USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1896 > Part 5
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SECT. 15. Teachers shall require scholars to pay proper attention to personal cleanliness.
SECT. 16. Any pupil who is guilty of marking, cutting, defacing, or in any way injuring any of the school-houses or the out-buildings, or the trees belonging to them, shall re- pair the same, or be amenable to the law.
SECT. 17. All pupils are strictly forbidden to climb on any tree, fence, railing, ladder, etc., about the school-house, or to throw stones, snow-balls, or other missiles, about the neighborhood of the school-house, or to use any profane or indelicate language.
SECT. 18. Any pupil misappropriating, injuring, or destroying any of the text books or supplies loaned him or her by the Town, shall subject his or her parents or guardian to payment for the article so misappropriated, injured or destroyed.
SECT. 19. Reports of each pupil's work in all grades above Grade II shall be made from time to time to the par- ent or guardian ; in such reports, as well as in all records kept by the teacher, ranking, when resorted to, shall not be by percentages, but as follows : A for excellent, B for good, C for passable, D for poor, and E for bad.
JANITORS.
SECT. 20. The duties of the janitors of the different school-houses shall be as follows : To sweep and carefully dust all the rooms twice every week, airing the rooms while sweeping, and keep the basement clean and in good order at all times ; to clean the house, washing the floors thoroughly three times each year, viz .: in August, December and April ; to wash all windows twice each year, in August and April ; to wash and clean the water-closets as often as necessary;
7
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TOWN REPORT.
[Feb. 28
to shovel the snow and keep the paths safe in winter; to keep the doors and windows closed and locked when the school is not in session ; to report forthwith to the teacher and Committee any injuries done to the school-house, out- buildings, trees, or fences ; to build fires when needed, and have the rooms warm - 67º to 70º F .- at the time for open- ing the school, and to give proper attention, when required, during the day; to take general care and superintendence of the school-house and grounds to the satisfaction of the Committee. No extra payment shall be allowed for any of the above duties.
STORM SIGNAL.
SECT. 21. In case of severe storms a signal for no ses- sion of the schools will be rung on the fire alarm. This sig- nal will be 2-2. The morning signal will be rung at 7.30 A.M., and the one for afternoon at 12.30 P.M.
Extracts from Public Statutes Relating to School Legislation.
CHAPTER 498 .- An Act Relative to the Attendance of Children in Schools.
SECTION 1. Every person having under his control a child be- tween the ages of eight and fourteen years, and in every city and town where opportunity is furnished, in connection with the regular work of the public schools, for gratuitous instruction in the use of tools or in manual training, or for industrial education in any form, a child between the ages of eight and fifteen years, shall annually cause such child to attend some public day school in the city or town in which he resides, and such attendance shall continue for at least thirty weeks of the school year, if the schools are kept open for that length of time, with an allowance of two weeks' time for absences
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REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
1896]
not excused by the Superintendent of Schools or the School Commit- tee. Such period of attendance shall begin within the first month of the fall term of school, and for each five days' absence of any such child thereafter, in excess of the above allowance, before the com- pletion of the required annual attendance of thirty weeks, the person having such child under his control shall, upon the complaint of the School Committee or any truant officer, forfeit to the use of the pub- lic schools of such city or town a sum not exceeding twenty dollars, but if such child has attended for a like period of time a private day school approved by the School Committee of such city or town, or if such child has been otherwise instructed for a like period of time in the branches of learning required by law to be taught in the public schools, or has already acquired the branches of learning required by law to be taught in the public schools, or if his physical or mental condition is such as to render such attendance inexpedient or imprac- ticable, such penalties shall not be incurred.
SECT. 2. For the purposes of the preceding section, School Committees shall approve a private school only when the teaching in all the studies required by law is in the English language, and when they are satisfied that such teaching equals in thoroughness and effi- ciency the teaching in the public schools in the same locality, and that equal progress is made by the pupils therein, in the studies re- quired by law, with that made during the same time in the public schools; but they shall not refuse to approve a private school on ac- count of the religious teaching therein.
SECT. 3. The truant officers and the School Committee of the several cities and towns shall vigilantly inquire into all cases of neg- lect of duty prescribed in section one, and ascertain the reasons, if any, therefor; and such truant officers or any of them, shall, when so directed by the School Committee, prosecute in the name of the city or town any person liable to the penalty provided for in said sec- tion. Police, district and municipal courts, trial justices and judges of the probate court, shall have jurisdiction within their respective counties of the offences described in section one.
