USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1915 > Part 18
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In addition, as we have already reported, a gymnasium has been con- structed, which, besides furnishing a recreation room for the pupils, will, at the same time, provide a place for the various social functions that are held at the school, eliminating to that extent the wear on the assembly hall and other parts of the building, by reason of its use for these purposes.
1 88
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
In the excavation incident to preparing the foundations for the new parts of the building, the rocks and dirt were dumped in the rear of the building, thus increasing very materially the area of the lot, and making it possible, without the expense of filling, to add additions to the school at any time in the future, if circumstances require.
Your Committee feels that the efficiency of the High School has been greatly increased, and desires particularly to emphasize its added safety to the pupils, in the event of fire, by reason of the work that has been done in the stairways and other parts of the building.
As the work progressed, it was necessary for the Committee to make a detailed report to the Board of Selectmen, showing the manner in which the money appropriated for this work has been expended, and since all of this material is on file, it seemed unecessary to embody the same in this report.
In closing, we will state that all the bills in connection with this work have been paid except such sums as are customarily held back under building contracts of this nature. And we will add that although the heat- ing and ventilating system has been fully installed, we feel that there should be no acceptance of the work until it has been subjected to the test of more severe weather than we have had this winter.
Respectfully submitted,
J. HENRY WELCH, Chairman, HARRY E. HARDY, ARTHUR W. STUBBS, EDWARD TILLOTSON, DANIEL F. KNOWLTON, GEORGE D. R. DURKEE, JAMES W. SANTRY, Secretary.
189
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1915]
Report of the Board of Selectmen.
To the Citizens of Swampscott :
The Board of Selectmen herewith submit their annual report for the year 1915, covering the twelve calendar months, it being the sixty-fourth annual report.
Our report last year having given general satisfaction in the manner in which it was prepared, we have adopted the same manner this year, and the Selectmen report under three headings-administrative, miscellaneous and finance, whereby we hope we have given the citizens a fairly compre- hensive statement as to the Town's finances.
Last year we touched upon the subject of consolidation of the five boards under whose direction the Town's business is administered, and recommended a committee for the study of this subject. The matter was decided in the negative at the Town Meeting, with only a small percentage of the citizens present, and the same board being of the same opinion this year, wish to again bring this matter to your attention, at the same time taking up the subject of Town government in general.
There is a feeling among towns with 5,000 population or more, that they are not getting results from Town government that were maintained generations ago. In those days, the towns were very small, and they required very little in the way of administrative services, and every citizen had an opportunity to take a part in neighborhood politics. That is to say, the voting list was not so large but that all of the voters could assemble in the Town Hall to transact the town's business. In those days, a Board of Selectmen, consisting of three or five members, trans- acted all of the business which at this time is transacted by five or more boards or commissions.
As the Town grew and the administrative duties became more numer- ous, off-shoots from the Board of Selectmen were made and new officers or commissions created to take care of their respective work. As these respective departments grew, and the elected officers could not give their time to the proper performance of their duties, they, in themselves, employed assistants who received remuneration therefor, and gave all of their time as superintendents in carrying out the work of these various departments. This is true of the administrative machinery of the Town of Swampscott to-day.
Furthermore, towns have grown to such an extent that the yearly busi- ness can not be transacted in one night, but requires adjourned meetings of five or six evenings, and, with a voting population of fifteen hundred people, three hundred and fifty of whom can only assemble in the hall at one time, the result is that we see different persons at each meeting, and towards the last the interest has so dwindled that it is hard work to assemble a quorum of one hundred members. The consequence of this
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
will eventually be an adoption of a representative form of goverment whereby the citizens will elect one or two from each one hundred citizens, to be sent to the Town Hall to transact their business under the old form of town government.
At the present time in the Town of Swampscott, we have the Board of Selectmen, the Water and Sewerage Board, Board of Health, Board of Park Commissioners, and the Overseers of the Poor, all with its own overhead charges carrying on an executive department, and all of these departments employing paid assistants who do the actual work involved. It is not necessary to go into the details of this work, with its duplication of clerk hire, telephones, etc., etc., and of the assistants themselves, because you are all more or less familiar with them.
