USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1912 > Part 2
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ART. 34. To see if the Town will erect and maintain three incandescent lights on the easterly end of Phillips avenue and appropriate money for the same, as petitioned for by Richard W. Melville and others.
ART. 35. To see if the Town will vote to return to Pitman & Brown their certified check of $2,000.00 which accompanied proposal for building schoolhouse as recommended by the Building Construction Committee.
24
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
ART. 36. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of $12,000 for furnishing of, grading around, and any extra expense incurred during construction of, the Hadley School, as recommended by the Building Construction Committee, and authorize the Treasurer, with the approval of a majority of the Selectmen, to borrow that sum to meet said appropriation.
ART. 37. To see if the Town will construct a stone or con- crete culvert on Humphrey street, from the vicinity of Roberts' stable to Glen road, for the purpose of taking care of the surface water and appropriate money for the same, as petitioned for by Patrick Cryan and others.
ART. 38. To see if the Town will vote to accept the pro- visions of Chapter 191 of the Acts of 1907, an act to authorize the establishment of Boards of Survey in Towns, as petitioned for by John Albree and others.
ART. 39. To see if the Town will direct the Board of Select- men to petition the Legislature for authority to borrow the sum of $30,000 outside the debt limit for the purpose of constructing or covering sidewalks, as recommended by the Selectmen.
ART. 40. To see what action the Town will take in relation to installing on the Playgrounds swings and other apparatus for the small children, and to appropriate the sum of $300.00 for the same, as petitioned for by Arthur T. Tapper and others.
ART. 41. To see what action the Town will take in relation to the report and recommendations therein contained, of the Special Committee appointed at the last Annual Town Meeting in consequence of Article 32 of that Warrant, on the taking of certain land for Park purposes, and make appropriation in accordance with and for the purposes of said recommendations.
ART. 42. To see if the Town will vote to have the Elm Tree in front of the George E. Gilbert estate, No. 11 Redington street, saved from destruction, notwithstanding the construction of a sidewalk on that side of the street, as petitioned for by William G. Earp and others.
ART. 43. To see what action the Town will take in relation to increasing the salary of the Collector of Taxes to $600.00 per year, and appropriate money for the same, as petitioned for by Martin L. Quinn and others.
25
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
ART. 44. To see if the Town will vote to construct a surface water drain on Atlantic avenue from Phillips avenue to the brook at Beach Bluff avenue, build necessary catch-basins and appropriate money for the same as recommended by the Select- men.
ART. 45. To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of seventy-five ($75) dollars to be placed in the hands of General James L. Bates, Post 118, G. A. R., for the heating and lighting of the Grand Army Hall, as recommended by the Selectmen.
ART. 46. To appropriate and raise by borrowing or other- wise such sum or sums of money as may be necessary for all or any of the purposes mentioned in the foregoing articles.
The polls to be closed at sunset.
And you are directed to serve this Warrant by posting attested copies thereof at the Town Hall, Depots, Post Offices, and three other public and conspicuous places in the Town, seven days at least before the time of holding said meeting.
HEREOF FAIL NOT, and make due return of this Warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk at the time and place of meeting as aforesaid.
Given under our hands this third day of February, in the year nineteen hundred and twelve.
CLARENCE B. HUMPHREY, ELIAS G. HODGKINS, JAMES F. CATON,
Selectmen of Swampscott.
A true copy. Attest :
RICHARD G. GILLEY, Constable.
Return on the Warrant.
Pursuant to the within Warrant to me directed I have notified the legal voters of Swampscott by posting attested copies of said Warrant at the Town Hall, Post Offices, Depots and three other public and conspicuous places in Swampscott, on Saturday, February 10, 1912, the posting of said notices being at least seven days before the time of said meeting.
RICHARD G. GILLEY,
Constable.
26
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
In accordance with the foregoing Warrant the voters of the Town met at the Town Hall on Monday, February 19, 1912, and were called to order at 6 o'clock A. M. by Daniel F. Knowlton, Moderator.
The Warrant to and including Article 4 and the officer's return thereon was read by the Clerk, when on motion. it was voted to defer the reading of the balance until 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
The following were qualified by the Clerk for their respective duties : Special Election Officer, John A. Cullen, (Dem.), Ballot Clerks, John B. Ryan, (Dem.), William R. Patten, (Rep.).
The package containing 1,500 General and 150 Special Bal- lots were delivered to and receipted for by the Ballot Clerks and at 6.05 A. M. the polls were declared open for balloting.
At 10 o'clock A. M. the remainder of the Warrant was read by the Clerk.
