USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1905 > Part 6
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Another heavy expense was incurred during the past year owing to the necessity of connecting the fishermen's building with the sewer. The old cesspool has now been abolished and the drain pipes and plumbing changed in accordance with the new sanitary rules, so that there should now be no cause for criticism on this point.
With the coming of the sewer too, the old Ingalls cesspool has been removed from the beach, thus doing away with another source of complaint.
The attention of the public is called to the rules of the Park Commission in regard to the use of the Blaney's Beach Reserva- tion, especially that part which relates to the " dumping of ashes, etc.," on the beach. There has been considerable trouble from this cause and some criticism. Any citizen knowing of the violation of these rules would confer a favor by reporting the
105
REPORT OF PARK COMMISSIONERS.
1905]
same to the Park Commission personally or to the Park Super- intendent. The Commission is doing its best to keep the beach clean and attractive, but needs the co-operation of the public.
The severe storms late in January did more or less damage to the steps near Head Rocks and also to the sea wall opposite the band stand. It has not seemed wise, however, to make more than temporary repairs until warm weather.
At a special Town Meeting, on July 7, 1904, it was voted, "That the lot of land at the junction of Orient and Humphrey streets, beginning at the westerly intersection of said streets and running along Humphrey street at least eight-five feet, thence southerly in a direct line to Orient street at a point eighty-five feet at least from the point begun at, thence along said Orient street to the point of beginning, ought to be purchased or taken by the Town as and for a public park and that the Park Com- missioners are requested to take the necessary steps to secure said land for said purpose."
Pursuant with the above vote, the Commissioners on August 8th took steps to ascertain whether the Roberts estate would sell the said lot of land to the Town, and if so at what price.
The result of the correspondence is that the Roberts estate is willing to sell the lot in question to the Town, for park pur- poses, for the sum of one thousand dollars. The Commissioners also hold an option to that effect which is valid up to the 19th of March, 1905.
Keeping in mind the various annual expenses connected with the administration of the Park property, we would recommend that the Town appropriate one thousand dollars ($1,000) for for general park purposes for the coming year.
We would also in pursuance of the intents of the Town's vote of July 7, 1904, recommend that the Town appropriate one thousand dollars ($1,000) and purchase the above described lot from the Roberts estate, for park purposes.
Further we would recommend that the Town appropriate five hundred dollars ($500) to be expended by and at the discretion of the Park Commissioners for the improvement of the above described lot.
106
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
Rules of the Park and Beach Reservation.
I. Tenants of the Administration Building must be actual residents of the Town of Swampscott.
2. All rents are to be paid half yearly in advance.
3. No compartments are rented or to be used for any pur- pose other than fishing or boating.
4. All compartments are to be kept clean and orderly by the tenants and to the approval of the Superintendent.
5. No person having boats to let or rent shall at any time allow more than eight (8) boats to remain upon the beach. All over that number must be kept moored off the beach, to be brought ashore only as needed or owing to stress of weather.
6. Residents of the town are allowed to store boats at such points upon the Park and in such manner as the Superintendent shall direct, between the Ist day of October and the Ist day of the next following May.
7. Non-residents wishing to store boats for the winter upon the Park, must make written application for a permit to the Board of Park Commissioners.
8. The privileges of the tenants on the beach are to be such only as shall not conflict with the public welfare and are to be defined by the Superintendent on approval of the Park Com mision.
9. No person shall deposit upon any portion of this Reser- vation, any Ashes, Brush, Grass, Debris or Waste of any sort.
10. No person shall within the said Reservation discharge any Fire Arms, or frighten or molest any birds or sea fowl.
107
REPORT OF PARK COMMISSIONERS.
1905]
.
II. No person shall within the said Reservation in anyway annoy any other person, or have possession of any instruments of gambling, or do any obscene or indecent act.
12. No person shall within the said Reservation except by the written authority of the said Park Commission, engage in any business, or sell or expose for sale or give away any goods, wares, merchandise or circulars, or post or display any sign, placard, flag or advertising device.
13. No person shall within the said Reservation bathe except in proper costume and at the places designated therefor, or lie upon the beach in bathing costume.
14. No person shall be allowed to locate any Bath House within the said Reservation more than temporarily, and upon such conditions as the Superintendent may require.
15. No person shall within the said Reservation remove, disturb, cut, break or ill use any building, structure, fence, tree, bush, plant, turf, sign or other thing.
