USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1910 > Part 5
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In our opinion the salary attached to this office is not enough for the amount of service required to be done.
Town Engineer
Mr. Fred H. Eastman received this appointment, having done all the engineering work for the Town in the past twenty (20) years, with the exception of the sewer system when first planned and we considered him the best fitted applicant for the position.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1910]
The office of Civil Engineer for the Town was voted at the last annual meeting and in our judgment it will prove to be an economical measure.
Superintendent Moth Work.
Mr. George Newhall who was elected Tree Warden at the last annual election, was appointed by our board as Superinten- dent of the Moth Work. It has been the custom in our Town to appoint the Tree Warden as the local Superintendent.
We heartily concur with the recommendation of His Excel- lency the Governor to the Legislature, that the local superinten- dent have the endorsement of the State Forester (under whose supervision the work is done), after the appointment by the Selectmen.
Agent and Janitor of Town Hall.
Mr. Eben S. Martin was apointed to this position and resigned, his resignation was accepted and Mr. L. Herbert Cahoon was chosen to fill the vacancy. In Mr. Cahoon we think we have the right man in the right place, as he is giving entire satisfac- tion to us as well as the townspeople he has so far come in contact with.
Inspector of Animals.
Mr. Fred W. Drake was chosen and appointed as Inspector of Animals and has proved to be a faithful official in this position.
Sealer of Weights and Measures.
On account of ill health, Mr. George W. Harris who was appointed to this office, felt obliged to resign and in his place Mr. William J. Waters was appointed, and you will see from his report that he has attended to his duties in a manner entirely satisfactory.
Resignations on Committee of Ways and Means.
Owing to presure of private interests Messrs. Ellis and Carroll felt obliged to resign from this Committee and it was necessary for us to fill the vacancies. It was our aim to select men of good business ability and judgment to serve in their stead, that we
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Jan. 31
succeeded in so doing by the appointment of Mr. Charles E. Rolfe and Mr. Fred L. Perkins we are in hopes that you will all agree.
Street Sprinkling and Liquid Asphalt.
This problem is always more or less a serious one to contend with, largely on account of the number of automobiles continually passing to and fro through the Town and notwithstanding the past season was a very dry one, we were able to keep within the amount provided for this work, besides an expenditure of $478.78 for the treating Orient street from the Lodge estate to the southerly end of Orient court with liquid asphalt, all of which was paid from the appropriation.
By this process the Town was saved the necessity of sprinkling this portion of Orient street and in the opinion of the Surveyor of Highways saving quite a sum of money in the wear and tear of the road.
We recommend the continuation of this process of liquid asphalting from Orient court through Orient street at its junction with Humprey street and through Humphrey street to the Lynn line, by so doing the Town would have a continuous dustless roadway from the Lynn line to Marblehead, also from Mon- ument square through Burrill street to State Highway.
In addition to the Fire Department the following named priv- ate parties were employed sprinkling the streets : Curtis and Bruley, Allen S. Rowe, Edward B. Roberts, and Louis A. Delano.
It is only in justice to them to state that they did their work well and faithfully, so well that not one complaint was regis- tered against them during the entire season.
The work in this department was under the sole supervision of the Surveyor of Highways, and we recommend that the same policy be continued during the coming summer.
Claims Against the Town.
During the past year all of the so-called Board of Health suits which have been pending in the courts for several years have been settled and we hold receipts in full from each claimant.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1910]
The town stands today with a clean slate, not a suit of any kind against it at this date, February Ist, 1910.
Claims and settlements were as follows :
Sisk Brothers . . $1,854 18
settled for
$800 00
Michael Haley
103 45
settled for 50 00
William H. Carroll .
685 50 settled for 375 00
J. F. McCarty & Co
.
155 00
settled for 75 00
William R. Patten .
.
58 00
settled for 122 02
Herne & Soucy
700 00 settled by B. & N.St Ry.
$3,556 13
$1,422 02
The above were all Board of Health cases with the exception of Herne & Soucy and Michael Haley.
Messrs. Herne & Soucy sued for damage in getting into a trench on Essex street at the time of construction of a sewer, and they were awarded damages by the Court to the amount of seven hundred dollars ($700), but the Town appealed and the case was coming up again last summer.
The Sewer Commissioners and the Selectmen consider the Boston and Northern Street Railway Company were wholly at fault in this case and after several friendly interviews with representatives of the company, they consented to assume all of the Town's liability and settled the case out of Court.