Penalty for Disturbing Schools.
" Whoever wilfully interrupts or disturbs a school or other assem- bly of people met for a lawful purpose, shall be punished by impris- onment in the jail not exceeding thirty days, or by fine not exceeding fifty dollars." Pub. Stat., sect. 23, chap. 207.
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TOWN REPORT.
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CHAPTER 203 .- Malicious Injury to Buildings.
SECTION 78. Whoever wilfully and maliciously or wantonly and without cause destroys, defaces, mars or injures a school-house, church or other building erected or used for purposes of education or relig- ious instruction, or for the general diffusion of knowledge, or an out- building, fence, well or appurtenance of such school-house, church or other building, or furniture, apparatus or other property belonging to or connected with such school-house, church or other building, shall be punished by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the jail not exceeding one year.
Authority of Teachers over Pupils.
Section 1 of chapter 44 of the Public Statutes imposes upon the teachers of the public schools the duty of instructing their pupils in good behavior.
The Constitution of the State makes it the duty of all institu- tions of learning to train those committed to them in the practice of every virtue. To attain these ends it is necessary that a wise govern- ment over the pupils shall be uniformly and persistently maintained. The teacher is therefore vested with the authority of the parent in the control of the children in their relations as pupils of his school.
1. In the school-room he has exclusive control of his pupils, subject only to the direction of the school committee.
2. He may rightfully exercise the same full control over his pupils at any time while they are on any part of the school premises.
3. While the pupils are on their way to and from the school, the authority of the teacher may be considered as concurrent with that of the parent or guardian. If the pupils in coming to school, or in going from it to their homes, commit an offence against the civil laws, it will be well to leave the offenders in the hands of judicial or parental authority. But if the children quarrel on their way, or are wilfully tardy, or use indecent and profane language, or in any way by their conduct injure the good order and discipline of the school, the teacher may take notice of such conduct by subjecting the offend- er to such wise and judicious treatment as will have a tendency to prevent a repetition of the offence. In such cases the teacher should exercise great caution not to use any doubtful authority, or any ques- tionable modes of correction.
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REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
1896]
CHAPTER 44 .- Female Assistants.
SECTION 14. In every public school having an average of fifty scholars, the school district or town to which such school belongs, shall employ one or more female assistants, unless such district or town votes to dispense with such assistant.
Patriotic Exercises.
Chapter 111 of the Acts of 1890 provides that in all the public schools of the Commonwealth the last regular session prior to Memo- rial Day, or a portion thereof, shall be devoted to exercises of a pat- riotic nature.
CHAPTER 498 .- An Act Relative to Vaccination.
SECTION 9. The school committee shall not allow a child who has not been duly vaccinated to be admitted to or connected with the public schools.
CHAPTER 515.
Section 2 of this act provides that " all children who shall pre- sent a certificate signed by a regular practising physician that they are unfit subjects for vaccination shall not be subject to the provis- ions of section nine of chapter forty-seven of the Public Statutes ex- cluding unvaccinated children from public schools."
CHAPTER 498 .- An Act Relative to Infectious Diseases.
SECTION 10. The school committees shall not allow any pupil to attend the public schools while any member of the household to which such pupil belongs is sick of small-pox, diphtheria or scarlet fever, or during a period of two weeks after the death, recovery or removal of such sick person; and any pupil coming from such house- hold shall be required to present, to the teacher of the school the pupil desires to attend, a certificate, from the attending physician or board of health, of the facts necessary to entitle him to admission in accordance with the above regulation.
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TOWN REPORT.
[Feb. 28
Report of Truant Officers.
TO THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SWAMPSCOTT :
As Truant Officers for the Town we have made thirty-three calls. Two boys were taken before the Court and were put on probation. Six boys were found to be tru- ants for the first or second time. For the remaining absen- tees reasonable excuses were offered.
Respectfully submitted,
CHAS. RODRICK, JOSEPH W. GLASS, S Truant Officers.
SWAMPSCOTT, Feb., 1896.
METROPOLITAN PARK COMMISSION KINGS BEACH RESERVATION
SWAMPSCOTT
SCALE OF FEET.