The following were sworn as Tellers : Frank V. Porter, Nathaniel F. Bartlett, Richard E. Melzard, John J. Mehagan, Joseph G. Reed, Benjamin B. Blanchard and Freeman A. Baker (Rep.) ; Sidney M. Shattuck, Joseph P. Mather, William P. Bergen, Frank G. Melvin, James T. Lyons and David W. Nisbett, (Dem.).
The polls closed at 5.20 P. M., 841 General and 32 Special Ballots having been cast, both check lists agreeing.
At 9 P. M. the following result of balloting was declared.
For Moderator - Daniel F. Knowlton, 536, elected ; Martin E. Nies, 240 ; blanks, 65.
For Town Clerk-George T. Till, 621, elected ; blanks, 220.
For Selectman for three years- James F. Caton, 667. elected ; blanks, 174.
For Treasurer - Benjamin O. Honors, 6So, elected : blanks, 161.
For Assessor for three years- Gilbert Delano, 368: Peleg Gardner, 421, elected ; blanks, 52.
For Collector of Taxes - Nathan G. Bubier, 700, elected ; blanks, 141.
For School Committee for three years - William J. Brennan, 2II : Arthur W. Stubbs, 556, elected ; blanks, 106.
27
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
For Overseer of Poor for three years - Edmund Russell, 660, elected ; blanks, ISI.
For Board of Health for three years - John B. Cahoon, 673, elected ; blanks, 168.
For Water and Sewerage Board for three years - Leon L. Dennis, 315 ; Samuel M. Kehoe, 500, elected ; blanks, 26.
For Park Commissioner for three years - Alfred F. Frazier, 405, elected ; Charles E. Hodgdon, 222 ; William J. Waters, I24 ; blanks, 90.
For Trustee of Public Library for three years - Elizabeth J. Hadley, 659, elected ; blanks, 182.
For Surveyor of Highways for three years - Michael J. Ryan, 673, elected ; blanks, 168.
For Tree Warden - Everett P. Mudge, 500, elected ; George Newhall, 310; blanks, 31.
For Auditors - Thomas E. Berry, 422; William H. Craig, 460, elected ; Stuart P. Ellis, 524, elected : Ernest N. Getchell, 452, elected ; blanks, 665.
For Constables - Frank H. Bradford, 551, elected ; William II. Carroll, 536, elected; Richard G. Gilley, 581, elected : blanks, 855.
Chapter 468 -" Shall Chapter 468 of the Acts of the Gen- eral Court of 1911 extending the provisions of Civil Service Acts to Chiefs of Police, be accepted ?" Yes, 421 ; no, 195 ; blanks, 225.
License question- " Shall Licenses be granted for the sale of Intoxicating Liquors in this Town?" No, 577; yes, 152; blanks, 112.
Voted. At 9.10 P. M., to adjourn to Tuesday evening, February 20, at 7.45 o'clock.
Attest : GEORGE T. TILL, Town Clerk.
·
28
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Adjourned Annual Town Meeting, February 20, 1912.
In accordance with the adjournment of the previous evening, the voters of the Town assembled at the Town Hall on Tuesday evening, February 20, 1912.
Meeting called to order at 7.45 o'clock by Moderator Daniel F. Knowlton.
Records of the last meeting were read by the Clerk and declared approved by the Moderator.
ARTICLE 5. Voted, that reports as printed be accepted and those requiring appropriations be referred to the Ways and Means Committee.
ARTICLE 5. Voted, that reports of Committees not printed in Town Report be heard at this time.
Report of Committee on Purchase of Land on Rock Avenue.
Mr. Widger of the above Committee reported that he had waited upon the owner of the land and she did not care to sell at this time.
Voted, to receive the report and discharge the Committee.
Report of Committee on Land for Park Purposes was read by James T. Lyons.
Report of the Committee Appointed under Article 32 of the Warrant for the Annual Town Meeting of 1911.
Your Committee respectfully submits the following report : We find the tract of land in question to contain 23} acres, having a frontage on Essex street of 860 feet. The land is well covered with trees and shrubs with the exception of a level piece fronting on Essex street, which would make an excellent ball field at a small expense. The remainder of the tract in its present condition is a most attractive natural park and its beauties are appreciated by hundreds who visit it during the summer. By placing it under the care of the Park Commissioners it could, with a small yearly outlay, be improved so that in a few years we would have a park second to none of equal area in the state.
The necessity of a ball field is apparent to all who are familiar with the conditions now existing on the playground at the State Road. The ball field is too small. Complaints of trespassing are frequent from property owners in the vicinity when the older boys and young men are playing or practicing, the smaller children, for whom the grounds were intended, are excluded or
29
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
endangered by their presence. By finding a place for the older players the younger children would have the present grounds to themselves.
