USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1916 > Part 6
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Attest : GEORGE T. TILL, Town Clerk.
Adjourned Meeting, June 23, 1916.
In accordance with the above adjournment, the voters assembled in small numbers on June 23, 1916. No quorum present.
Voted. That when this meeting adjourn it be to February 20, 1917, at 8 P. M.
Voted. To adjourn at 8.30 P. M.
Attest :
GEORGE T. TILL,
Town Clerk.
-
315
50
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Enlistment Meeting, June 23, 1916.
Meeting of the citizens in regard to the enlistments from Swampscott in the country's service on the Mexican border.
The meeting was organized by the choice of Daniel F. Knowlton, Chair -. man, and George T. Till, Clerk.
Voted. That the Board of Selectmen and the following citizens, John R. Merritt, Nathan G. Bubier and Alfred F. Frazier, with one other to be chosen by this meeting, be a committee to look after the welfare of those who have recently gone to the front or may go in the future, and their families, in the present Mexican situation.
Voted. To add Oscar G. Poor to the above committee.
Henry S. Baldwin, Chairman of the Selectmen, made remarks regard- ing the matter of enlistments of Swampscott men in the country's service and read a list of present enlistments. Remarks were also made by Martin L. Quinn, John R. Merritt, Weston K. Lewis and James W. Santry, pertaining to duties of Swampscott in the present situation.
List of enlistments, First Regiment Light Artillery, M. V. M.
Battery D-Second Lieutenant, Roland H. Choate, 52 New Ocean street. First Lieutenant, W. G. C. Kimball, 15 Fuller terrace. Telephone Corp, John N. Hammond, 63 Walker road. Privates, F. C. Eastman, 18 Belmont avenue, Henry W. Eastman 18 Belmont avenue, William A. Eastman, 18 Belmont avenue, John H. Webster, 80 Humphrey street.
Battery E- Lieutenant George Burke, 15 Redington street. Second Lieutenant, Harry E. Cahoon, 5 Suffolk avenue. First Sergeant, Ralph H. Russell, 189 Burrill street. Corporal, Benjamin F. Poole, II Thomas road. Bugler, Roland G. Barnes, 177 Burrill street. Privates, Harold Hanscom, 197 Norfolk avenue, Cleaves K. Hutchinson, 28 Claremont terrace, W. Paige Jackson, 110 Norfolk avenue, Clarence A. Neff, 48 Humphrey street, Roger B. Poole, II Thomas road, Edward B. Roberts, Jr., 147 Redington street, Edward Spaulding, II Bertha street.
Eighth Regiment, Company I -John S. Bradford, II Ocean View terrace.
Company D - Clarence Spinney, 6 Crescent street.
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. State Primary, Tuesday, September 26, 1916. TOWN WARRANT.
ESSEX, SS.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Swampscott in said County, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said town who are qualified to vote in Primaries to meet in Town Hall, in Swampscott, Tuesday, the twenty-sixth day of September, 1916, at I o'clock P. M., for the following purposes :
To bring to their votes to the Primary Officers for the nomination of candidates of political parties for the following offices :
Governor for this Commonwealth.
Lieutenant Governor for this Commonwealth.
Secretary of the Commonwealth for this Commonwealth.
Treasurer and Receiver-General for this Commonwealth.
Auditor of the Commonwealth for this Commonwealth.
Attorney-General for this Common wealth.
Senator in Congress for this Commonwealth. 1
Representative in Congress Sixth Congressional District.
Councillor for Fifth Councillor District.
Senator for First Senatorial District.
One Representative in General Court for Fifteenth Representative District.
51
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1916]
County Commissioner for Essex County.
Two Associate Commissioners for Essex County. District Attorney Eastern District.
Clerk of the Courts for Essex County.
Register of Deeds for Essex County.
And for the Election of the Following Officers:
District Member of State Committee for each Political Party for the First Senatorial District.
Seven Members of the Democratic Town Committee.
