USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1926 > Part 17
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Snow removal is a hard and strenuous operation, particularly in zero weather and with snow drifting badly with the wind. This means that the work must be well organized and that each man must thoroughly understand his part. As soon as snow reaches a depth of three to four inches, with indications that the storm will continue, he ought to start out with trucks and tractor to keep the road open. If the work is done by trucks it is frequently necessary to help the ma- chine work by a gang of shovelers, especially if the snow is falling fast and drifting badly. The secret of success in snow cleaning is starting early and keeping ahead of the storm. The working force of the department consists of five teamsters, three chauffeurs, one who drives the tractor, one watchman and twenty laborers.
The town is fairly equipped to handle snow storms at present with the 5-ton White truck bought in February and the 5-ton Mead- Mor- rison tractor and plow bought in December. The 3-ton Packard truck loaned by the State has outlived its usefulness and cost the town for repairs this year nearly $300. Besides this the cost of registration which has to be paid by the town is $95, while a town owned truck of even double the capacity costs but $2 for registration. One new 5- ton truck in place of this old one would make the town's snow storm fighting apparatus in first class shape.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
There has been built at the town yard a cement block locker build- ing to be used as a garage for the storage of trucks and tractor. When finished this building ought to be heated.
Recommendations
1. That the town appropriate the sum of $1200 to be used in heat- ing locker building at town yard on State road.
2. That town purchase a 5-ton truck to replace the old Packard truck now in use, and which belongs to the State, and appropriate money for the same.
Respectfully submitted,
MICHAEL J. RYAN, Surveyor of Highways.
215
REPORT OF FIRE ENGINEERS
1926]
Report of Board of Fire Engineers
To the Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen :- The following is the report of the Board of Fire Engineers and the Chief of the Fire Department for the year ending December 31, 1926.
Important Notice
We would ask all persons discovering fires in buildings to ring the nearest box (if within reasonable distance), as it is quicker and more accurate than the telephone. If you think you must use the telephone be sure to ask for Emergency Breakers 82. Great delays have been caused and large losses suffered by simply asking Central for the Fire Department which gives you Lynn instead of the Swampscott depart- ment.
Law Regarding Private Autos at Fires (Chapter 306 Acts of 1925)
An act further restricting the use of ways in case of fire.
Section 1. Chapter eighty-nine of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section six the following new section :- Section 6A. Every motorman of a car upon a street railway shall, upon the approach of any fire apparatus going to a fire or responding to an alarm, immediately stop said car and keep the same at a stand- still until such apparatus has passed. Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than twenty- five dollars.
Section 2. Said chapter eighty-nine is hereby further amended by inserting after section seven the following new section :- Section 7A. Upon the approach of any fire apparatus which is going to a fire or responding to an alarm, every person driving a vehicle on a way shall immediately drive said vehicle as far as possible toward the right- hand curb or side of said way and shall keep the same at a standstill until such fire apparatus has passed.
No person shall drive a vehicle within three hundred feet of any fire apparatus going to a fire or responding to an alarm, nor drive said vehicle, or park or leave the same unattended, within six hun-
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TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
dred feet of a fire or within the fire lines established thereat by the fire department. Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than twenty-five dollars.
Approved April 30, 1925.
Fire Alarm and Service Record
Swampscott box alarms
45
Second alarms
1
Wood fire boxes
4
Lynn line boxes
10
Marblehead boxes
18
Telephone calls
120
Marblehead telephone calls
6
Still alarms
9
All other Lynn boxes
6
Total 219
Under the mutual aid system Chemical 4 of Lynn responded to 26 Swampscott calls, Engine 2 of Marblehead to 6 calls, Combination A of Swampscott to 25 Marblehead calls, Combination B to 12 Lynn calls and Combination C to 11 calls, Engine 8 of Lynn 4 calls to Swampscott, Ladder 1 of Lynn 5 calls, Engine 5 and Hose 5 one call each to Swampscott.
Hose, Ladders, Chemicals, etc., used at fires
21/2 inch hose laid
13,150 ft.
Chemical hose laid
3,525 ft.
3 inch hose laid
500 ft.
Total gallons chemical used
932-5
Ladders raised
885 ft.
Pyrene used
3 qts.
Foamite used
5
Company drills
9
Hose tests 21/2 inch hose
3,750 ft.
Hose tests 3 inch hose
100 ft.
Hours of duty
229 h. 1 m.