As in the beginning, with one Board of Selectmen, we see no reason at this time, now that it has become necessary to hire assistants as heads of departments, why the departments could not again merge into the hands of one Board of Selectmen who should be directly responsible to the peo- ple for the efficient management of the town, and to whom the people could go to find fault or to give credit, as the case might be, and not be directed from one board to another in attempting to settle their grievances. It is our opinion that the adminstrative machinery can be more efficiently handled by one Board of Selectmen appointing efficient officers in charge of each department, at the same time reserving our ancient form of town government for the appropriation of money and the discussion of all im- portant matters that may come before it.
At present each department is interested only in its own particular work, and that it gets the appropriations asked for, without regard to its effect upon the tax rate. This year we find our so-called departmental expenses as asked for about $45,000 more than was asked for last year. All of these matters should be studied together, and if Swampscott is willing to pay whatever it costs, it is one thing, but if Swampscott finds she must fix a rate beyond which she must not go, that is another, and it will then be necessary to modify all departmental expenses accordingly.
We recommend that a committee, consisting of the Board of Selectmen, the Chairman of each of the Boards above mentioned, and five other citi- zens, be appointed by the Moderator to thoroughly study the details of our administrative machinery ; be given authority, if necessary, to obtain special legislation ; to formulate such rules and regulations whereby a merger of all these departments will take place, and the work handled by a Board of Selectmen ; that this committee report fully in writing to the citizens of the Town on or before October 1, 1916, their report to be voted upon by the citizens at the State election in November.
In order that all of the citizens of the Town may have an opportunity to vote upon this proposition, it is our intention that the question of the adoption of this recommendation be placed upon the Warrant to be voted upon "Yes" or "No."
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1915]
ADMINISTRATIVE.
I. Bonds of Town Officers.
George T. Till, Town Clerk; bond is given by the American Surety Company, of New York, to the amount of one thousand dollars.
William H. Bates, Town Treasurer; bond is given by the American Surety Company, of New York, to the amount of fifteen thousand dollars. Nathan G. Bubier, Collector of Taxes ; bond is given by the American Surety Company, of New York, to the amount of ten thousand dollars.
Water Commissioner's bonds are given by the American Surety Com- pany, of New York, to the amount of three thousand dollars each.
The bonds are in the care of the Town Auditor.
II. Licenses.
Junk dealers-2 at $60.co Henry Sherman Louis Zeltz
Auctioneers-2 at $2.00 George U. Foster Charles G. Woodbridge
Carriages-4 at $1.00 Charles D. Sidell William H. Carroll Seaside Taxi Company A. E. Shepard
Bowling Alleys- I at $2.00 James D. Bentley
Pool Tables-5 at $1.00 James D. Bentley L. Zeltz Harry E. Ward J. F. Crowell, Jr. H. W. Wagenfeld
Automobile permits-62 at $1.00
I. I. Edgerly
R. W. Mellville D. F. Farnam John Homan
A. W. Sutherland
John M. Gilbert
Robert Fleck
George B. Field
J. H. Ivers
C. G. Woodbridge
Caroline G. Curtis
Patrick Colman
L. M. Atherton
E. R. Grabow Co.
H. M. Carnes
L. E. Sprague
Annie C. Kent
Edward J. Hayes
Otto S. Sweet
E. F. Norris
C. D. Sidell
James F. Caton
Standard Oil Co.