16. No person shall within the said Reservation deliver any oration, harangue, political, religious or otherwise without a written permit from the aforesaid Commission.
Any person violating any of the foregoing rules is liable arrest, and a fine of not exceeding twenty dollars for each offence.
See Acts of 1882, Chapter 154.
Respectfully submitted,
JEROME PAUL JACKSON, FRED C. MARSH, JOHN J. BLANEY,
Park Commissioners.
FEBRUARY, 1905.
108
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
Cemetery Report.
To the Board of Selectmen :
Year 1904 to 1905 .- Lots Sold.
Six at $50 each
$300 00
Five at $25 each
125 00
Single grave (1) at $5
5 00
Year 1903.
Number of interments
37
Year 1904.
Number of interments
58
List of Public Property.
Receiving tomb
$2,000 00 ·
Old tomb
20 00
House .
500 00
Implements
50 00
Lots unsold-13 at $100 each; 25 at $50 each. All at $25 each are sold.
Gravel used on paths, 44 loads; crushed stone used on paths, 30 loads.
The trees on all paths have been pruned. Brown tail moth nests destroyed, 1,500.
The top of the tomb has been uncovered and a coating of tar put on and edges have all been cemented on account of leaking. More land is required in the Cemetery for lots.
I would recommend that an appropriation of $1,000 be made for the ensuing year for the Cemetery.
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES P. M. S. PITMAN, Superintendent Cemetery.
.
109
REPORT OF ASSESSORS.
1950]
Assessors' Office.
To the Citizens of Swampscott :
Two years ago your Board of Assessors decided to have the value of land uniform in the same location, and to revise the valuation on buildings, so that there would be no question but what all property was valued on the same basis. Your Board has worked on these lines for the last two years, and we think with good results to the valuation of the real and personal estates of the Town.
May Ist, 1902, the valuation on land was $1,978,990.00. May Ist, 1904, the valuation on land was $2,372, 106.00, an increase in the value of land in the estimation of the present Board of $393, 116.00. At the tax rate of this year a gain to the Town in taxes of $5,071.19. May Ist, 1902, the valuation on buildings was $2,783,675.00. May Ist, 1904, the valuation on buildings was $3, 117,015.00, an increase of $333,340.00. At the tax rate of this year a gain to the Town in taxes of $4,300.08. This certainly shows that the Town is prospering.
The taxable personal property, May Ist, 1902, held by the citizens of the Town was valued at $1,744,874.00. May Ist, 1904, the personal property was valued at $2,206, 172.00, an increase of $461,298.00. At the tax rate of this year a gain to the Town in taxes of $5,950.74, making a total gain in taxes this year over 1902 of $15,322.01, which means about $2.00 per thousand less tax rate.
The tax rate for this year was only 90 cents a thousand more than in 1902, notwithstanding the Town having to meet the interest and payment on the bonds on account of the construction
IIO
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
of the sewers. The citizens will find by investigation that our tax rate is now much lower than the majority of the towns of the state who have not sewers and other improvements which we enjoy. The Board is satisfied that if they are allowed to carry out their present policy, and with economy in expenditures and a proper financial handling of the loans, a low tax rate can be maintained.
Personal property is very uncertain, and if we are going to keep our present valuation on personal property, and thereby get a good return on corporation and bank stock, we must endeavor to have a low tax rate. This is a very important feature in attracting people to build and become residents, as well as of financial interest to every present property holder in the Town.
This last year we have used the card system, and also have had the benefit of having the plans of the Town up to date, and the Board is satisfied it has been a great benefit to them and to the citizens of the Town. By vote of the Town we are obliged to publish a full list of the assessed values of all estates in town at the valuation of May Ist, 1905. We would recommend that this work be done by the Board of Assessors and that the Town appropriate $800.00 for this purpose and also to bring the plans of the town up to date.
EDWARD A. MAXFIELD, Chairman, GILBERT DELANO, JOHN B. EARP.
· Board of Assessors.
III
REPORT OF TREE WARDEN.
1905]
Report of the Tree Warden.
To the citizens of Swampscott :
The fifth year of the duties of the Tree Warden has closed, in making this report I will say the work in this department has increased over the previous year by reason of more trees to be cared for, and the large increase of moth pests, the year just closed being the first year we have had the gypsy moth to con- tend with.
NUMBER AND KINDS OF TREES ON TOWN
ROADS, APRIL I, 1904.