Seven Members of the Republican Town Committee
Members of the Prohibition Party Town Committee.
Delegates to State Conventions of Political Parties.
All the above candidates and officers are to be voted for upon one ballot. The polls will be open from 1 to 8 P. M.
And you are directed to serve this warrant, by posting attested copies thereof seven days at least before the time of said meeting as directed by vote of the town.
HEREOF FAIL NOT, and make return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, at the time and place of said meeting.
Given under our hands this fifteenth day of September, A. D., 1916.
HENRY S. BALDWIN, CLARENCE B. HUMPHREY, WILLIAM E. CARTER, Selectmen of Swampscott.
A true copy. Attest :
FRANK H. BRADFORD, 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 five other public and conspicuous places in Swampscott on Tuesday, September 19, 1916, the posting of said notices being at least seven days before the time of said meeting.
FRANK H. BRADFORD, Constable.
State Primaries, September 26, 1916.
In accordance with the foregoing warrant, the voters of the town assembled at the Town Hall and were called to order at 1 o'clock P. M., on Tuesday, September 26, 1916, by Henry S. Baldwin, Chairman of the Selectmen and presiding election officer.
The warrant calling the meeting and return thereon was read by George T. Till, Town Clerk.
The following Primary Officers were appointed by the Selectmen :- Ballot Clerks, John A. Cullen, (Dem.); William R. Patten, (Rep.); Francis M. Kennedy, (Dem.); Republican Tellers, Harold C. Snow, Fred A. Oliver, Alfred F. Frazier, Arthur C. Eaton, Thomas E. Berry, E. Marshall Kehoe, Harold H. Bartol, Joseph G. Reed; Democratic Tellers, James A. Hegarty, John B. Cahoon, Robert Leslie, Frank G. Melvin, George H. Stone, James H. Ryan, William P. Bergen, Peter J. Blaser.
James A. Hegarty and Peter J. Blaser failed to appear and John A. Finnegan and Francis M. Kennedy were appointed to fill vacancies.
All of those filling positions were qualified for their duties by the Town Clerk. The packages of ballots were delived to the Ballot Clerks, who gave receipt therefor.
The polls were declared open for balloting at 1.05 P. M. and were kept open by vote of the meeting until 9 P. M.
The ballot box registered 500, checks on both voting lists numbering 498. There were 498 ballots cast, as follows :- Republican, 443; Demo- cratic, 39; improperly marked and thrown out, 16. There were no ballots cast for Prohibition candidates.
52
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Democratic Ballots. Governor.
Charles H. Cole, of Boston .
.
.
15
Frederick W. Mansfield, of Boston
·
22
Blanks
Lieutenant Governor.
Thomas P. Riley, of Malden
28
Blanks
II
Leon R. Egges, of Brookline .
28
Blanks
,
II
Treasurer.
Henry N. Teague, of Williamstown . .
. 2'7
Blanks
12
Auditor.
John B. N. Soulliere, of Worcester .
. 26
Blanks
13
Attorney-General.
Joseph Joyce Donahue, of Medford
. 27
Blanks
·
.
12
Senator in Congress.
John F. Fitzgerald, of Boston
26
Blanks
13
Congressman-Sixth District.
Arthur Howard, of Salem .
20
Blanks
. 19
Blanks
. 39
Senator-First Essex District.
25
Blanks
14
Representative in General Court-Fifteenth Essex District. Blanks
39
Blanks County Commissioner-Essex. . 39
Blanks
District Attorney-Eastern District.
Maurice F. Cunningham, of Saugus . . . 23
Blanks
Clerk of Courts-Essex.
Edward B. George, of Haverhill
. 17
Blanks
22
Blanks
39
State Committee-First Essex District.
Charles H. McGlue, of Lynn
· 24
Blanks
15
Delegates to State Convention.
James T. Lyons .
.
.
2
Michael J. Ryan . .
2
John A. Cullen . .
.