The claim of Mr. Michael Haley was for the storing of milk jars etc., for four years at his place of residence, at the time he held the office of Milk Inspector.
Mr. William R. Patten's bill for $58.00 was for fumigating school houses at the time he was Secretary to the Board of Health. Mr. Patten entered suit again the Town and won with interest and costs amounting to $122.02.
Contracts.
Bids were received and contracts awarded as follows :
Coal-Herbert B. Libby, Lehigh, egg or broken, $7.00 ; white ash, broken, $6.00; white ash, stove or egg, $6.50; Burn- side, stove, $6.75; Georges Creek, $4.20; New River, $4.20; twenty-five cents (.25) per ton added for all coal carried in.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Jan. 31
William C. Holder & Son, hard, white ash, broken, $6.50; hard, white ash, egg, $7.00; Burnside, stove, $7.75; Georges Creek Cumberland, $4.25.
Breed Coal Company, white ash, egg, $6.75; white ash, broken, $6.40; Georges Creek Cumberland, $4.25 ; Burnside, stove, $7.00.
Sprague & Breed Coal Company, Lackawanna, egg, $5.65 ; Lehigh, egg, 5.90; white ash, broken, $5.25; Lehigh, broken, $5.50; Georges Creek or New River, $3.75 ; Burnside, stove, $6.25.
People's Coal Company, Lackawanna, egg, $7.00 ; Lackawana, broken, $6.50; Georges Creek or New River, $4.25 ; Burnside, stove, $7.75.
B. O. Honors & Son, Lackawanna, egg, $5.60; Lehigh, egg, $5.90; Lackawanna, broken, $5.25 ; Lehigh, broken, $5.50; Burnside, stove, $6.05; New River or Pocahontas, $3.70; Georges Creek, $3.90.
Awarded to B. O. Honors & Son, they being the lowest bidders.
Edgestones-Rockport Granite Company, Rockport, Mass .. straight curbing, .65; curves, .86; f. o. b. cars Swampscott.
G. F. Ames & Company, Lynn, Mass., straight, .70; curves, .92 ; delivered on work.
Michael McDonough, Swampscott, straight, .70; curves, .85 ; delivered on work.
Awarded to McDonough.
Printing Town Reports-Perry & Searle Co., Lynn, Mass., $1.60 per page to include the binding of 100 School Reports with separate cover without additional expense.
John F. McCarty & Son, Lynn, Mass., $1.50 per page.
Thomas P. Nichols & Sons, Lynn, Mass., $1.85 per page, covers to count as four pages, tabular matter to be reckoned as double price.
Frank S. Whitten, Lynn, Mass., $1.30 per page.
Awarded to F. S. Whitten, he being the lowest bidder.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1910]
Concrete Sidewalks-J. H. Mclaughlin, Lynn, Mass., new work, $.40 square yard; resurfacing, $.25 square yard. No other bid.
Hay and Grain.
Acting on the recommendation of the Ways and Means Com- mittee at our last Town meeting, that the Selectmen buy the hay and grain for the different departments of the Town, we find that the only department who buy their feed is the Fire Department. The other departments board their horses at livery stables.
After looking into the matter thoroughly, we found that dealers in hay and grain would not enter into any contract for a year, owing to the fluctuation of the market. Neither would it be advisable to purchase a year's supply ahead, as we have no suitable quarters to store same. We found it better to watch the market and make the purchases when we could get the lowest price and the best quality of feed. Had we a very large Fire Department and could buy hay and grain in car load lots there might be a saving, but owing to the small quantity used in feed- ing ten horses it would take some time to use a car load and the loss from leakages would more than offset the saving in purchas- ing. Therefore, we feel that the present way of buying feed is the best adapted to our Town.
Cemetery.
The Board of Selectmen herewith make the following report in regard to the care of the Swampscott cemetery. The present arrangement, wefeel is antiquated and the method of taking care of our cemetery is very unbusiness like.
The Town annually appropriates from $1,000 to $1, 200 per year and receipts for the care of the cemetery.
The receipts consist of the sale of lots and single graves. After a careful investigation we find the following facts, - the superintendent is paid a salary of $450 per year and what he can make out of the cemetery. What this amount is the citizens of Swampscott are not able to learn, unless the superintendent sees fit to make his receipts known. As near as we can estimate he makes from $1,200 to $1,400 per year for the following work :
6
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Jan. 31
(all of which receipts he puts in his own pocket) the taking care of lots for private individuals ; taking care of lots for people who have placed sums of money with the Town Treasurer to invest, the interest from which pays for the care of the lots ; for grading and sodding lots; putting in markers and headstones ; putting in foundations for monuments at 35 cents per square foot ; for setting out flowers and watering plants (the town pays for the water), for making interments ; or any other work he can do for private individuals where he can make money. The setting out of flowers in the cemetery flower beds, raking up walks, or any work done strictly for the Town he hires an extra man and the Town pays this man at the rate of $2.25 per day.