200
WO I PIERCE.
1895
OLMSTED, OLMSTED & ELIOT, LANDSCAPE ARCHT* BROOKLINE MASS
STREET.
HUMPHREY
HIGH
ROXIMATE
RP
WATER
LOW
APPROXIMATE
BAY
NAHANT
1
2
*
EASTERN
LYNN.
SWAMPSCOTT ...
AVENUE.
OCEAN
STREET.
PROPERTY OF CITY OF LYNN
HELIOTYPE FROVTIME DA. MANHAT
50
ENGINEEA
CURA LINE
91
REPORT OF PARK COMMISSIONERS.
[896]
Second Annual Report, Board of Park Commissioners.
TO THE CITIZENS OF SWAMPSCOTT :
Pursuant to the policy adopted at the last Town Meeting, your Commissioners early thereafter secured a visit of the Metropolitan Park Commissioners to our beaches. As well as we were able, we showed them the possibilities of our shore for a beautiful sea resort, and explained to them that its improvement was of metropolitan, as well as of local interest. We then, at their suggestion, prepared a formal application to the Metropolitan Board, to take for the Com- monwealth the whole of King's Beach, and turn it over to our Park Board to improve and administer.
In due time they informed us that they had acceded to our request, and later, sent to us their act of taking of said beach for our concurrence in accordance with the provisions of the law. Subsequently they made their first appropriation of $15,000.00 towards paying for this property. This ap- propriation having been duly certified to our Selectmen, they authorized the Treasurer to hire the $30,000.00 conditionally appropriated by the Town. The money thus became availa- ble for park purposes.
Meantime your Commissioners had negotiated for the purchase of portions of Blaney's Beach, namely the estates of the late James L. Little and of Charles E. Phillips. These transactions have since been closed, and the estates, costing respectively $7,200.00 and $7,500.00, have been paid for.
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TOWN REPORT.
[Feb. 28
Courteous requests have been made of all the other owners along the beach for options on their estates. After waiting until it was needful to prepare this report, we had received no other proposition which we thought that we could, in justice to the Town accept. We therefore, on the twentieth of February, in accordance with the vote of the Town, and acting under the provisions of Section 3 of the Park Act (see 1895 Park Report), proceeded to the taking of the en- tire property on Blaney's Beach, from Edwin Farnham's line to John Stanley's line. This Act of Taking, together with the surveyor's plan of the property, has been duly filed in the Town Clerk's office. It only remains for the Town, in ac- cordance with an article in the warrant for the approaching annual meeting, to complete the work so well begun last year, by accepting and allowing this act which it then directed us to perform.
As soon thereafter as it can reasonably be done, we shall proceed to clear the beach of all buildings, and erect at the lower and widest part of the beach the commodious fish house for which the Town has made provision.
By a clause of Section 10 of the Park Act, we were en- joined from erecting any such building to cover more than six hundred square feet. Of this fact your Commissioners were well aware when they asked the Town for its appropri- ation. They also printed in full the Park Act, so that no interested voter need be ignorant thereof. But we had been assured by a member of the Metropolitan Park Commission that, when necessary, we should have no difficulty in obtain- ing from the General Court exemption from such restrictions. This assurance has proved well founded. For, the past week, the Legislature enacted and the Governor approved the fol- lowing bill.
To
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REPORT OF PARK COMMISSIONERS.
1896]
(CHAPTER 93.) COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. In the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six.
AN ACT
TO AUTHORIZE THE PARK COMMISSIONERS OF THE TOWN OF SWAMP- SCOTT TO ERECT CERTAIN STRUCTURES FOR BOATING, BATHING AND FISHING PURPOSES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. The restriction contained in section ten of chapter one hundred and fifty-four of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and eighty- two, shall not apply to structures erected for boating, bathing and fishing purposes by the Park Commissioners of the Town of Swampscott, by au- thority of said Town, on beaches acquired or to be acquired by the Town.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 12, 1896. Passed to be enacted.
G. v. L. MEYER, Speaker.
IN SENATE, February 14, 1896.
Passed to be enacted.
GEORGE P. LAWRENCE, President.
Approved, February 15, 1896.
F. T. GREENHALGE.
Office of the Secretary, BOSTON, February 21, 1896. A true copy. Witness the Seal of the Commonwealth.