Elm
214
Ash, White
·
37
Ash, Mountain
4
Maple, Rock
400
Maple, Norway .
314
Maple, Silver Leaf
III
Oak, Red
51
Oak, English
4
Willow
16
Chestnut
23
Larch
7
1,18I
TREES PLANTED OUT IN 1904.
Maple, Rock 50
Maple, Norway .
.
50
Elm . · .
6
106
II2
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
Young trees destroyed by teams, owners unknown, 4; old trees removed, 6; total, 10.
Number of trees on Town roads at present time, 1,277 ; trees pruned, 68; protected by wire, 116; number of loads of loam used, 37 ; number of gallons of oil used, 30; number of gallons of creosote paint, 6 ; yards of burlap, 32.
Tools belonging to the department, 2 shovels, I pick, I ladder, 4 pruners.
Brown Tail Moth Work
Number of trees infested with brown tail moth over 1,000, being nearly double that of 1903.
Trees sprayed for elm beetle and web worm, 13. Storms and rough weather of the present winter has delayed the work of clearing the trees of nests.
Gypsy Moth Work.
The year just closed is the first that the gypsy moth has been numerous enough to cause any special attention was found in all parts of the Town, about fifty trees being infested, about July 15, a very large swarm of caterpillars from adjoining woodland invaded the cemetery, every tree was infested, in some trees it was necessary to sweep them down and burn them with oil. In October after the caterpillars had passed away it was estimated that there was twenty thousand nests of eggs destroyed. This work and expense was unexpected and unprovided for. By constant care and watchfulness not a tree has been defoliated or injured during the past year by moth pests.
Had this work been neglected it is certain that there would not have been a green leaf in our cemetery the coming season.
It is our good fortune to have a part in beautifying our streets with shade trees that will contribute to the enjoyment of thou- sands to us unknown, what a tribute to good taste and good sense of past generations are the magnificent trees that adorn some of our streets, had they voices no doubt but some of them would cry out at the wanton abuse too often fallen to their lot, their roots anchored deep in the earth have been severed to make way for water mains and curbing, their heaven seeking tops have een butchered to give clear space to electric wires.
II3
REPORT OF TREE WARDEN.
1905]
As it is not expected that the Legislature will make any law for the protection of trees in time to be of any benefit the coming spring I recommend that the Town continue the work of sup- pressing the gypsy and brown tail moth also to plant out and care for trees the same as in the past years and that the sum of $1,200 be appropriated for the same.
All respectfully submitted, GEORGE NEWHALL, Tree Warden.
II4
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
Report of Milk Inspector.
To the Board of Selectmen, Swampscott, Mass .:
GENTLEMEN,- I beg leave to submit my report as Milk Inspector for the past year.
Have taken seven samples to be tested and issued nineteen (19) licenses for the sale of milk.
No complaints have been made to me from any parties.
Amount received from licenses and paid to the Town Treas- urer, nine dollars and a half ($9.50).
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK H. BRADFORD, Milk Inspector
SWAMPSCOTT, February 17, 1905.
115
REPORT OF SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
1905]
REPORT OF
Sealer of Weights and Measures.
To the Board of Selectmen :
The following is my report as Sealer of Weighs and Meas- ures for year ending February 17th, 1905 :
Total number of balances and platform scales tested from
April 15th, 1904, to February 17th, 1905 71
Number of weights tested
148
Number of measures tested
119
Number of weights condemned
4
Number of measures condemned
I2
Number of balances condemned
7
Number of milk jars condemned
319
Number of milk jars tested
2,317
Total amount received for the above, $18.28, which I turned over to the Town Treasurer, and received a receipt for the same.
The standards embrace the following :
One avoirdupois balance, fifty pounds.
One set avoirdupois weights, sixteen divisions ; drachms, one, two divisions; ounces, one-quarter, one-half, one, two, four, eight; pounds, one, two, four, five, ten, twenty, twenty-five and fifty.
One set of liquid measures of six divisions : One gill, one-half pint, one pint, one quart, two quarts, one gallon.
I16
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
One set of dry measures, five divisions : One quart, two quarts, one-half peck, one peck, one-half bushel.
One yard measure, ten fifty-pound weights, one balance for testing small weights, one steel stamp, 1905; one hammer, two drills, one bitstock, one breast drill, one tripod, one tin tube, two graduating glasses.
Respectfully submitted,
MICHAEL HALEY, Sealer of Weights and Measures.