In other words, we pay the superintendent of the cemetery a salary of $450 per year. For this salary the superintendent does very little work as he devotes most of his time for his own interest and to make money for himself. This arrangement we feel is detrimental to our cemetery, and is also an unbusiness like and unsatisfactory way to conduct this department of our Town.
We recommend that the superintendent be paid a sufficient salary to recom pense him for the work to be done, that his hours be the same as other town employees, that he give his whole time to the needs of the cemetery whether it be taking care of lots, putting in foundations, making interments or any work that is necessary to be done, and that all receipts be turned in to the Town treas- urer. In this way we feel that private individuals will have closer attention, better service, and our cemetery will have much better care than heretofore.
If the Town will adopt this recommendation we feel that every- one concerned will be benefited and the Town will receive more satisfactory service from the superintendent.
Uniform Hours of Labor.
By the vote of the Town to establish uniform hours of labor for all laborers employed by the several departments, the Select- men notified the boards and departments which would be affected by the proposed change and a conference was held May 7, 1909.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1910]
After a free and full discussion upon the subject, it was unan- imously agreed by the representatives of all the boards and departments effected to abide by the schedule of hours that the Selectmen should decide upon, and we established the following as a schedule of hours to constitute a day's labor for laborers employed by the Town :
From 7.30 A. M. to 12 M.
From 1.00 P. M. to 4.30 P. M.
All departments have performed their work upon the basis of the above given schedule with the exception of the Water De- partment, who refused to comply.
New Town Ways.
By vote of the Town, April 16, 1909, the following named streets, avenue and road were accepted and laid out as Town ways : Buena Vista and Rockland streets, Mountain avenue and Walker road, appropriations were made respectively as follows : $400, $200, $150, and $250.
This work was done under the supervision of the Surveyor of Highways, and the financial report will show you the details of the amounts expended.
Proposed New Ways.
Petitions were received from abutters on Greenwood avenue, so called, and the way known as Banks road, representing that public necessity and convenience require that these streets be laid out as Town ways and presented to the Town for acceptance.
The Selectmen viewed the premises, caused plans to be made of the proposed ways and notified the abutters that they would meet at the junction of Humphrey street and Greenwood avenue on Saturday, January 15, 1910, at 3 o'clock P. M., and at the junction of Banks and Walker roads at 3.30 o'clock on the same day.
Agreeably to notice our Board met at the date and places above named and adjourned until 4 o'clock P. M. to their office in the Town Hall for the purpose of hearing all persons in interest in the proposed laying out of the ways above named.
84
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Jan. 31
No remonstrance being offered to either of the proposed streets the Selectmen declared the hearing dissolved and took the matter under advisement.
After due consideration our Board would recommend that Banks road, so called, as shown on two (2) plans drawn by Messrs. Eastman and Bradford, Civil Engineers, dated Septem- ber 18, 1908, and on file in our office, be laid out as a town way ; also, that the way now known as Greenwood avenue but to be hereafter known as Fuller avenue, as shown on plan drawn by Fred H. Eastman, Town Engineer, dated December 28, 1909, and on file with us at our office, be laid out as a town way, as soon as waivers are signed.
Glen Road.
A petition was received by our predecessors in office from abutters on Glen road, so called, praying that same be laid out as a town way.
The Selectmen viewed the premises, held a conference with abutters and caused a plan to be made of the proposed street.
. One of the abutters positively refused to sign a waiver and until such time as he can be prevailed upon to do so, it would be useless for us to take further action in the matter and we so informed the petitioners.
Petition to Lay Out Portion of Orient Court.
A petition was received from abutters on Orient court to lay out a portion of said court as a public highway. As the petition was received too late for us to take action we refer same to our successors.
Petition to Lay Out Tidd Street.
The abutters on Tidd street, so called, petitioned our Board to lay out a town way for the use of the Town over so much of the land which is designated as Tidd street.
This petition was also received too late for action and is referred to our successors.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1910]
Sidewalks.
We recommend in the future that all sidewalks, which the abutters pay a portion of the cost, be laid under the Continuous Sidewalk Act, as this is a lien upon the property.
