USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1939 > Part 13
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14.76
Levy of 1938-on real and personal
15,862.17
October 9, 1939-On
titles
Levy of 1939-on real
and personal 21,671.14
Levy of 1939-on polls 812.00
No.
Philip W. Blood
117
REPORT OF BOARD OF ASSESSORS
5939]
13447
1937
8/1 /39
Frederick H. Viaux and John C. Watson
1,571.20
X-17365
1937
8/1 /39
Frederick H. Viaux
18.45
X-20432
1938
8/1 /39
Marion M. Chase et al.
426.88
X-20433
1938
8/1 /39
Alice Phillippa Chase 844.10
X-20434
1938
8/1 /39
Alfred E. Chase
340.40
X-20435
1938
8/1 /39
Essex Trust Co. and Mary A. Furbish, Trustees
731.63
X-20436
1938
8/1 /39
General Electric Co.
681.26
X-20437
1938
8/1 /39
X-20438
1938
8/1 /39
Alfred E. and Alice P. Chase E. H. Blood Real Estate As- sociates
8,306.68
X-20439
1938
8/1 /39
Arthur K .; Robert E .; and Philip W. Blood
1,387.82
X-20440
1938
8/1 /39
Arthur K. Blood
90.85
X-20441
1938
8/1 /39
Arthur K. Blood
786.60
X-20442
1938
8/1 /39
Arthur K .; Robert E .; and
Philip W. Blood
1,296.28
X-20443
1938
8/1 /39
E. H. Blood Real Estate As- sociates
929.20
X-20444
1938
8/1 /39
Alfred E. and Alice P. Chase
922.30
14450
1938
8/1 /39
Boston & Maine R. R.
331.20
14451
1938
8/1 /39
Boston & Maine R. R.
124.20
14452
1938
8/1 /39
Boston & Maine R. R.
102.81
X-17800
1937
10/25/39
Simon and Benjamin Theise
166.05
X-16894
1937
11/29/39
Charles E. Stillings and
273.06
X-23270
1938
11/29/39
another
320.85
X-17355
1937
11/29/39
Carl A. Carlson
66.42
X-24292
1938
12/12/39
Simon and Benjamin Theise Simon and Benjamin Theise
343.85
Total $35,432.57
MOTOR EXCISE -COMMITTED TO TAX COLLECTOR
February 28, 1939
$3,705.61
March 21, 1939
9,609.17
March 31, 1939
1,439.04
June 8, 1939
5,449.73
July 30, 1939
2,641.74
October 4, 1939
1,960.37
November 23, 1939
419.59
December 16, 1939
206.33
ABATEMENTS ON MOTOR EXCISE
Levy of 1936
$32.75
Levy of 1937
304.58
Levy of 1938
422.60
Levy of 1939
267.30
SPECIAL TAX-COMMITTED TO TOWN ACCOUNTANT October 9, 1939 "Water Department, City of Lynn" $920.66
156.40
X-24292
1938
12/12/39
another
Charles E. Stillings and
671.60
118
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
MINORITY REPORT
It is with regret that the under- signed finds it necessary to file a separate report than that ren- dered by an other colleague. But because of so many vital things that have transpired during the past year that means so much to the welfare of our town, I find my- self compelled to do so.
The town this year had the mis- fortune to lose, by death, Daniel B. Willis one of its foremost citi- zens, a man who had served this town for over a quarter of a cen- tury as one of its assessors. Prior to being called by his towns people to this elected post he has been for many years one of the largest building contractors in this part of the state, which business "he
continued in until a short time be- fore his death. Because of this vast experience he had an accu- rate knowledge not only of Real Estate values but also the effect that the tax rate had upon these values.