In the past, with the large tracts of woodland within our borders still undisturbed, public parks were not needed, but conditions are rapidly changing. The land speculator is abroad and is fast turning the unoccupied spaces into building lots, and we believe the time has arrived when we should step in and preserve a small portion of our territory in its natural beauty for the benefit of those who will succeed us.
We, therefore, recommend that the Town purchase this property and the sum of fifty-eight hundred ($5,Soo) dollars be appropriated for the same.
JAMES T. LYONS, GEORGE D. R. DURKEE, ALLEN S. ROWE.
Voted, to accept and file the report and refer to Committee on Ways and Means.
Report of Building Construction Committee.
To the Citizens of the Town of Swampscott :
Your Committee takes pleasure in reporting that material progress has been made in the construction of the new school- house on Redington street. Immediately after the Town author- ized the erection of the building, your Committee proceeded to secure bids in accordance with the by-laws of the Town. These bids were divided into general contractor, plumbing, electrical, heating and ventilating. There were thirteen firms who entered into the contest for the general contracts, five for the plumbing, seven for the electrical and nine for the heating and ventilating. With the exception of the bid of Pitman & Brown of Salem, the general contractor bids were far in excess of the amount in contemplation for this part of the work. The remaining bids were proportionately greater than the Committee could afford to consider. Pitman & Brown's bid was accepted and the firm was notified.
It was believed, however, in view of the fact that the others had bid so much higher, that some mistake had been made. Your Committee, therefore, suspended action on the minor bids until after Pitman & Brown had been heard from. Before Pitman & Brown had received notice of the acceptance of its
30
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
bid a representative of the firm had called on members of your Committee and notified them that a mistake of $40,000 had been made, and that it desired the Committee to release it from its obligation. With the other general contractors Pitman & Brown had deposited a check of $2,000 as an evidence of its good faith. Its net bid was $58,942, or approximately $18,000 less than its nearest competitor.
Your Committee made inquiries and became satisfied that the firm had made a serious blunder and abandoned any further negotiations in that direction. In the meantime the town holds the firm's check for $2,000, which your Committee recommends be returned. Without delay your Committee began a reconsid- eration of the entire situation. The first bids were rejected and the three lowest qualified bidders on each contract were invited to participate in a fresh competition. A list of the first bids, with alternatives, is appended herewith :
Bids, Redington School, Swampscott, October 2, 1911. General Contractors.
Item I. Item II. Item III.
C. S. Cunningham & Co. .
. $91,950
$6,400
$4,400*
William Crane .
96,742 5,17 I
1,800
Roope & Folkins
113,100 7,000 2,155}
Woodbury & Leighton Co.
· 88,920
4,000
1,600
Vroom Bros.
. 87,098
6,000
2,750§
John Duff
88,516
5,300
1,786
A. Varnerin Co
97,815
5,439
2,527
Connors Bros. Co.
97,300
4,300
2,200 ||
* J. E. Locatelli .
82,949 .
5,439
600
E. E. Strout
. 112,047
3,803
567
*Pitman & Brown
65,998
5,171
1,885 **
Whiton & Haynes Co.
.
·
93,800
3,700
2,700 **
*A. B. Murdough
82,495
4,000
1,000#
tUsing Fuller bid for stone.
§No sub bids.
** Net, $58,942.
#ĮNo sub bidders.
Plumbing Bids.
Item I.
Item II.
C. A. Bray Co.
$5,900
$150
* Dame & Sons Co. .
5,063
142}
* Nichols & Drown
5,271
I 30
* Pierce & Cox .
5,295
I40
William Mitchell & Son
.
5,450
50
·
·
·
.
·
¿Sub bids not complete. ||Sub bids not given. tt$1,500 for Artificial Stone.
.
.
·
+Net $4,921.
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
Electrical.
* Hixon Electric Co. (no sub bidders)
$4,279
M. B. Foster Electric Co.
.
4,864
* Barnes, Pope Electric Co. Edwin C. Lewis, Inc. .
4,487
4,937
Martin Keough & Co. .
5,343
*Carlisle & Conner
4,467
J. Wilkinson Co. .
4,668
Heating and Ventilating.
Walter B. Ross
$14,782
*Pierce & Cox
14,193
Nichols & Drown Co. .
14,986
*Commonwealth Heating Co. 13,882
15,739
Bradlee & Chatham Co.
15,123
Laskey & McMurrer
15,364
McLean & Cousins Co. (Bond)
14,44I
*J. J. Hurley & Co.
13,789
( * ) Certified Check of those marked * Reserved until further notice; all others returned October 2, 1911.