SEAL.
WM. M. OLIN, Secretary of the Commonwealth.
In the changes to be made at Blaney's Beach, we wish to assure the present occupants that every possible considera- tion will be shown for their convenience.
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TOWN REPORT.
[Feb. 28
It seems almost gratuitous to give this assurance, when it is remembered that the originators of this park movement had at the outset, and, without one moment's swerving, have ever since had especially at heart the interests of our fisher- men, so long the pride and boast of our Town. We should not give it, had not some of our beach citizens - we know not how - conceived the totally unfounded idea that the Park Commissioners were antagonizing their interests. The very opposite is true to-day, as it has been since the Board were first elected. In proof thereof, let our fishermen ponder for a moment these facts :
(1) One year ago there was no statute law, and, as our fishermen know to their cost, there was no rul- ing to be had from the Land and Harbor Com- missioners, to prevent private owners of beach property from driving stakes, or building solid stone walls in such locations as absolutely to pre- vent the landing of boats in a high sea. What had already been done, in spite of the protests of beachmen, might have been done along the whole beach, to the utter destruction of the fish- ing business.
Whereas to-day, the public own and control the whole shore, except the Cliff, from the Lynn line to Mr. Farnham's line, and fishermen, as well as others, have had secured to them forever the unobstructed use of the beaches.
(2) It is well known that the capital invested along the beach has of late been bringing no adequate re- turns from rentals paid by fishermen. With the growth of the Town, and the demands for new business locations, Blaney's Beach was al- most certain to be given up to uses which would
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REPORT OF PARK COMMISSIONERS.
1896]
have prevented fishermen from retaining hold- ings at any living rate.
Whereas to-day, by vote of the Town and act of the General Court, provision is made for the speedy erection of a Fish Building, to be rented at rea- sonable rates, and which is forever to be main- tained by the public.
For both of which vital changes, the park movement alone is to be credited.
While we are prepared to speak thus of our work at Blaney's Beach, we cannot speak definitely yet with regard to King's Beach. This, for the reason that the Metropolitan Board has not yet turned it over to us to improve and admin- ister.
The accompanying maps of King's and Blaney's beaches will enable all of our citizens, some of whom seem not to understand the matter, to see at a glance the scope of the work which the Town has undertaken.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE A. JACKSON, BENJ. POTTER, Park Commissioners. ROBT. B. WARDWELL,
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TOWN REPORT.
[Feb. 28
Report of Committee on Future Water Supply.
TO THE CITIZENS OF SWAMPSCOTT :
In presenting this, our second Annual Report, your Committee have but little to offer that is new, or that was not embodied in our report of last year. We have performed the duty assigned us as we have seen it. Having no authority to preëmpt or bond territory, where conditions seemed to war- rant practical tests, we have refrained from expending the Town's money in experiments, that, under present circum- stances, might redound to the benefit of those other than the citizens of Swampscott, and have conducted our investi- gation in the line of inquiry and observation, the substance of which we refrain from publishing at this time, believing that, under existing conditions, we conserve the best interest of the Town in withholding the same. The Metropolitan Water Supply, to which we called your attention in our report one year ago, appears so remote that in our opinion it is quite, if not wholly, out of the question for some years to come ; therefore, it seems that the Town must look for its future supply from one of the following sources, viz. : The " Mar- blehead Water Company," a plant established and controlled by the Town, or from one of our neighboring cities ; and while we have received no encouragement, we are not with- out hope, and believe it within the range of possibility to secure a supply from the latter source. The trend of opinon,
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REPORT ON FUTURE WATER SUPPLY.
1896]
expressed at the hearing, held in the Town Hall, Saturday evening, February 15, seemed to be largely in this direction. And now as the present contract expires one year from next October, and as future action of the Town may necessitate Legislative permit, your Committee, believing it to be of the utmost importance, would respectfully urge upon the Town the necessity of definite action at the next regular meeting, that an appropriation be made, and the Committee empowered to formulate and submit plans for supplying the Town with pure, soft water for future use.
Respectfully submitted,
E. F. SMALL, MARTIN E. NIES, PELEG GARDNER, MILTON D. PORTER. ARTHUR C. WIDGER, j Committee
Water Supply.
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TOWN REPORT.