F. M. Page Geo. B. Watts
N. G. Bubier
F. I. Richardson
S. G. Granger M. McDonough
E. W. Dearborn J. B. Paton James T. Lyons C. H. Martin W. H. Carroll F. Vorenberg
192
TOWN DOCUMENTS. [Dec. 31
To transport liquors (no charge) W. E. Shepard North Shore Express Company Stone's Express Company Portsmouth & Lynn Express Company
Victualler's Licenses (no charge)
Alea G. Shumway, Railroad avenue J. H. Peach, 503 Humphrey street George B. Watts, 60 Humphrey street H. W. Wagenfeld, 422 Humphrey street S. C. Broma, - Humphrey street C. H. Green, 150 Humphrey street H. J. Blaisdell, 131 Humphrey street
J. H. Bryson, 29 Essex street H. J. Stone, 62 Essex street
F. E. Stevens, 62 Essex street
The Texas Co. George S. Burton
L. J. Marden F. P. Trowbridge J. M. Pope C. B. Delano Hodges Gilbert
James L. Taylor O. G. Poor
C. S. Newhall
A. E. Robbins
W. A. Marsh
H. J. Sutherland L. B. Brockaway
C. R. Sibley Gustavus Preston J. H. Jones W. E. Houghton
C. H. Edgerly
Geo. H. Lucey
E. J. Cudihy Mary B. Morrison E. W. Ong
R. W. McFarland
F. E. Maguire
J. M. Mather Geo. Barker
III. Permits Granted Under Section 5, Chapter 6, of Town By-Laws.
Loring Grimes, M. D.,
George T. Till,
Alfred F. Frazier,
John B. Cahoon,
George C. Webster,
Clarence B. Humphrey,
James F. Caton,
Walter Burrill.
IV. Permits Granted Under Section 4, Chapter 6, of Town By-Laws.
Elias G. Hodgkins,
Nathan G. Bubier,
J. Henry Welch,
George T. Till, W. Percy Norcross.
Oscar G. Poor,
Clarence W. Horton,
V. Contracts for Walks and Edgestones.
Proposals for granolithic walks and edgestones were advertised for in accordance with Section 4 of Chapter III of Town By-Laws, and the fol- lowing bids received :
Granolithic Walks.
M. McDonough Co. D. J. Sheehan
$1.45 per sq. yd. 1.49 per sq. yd.
193
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1915]
Edgestones.
M. McDonough Co. · 75c. per ft. straight. $1.00 curved D. J. Sheehan
· 74c. per ft. straight. 1.00 curved Laying Curb Stones.
M. McDonough Co. 20c. per lin. foot
D. J. Sheehan
18c. per lin. foot
The contract was awarded the M. McDonough Co.
VI. Contract for Coal.
Proposals for furnishing the several departments of the Town with coal for the current year were advertised in accordance with Section 4, Chapter III, of Town By-Laws, and the following bids received :
Honors, Holder & Sons, Lynn
George S. Briggs Coal Co.
Lackawanna egg $7 15
$7 20
Lackawanna broken 6 60
6 65
Burnside 7 80 7 80
Georges Creek 4 65 4 75
Coke 4 70
4 60
Lynn Gas & Electric Company, Coke $4 00
The departments furnished are Schools, Water Department, Fire Department, Town Hall and Outside Poor Department.
The amounts as advertised for were :
400 Tons Lackawanna, egg or broken 150 Tons Georges Creek 50 Tons Burnside 150 Tons Coke
The contract for coal was awarded to Honors, Holder & Sons, of Lynn.
VII. Printing Town Reports.
Proposals for printing reports this year were received upon the same basis as in 1914, and only one bid received. Basis of bids, 30 square inches to a page ; 300 pages.
1,000 sq. in. 4,000 sq. in. 4,000 sq. in. Balance 6 point. S point. 10 point. Page.
Summary.
Frank S. Whitten .08 .05
.03
.80 $640 00
Contract awarded to Frank S. Whitten.
VIII. Sidewalks.
Following out the policy heretofore pursued, continuous walks have this year been laid on Hampden street, Berkshire street and Ellis road ; Burrill and Essex streets, and Palmer avenue.
Curbs have been laid on Humphrey street, east from Commonwealth avenue and on Paradise road, between Burrill street and the railroad, preparatory to laying granolithic at some future year.