Miles traveled
533-9
Combination A answered
75 calls
Combination B answered
72 calls
Combination C answered
80 calls
Service car answered
97 calls
1926]
REPORT OF FIRE ENGINEERS
217
Valuation, Losses and Insurance
Value of buildings in which fires occurred $162,300 00
Damage to buildings in which fires occurred 6,213 13
Insurance on buildings in which fires occurred 109,800 00
Insurance paid on buildings in which fires occurred 6,213 13
Loss over insurance on buildings None
Value of contents of buildings 25,500 00
Damage to contents of buildings
6,493 96
Insurance on contents of buildings
16,790 00
Insurance paid on contents of buildings
6,293 96
Loss over insurance on contents of buildings
200 00
Automobile fires
10
Tar kettles
2
New Combination D
We expect to put into service on January 1 a new piece of appar- atus to be known as Combination D, carrying 1000 feet of 21/2-inch hose and a 30-gallon chemical tank. This truck will do the work formerly done by our old service car, which is now unfit for strenu- ous work on account of infirmities incident to old age. This machine was bought from the insurance company at a cost of fifty dollars after the Beebe fire at Little's Point in July, 1925, and rebuilt and adapted for fire department work by the men at our Central Station at a very low cost to the town. The mechanical work was done by our Motor Supervisor, Captain F. T. J. McNamara, and the painting and letter- ing by C. L. Stover, who has been a member for over 20 years in this department. Other men at the Central House have done their part as circumstances required. The men feel very proud of their work and cordially invite the citizens to come in and look it over.
The remainder of the apparatus will require only the usual running repairs with the exception of Combination B, our pump, for which we have recommended a special appropriation of $260 to be used for equipping the front wheels with 38 x 7 pneumatic tires.
Large Hose
We now have 3,650 feet of 21/2-inch hose and 400 feet of 3-inch hose.
Chemical Hose
We have on hand 700 feet of hose of this type.
Buildings
The Central Station will require some repairs as usual, also we will have to provide better sleeping quarters for some of the men.
The Phillips Beach house is in reasonably good condition, requiring only the usual upkeep repairs,
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TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Fire Alarm System
There have been 62 fire alarms sent out by the system together with 6 no school signals and 4 woods fire calls. Three old boxes have been replaced by the latest Gamewell type. As the town has followed the policy during the past few years of replacing three of our old type boxes each year with the latest type Gamewell box, we have recom- mended the same this year, which will leave only three of the old type in service.
Remarks
On account of the constantly increasing number of phone calls, in- quiries, etc., it was decided to establish a desk watch at the Central Station with a permanent member of the department at desk ready to handle any call which might come in. This is working out very well, giving quicker and better service to telephone calls than in the past.
We wish to bring to the attention of the citizens the excellent spirit of co-operation shown by all our permanent men during the heavy storms of last February in volunteering for extra duty continuously over a long stretch of time.
We also wish to express our thanks to the Boy Scouts of the town for the good work they did in securing for us so many old brooms for use at woods fires.
This department, co-operating with the School department, fur- nished speakers and held fire drills in the schools in observance of Fire Prevention Day, October 9.
Recommendations 1927
That the town appropriate $1000 for hydrant rental.
That the town appropriate $480 to replace three of our old type fire alarm boxes with the modern Gamewell type.
That the town appropriate $260 for necessary work in placing 38x7 pneumatic tires on the front wheels of Combination B, our pump, at the Central Station.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE B. LEARNED, BENJ. B. BLANCHARD, JAMES WARNOCK,
Board of Engineers.
JAMES WARNOCK,
Chief.
219
REPORT OF TOWN COUNSEL
1926]
Report of Town Counsel
Board of Selectmen, Swampscott, Mass .:
Gentlemen :- I herewith submit my report as counsel for the town. for the year 1926.
The case of Isaac W. Chick against the town was tried during the month of March last, before the Superior Court, without a jury. This suit arose from the taking of land in connection with the building of the Hadley School Annex. Various conferences had been held with Mr. Chick and with his counsel to see if a settlement could be reached without trial, but since Mr. Chick was seeking $15,000, no progress could be made. The court made a finding of $5456.20, which included interest from the date of the taking.
The suit of Ernest W. Johnson against the members of the Board. of Selectmen to restrain the removal of two gasoline pumps main- tained by him on the sidewalk in front of the premises which he occupies at No. 278 Humphrey street was tried in the Superior Court, without a jury, during the month of December last. The matter of the legality of gasoline pumps upon sidewalks of the town has been under consideration for some time. It was felt that the presence of all pumps on sidewalks was clearly a violation of Section 5 of Chapter IX of the By-laws, which prohibits the use of any part of the public way for business purposes. The court sustained this position. It found that no permits had ever been issued authorizing the location of these pumps upon the sidewalk; that they were obstructions on a public way, and that their presence was in violation of the above cited by-law. A final decree has been entered in this suit dismissing the plaintiff's bill.