[Feb. 28
Report of Committee on Assessors' Map of Town.
TO THE CITIZENS OF SWAMPSCOTT :
The Committee to whom was entrusted the matter of a survey of the territory of the Town, for the use of the Assessors, would report :
That owing to the delay in making an award of the contract, it was not possible for the surveyor to complete the first year's work at the time required by the contract ; a part of the work, however, was finished in time for the assessment of 1895.
At the present time the first year's work has been com- pleted to the satisfaction of the Committee, and the work of the second year is so far advanced that we have good reason to believe that it will be finished in season for the present year's assessment.
We would therefore recommend that the sum of $920 be appropriated for the payment of the work of the ensuing year.
Respectfully submitted,
D. P. STIMPSON, JOHN CHAPMAN, D. HOLMAN MILLETT.
SWAMPSCOTT, February 15, 1896.
1896]
REPORT OF STREET LIGHT COMMITTEE.
99
Report of Street Light Committee.
TO THE CITIZENS OF SWAMPSCOTT :
YOUR Committee on Street Lighting herewith sub- mit their report for your consideration.
The Town voted, at the adjourned Annual Meeting of April, 1895, to give the Committee on Street Lights full power to execute a contract for lighting the streets, as in their judgment the best interests of the Town might appear, and the Committee take this opportunity to thank the citizens for the confidence reposed in them.
It was assumed that the Town of Marblehead could furnish our Town with electricity for street lighting, but upon investigation your Committee were satisfied that, unless by special permit of the Legislature, Marblehead could not legally furnish Swampscott with this service, and the Municipal Light Board of Marblehead concurred with us in this decision.
Several conferences were held by your Committee with representatives of the Lynn Gas and Electric Co., and, after careful consideration of the subject, we made a contract for a term of five (5) years from August 1, 1895 (a copy of which is herewith appended).
The plan upon which the lighting is now done is what is called the " common-sense system." The lights burn
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TOWN REPORT.
[Feb. 28
every dark hour during the year, in place of a specified number of hours, " during, not to exceed in all, 240 nights per year," the terms of the former contract. In our neigh- boring City of Lynn some twelve hundred (1200) incan- descent lamps are burning upon the common-sense plan. Under this system the officials of the Lynn Gas and Elec- tric Co. estimate that from 15 to 18 per cent. additional lighting has been furnished to consumers who have adopted this method.
Reference to the Auditors' Report will show that the Town paid some 18 per cent. extra for lighting dark nights in the years 1894 and 1895.
The price under the new contract is seventy dollars ($70) per year for each arc lamp ; or two dollars per lamp less than the price paid under the contract of 1890. Taking into consideration the fact of the estimated amount of extra lighting received under the common-sense plan, it shows a material reduction of 123 per cent. to the Town upon the new basis.
A contract for the maximum time - five (5) years - was decided, after due deliberation, to be for the best inter- ests of the Town ; particularly so from the fact that much more favorable terms were offered for a period of five years than for a shorter time. In the opinion of your Com- mittee the Lynn Gas and Electric Co. is the only available source of supply until such time as the Town shall have grown large enough to establish a municipal light plant, and we do not anticipate that this is in the near future.
NEW LIGHTS. - Seven arcs and one incandescent have been established in locations during the year, as fol- lows : arc, Outlook Road ; arc, Farragut Road ; arc, junc- tion Paradise and Andrew Roads ; incandescent, Elmwood Road (removed from Beach Avenue) Mudge Estate. Two arcs, Phillips Avenue, Little's Point. Arc, Norfolk, junc-
1896]
REPORT OF STREET LIGHT COMMITTEE.
101
tion Stetson Avenues, Stetson Estate. Arc, Beach Avenue (to replace incandescent removed to Elmwood Road).
The two arc lights located at Little's Point are to be lighted, for the present, only six months of each year, and have been cut out of the circuit since Nov. 15, last.
The Town lighting system comprises ninety-three arc and twenty incandescent lights, also two gas lanterns, located at the northern and southern approaches of the Boston and Maine railroad bridge, Burrill Street. The gas burns in these lanterns from sunset to sunrise every night.
Your Committee have instructed the police to report all lights that may be found burning in a defective man- ner, and we trust the citizens will report to the police or the Committee any defects discovered near their respective premises.
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