SWAMPSCOTT, February 17, 1905.
F
II7
REPORT OF STREET LIGHTS COMMITTEE.
1905]
Report of Street Lights Committee.
To the Citizens of Swampscott :
Your Committee having charge of this department submit the following report for the year.
There have been no permanent arc lights located during the year. We have at present on our system 113 arc and 60 incan- descent lights. We also maintain two Welsbach's at the Burrill street bridge.
By a vote of the town at the last annual meeting your com- mittee was instructed to arrange with the Lynn Gas and Electric Co. for the lights to burn until daylight, providing satisfactory terms could be made for the same.
We took the matter before the company and after considering our proposition, they agreed to run the lights until daylight for the year ending our contract with them, at an advance of $8.00 per arc, and $10.00 per incandescent, or $75.00 for arc lights and $18.00 for incandescent. We considered the prices . as named reasonable and closed a contract with them until our contract expires, which runs until Aug. I, current year.
Light Committee.
By consulting the auditor's report citizens can see they are now paying about $10,000 per annum for street lighting, or about $2.00 a head for each man, woman and child in the town.
Our contract with the Lynn Gas and Electric Co. will expire on Aug. 1, 1905, a five year contract having been made in 1900. We have no complaint to make with the above company, and 9
1
I18
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
are informed there is no town in the state using electric systems who are being served better, or at a lower price than this town, and your committee are of the unanimous opinion that if the town desires to cut this big outlay of money down, the only way to do it is by adopting some of the Parkway or Boston suburban Welsbach systems which are using a sixty candle light and should be good enough for all our outlying streets and avenues. Your committee are arranging for a display of the 60 candle Welsbach lights in some one of our streets, and hope to do so before the date of the town meeting, this expense will be fully borne by the Welsbach company and citizens can get an idea of how our streets would look at night with improved gas methods instead of electricity.
Your Committee would recommend an appropriation for the current year of $10,000.
E. A. FARNHAM, J. R. MERRITT, F. L. BONNEY, M. L. QUINN, F. J. LINNEHAN.
Committee.
119
REPORT OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES.
1905]
Report of Library Trustees.
To the Citizens of Swampscott :
The addition of 347 books during the year, including 18 bound magazines , and several books for reference, makes the whole number of volumes contained in the Town Library, 9,235.
Twenty books have been replaced, and 345 have been rebound. Six were destroyed on account of contagious diseases.
The circulation has been 26,429; the largest was on Satur- day, January 28, when 425 books were given out.
Books presented include 20 volumes of " Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies," from the War Department ; "History of the Carnegie Steel Company"; The Chemistry of Common Life," and eleven volumes of Practical Mechanics' Journal," from Mr. David H. Lang; and a book of fiction from Miss Babcock.
Respectfully submitted,
ELIZABETH J. HADLEY, FRANK F. STANLEY, FRANK E. INGALLS.
SWAMPSCOTT, February, 1905.
1
I20
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
Report of Water Commissioners.
To the Citizens of the Town of Swampscott :
The Water Board respectfully submit their seventh annual report. During the year just closed, considerably more than the usual routine work has been accomplished.
In June, we laid 334 feet of six-inch pipe in Forest avenue, and in the late fall we added 67 feet to the six-inch main in Devens road to accommodate new houses in this fast growing section.
In September, we run a- two-inch pipe in Mapledale avenue, which was much needed.
At the earnest request of some of our large taxpayers at Beach Bluff a six-inch main was laid from Atlantic avenue through North Stone road nearly to the Hotel Preston, this we believed was no more than was actually needed to protect from fire the shore side of this continually growing hostelry which is an orna- ment to the Town.
During the last twelve months we have been obliged to replace no less than thirty-two service pipes which have become filled by a gradual collecting of rust and vegetable matter ; in addition to these, eight more were cleared without the digging up of the street.
In the summer months the accounts of all our water-takers were transferred from the book registers to the card system and are now in a very compact form, which we find a convenient method of reference ; in connection with this system, every house has been inspected and fixtures noted ; all service boxes have been relocated and a duplicate or plan of every shut-off box is filed at the office.
121
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
:905]
Since the issuance of our last report, we have had but three breaks, in our main lines, and only one of these occurred in the old cement pipe, this happened on Orient street, at the entrance to the Lodge estate ; the other two were in the cast-iron pipe on Humphrey street caused by the settling of the sewer trenches.