Beginning in 1932, when I first was elected an assessor, he co- operated with me in increasing the assessed values on our so called Marsh Land properties. These valuations were not set based upon snap judgment but rather only after a long study, and evidence of the value that the owners them- selves put on the property. Space does not permit me to go into de- tail to explain all of these reasons but in order that you, my towns people may have some idea, I am calling your atention to the fol- lowing: Vacant land similar and in some respects not as good on the other side of the Saugus River and located in Lynn are assessed from eight cents per foot to a dollar per foot, similar land in Revere, Chelsea, Everett, Boston, Dorchester and other places along the Atlantic Sea Board are as- sessed for like amounts. We had evidence of legitimate offers one of which was supplied to us by Edward Gibbs, Jr., then our town accountant and now one of our Selectmen. It was admitted on the witness stand by the late Mr. Newhall one of the owners
that he had refused an offer of $1000 per acre for all of the land which he then owned. Evidence and admission by other of the owners, the reason why they had fought all of this land and the assessment down until such time as they would find it to their ad- vantage to develop it as a ter- minal. All of this and much more caused us to assess it for four cents per foot which figures it is less than the assessment of any piece of land on the skirts of the town and many times less than the valuation of land used even for dwelling house purposes in the center of the town.
The owners who are wealthy and powerful people, big ones, well known in business and political life as well as being large sub- scribers to advertisements in news- papers immediately began a cru- sade to ridicule these assessments, knowing that if they were serious- ly contested then the assessment would stand.
Unfortunately these are num- bered among them of our Town Officials and towns people those. who suffer from such a complex that the words of praise from the Mighty means more than the wel- fare of the town, joined with these owners and have since the day assessments were made to have done all in their power to have them lowered.
They have stopped at nothing to accomplish this, villified, ridiculed and condemned but other than hurting our cause before the Tax Board of Appeal in Boston, were unable to get us to rescind our stand of assessing these lands at their fair valuation.
As a result of these increases the town has profited by many hundreds of dollars as the valua- tion although not increased to the value, we have placed upon it, nevertheless, was raised by the Board of Tax Appeal from ap- proximately $50.00 per acre, that they were assessed for, to approxi- mately $400.00 per acre.
It is my earnest hope that the townspeople see to it that these
119
REPORT OF BOARD OF ASSESSORS
1939]
properties are not reduced to the ridiculous assessment that they were prior to 1932, and that they were aid in my fight to secure for the town the money in taxes that these properties are fairly worth.
Regarding the talk which has been made regarding the increase in the tax rate caused by abate- ments made in these so called Marshlands Properties and which has been used by the free spend- ers in the town as a screen for our high tax rate. Let me call to your attention the fact that the total amount in the abatements represents but a comparative small amount of the increased rate. And furthermore, the amount of Marshland abatement do not re- present any loss in dollars and cents to the town as it must be apparent to any thinking person that if the valuations on this land were reduced the amount of this reduction would immediately re- flect in the tax rate in the form of abatements one year it is exactly the same as would have gone in the proceeding year in the form of decreased valuations.
Last, may I point out that when the question came of fixing the tax rate for this year it was my humble opinion that in view of the large deficit in our state tax, which was caused through no fault of the town but rather be-
cause of state expenditures and the facts that several new taxes had been established by the legis- lature which are bound to bring in thousands of dollars of addi- tional revenue that we should withhold all deficits of our own which we could by law and not make the tax rate this year too high. With this in mind, I vote for a tax rate of $45.85 which later I was obliged to change in an at- tempt on my part to prevent those who opposed me on the question of Marshland valuations from gain- ing control of the assessors office. Whether or not I have been suc- cessful in doing this is now under discussion and which I hope will soon be determined.
In closing may I extend my thanks to those who have assisted me in my efforts for equitable taxation and my earnest request that I may have the continued co- operation of my townspeople in securing for them that to which they are rightfully entitled and the fervent prayer that whoever the people see fit to elect to the office left vacant by my esteemed colleague will be a man as well fitted and who has the welfare of his town and its people as much at heart as he did.
Yours very truly,
JOHN J. MULLEN.
Report of the Sewer Committee
The Sewer Committee submits herewith its annual report for the year ending December 31, 1939.
