds for
192
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
the safety and health of our chil- dren.
Respectfully submitted, By JOHN J. BUCCHIERE,
Edward A. Amery, Jr., John J. Bucchiere, Sec .- Agent ;.
Dr. Mary M. Penny, Chairman.
Report of Sewer Committee
Historical
The Town of Saugus at an ad- journed Town Meeting April 4, 1927, voted to have the Town Mode- rator, Hon. Frank P. Bennett, Jr., appoint a committee of five mem- bers to investigate sewerage prob- lems of the Town. This committee included Charles E. Flynn, Esquire, chairman, and Messrs. Niles, Cheever, Belonga and Ramsdell. The committee, in its investigations made use of a "Preliminary Re- port on a System of Sewers," made for the Town Planning Board in 1925, by Fay, Spofford & Thorn- dike.
As a result of investigations by this committee and by the Massa- chusetts Department of Public Health, working under the author- ity of Chapter 9 of the Resolves of the Massachusetts Legislature of 1928, two legislative bills were enacted by the General Court in 1929; Chapter 350 which authorized the Town of Saugus to construct and operate a system of sewers, and Chapter 259, which authorized the Town of Saugus to connect the main, sewer or force main carrying the sewage of the Town of Saugus with the sewerage or sewage dis- posal system of the City of Lynn.
Chapter 350 of the Acts of 1929, was duly accepted by the Town at a Special Town Meeting held July 29, 1929, at which time it was voted that a Sewer Committee be appoint- ed by Hon. Frank P. Bennett, Jr., the Town Moderator, to act as a Sewer Commission. This commit- tee consisted of Charles E. Flynn, Esquire, Chairman; Walter L. C. Niles, Secretary, and Fred C. Cheever.
The committee engaged Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, Engineers, Boston, Massachusetts, in 1931, to make detailed studies of various possible methods of sewage disposal
and their costs. These studies led to amendments of both legislative acts in the year 1933. The results of the engineering studies above mentioned showed conclusively that it would be more advantageous and economical for the Town to dispose of its sewage by discharge into the outfall works of the City of Lynn than to build its own treatment plant and after extended negotia- tions an agreement between the City of Lynn and the Town of Sau- gus was executed on December 31, 1935, providing for the disposal of Saugus sewage by discharging it into the Lynn outfall sewer.
This agreement was approved by the Saugus Town Meeting of Feb- ruary 17, 1936, and copies have been duly filed as required by the legis- lative act.
Under date of June 14, 1937, the Sewer Committee filed an applica- tion to the Federal Emergency Ad- ministration of Public Works for P. W. A. funds to be used toward construction of the sewer project and although the application was approved, Federal funds became ex- hausted before the project actually received a grant allotment and the project remained on file with P. W. A.
Early in 1938, an application was made to the Works Progress Ad- ministration for a W. P. A. project to commence construction upon the Town sewer system, and this appli- cation received prompt approval of the Federal authorities. The Annu- al Town Meeting made its initial appropriation of money for sewer construction at, an Adjourned Ses- sion on March 21, 1938,by voting to. raise $141,000 as its share of the initial W. P. A. sewer project which was estimated to cost approximate- ly $351,000.
Bids for supplies and equipment for the W. P. A. project were called
193
SEWER COMMITTEE'S REPORT
1938]
for and were publicly opened and read on May 3, 1938. In all cases contract awards were made to the lowest bidder who could meet the specifications.
Construction work was com- menced on the W. P. A. project on July 6, 1938.
By July 6, 1938, the Congress of the United States had appropriated additional money for carrying on P. W. A. projects and Saugus had received a grant offer amounting to $202,500 to be used towards an amended P. W. A. sewer project estimated to cost $547,500.
The Town voted at the Ad- journed Town Meeting on July 6, 1938, to appropriate $359,000 to meet the Town's obligations under the sewer project as approved by P. W. A.
At the same Adjourned Town Meeting, the meeting voted to in- crease the Sewer Committee from three members to five, and the Town Moderator, Hon. Herbert P. Mason, was instructed to appoint two additional members. On July 19, 1938, the Town Moderator ap- pointed, as additional members of the Sewer Committee, Messrs. Ar- thur D. Hitchings and Alexander S. Addison.
Bids for P. W. A. Construction Contract No. 1 were publicly opened and read on August 30, 1938.
The Sewer Committee voted to award the P. W. A. Contract, after approval of P. W. A. authorities; to V. Barletta Co., Roslindale, Massachusetts, the low bidder, who bid $143,713.85. The contractor started work on September 9, 1938.