As to the matter of water rates, which are apparently becom- ing a burning issue, we feel that the time has arrived for some reduction; it has been the policy of this commission since its inception to extend and relay water mains with money from the receipts of the department, while this may be well as to the extension of pipes, we think that the relaying of worn-out lines. should be taken care of by either a bonded debt, of this depart- ment, or by an appropriation from the Town, if it seems neces- sary that this work should be done in the immediate future; the first faucet for which you now pay $5.50 per year, we favor leaving as at present, but we do believe that we can safely reduce the first bath-tub and first water-closet to $4.50 each, upon the fall bill and to $4 upon the following spring bill, thus bringing the three fixture rate of $15.50 down to $13.50 or practically a reduction of 13 per cent.
In connection with the above, it might be well to state that there are at present throughout the Town 715 people who pay for three fixtures, i. e., kitchen-sink, first bath-tub, and first. water-closet ; 230 have a sink and water-closet ; 333 have simply- a sink-faucet ; in addition to these, there are 185 extra bath-tubs, 499 extra water-closets, and 448 people who pay for the use of a. hose; the balance of the revenue of this department which is small as compared with that received from the foregoing is obtained from the use of extra faucets, extra hose, whirligigs and other unimportant sources.
The meter question, it seems, is bound to be threshed out in this Town at no distant date, and judging from the interest taken at the last Town Meeting, at which this matter was brought up, we feel justified in encroaching upon the space in this report for the exhibition of a few figures upon the measurement of the water used in Swampscott from January 1, 1904, to Jan- uary 1, 1905.
I22
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Feb. 28
DAILY AVERAGE CONSUMPTION FOR EACH MONTH :
Gallons per Day.
Gallons per Capita.
January
395,900
77
February
661,100
I28
March
352,500
68
April
291,600
56
May .
430,900
70
June .
630,300
87
July .
789,500
IO2
August
806,200
104
September .
675,200
93
October
478,000
76
November .
374,500
70
December
380,800
71
Average
522,208
83.50
In the above schedule, the February figures are not significant as the large amount used was caused by the discharging under ground of a break in the Humphrey street main which was flow- ing into the sewer, and was not easily detected.
Last spring, May I, we installed 14 meters of various sizes including 4 inch, 2 inch, 1.5 inch, I inch, and five-eighths inch, these were placed on services which we considered would show as marked a difference in amount of water used as any in Town; one was connected with the house of each of the Commissioners, one fish market was connected up, one business block containing tenements and drug-store, two livery-stables, one extensive summer home including stable and green-house, with considerable amount of lawn, and one of the largest hotels ; below we give the amounts of water used at each and the amount of their yearly water-tax as levied on a fixture basis as at present :
Dwelling-house, 4 occupants, 10 months, 46,030 gals., $20 50 Dwelling-house, 7 occupants, 10 months, 59, 190 gals., 15 50
Dwelling-house, 6 occupants, 10 months, 31,350 gals., 20.50
Livery stable, summer,
155,250 gals.,
78 00
Livery stable, 10 months, 132,207 gals., 36 00
Fish market, 10 months,
47,095 gals., 18 00
123
REPORT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS.
1905]
Summer hotel :
4-inch meter, elevator,
2,536,590
2-inch meter, house,
1,372,660
I}-inch meter, house,
765,720
I-inch meter, stable, 280,987
Summer home,
4,955,957 gals., $479 00 433,591 gals., 79 00
It is very evident that the dwelling-houses with ordinary fami- lies and moderate grounds would not use 50,000 gallons a year, and in nearly all of the above cases water has been used unstint- ingly. It is very plain that while a large amount of water is wasted, it is also clear that upon the introduction of meters the amount used would be very materially reduced, and while this would tend to place us in a favorable light before those from whom we buy water in the future, still that reduction which they might concede would hardly be sufficient to offset the loss of water receipts caused by making a low minimum rate. In all water systems, whether municipal or private, in figuring a minimum rate, the amount of water used is seldom used as a basis, only as a secondary item after operating expenses and interest on investment. For these and other minor reasons which might be mentioned, we would, therefore, consider it unwise to recommend to start with a minimum rate of less than $15.00 per year, nor a rate of less than 30 cents per thousand gallons; and to go still farther, we think that in cases where there is without doubt an abnormal use of water a meter should be installed and meter rates charged whether the water-taker desires to buy water by measure or not.
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