The amounts expended for walks and curbs this year aggregate $9,663.36 and the petitions pending for new work amounts to $3,400.00
The amounts laid are as follows :
194
TOWN DOCUMENTS. [Dec. 31
New straight curb
New curved curb .
Old curb relaid
Granolithic .
Parking
1,884.8 sq. yards 4,090.1 sq. feet
In addition, 62 feet curb, 857.4 square yards granolithic, and 823.0 square feet parking were laid on Humphrey street approach between Marshall street and Commonwealth avenue, from money appropriated by transfer, for which no assessment can be made.
As reported last year, all sidewalks are in the first instance paid for by the Town and then assessed the adjoining owners for one-half of cost. At prevailing prices, an owner can figure on about $2.30 per running foot to curb, park, and place granolithic in front of his estate.
Bills for the work are sent out by the Selectmen, and if in their jndg- ment the expense should become a lien upon the estate, the work would be assessed in the matter provided for in Chapter 450 of the Acts of 1914.
This year there were laid under contract, 4,914.9 feet of curb at 20 cents per foot, which cost $928.98. The price paid in 1913 was 44 cents per foot, and in 1914 38 cents per foot. At last year's rate, the cost of laying this curb would have amounted to $1,868.00.
The assessments as levied are as follows :
Emma A. Graham
$22 54
Samuel M. Kehoe and Elsie
George P. Borlen
30 42
Curtis
$50 93
George H. Graham
183 85
Samuel M. Kehoe and Elsie
James McDonald
66 82
Curtis
83 03
Elizabeth Hatton
11 53
Pasquale Gallo
32 55
Nellie B. Stone
49 87
Addie N. Phillips
52 82
Frånk E. Bickford
64 76
Myra W. Flanders
25 94
Swampscott Land Trust
49 87
Annie J. Beyer
20 73
Cora A. Raymond .
24 94
Charles F. Buffum
29 73
Raymond I. Davis
24 94
Edward and Martha Houghton,
24 94
Isaac S. Leadbetter
42 84
Beatrice L. Pote .
33 06
Mary E. Hennessey
61 07
Lillian L. Moulton
56 26
George Newhall
44 0I
Walter L. Graham
29 78
Joseph F. Crowell, Jr.
99 05
Maude Z. Humphrey
22 54
Olin J. Snow .
69 87
Herbert F. Doyle
22 54
Thomas L. Mead
21 4+
Sarah J. Hibbert .
51 62
Richard and Lelia Harris
78 08
Charolotte T. Cushman
53 11
Joseph F. Morse
63 76
Margaret E. Doane
52 02
Josephine B. Robinson
146 59
Susan J. Dimmock
.
50 50
Charles J. Bryne
54 32
Susan J. Dimmock .
112 86
Cora C. Oulton
50 37
Francis M. Sawyer
80 05
Lizzie M. Stover
.
51 59
Carrie A. Carsley
131 74
Angie B. Watson
52 07
Benjamin G. Ingalls .
31 52
Mary A. Sullivan
52 62
First Methodist Church
32 74
James C. Gannon
32 43
John R. Merritt .
21 47
H. Scott Tuttle
72 09
Josephine A. Twisden
8 56
Sewer Department
46 98
E. L. Macdonald
184 03
E. R. Grabow Co. .
195 35
Charles E. Rolfe
55 13
Park Department .
431 28
Alice L. Davis
33 62
James H. Finnegan
25 90
Alice D. Woodruff
33 05
Walter M. Boyden .
25 24
51 95
Abraham L. Widger
Ella F. Moore . .
233 38
Samuel G. Brackett and
Alvan M. Thompson .
33 II
Horace Blanchard
34 46
Total
$4,079 24
.