Street Signs.
Agreeably to the instructions of the Town at the adjourned Annual Meeting, April 16, 1909, your Selectmen have caused signs to be placed at convenient places showing the names of streets and indicating Private Ways.
This work was done under the direction of Mr. M. J. Ryan, Surveyor of Highways, and the following list will advise you of their location :
I Greenwood Terrace 2 Blaney Street
4 Humphrey Street
I Glen Road
4 Elmwood Road 2 Pine Street
3 Burrill Street
2 Woodbine Avenue
3 Essex Street
2 Cherry Street
4 Monument Avenue
I Highland Place
2 Orient Street
I Roy Street
2 Atlantic Avenue
3 Redington Street
I Buena Vista Street
I Columbia Street
I Mountain Avenue
I Crescent Street
.2 Sheridan Road
2 Banks Road
2 Walker Road
2
Grant Road
I Outlook Road
2 Fuller Avenue
2 Farragut Road
2 Highland Street
2 Thomas Road
I Phillips Street
2 Andrew Road
I New Ocean Street
2 Shaw Road
I Boynton Street
2 Hardy Road
I Rose Street
2 Devens Road
I King Street
Rockland Street
I Maple Avenue
I Franklin Avenue
I Minerva Street
I Belmont Avenue
I To the Depot
6 Dangerous Passing
I State Road to Salem
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Jan. 31
We recommend the appropriation of $50 for the ensuing year for continuing the work.
Crushed Stone.
After a full and careful investigation relative to the cost of crushing stone, we find that it costs eighty cents (80 cts.) per ton and from forty cents (40 cts. ) to fifty cents (50 cts.) a ton additional to deliver same on the streets, according to the dis- tance.
The engineer employed at the crusher also has charge of the road roller and the men employed on the Street Department are also employed at the crusher, barring out and preparing the rock to be crushed.
The Town has a valuable plant and it has been conducted in a economical manner by the Surveyor of Highways. We recom- mend that the present method be continued, in preference to purchasing crushed stone from other sources.
Stacey Brook.
This we consider is a matter of great importance as it is con- tinually causing trouble in the overflowing of its banks, and we feel that it should be attended to at the earliest possible moment.
We have had a plan made by the Town Engineer of this brook from the Lynn end to Humphrey street, have held two meetings at the Town Hall with President Bauer of the Lynn Board of Trade and our Board of Sewer Commissioners; one meeting with the City of Lynn officials at their City Hall and one at the Town Hall with most of the abutters on this brook.
The Lynn officials appear to be willing to pay their propor- tionate part and the Boston and Northern Street Railway Com- pany have given us permission to straighten the course of the brook through their land according to a plan on file in our office.
This is as far as we are able to go until we can get all abutters to sign waivers, which we have been unable to do as yet.
We do not however look upon this as a very serious matter to overcome and are in hopes that in a very short time everything will be satisfactorily arranged.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1919]
Library.
Owing to the crowded condition and lack of room for the dif- ferent boards in our Town Hall, we would recommend that some other quarters be provided for our library, thereby making room for more offices. The library is very much crowded, and the present accommodations are not large enough to conduct the growing business properly. Therefore, we recommend that a committee be appointed, to consist of the library trustees and four others, to look into the matter of providing suitable quarters for the library.
New Method of Accounting.
In a rapidly growing municipality as Swampscott now is the system of accounting which has served well in the past now shows itself to be inadequate to the demands of an up-to-date town whose yearly financial transactions reach nearly a half- million dollars.
To know what was being done in other towns along these lines members of our Board visited several towns for the pur- pose of consulting with their officials and inspecting the systems in use by them and also consulted with officials at the State House in relation to arranging a system which would facilitate making returns required by the Bureau of Statistics, showing comparative financial results of cities and town in the State.
After consideration of the particular requirements of our Town and with a knowledge of the defects of the system now in use, we have changed at the commencement of the fiscal year, Feb. Ist, to a system which in our judgment will materially add to the efficiency and produce results which were not possible under former methods.
We desire to express our sincere appreciation to the Town officials who so courteously gave us information and willingly aided us by exhibiting their books and documents for inspection.
To the Acting Auditor at Brookline and to the Chairman of the Board of Auditors in Revere, we are particularly indebted for advice and suggestions which our presest system embodies.
88
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
LJan. 31
The following appropriations are recommended by the several departments for the current year :
Highway, receipts and
$14,000
School
36,000
School alterations
3,000
Selectmen
6,500
Poor, receipts and
2,400
Police, receipts and .