W. P. A. Project
The Sewer construction work which was officially started on July 6, 1938, has been continued throughout the past year and on December 31, 1939 the main sewer had been constructed from Auburn Street in the Saugus Center sec- tion to Essex Street in the Clif- tondale section and tied in at the latter section with the sewer con- structed in 1938 up Essex Street through Cliftondale Square and
along Lincoln Avenue to Central Street. There is now a completed line of main sewer from Clifton- dale to East Saugus.
Service connections were laid from the sewer to the property lines as the work progressed in Saugus Center along Emory Street, and in the Cliftondale sec- tion along First, School and Essex Streets. Service connections also were laid along that section of the sewer previously constructed along Essex Street from Eustis Street to Cliftondale Square.
A contract for the construction of the main sewer across the Bos-
120
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
ton and Maine Railroad north of the Pleasant Hills Station was awarded to the Keystone Engin- eering Co., of Boston, Massachu- setts, on July 20, 1939, and that work was completed on August 6, 1939.
During the year ending Decem- ber 31, 1939, the following pro- gress on sewer construction was made under the W. P. A. Project.
7,567 feet of sewer built.
935 feet of service connections laid.
35 manholes built.
The Sewer Committee's W. P. A. funds as of December 31, 1939, were as follows:
Total Town Appropriation
for W. P. A. $142,359.15
Amount expended 125,744.22
Town Balance for W. P. A. $16,614.93
The Federal allotment of funds for the W. P. A. work Project No. 16218 as of December 31, 1939 was as follows:
Total allotment $210,646.00 Amount expended for
labor 149,704.62
Amount expended for
materials 5,223.00
Balance of W. P. A. funds available $55,718.38
P. W. A. Project
Construction Contract No.
1 with V. Barletta Co., Roslindale, Massachusetts, covering lateral sewers in East Saugus and the main sewer from the pumping station to the W. P. A. project on Auburn Street in Saugus Center which was awarded September 9,
1938, was completed October 4, 1939. Service connections from the sewer to the property lines. have been laid.
Sections of the previously exist- ent sewers in East Saugus have been connected to the new sewer system at 4 points.
Construction Contract No. 2 with John MacDonald Construction Co., Newtonville, Massachusetts, for the main sewer pumping sta- tion at East Saugus and the force main sewer from East Saugus to the Lynn Outfall Sewer, which was awarded February 1.1. 1939, was practically completed.
The entrance fee for the per- manent right to use the Lynn out- fall sewer was paid to the City of Lynn on October 5, 1939 and on the following day the actual cut- ting through of the Lynn outfall sewer was made to join with it the force main sewer of the Town of Saugus.
Construction Contract No. 3 with Starkweather Engineering Co., Inc., of Newtonville, Massachu- setts for the furnishing and in- stallation of pumping equipment and electrical work which was awarded February 21, 1939, was practically completed.
The following tabulation shows the sewer construction work done under the P. W. A. Propect.
Under Contract No. 1. 11,963 feet of sewer built.
3,540 feet of service connec- tions laid.
54 manholes built.
Under Contract No. 2. 12,500 feet of force main sewer built. 15 air valve chambers con- structed.
The Sewer Committee's P. W. A. funds as of December 31, 1939 were as follows:
Appropriation by the Town $366,729.85 Grants received from P. W. A. 157,500.00
Total
$524,229.85
Amount expended 498,531.46
Balance
$25,698.39
121
REPORT OF SEWER COMMISSIONERS
1939]
SUMMARY OF SEWER CONSTRUCTION TO DATE
1938
1939
Total to date
W. P. A. Project
Main sewer line built (feet).
3,631
7,567
11,198
Manholes built
24
35
59
Service connections (feet)
1,335
1,041
2,376
P. W. A. Project
Main sewer line built (feet)
4,600
15,263
23,498
Manholes built
23
49
72
Service connections (feet)
none
3,505
3,505
Sewer Assessments and Annual Rental Charges
The Sewer Committee has caused its engineers, Fay, Spof- ford and Thorndike, to investigate and report upon the matters of Sewer Assessments and Annual Rental Charges and there follow excerpts from the report of the engineers.