Katherine F. Lyons
62 96
4,852.9 feet 808.7 feet 82 feet
1915]
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
195
The petitions now pending for new work and the estimated cost thereof are as follows :
Cardillo Canceppe, 664 Humphrey street
$136 71
Percival Palmer, I Salem street 406 80
Harry E. Hardy, 148 Burrill street
112 00
Emily F. B. Hurd, 15-17 Bay View avenue
18 00
F. H. Timson, 20 Hampden street
105 55
William A. Marsh, 5 New Ocean
105 55
Harry G. Fisher, 9 New Ocean
116 47
Alfred W. Smith, 15 Outlook road
141 02
George E. Babb, 16 Rock avenue
159 35
Charles G. Woodbridge, 26-36 Rock avenue
155, 50
Nathaniel Galeucia S5-S9 Rockland
247 55
Continuous. Hillside avenue, West side
1,342 50
Sheridan road, North side . 184 82
$3,231 82
Engineering, 55 per cent
161 59
$3,393 41
We recommend an appropriation of $6,000 for isolated and continuous walks.
IX. Sale of Real Estate.
Acting under vote of the Town under Article 41 of the Annual Town Meeting, we have disposed of a portion of the land on New Ocean street east of the Engine House, together with the buildings thereon. It con- sists of a strip with a frontage of 28 feet, containing 2,864 square feet.
It was obvious that this strip could be used to better advantage by Taylor & Lampard than any one else, as they are improving the property on this side of the street by the erection of houses thereon, and by acquir- ing this strip would, together with a corresponding strip in their possession, have one more lot to improve. This property was therefore sold to them at private sale for $1,000, which we considered full market value.
The westerly line of the engine house property, which ran in from the street at an oblique angle, has been adjusted by exchange of lands between the Town and Joanna Ball, so that the line is now square with the street. We acquired 4.11 feet more frontage, and the deed is recorded with Essex South District Registry of Deeds, Book 2,316, page 248. The land remaining and used for fire department purposes, has a frontage on New Ocean street of 99 feet.
X. Public Buildings.
The public buildings from which any revenue is received remain the same as last year, viz: Town Hall, Police Station and House No. 88 Burrill street.
The rents received this year are as follows :
Town Hall rents
$618 00
Tenement over Police Station
132 00
Tenement No. 88 Burrill
144 00
$894 00
XI. Street Lighting.
By contract with the Lynn Gas & Electric Company, which expires , July 11, 1918, we pay $72 for each arc lamp, and $17.50 for each incan- descent, on moonlight schedule.
196
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The number of lights installed as of January 1, 1916, are as follows :
271 Incandescent @ $17.50 $4,742 50
86 Arc @ $72.00
6,192 00
II Arc every night @ $90.00
990 00
$11,924 50
During this year, the question of maintaining lights on private ways was forcibly brought before the Town by the action of the residents on Galloupe's Point, in refusing the Town the use of the avenue to the beach.
By an act of God, an English boat laden with lumber, came ashore on Galloupe's Beach, an occurrence which has not happened before for about two generations. Swampscott taxpayers developing property in Town, having purchased the lumber, were, after having applied to the Selectmen, refused the right to use the avenue for a short period, even after agreeing to file bonds to replace any damage done.
The Selectmen's efforts to obtain this concession met with absolute refusal on the part of the Galloupe estate to grant same.
A few years ago representatives from this point visited this Board and asked for lights, on the grounds that they paid property taxes and that the avenues were semi-public. After looking the matter over, their request was granted and nine lights were installed.
This was the first occasion where they had an opportunity to show a spirit of reciprocity to the Town, and they did it by constructing a fence across the entrance under a plea of statutory rights. The Selectmen con- sequently ordered the lights discontinued.
Numerous suggestions have been made to have all the Town lights burn every night, and we bring this matter to your attention for instruction. The cost for this change would be as follows :
Incandescent
Arc
.
$5,691 00 8,730 00
$14,421 00
XII. Forest Warden.
As provided for under Revised Laws, a Forest Warden must be appointed in January of each year, said appointment being subject to approval of the State Forester.
Mr. Everett P. Mudge was reappointed, and a report of his doings appears on page 131.