Summary of Low Bidders.
Pitman & Brown
. $65,998 less $7,056
$58,942
Dame & Sons Co.
·
5,063 less 142 4,92 1
Hixon Electric Co.
4,279
J. J. Hurley & Co.
13,789
$81,931
Cost of Building
$81,931 00
Architects' Fee 6%
4,915 86
Engineers' Fee 6% of Electrical, Heating and Ven- tilation
1,084 08
Estimated cost
$87,930 94
·
·
Before proceeding with the second competition your Com- mittee and the architects, Brainard & Leeds, of Boston, carefully went over the plans and specifications in every detail. Alter- natives were discussed and adopted wherever practicable. Construction that properly could be introduced at a future time was in part omitted. After this revision your Committee was of the opinion that the contractors invited to figure would be
Arthur J. Sanford
32
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
able to better meet with the demands of the appropriation of $88,000 granted the Committee for the construction of the building. The results of the new bids were as follows :
GENERAL CONTRACT.
John Duff J. E. Locatelli
$74,687 00
66,193 00 ·
HEATING AND VENTILATING.
Commonwealth Heating Co. . $13,500 00
Pierce & Cox . 13,908 03 ·
J. J. Hurley & Co. . .
·
13,789 00
PLUMBING.
Nichols & Drown . ·
$4,077 00
M. A. Dame & Son Co 3,987 00
Pierce & Cox. 3,893 00 ·
ELECTRICAL WORK.
Hixon Electric Co. .
$4,279 00
Your Committee then awarded contracts to each of the lowest bidders, but not until a further effort had been made to bring the total down to an amount within or about the appropriation granted. Details which could properly be considered by the Town at a later date were for the time being omitted, and the final results were as follows :
General contract, J. E. Locatelli
$66,304 00
Heating and ventilating, Common-
wealth Heating Co. .
11,043 00
Plumbing, Pierce & Cox 3,598 00
Electrical work, Hixon Electric Co.
3,340 00
Architects' fees
.
5,057
10
Engineers' fees
862 98
R. C. Sturgis, consulting architect .
500 00
Total
$90,705 08
Preliminary appropritaion
$1,000 00
Appropriation for Building 88,000 00
89,000 00
Overdraft
$1,705 08
33
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
Your Committee, in order to protect the interests of the town, demanded a bond for the completion of the work from each of the contractors and they were as follows : General contract, $60,000 ; Plumbing $3,000 ; Heating and ventilating, $5,000 and Electrical, $3,000. As soon as the old buildings were removed the general contractors broke ground for the new building, and under favorable weather conditions proceeded with such facility that the basement and first floor were covered when the severe cold opened. With the beginning of spring your Committee sees no reason why the work should not hasten to a finish in time for the fall opening of the schools.
The corner-stone of the new building was laid on December 21, and pursuant to a general desire that the event be made a memorable one, your Committee invited the Grand Lodge of Masons of Massachusetts to perform the ceremony. A large gathering was present and the program was carried out with great success. Later your Committee selected the name of Hadley School for the new building in honor of Miss Elizabeth J. Hadley, now a teacher in the Beach School, who has been in the continuous service of the town for a period of forty years.
For the purpose of meeting the overdraft and to install such features as were believed necessary at a later date when omitted from the contracts, and also for the purpose of meeting an addi- tional and unexpected expense caused by a demand of the State Inspector that two exits be provided from each schoolroom, a demand that the consulting architect and Boston school authorities consider entirely unnecessary and unwarranted, your Committee asks for an appropriation of $4,906.78, divided as follows :
Overdraft . $1,705 08
Brick preservative . 250 00
Hot water plant for summer, additional radiators ·
877 00
Hot water system . 295 00
Additional wiring for rooms over hall 160 00 .
Extra doors and work entailed as per inspector ·
1,200 00
Architects' fees and engineers' fees . 419 70
$4,906,78
In addition to this appropriation it will be necessary to have an appropriation for grading and furnishing, items that were left out of consideration last year because they were matters that could be more properly considered at this year's Town Meeting. The estimates for these are as follows :
3
34
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Grading and fences . $2,000 00
Schoolroom furniture · 3,600 00
Light fixtures, telephones, firing tools
·
813 00
Auditorium furnishings .
660 00
Total
$7,073 00
These two amounts make approximately $12,000, the sum which your Committee hopes you will appropriate in order that the building may be properly completed and made ready for the occupancy of the children. When it is taken into consideration that the structure is to be one of sixteen rooms, practically fire- proof, your Committee feels that the Town will have a building at which it may point with pride, both in point of economical construction and as a substantial schoolhouse of the most modern design. Your Committee thanks you for your gracious consid- eration and support and hopes to fulfill in every feature of its work the obligations which rest upon it. It appreciates the confidence which you have reposed in it and trusts that it will meet with your satisfaction.