Legal Basis for Sewer Assessments
The special legislation passed by the General Court furnishes a basis_ for the adoption of the sewer assessment rates. This legislation is Chapter 259 of the Acts of 1933 from which the fol- lowing paragraph is quoted:
"Section 3. Said chapter three hundred and fifty is hereby fur- ther amended by striking out sec- tion seven and inserting in place. thereof the following: Section 7. The town shall pay not less than one fourth nor more than two thirds of the whole cost of said system or systems of sewerage and sewage disposal, including the fee for entrance into the Lynn outfall sewer. In providing for the payment of the remaining por- tion of the cost of said system or systems of sewerage and sewage disposal or for the use of said system or systems, the town shall determine by vote which of the methods permitted by general laws it will adopt and shall by vote de- termine the sewer assessment rates and the provisions of said general laws relative to the as- sessment, apportionment, division, reassessment, abatement and col- lection of sewer assessments, to liens therefor and to interest thereon shall apply to assessments made under this act, except that
interest shall be at the rate of six per cent per annum. The collector of taxes of said town shall certify the payment or payments of such assessments or apportionments thereof to the sewer commission- ers, or to the selectmen acting as such, who shall preserve a record thereof."
Recommendations
Our recommendations as to the procedure for the Town to follow in establishing a definite basis for raising funds to pay sewerage costs are enumerated below.
(1) Adopt a system of sewage for a definite area of the Town; the plan showing the proposed system of sewerage is on file in the office of the Town Clerk. We recommend that the Town vote to adopt the aforesaid plan which is entitled "Town of Saugus, Mass., Sewer System - General Plan, March, 1939, Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, Consulting Engineers, Boston, Mass."
(2) Determine which of the methods permitted by General Laws the Town will adopt for payment of the cost of its system of sewerage and sewage disposal and for the use of said system; we recommend the adoption of assess- ments against both the frontage and area of the property, the depth for determining assessable area not to exceed 125 feet. We also recommend that there be es- tablished from time to time an- nual rental charges as contemplat- ed by the General Laws, Chapter 83.
(3) Determine the sewer as- sessment rates to be used for fix- ing the assessments upon owners
122
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
of land benefitted by the system of sewerage and sewage disposal, and also determine the annual charge for use of said system of sewerage and sewage disposal; we recommend that sewer assessment rates be adopted which conform with the sewer assessment plan designated as Plan II in this re- port. (See tabulation which fol- lows). We recommend the adop- tion of sewer assessment rates of $1.00 per front foot and $0.015 per square foot of assessable pro- perty. We also recommend that there be established an annual rental charge of $7.00 per year per sewer service connection for water service and that for estates which have metered water service, there be an annual rental charge of $7.00 per year for an annual water consumption of 70,000 gal- lons or less, and that there be an additional charge assessed against those using more than 70,000 gal- lons of water per year, at the rate of $0.10 per thousand gallons of excess water consumption.
Conclusion
We consider it to be absolutely essential that the Town take action to establish sewer assessment rates; such action is contemplated by the special sewerage act which definitely provides that the Town shall pay not less than one-fourth nor more than two-thirds of the whole cost of its system of sewer- age and sewage disposal. If the Town does not take action in the matter of establishing sewer as- sessment rates, all of the cost of the sewerage system, including bond retirement and interest charges, and the cost of operation and maintenance, must be raised from the general tax levy, Pay- ment of interest and bond retire- ment charges must be met. If the Town fails to act in the matter of establishing sewer assessment rates and it becomes necessary to raise the sewer costs entirely by general taxation, there will then be an increase in the tax rate esti- mated at about $2.50 per thousand dollars valuation.
Summary of Sewer Assessment Costs
Basic Data: (Estimated Cost to Town of Entire Sewer System $2,000,000 (Estimated Valuation of Town $16,000,000
Figures Presented in Sewer Committee Report of Feb. 15, 1929 Using Estimated Cost of Entire System-
ITEMS
Plan I Plan II
Plan III $2,100,000
(1) Proportion of Total
Cost paid by Entire Town from General Taxation
one-fourth
one-half
two-thirds
39.2%
(2) Total Amount paid by Entire Town from General Taxation ....