7,300
Fire, receipts and
9,500
Library, Dog Tax, receipts and,
800
Street lighting .
10,500
Cemetery .
2,000
Gravel Sidewalks
500
Town Hall
2,000
Crushing stone .
1,200
Catch basins and gutters
1,000
Continuous sidewalks
1,800
Resetting curbstones
200
Memorial Day .
200
Care of Monument grounds
50
Tree Warden
450
Street Signs
50
Moth work
5,000
Publishing Assessors' Valuation
450
Street watering
5,000
Water Rates
2,610
Health
4,000
Park Department
2,550
Care of brooks .
1,000
Assessors .
1,500
Care of snow
1,000
Sewer Maintenance
5,500
Sewer Bonds
4,600
Sewer Bonds, Interest
6,700
State Tax (estimated)
18,000
County Tax (estimated)
15,000
Interest
8,650
.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1910]
Notes payable
14,945
Fences
150
Engineering
2,250
Water, new construction
3,000
Ambulance
200
G. A. R., fuel .
75
Stacey Brook
300
Soldiers' Relief
2,500
Soldiers' Relief.
As there has been more or less discussion in Town concerning this question, and as many of our citizens seem to be laboring under the impression that this comes under the head of State and Military Aid, we will endeavor to make it clear to you that it has no connection whatever with same, as State and Military Aid is simply paid over by the Town and reimbursed by the State.
Soldiers' Relief, see Chapter 447, Section 1 of Acts 1890, and chapter 79, sections 18 and 19, Revised Laws of 1902, is purely a local matter, every dollar of this is from direct taxation upon property owners in the Town and the disbursement of which comes directly under the supervision of the Selectmen.
The appropriation for this purpose last year was $2,400, as this is voted upon each year the same as amounts for Highways, Board of Health, Selectmen and all other departments in town.
Your Selectmen have endeavored to administer the affairs of the Town as justly and fairly as possible and to thisend when the question of Soldiers' Relief came up for discussion it was before the whole board and decided upon unanimously that in dividing this trade among the several grocers in town who helped raise the money, we were doing nothing more than an act of simple justice and to which they were rightly entitled. As this was our only motive, and to show to the taxpayers of the Town that Mr. S. M. Shattuck of the firm of Messrs. Shattuck & Delano (who, by the way, is the party who has tried his best to create this trouble), has in no way been discriminated against. We have carefully been over our books for the past twelve years, and the following statement will show you that he has had under the
90
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Jan. 31
present Board's administration the past year, more than any other grocer in the Town, besides as you will see in all other years.
In fact, during the entire twelve years, Messrs. Shattuck & Delano have had a total of $6,916.86 against a total of $5,597.16 for all the other grocers in Town combined.
H. Colclough
1899
$2 20
S. J. Pettingell. $85 00
Shattuck & Delano.
Standard Grocery
F. A. Tisdale.
$101 31
$3 19
$106 00
1900
195 74
1901
344 68
20 00
1902
77 50
602 42
178 50
1903
127 50
727 64
148 99 '
1904
112 50
938 32
112 00
1905
132 50
796 00
24 00
1906
130 00
730 00
1907
127 50
759 50
1908
132 50
691 00
1909
145 00
624 00
1910
364 25
406 25
$2 20
$1,434 25
$6,916 86
$486 68
$106 00
J. L. Caverly H. N. Thomas E. G. Hodgkins & Co.
Puritan Market G. H. Holden & Co.
1905 $160 00
1906
$213 00
$21 50
$48 00
1907
276 00
110 00
241 00
1908
276 00
250 00
352 50
1909
276 00
215 00
259 01
$102 39
1910
172 98
342 50
42 25
209 90
$160 00
$1,213 98
$939 00
$942 76
$312 29
Total amount expended for Soldiers'
Relief
$12,514 02
Shattuck & Delano .
$6,916 86
All others
5,597 16
$12,514 02
*Nothing paid from 1899 to 1909 to these parties.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1910]
Boston Post Cane.
Through the generosity of the Boston Post, the Town was presented with a handsome gold-headed, ebony cane, suitably engraved, which they requested the Selectmen to informally act as trustees and to present to the oldest male citizen, and at his decease to be presented to the oldest surviving male citizen. Upon inquiry we learned that Mr. Samuel Easter, residing at 33 Norfolk Avenue, who was 91 years of age, enjoyed this dis- tinction, and our Board, through its Chairman, presented the cane to Mr. Easter with appropriate remarks fitting the occasion.
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