.
.
.
.
I
Abram G. Stone .
.
.
.
.
·
I
.
2
.
Secretary.
.
.
.
Councillor-Fifth District.
Charles H. McGlue, of Lynn
.
Associate Commissioners-Essex. . 78
.
16
Register of Deeds-Essex Southern District.
.
.
1916]
Town Committee.
William P. Bergen James T. Lyons
John A. Finnegan
2
Frank D. Thurston
I
Andrew Olsen
·
I
I
Republican Ballots. Governor.
Samuel W. McCall, of Winchester
. 395
Blanks
Lieutenant Governor.
Calvin Coolidge, of Northampton
375
Blanks
68
Secretary.
Albert P. Langtry, of Springfield .
368
Blanks
. 75
Treasurer.
Charles L. Burrill, of Boston
364
Blanks
79
Auditor.
Joseph H. Brown, of Brookline
I34
Alonzo B. Cook, of Boston
230
Blanks
79
Attorney-General.
Henry C. Attwill, of Lynn .
375
Blanks
68
Senator in Congress.
Henry Cabot Lodge, of Nahant
376
Blanks
67
Congressman-Sixth District.
Augustus B. Gardner, of Hamilton
378
Blanks
65
Councillor-Fifth District.
Frederick H. Tarr, of Rockport
361
Blanks
82
Senator-First Essex District.
364
Blanks .
79
Representative in General Court-Fifteenth Essex District.
James D. Bentley, of Swampscott
42 1
Theophrase Dube, Jr., of Salem .
9
Blanks
13
County Commissioner-Essex.
John M. Grosvenor, Jr., of Swampscott
· 345
Joseph Merrill, of Danvers
50
Blanks
48
Associate Commissioners-Essex.
Charles Leighton, of Lynn
. 360
Horace M. Sargent, of Haverhill
· 266
Blanks
. 260
I
Michael J. Ryan
2
Abram G. Stone
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
53
I
.
.
.
.
.
48
.
.
.
George H. Jackson, of Lynn
.
5
54
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
District Attorney-Eastern District.
Louis S. Cox, of Lawrence
316
Alfred A. Lang, of Salem .
44
Blanks
83
Clerk of Courts-Essex.
Edward B. George of Haverhill
347
Blanks
. 96
Register of Deeds-Essex South District.
345
Blanks
98
State Committee-First Essex District.
Joshua Mills, of Lynn
. 276
Blanks
. 167
Delegates to State Convention.
Charles D. C. Moore
344
George A. Heath
349
George D. R. Durkee
343
Oscar G. Poor .
355
Edward A. Maxfield
355
Samuel M. Kehoe
345
Blanks
567
Town Committee.
Charles F. Hathaway
340
Alfred F. Frazier
333
James F. Caton
.
334
Charles E. Hodgdon
339
James D. Bentley
362
Charles D. C. Moore
338
Harry E. Cahoon
68
Scattering
8
Blanks
· 979
The result of balloting declared at 11.30 P. M.
Voted. To dissolve.
Attest : GEORGE T. TILL,
Town Clerk.
Special Town Meeting, Friday, September 29, 1916. TOWN WARRANT.
ESSEX, SS.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Swampscott in said County, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are directed to notify the inhabitants of the town of Swampscott, qualified to vote in elections and in town affairs, to assemble in the Town Hall, in said Swampscott, on Friday, the twenty-ninth day of September, current, at 8.00 P. M., then and there to act on the following articles, viz :
ARTICLE I. To see if the town will vote to lay a water main in Arbu- tus road and appropriate the sum of $1, 110 for the same as recommended by the Board of Water Commissioners.
ART. 2. To see if the town will vote to lay a water main in Sargent road and appropriate the sum of $648 for the same, as recommended by the Board of Water Commissioners.
ART. 3. To see if the town will vote to lay a water main in Stimpson street and appropriate the sum of $466 for the same, as recommended by the Board of Water Commissioners.