Very respectfully submitted,
S. PERRY CONGDON, Chairman, A. W. STUBBS, J. HENRY WELCH, EDWARD H. KITFIELD, CHARLES P. JEFFERS, CLARENCE B. HUMPHREY.
Voted, to accept and file the report and refer under the rules to Committee on Ways and Means.
Report of Committee on Increased Accommodations for the Public Library was called for and it was reported as progressing and Committee was granted further time.
Report (Partial) of Committee on Ways and Means was called for and same was read by Elgar H. Townsend.
Report of Committee on Ways and Means.
SWAMPSCOTT, Feb. 20, 1912.
To the Citizens of Swampscott :
Your Committee on Ways and Means must submit two reports, one now and a second at an adjourned meeting, because, while a large number of the requests for appropriations are already
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
made, there are still a number of matters that have not been submitted to the Town, some of them probably calling for large amounts.
The report, now presented, deals with the items of the budget which must be met without any abatement, and these amount to over $100,000.
Before considering these matters in detail some comment upon the duties and powers of this Committee on Ways and Means may be in order. The Town By-Laws prescribe that the Com- mittee " shall consider the articles in the warrant and report thereon," and in order that this work may proceed as rapidly and thoroughly as practicable, it is established that the Committee shall have access to all the books and vouchers of the Town, with some exceptions not material at this time. Applying this rule to the present situation, the Town says in effect to the Com- mittee on Ways and Means : "Here is the Town report with the doings of the past year, containing requests from $260,000 from the departments, and the Town Warrant besides, with its articles involving many thousands more. Investigate and report."
Cash Account.
A good starting point is the cash account. This is found on pages 362 to 367. The extent of the Town's business, your business, is there apparent, as the Treasurer received during 191 [ over $450,000 and in addition $37,000 from the Water Department. He has paid out on Town Warrants over $330,000, and he had a cash balance on December 30, 1911, of about $125,000. These figures, showing the magnitude of the Town's business, can lead to but one conclusion, namely, the Town's business requires and must receive the most serious consideration and the exercise of the best thought, counsel and judgment.
Lest the thought of cash of $125,000 may lead one to say that the Town is all right and no one need worry, it is well to keep in mind that of this amount $40,000 was paid out over a month ago to settle temporary loans, and that of the rest, $80,000 is the proceeds of bonds issued to pay for the Hadley School; and must of course be kept for demands as the building progresses, so that the balance of free cash is but $4,000.
Town Liabilities.
Turning next to the statement of the Town debt at the bottom of page 354, we learn what we owed December 30, 1911, the total being nearly $70,000, divided as follows: (round num- bers being adopted for convenience) :
36
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Permanent Improvement Notes . $275,000 00
Sewer Bonds .
. 190,000 00
Water Bonds
180,000 00
Temporary Loans, due January 10,
1912
40,000 00
$685,000 00
It may not be out of place to call attention to the fact that if the 950 voters who cast their ballots at the last State election were suddenly called upon to pay this debt at once and in equal amounts, the share of each man would be $720, and there are few of us who would not be inconvenienced, to say the least, by such demand. Do we not say correctly that the Town's business is serious ?
Valuation and Debt.
Consider next what we are worth as a Town, and com- parisons will aid to an understanding. In ten years the valuation has not quite doubled, while the debt has more than trebled, as appears in the following table of the valuation and the debt for 1901 and for ten years later, 1911 :
Valuation .
1901 19II $6,250,000 00 $11,800,000 00
Town Notes
70,000 00
275,000 00
Sewer Debt
3,000 00 190,000 00
Water Debt
140,000 00 1 80,000 00
$213,000 00
$645,000 00
Interest
$7,500 00
$23,700 00
As the payment this year on account of debt and interest together constitutes by far the largest item in the budget, about $56,000, it seems logical to consider it at this time. There fall due and must be paid this year notes and bonds amounting to $32,350, as follows :
Sewer Bonds . .
$5,600 00
Metropolitan Park Sinking Fund 1,200 00
General Debt
25,550 00
$32,350 00
As to the Metropolitan Park and its demands the subject of the debt of $13,600,000 and of Swampscott's share is treated at
37
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1912]
length in the report of the Town Counsel (pages 155 to 166), there is no need for us to make further comment at this time, except to say that the sums to be paid this year by the Town on account of the Metropolitan Park enterprise amount to $7,500 and there is every prospect that the annual charge will increase rather than diminish as time passes, and no relief is in sight.
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