XIII. Gypsy Moth Department.
As in the foregoing subject, this appointment is required by law, and the Selectmen have usually appointed to this position as well as to the Forest Warden, the man who is elected by the people as Tree Warden. These positions are similar, in thelr having to do with trees, and matters pertaining thereto.
Mr. Everett P. Mudge was reappointed, and his report appears on page 132.
We recommend an appropriation of $5,000 for this department, as recommended to us by the State Forester.
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SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
1915]
XIV. Law.
Messrs. Parsons & Bowen, Counsellors-at-Law, were appointed Town Counsel. Mr. Bowen resides in Town, as well as his associates, Mr. Moore and Mr. Hathaway, and are easily accessible when wanted by the various departments on meeting nights. Their report upon the work at- tended to this year is as follows :
January 21, 1916.
Board of Selectmen, Swampscott, Mass :
GENTLEMEN,-Pursuant to your request for a report on the matters handled by us for the Town of Swampscott during the past year. we submit the following:
In March a petition was heard by the Supreme Court for the appointment of a Commission to determine payments by cities and towns under Acts of 1899, Chapter 419, for the five years next ensuing. Robert O. Harris, George S. Taft and Janes H. P. Dyer were duly appointed and hearings were subsequently held which lasted through- out the summer.
In addition to dealing with the cost of the original Metropolitan Parks District, this Commission was required to apportion the cost of the construction and maintenance of Wellington Bridge, under the provisions of Chapter 276 of the Acts of 1915. Wellington Bridge having been destroyed by fire and reconstructed, and said Chapter 276 provided that "the Commission next appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court under the provisions of Chapter 419 of the Acts of 1899 shall, after due notice and hearing, in such manner as they deem just and equitable, determine which of said cities and towns, except- ing the City of Boston, are specially benefited by the use of said bridge for highway purposes, and the extent of such benefit, and shall further determine in proportion to such benefit part of the cost of the work herein provided for, together with any interest on any money borrowed, to be paid by each of said cities and towns, and shall return their award into said Court, and when the same has been accepted by said Court, it shall be a final adjudication of all matters so referred to said Commissioners, and shall be binding on all parties, and in like manner said Commission shall determine and file their award as to the payment by said cities and towns of the cost of maintenance of said bridge, and determine the proportion in which said cities and towns, or any of them, shall bear the same."
Before hearing had progressed very far the Commission made a tentative finding that the Town of Swampscott was not specially ben- efited by the bridge, and Swampscott with other communities were excused until further notice from the Commission. The hearings have been completed and no notice has been given, so that Swampscott will, in all probability, pay no part of the cost of Wellington bridge or for its maintenance.
The Commission of 1910 was directed to determine the payments to be made by cities and towns on account of the cost of the Charles River Basin and its maintenance, but the finding of that commission was ten- tative. In its report it said,"When this addition to the Metropolitan Park system has been longer in use, a sounder judgment can be passed upon the actual and probable user by the public," so that it became impor- tant to try this issue before the Commission of 1915, and we contended with some other communities that the Charles River Basin ought not to be dealt with as a part of the Metropolitan Parks System like other parks, but should be treated separately, as we believe the park feature was incidental, and the real work was made necessary by the existence of a nuisance in the basin of the Charles River. In conjunction with counsel for certain other cities and towns we submitted a special brief at the request of the Commission covering this phase of the case sep- arately. We have already given you a copy of this brief.
14
198
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The general question of the apportionment of the cost of the Metropolitan Parks District has been decided by other Commissions, but each Commission has taken a different basis for the apportionment. The arguments made before this Commission were similar to those made before previous commissions, and a part of those arguments were based upon the findings of previous commissions. It was contended by some that valuation was the most equitable basis of apportionment, valuation being the theory upon which all taxes are assessed, indicating ability to pay. Others contended that user was the true test, that inas- much as population indicates the user of parks, population was the most equitable basis. Many contended that there should be a combi- nation of valuation and population. Consideration was given to the questions of user, density of population and distance from reservations.
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