.
Willard J. Hale, of Newburyport
.
All elected
55
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1916]
ART. 4. To see if the town will vote to lay a water main in Prospect avenue and appropriate the sum of $1,833.50 for the same, as recommended by the Board of Water Commissioners.
ART. 5. To see if the town will vote to lay a water main in Aspen road and appropriate the sum of $705 for the same, as recommended by the Board of Water Commissioners.
ART. 6. To see if the town will vote to lay a water main in Bradlee avenue and appropriate the sum of $840 for the same, as recommended by the Board of Water Commissioners.
ART. 7. To see if the town will vote to lay a 6-inch water main in Orchard road, Palmer avenue and Neighborhood road and appropriate money for the same, as petitioned for by Charles D. C. Moore and others.
ART. 8. To see if the town will vote to extend its water pipe in the westerly end of Bradlee avenue, beginning at Stanwood road, so called, and appropriate money for the same as petitioned for by Carroll R. Brown and others.
' ART. 9. To see if the town will vote to construct a sewer in Bay View avenue and appropriate money for the same, as petitioned for by M. J. Ryan and others.
ART. 10. To see if the town will vote to construct a sewer in Cedar Hill terrace, and appropriate money for the same, as petitioned for by Selwyn B. Parker and others.
ART. II. To see if the town will vote to lay a 6-inch water main in Cedar Hill terrace, and appropriate money for the same, as recommended by the Water and Sewerage Board.
ART. 12. To hear and act upon the report of the Water and Sewerage Board with reference to Phillips Park drain, and appropriate money for the completion of the same.
ART. 13. To see if the town will vote to authorize the Water and Sew- erage Board to exchange land with the E. R. Grabow Co. in accordance with plan drawn by the Town Engineer, as recommended by the Water ane Sewerage Board.
ART. 14. To see if the town will vote an additional appropriation of $1,000 for sewer maintenance, as recommended by the Water and Sewer- age Board.
ART. 15. To see if the town will grant permission to the Board of En- gineers of the Fire Department to dispose of the old boiler and fittings re- moved from the Central Engine House.
ART. 16. To see if the town will vote to convey certain land to the E. R. Grabow Co., in consideration of the conveyance of certain other land to the town by said company for the purpose of straightening boundary lines between land owned by the town and by said company, as recommended by the Park Commissioners.
ART. 17. To see if the town will vote to increase the pay of all town laborers twenty-five cents per day, and make appropriation therefor, said increase not to void present conditions relative to holidays, as petitioned for by Elias G. Hodgkins and others.
ART. 18. To see if the town will vote an increase of fifty cents per day, making pay of laborers of the Highway Department $3.00 per day, or on the basis of a weekly wage of $15.00, as recommended by John Finnegan and others.
ART. 19. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of $1,000 for the purchase of ashes, and for spreading of the same at Phillips park, as recommended by the Board of Park Commissioners.
ART. 20. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of $3,000 to build a house for the Superintendent of Cemeteries on the lot now owned by the town on Essex street, opposite the cemetery, as recommended by Edward A. Maxfield and others.
ART. 21. To see what action the town will take in regard to granting one day off in every eight to the regular officers of the Swampscott Police Department.
56
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
ART. 22. To hear and act upon the report of the committee appointed to investigate the subject of a new police signal system.
ART. 23. To hear and act upon the recommendation of the committee appointed to look into the situation at the Machon school, and appropri- ate money for the same.
ART. 24. To hear and act on the report of the committee appointed to revise the by-laws of the town, and to see what action the town will take upon the same.
ART. 25. To see if the town will vote to transfer from the appropri- ation made for the construction of the drain on Monument avenue reser- vation the unexpended balance of $45.19 to the Monument avenue appropriation of the Park Department, as recommended by the Park Commissioners.
ART. 26. To see if the town will vote to transfer the unexpended bal- ance of overlay for 1914, amounting to $998.83 to the overlay account of 1916, as recommended by the Board of Assessors.