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,250,000
$823,500
(3) Total Amount paid by Property Owners by Sewer Assessments
1,500,000
1,000,000
750,000
1,276,500
(4) Sewer Assessment Rates
(a) Frontage Rate
per Linear Foot
$1.70
$1.00
$0.85
$1.25
(b) Area Rate per Square Foot
0.02
0.015
0.01
0.017
(5) Total Sewer Assessment for
Average Size of Lot - 65 ft. front x 125 ft. depth
(a) Frontage ...
$110.50
$65.00
$55.25
(b) Area
...
162.50
121.88
81.25
(c) Total
........
$273.00
$186.88
$136.50
123
TRUSTEES AND STAFF OF PUBLIC LIBRARY
1939]
Size of Lot -
50 ft. front x 100 ft.
depth
(a) Frontage
$85.00
$50.00 75.00
$42.50 50.00
85.00
(c) Total
$185.00
$125.00
$92.00
$147.50
(6) Assumed Annual Rental Charge per Family ....
$7.00
$7.00
$7.00
$3.75
(7) Estimated Increase in 1940 Tax Rate
(a) With No Annual Rental Charge
$1.20
$1.60
$1.80
(b) With Annual Rental Charge ...
1.03
1.43
1.63
$1.72
Action Taken by Sewer Committee
Voted: To approve the recom- mendations of Fay, Spofford & Thorndike regarding Sewer As- sessment Rates and Annual Rental Charges and to recommend that the Town Meeting members adopt the motions submitted by the Chairman of the Sewer Committee under" Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the Special Town Meeting of Decem- ber 11, 1939.
Passed unanimously by the Sewer Committee on January 2, 1940.
The Sewer Committee wishes to express its appreciation for the co- operation of the Federal Govern-
ment working through both the W. P. A. executives and the P. W. A. executives; for the assist- ance given by the Town Officials and by the personnel of the Public Works Department; and to the co- operation of the Sewer Depart- ments of Lynn and Stoneham in supplying equipment from time to time.
Signed: CHARLES E. FLYNN, Chairman. WALTER L. C. NILES, Secretary. FRED C. CHEEVER, ALEXANDER S. ADDISON, KALER A. PERKINS.
Report of Trustees and Staff of the Saugus Public Library
Trustees John B. Lang, Chairman Leverett B. Mears, Secretary Walter D. Blossom Albert R. Magee Kaler A. Perkins Chauncy V. Whittredge
Staff
*Laura A. Taylor, Librarian
-Margaret L. Cameron, Libririan Vivian Copp, Assistant Librarian Alice Lang, Branch Librarian, Cliftondale Branch Library. Aginess I. Blossom, Branch Libra- rian, East Saugus Branch Li- brary.
Maude Moses, Branch Librarian, North Saugus Branch Libra- ry.
Anna Swanson, Branch Librarian, Lynnhurst Branch Library. Hour Workers
June Agersea Jeanne Anderson Patricia Cotting Jean Marsh Alberta Purdy Marjorie Walkey Virginia Babb.
Janitor, Main Library, Walter Gay
*Pensioned -July 1, 1939.
-Appointed-July 1, 1939.
$62.50
(b) Area
100.00
124
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
To the Board of Library Trus- tees of the Saugus Public Library. Report for the year ending Decem- ber 31, 1939.
The year 1939 brought several changes to the Saugus Public Li- brary. In June, Mrs. Laura A. Tay- lor retired under the recent pen- sion law. Mrs. Taylor was libra- rian for nineteen years, and under her supervision the library grew to give service to other parts of the town. She saw the Cliftondale Branch start in a store and then move to the Sweetzer School, where it has already outgrown its accommodations. It was with re- gret that the staff, the Board of Library Trustees, and the towns- people accepted Mrs. Taylor's re- tirement. Miss Margaret L. Cam- eron was appointed librarian as of July 1, 1939. Miss Cameron grad- uated from the School of Library Science of Simmons College in 1935 and, since August 1, 1937, had been assistant librarian in the Saugus Public Library. Miss Vi- vian Copp, also of the School of Library Science of Simmons Col- lege, class of 1939, was appointed assistant librarian.