The committee learned, with much regret, of the death of one of its members, Mr. Arthur D. Hitchings, which occurred on Octo- ber 9, 1938. On October 19, 1938, at a meeting of the Sewer Commit- tee, the following resolution was passed:
"Whereas, it was with deep re- gret and sorrow that we were in- formed of the passing of Arthur D. Hitchings our fellow member of the Board of Sewer Commissioners, and whereas,
Being a good friend, a good neighbor and a good citizen his passing is a loss to the Town of
Saugus and a personal loss to each of his fellow members on the Sew- er Committee, and whereas,
As President of the Saugus Co- operative Bank, Director of the Saugus Trust Company and more. recently as one of our Board he served his Town in many capacities so well and faithfully and gave to the community freely of his time and experience for their benefit.
Be It Resolved:
That the members of the Sewer Committee extend to his widow their sincere sorrow in her great loss and that a copy of these reso- lutions be written into the records. of our Board, and be it resolved:
That a copy of these resolutions be sent to his widow."
Extent of Work Now Undertaken
The sewer work which is now be- ing undertaken will include lateral sewers in Cliftondale, Saugus Cen- ter and East Saugus, with a main intercepting sewer running from Cliftondale down along the Boston and Maine Railroad tracks, then ad- jacent to the brook north of Denver Street and into Saugus Center; the intercepting sewer will continue from Saugus Center along Shutes Brook and the Saugus River to a main pumping station at East Sau- gus. A force main will extend from the pumping station in East Saugus along the Boston and Maine Rail- road right of way into Lynn, through certain streets in Lynn and across property of the City of Lynn to the city's main sewage pumping station, where the force main will connect to the outfall sewer of the City of Lynn on the discharge side of the pumping sta- tion.
This work being constructed un- der W. P. A. and P. W. A. projects when completed and in operation will give to the congested parts of the Town relief from the existing conditions and a much needed pub- lic improvement. The workman- ship on the work completed to date under both the W. P. A. project and the P. W. A. project has been entirely satisfactory to the commit- tee.
It is hoped that the work now undertaken can be completed and
194
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
in operation before the end of 1939.
W. P. A. Project
The W. P. A. project to com- mence construction on the Town sewer system was approved early in 1938 by both the Federal Gov- ernment and the Town of Saugus. The initial W. P. A. project was estimated to cost a total of $351,- 646, of which the Town's share was $141,000. The Sewer Committee had previously consulted with the Board of Selectmen, the Finance Committee, the Board of Public Welfare, the Board of Health and all other parties interested, and the concensus of opinion was that due to the unemployment situation in Saugus, it would be beneficial for the Town to accept the offer of the W. P. A., in order to put local men to work and thereby keep them off welfare, and at the same time to ·commence this much needed im- provement for the Town.
Work was officially started on July 6, 1938, upon the initial sec- tion of work off Jasper Street in Saugus Center, at the northern side of the Boston and Maine Railroad right of way. A second section was started on July 20, 1938, in Clifton- dale on Essex Street at the corner of Eustis Street. The starting lo- cations were decided upon with the idea of completing the sewer through the main sections of Sau- gus Center and Cliftondale before heavy snow and ice might set in during the winter months. If open ditches were being worked on in the main sections of Saugus Center and Cliftondale, during the snow and ice periods the traffic problem would be a hazardous one, the ex- posing of Town water pipes in win- ter would be distinctly inadvisable, and the blocking up of entrances to business houses with piled earth, snow and ice would put the mer- chants to a costly disadvantage.
By December 31, 1938, the Sau- gus Center section had been com- pleted through Auburn Street, along Jasper Street, up Central Street to Emory Street, and down Emory Street to Willow Court. The Cliftondale section had been completed up Essex Street from Eustis Street, through Cliftondale
Square and along Lincoln Ave- nue to Central Street, where work ceased in order to avoid a dangerous traffic condition if Central Street were opened up and heavy snows, ice, and freezing weather should set in.
House services were laid from the sewer to the property lines as the job progressed in Saugus Cen- ter, and from Cliftondale Square to Central Street along Lincoln Ave- nue on the Cliftondale section.
As of December 31, 1938, the fol- lowing progress had been made on the W. P. A. Project :-
3631 feet of main sewer line built 1335 feet of house connections laid
24 manholes built
243 total men employed
803 man months of labor em- ployed.
The Sewer Committee's W. P. A. funds as of December 31, 1938, were as follows:
Total Town appropriation
for W. P. A. $141,000.00
Amount expended for
W. P. A. 73,992.27
Town Balance for W. P. A. $67,007.73
The heaviest expenditures of Town money naturally occurred at the start of the work. The Sewer Committee was undertaking a new project of large magnitude and had neither equipment nor materials on hand; these had to be purchased first. Excavating machines, com- pressors, pumps, trucks, miscellane- ous tools, sewer pipe and other con- struction materials - all were bought on open competitive bidding from the lowest bidders meeting the specifications.
The committee has installed a cost account system which reflects an exact record of all monies spent; every month both the previous and the anticipated expenditures are tabulated and analyzed. The com- mittee believes the Town's money is being spent judiciously and that there is enough of the Town's money allotted for the W. P. A. project to complete the amount of work originally laid out if satis- factory progress is made on con- struction.