ART. 27. To see if the town will vote to appropriate money for thé dependent families of soldiers called to the colors in connection with the trouble on the Mexican border, as recommended by the Board of Selectmen.
ART. 28. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of $256.80 to establish a pension fund for town employees, as provided for under Chapter 503, Acts 1912.
ART. 29. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of $175.00 for the maintenance of the office of Dog Officer.
ART. 30. To see if the town will appropriate additional appropriation for the use of the Legal Department, as recommended by the Board of Selectmen.
ART. 31. To appropriate and raise by borrowing or otherwise such sum or sums of money as may be necessary for all or any of the purposes mentioned in the foregoing articles.
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 day ap- pointed for said meeting.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of the warrant, with your doings thereon, at the time and place of meeting as aforesaid.
Given under our hands this fifteenth day of September, A. D., 1916. HENRY S. BALDWIN, CLARENCE B. HUMPHREY, WILLIAM E. CARTER, Selectmen of Swampscott.
A true copy. Attest :
FRANK H. BRADFORD, 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 five other public and conspicuous places in Swampscott on Thursday, September 21, 1916, the posting of said notices being at least seven days before the time of said meeting.
FRANK H. BRADFORD, Constable.
Special Town Meeting, September 29, 1916.
In accordance with the foregoing warrant, the voters of the town assembled at the Town Hall in sufficient number to transact business on Friday evening, September 29, 1916.
The meeting was called to order by Daniel F. Knowlton, Moderator. The warrant and return thereon was read by the Town Clerk at & o'clock.
57
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1916]
Voted. To take up Articles 17 and 18.
Voted, Articles 17 and IS. That all department heads be notified to increase the pay of all laborers and teamsters, so-called, to three (3) dollars per day from this date without change in the hours of labor.
Voted. To accept the report of the Ways and Means Committee as read.
Report of Committee on Ways and Means, Special Town Meeting, September 29, 1916.
To the Citizens of Swampscott :
Your Committee on Ways and Means, in concluding the report to the adjourned Annual Town Meeting last March, stated that we were facing the prospect of a $20 tax rate. That prospect has now become a reality, through the fact that the tax warrant for 1916, amounting to $337,858.71 was the largest in our history (exceeding that of 1915 by $47,811.03). Indebtedness in the form of bonds and notes, amounting to $49,250, was also authorized by the meeting, though the largest item, that of $20,000, for extension of the Eastern Trunk Sewer, has not yet been issued.
While our proportion of the State and County taxes decreased about $8,800 over 1915, this was more than offset by increase of $4,400, (or about 67%) in the Metropolitan Park and Charles River Basin taxes, more than $500 in State Highway and Municipal Account taxes, and a decrease of about $5,000 in the amount we received as our share of the Corporation tax, owing to the new plan of distribution which went into effect this year.
We invite the careful inspection by every tax payer of the following table, prepared by the Board of Assessors, showing how their money is being spent this year, and the items which made up the increase of $2.20 in the tax rate :
State Taxes
$2 20 per $1,000
County Tax .
I 20
66
Payment of Debt
3 20
Interest
I 40
66 66
Highway Department
2 20
66
66
Street Lighting
80
66
66
Health Department
40
66
Soldiers' Relief
20
Poor Department .
20
66
Park Department .
20
..
66
Library Department
IO
General Government
60
66
High School Building .
40
66
Special Appropriations .
1 00
66
$20.00 per $1,000
$2.20 increase in tax rate is made up as follows :--
·40 per $1,000 addition to High School
.30 per $1,000 increase in Metropolitan Park Taxes
·35 per $1,000 loss of corporation taxes by new distribution
.65 per $1,000 increase in debt and interest appropriation
·50 per $1,000 increase in town appropriations
$2.20 Total
That the increase in the tax rate this year was not larger than $2.20 on $1,000, was due to the fact that the assessment on land and buildings increased $722,000, although assessed personal estate decreased $100,000, making the net increase in valuation of $622,000.