In spite of the fact that less money was available for books this year, the demand for reading matter was greater than that of last year. For the most part, the library was able to keep abreast of the demand for current books. However, there is still a great need for up-to-date material on science and economics. Even histories are out-dated almost over night in these rapidly changing times. If the librarv is to be in a position to meet the demand the public is placing upon it, more money rather than less is needed for books. At the North Saugus Branch, business expanded suffi- ciently to keep open four instead . of three hours, a 33. 1/3 % in- crease. When the Mansfield School closes, the East Saugus Branch was moved to 68 Lincoln Avenue, where it has slightly larger quarters. At Cliftondale, however, the conditions are still in serious need of improvement.
On the recommendation of Miss E. Louise Jones, Library Advisor
of the Division of Public Libraries of the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts, a W. P. A. project, su- pervised by Miss Jones, was start- ed in November. The project will take a complete inventory of the material in the library and will make catalogs to make that ma- terial more easily accessible to the public.
May I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Board of Library Trustees for its help and active interest in the work of the library. I wish also to extend my thanks to the staff for its cooperation; to the Rever- end Emerson S. Schwenk who is again our book reviewer; to Miss Shirley Howard who is giving her time to classify the shell collec- tion; to the friends of the library who kept flowers in the building during the summer; to the Lynn Item, the Saugus Herald, and the Telegram-News for their courtesy and help with our publicity items.
Respectfully submitted, MARGARET L. CAMERON, Librarian.
American Library Association Form of Statistics
Annual report for the year end- ing December 31, 1939:
Name of Library-Saugus Public Library.
Town-Saugus, Massachusetts.
Librarian-Margaret L. Cameron .. Date of Founding-1887.
Population Served-16,387.
Assessed Valuation of Town - $16,295,013.
Library Appropriation per Capita -$.51.
Terms of Use-Free for Lending and Reference.
Total Number of Agencies-6.
Consisting of:
Main Library, Saugus Centre Cliftondale Branch
East Saugus Branch Lynnhurst Branch
North Saugus Branch High School.
125
Hours Open Each Week For Book Stock:
Lending and Reference:
Volumes at Beginning
of Year
22,613
Main Library 341/2
Volumes Added 1,886
Cliftondale Branch 21
Volumes Withdrawn
2,342
East Saugus Branch 101/2
Total at End of Year ..
22,167
North Saugus Branch 4
Number of Periodicals
Lynnhurst Branch
3
(titles)
Currently re-
High School School Days
ceived
44
Circulation Record
1937
1937
1939
Main Library
37360
33882
34366
Cliftondale Branch
34904
37607
39646
East Saugus Branch
5970
8715
10100
North Saugus Branch
1401
2098
4407
Lynnhurst Branch
3090
2973
2573
High School
1410
3960
Total
82725
86685
95052
January 9, 1940.
We, the Board of Library Trustees of the Saugus Public Library, accept the report of the Librarian and submit it as our report.
JOHN B. LANG,
LEVERETT B. MEARS
KALER A. PERKINS, ALBERT R. MAGEE,
WALTER D. BLOSSOM
CHAUNCY V. WHITTREDGE
Report of the Police Department
January 1, 1940
To the Honorable Board of Se- lectmen :
It again becomes my pleasure to present to you my ninth an- nual report of the Police Depart- ment during the year 1939.
The Department consists of a Chief, one Captain, one Lieuten- ant, eleven Patrolmen, and five Reserve Officers. There are also fifty-six Special Police Officers. Of this amount, eighteen of them are equipped with uniforms and are capable of doing regular Police work in emergencies. There are also the watchmen at the Lynn Water Shed, who are Special Po- lice Officers. There are seven in this group.
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