The Sewer Committee at all times
195
SEWER COMMITTEE'S REPORT
1938]
has worked in close co-operation with the W. P. A. officials. The Committee, through its Consulting Engineers and its Superintendent of Construction, advises and co-ope- rates with W. P. A. in the organ- ization and layout of the construc- tion work.
The Consulting Engineers make field surveys and secure necessary basic data, prepare final designs and construction drawings, prepare specifications and furnish engineer- ing supervision for construction work and resident engineering and inspection services during construc- tion.
The Town's Superintendent of Construction plans the procedure and methods of operation, arranges, as agent of the Sewer Committee, for the ordering and delivery of necessary materials and equipment, acts as contact man for the com- mittee in negotiations with proper- ty owners, representatives of the Engineers and departments of the Town of Saugus.
The Federal Government through W. P. A. retains full control over the labor. The Town's Superinten- dent of Construction co-operates with the W. P. A. Supervisors by permission of the W. P. A. Field Engineer, who has complete control of the labor, working through the local Town Co-ordinator and the job supervisors. The W. P. A. assigns the number and classification of men to do the work, governs the wages paid and the hours of work; the entire work is governed by W. P. A. rules and regulations.
It should be borne in mind that a work relief program such as this W. P. A. sewer project has many complications to be ironed out and one of the most important is the local labor problem. Both the Sew- er Committee and the W. P. A. have done their utmost to give the local labor, which was not experienced in sewer construction, the proper supervision, equipment, tools and material, to do the work. The fact that the Town of Saugus workers have been and still are adapting themselves to this work is definite proof that the W. P. A. sewer pro- ject is fulfilling its two-fold pur- pose, namely, relief of unemploy- ment and construction of a per-
manent public improvement.
P. W. A. PROJECT
On July 6, 1938, an adjourned Town Meeting voted to accept a. grant offer of the Federal Govern- ment for $202,500, and also appro- priated a total sum of $359,000 to meet the Town's obligations as its- share of the cost of the project.
Under a P. W. A. project the- work is done entirely by contract rather than by Force account which. is used on W. P. A. projects.
On August 16, 1938, bids were in- vited for Construction Contract No. 1, P. W. A., and on August 30, 1938, bids were received. On September 6, 1938, the contract was awarded, after approval of P. W. A., to V. Barletta Co., Roslindale, Massachu- sett, the low bidder, whose bid was: $143,713.85.
Work was commenced on Septem- ber 9, 1938, in East Saugus, on Lin- coln Avenue near the pumping sta- tion location. The intentioit was to construct the sewers in the streets of East Saugus before winter set in.
By December 31, 1938, lateral sewers had been built in the fol- lowing streets at East Saugus :- Lincoln Avenue from Chestnut. Street to Ballard Street; Newhall and Johnson Streets from Vincent Street to Ballard Street; Vincent Street from Lincoln Avenue to Johnson Street; Wendell Street from Newhall Street to Johnson Street; Ballard Street from Lincoln . Avenue to Johnson Street; and Lin- coln Avenue from Chestnut Street . to the East Saugus bridge.
House services from the sewers to the property lines have not been laid, because it is desirable not to close up the streets during the win- ter months, and the house connec- tions will be built in the spring and summer of 1939.
The following progress had been made as of December 31, 1938, on the P. W. A. project :-
4600 feet of main sewer line built. No house connections laid
23 manholes built
42 total men employed
68 man months of labor employed.
The Sewer Committee intends to. connect with the new sewers at East Saugus, for the immediate fu --
196
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
ture, as many of the privately owned sewers as it finds to be in satisfactory condition.
The remainder of the work covered by the P. W. A. project is to be installed under two contracts and will include a main sewage pumping station to be built of brick and concrete and its necessary appurtenances at East Saugus com- plete with all pumping station equipment; there will also be built a force main sewer extending from the main pumping station at East Saugus through Lynn to connec- tions with the outfall sewer and overflow sewer of the City of Lynn. Construction plans and contract documents for the balance of the work under the P. W. A. project have been completed and it is ex- pected that the actual construction work will be under way in Febru- ary, 1939, in order that all work under the P. W. A. project may be completed in September, 1939.
In doing work by contract, under a P. W. A. project, the work is first advertised for competitive bid- 1 ding, based on estimated quantities of the different items of work. Con- tractors bid unit prices for these quantities, and the contract is awarded to the responsible bidder who submits the lowest total bid for the different items of work. After the contract is awarded, the con- tractor furnishes material and equipment and does the work, being paid for the actual quantities of work done at the unit prices bid. There is no necessity for the com- mittee to buy materials or equip- ment for a P. W. A. job.
The contractor submits his esti- mates of the work done each month; these estimates must be approved by the resident representative of P. W. A., by the Town's Consulting Engineers, and finally by the Sewer Committee before the contractor is paid.
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