66
School Department
3 40
Fire
I 40
Police
50
Moth Department and Tree Warden
20
Sewer and Water Department
30
58
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Prospects of a lower tax rate, within the next few years, are not encour- aging. Relief can only come in two ways. By substantial increases in valuation and decreases in appropriations and maturing debt. As to the former, Swampscott is almost entirely a community of homes with no large manufacturing or wholesale business. A large portion of its most valuable area is occupied only during the summer months. We come in competition, so to speak, with other communities having the same general characteristics and furnishing the same comforts and conveniences of life, but having lower tax rates. The continuance of, or an increase in, our present high tax rate will inevitably tend to check our growth. People of large or small means will not continue to choose Swampscott as a place of permanent or summer residence, for this reason.
The result will be that those who are not obliged to live here will stay away and those who are here already and can afford to do so may leave and the rest of us will pay the bills.
Nor is the man who pays a tax on real or personal property the only one to suffer from the high rate of taxation. The poll tax payer who hires or boards must help pay the bills through higher rents and general expenses.
This is the last year that cities and towns will assess personal property. On January 1, 1917, the State takes up the work by assessing a tax of six per cent upon the income produced by personal property with certain deductions and will distribute the proceeds among the several cities and towns. Under the distribution plan outlined in Section 23 of the law, we know what we shall receive from the State next year, but after that our receipts are problematical.
While the operation of the Income Tax Law is expected to uncover a much larger amount of personal property than is now taxed, it will be necessary to find several times as much to produce the same amount of revenue. We have no control over what our share of the State and County taxes is to be. Fortunately for us, both show substantial decreases this year, but a safe prediction would be that this happy state of affairs cannot last. Only a few hundred feet of the Metropolitan Park System is within our limits, yet our proportionate share of the cost of maintaining the entire system, including the Charles River Basin, reached nearly $11,000, an increase of about $4,400 over 1915, and what it may be we do not know.
The items of Maturing Debt and Interest show increases of $9,300 and $2,400 respectively, and no relief can be expected from the former before 1920 or 1921. The increase appropriations (over $40,000) for general expenses were responsible for 5oc of the $2.20 tax increase. Further increases for schools, highways, fire and police departments, health and sanitation and all the other necessities and luxuries which go with the life of the modern community seem to be inevitable unless the citizens are willing that a halt in expenditures should be called and will support by their presence and votes in town meeting a policy of sane economy.
Our town meetings are at present a farce, as far as attendance and interest are concerned. About 75 per cent of the voters seem to take particular pains to keep away from any meeting where the town's business is being discussed, unless some particular thing in which they are interesed is coming up.
Your committee is confronted in the warrant for the special town meet- ing called for September 29th with several articles which, without refer- ence to their merit, should not, in our judgment, be brought up except at an annual town meeting.
At the end of each fiscal year, the various town boards and the heads of the different departments bring in their reports showing what has been accomplished and stating their requirements for the coming year. These reports and recommendations come before your Committee on Ways and Means who must examine them carefully and make a report of their find- ings to you at the adjourned annual town meeting in March.
You approve or disapprove our report and the total amount of appro- priations approved make up the budget for the year. This budget, together with the valuation of the town as determined on April Ist, makes the tax rate.
59
TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1916]
The Boston Herald, in a recent editorial, said with reference to the annual budget of the City of Boston and proposed salary increases : "The time to fix the salaries of city employees is when the annual budget is being passed. If the city's pay roll can be increased at any time by merely transferring money from the reserve fund or from the moneys already appropriated for materials and supplies, then the new budget system is not going to be of very much service. The principle involved is a very important one. When the total appropriation for the pay roll schedule of the budget is made for the year, that appropriation ought to stand unless there should be urgent and special reasons for adding to it. Otherwise the schedule at the time of its adoption will mean nothing at all."
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