The appeal of Quinn vs. Hardy is still pending in the Superior Court. A motion was made at the December sitting of the court to dismiss the appeal on the ground that it was improperly taken inas- much as Section 55 of Chapter 143 of the General Laws, under which the appeal was made, provides in substance that any person aggrieved by an order, requirement of direction made by an "inspector" may appeal to the Superior Court therefrom. Section 1 of the same Chap- ter defines an "inspector" to be "an inspector of the division of in- spection of the department of public safety." The order in this case was not made by such an inspector but was made by the inspector. of buildings of the town, and a motion was therefore made, on this ground, to dismiss the appeal. The court, however, denied the motion,.
220
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
but the report of the auditor who heard the case is still pending in the Superior Court, no disposition of this having been made.
The case of John H. Hiland against. Felice D'Agnese and the town was tried before the District Court of Southern Essex and a finding was made by the court for the town. The following cases were settled in pursuance of the vote of the town at the last annual town meet- ing: Mary L. Burk v. Swampscott, Estella F. Hooper v. Swampscott and Anna Mccullough v. Swampscott.
In addition to the above mentioned matters, I have attended to all other legal work pertaining to the town.
Very truly yours,
JAMES W. SANTRY, Town Counsel.
221
1926] REPORT ON REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING
Report on Representative Town Meeting
To the Citizens of Swampsrott:
Article 62 of the warrant for the last annual town meeting was as follows:
"To see if the town will vote to appoint a committee to study the advisability of adopting the plan of limited or representative town meeting, as petitioned for by Henry A. Sadler, et als."
It was voted at the adjourned annual town meeting of February 16:
"To accept the report as amended, that the town appoint a commit- tee of seven members to study the advisability of adopting the plan of limited or representative town meetings and to report at the next town meeting, following the completion of their report."
A committee, consisting of Henry S. Baldwin, R. H. Burckes, John B. Earp, Stanley D. Forbes, F. W. LaCroix, E. A. Whiting and Maurice Yozell was appointed by the moderator.
The first meeting was held on March 17, and arrangements were made to obtain reports from all the towns in the Commonwealth which have adopted the representative form of town meeting. These have been received and considered at a number of meetings of the com- mittee. As a result it appears that the Representative Plan of Town Meeting is working out to the satisfaction of several of our larger and more important towns which have adopted it; and, under the amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth which was adopted by the referendum at the last State election, it can now be applied to towns having a population of over 6,000 instead of 12,000 as formerly. This means that should the citizens of Swampscott wish to adopt the plan it can be done by a vote authorizing a bill to be presented to the present Legislature covering the exact terms under which it is desired to operate. A bill of this kind has been prepared and accompanies the report. This explains the proposition thoroughly, and citizens are urged to study it with care and be prepared to vote at the annual town meeting.
After a careful study of the plan and its operation in other towns, the committee for the following reasons is unanimous in making a report favorable to its adoption.
For some time it has been apparent that new conditions have arisen in Swampscott which can only be met in a practical way by some
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TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
change in the present form of town meetings. When the town hall was built in 1861 the total population of Swampscott was 1,530 and the number of voters 349. Today, with a population of 8,959 and 4,166 voters, it is clearly impossible for all citizens to take part in town meetings in a hall having a total seating capacity of 325. This is a physical limitation, which in itself, prevents the functioning of the old New England town meeting in its original form when every voter could be accommodated. For this reason town meetings in Swampscott do not now afford all of the safeguards which formerly surrounded the New England town meeting.
Since this is a residential town, with no important industry, the business affairs of our citizens are mostly elsewhere, and, hence, it has unfortunately been difficult to obtain proper attendance or even a quorum at important town meetings.
On the other hand, the town has several natural divisions or groups of citizens with somewhat varying interests, and in the past these have found expression by packed town meetings, at which special issues were put through, due to the great interest of certain locali- ties and the indifference or carelessness of others. This was always a defect of the New England town meeting.
In the early days of our town, when annual appropriations were only a few thousand dollars and the value of real and personal prop- erty comparatively small, the simple form of town meeting was suf- ficient for the purpose, but with expenditures amounting to nearly a million dollars a year, and a valuation of over twenty-one millions of dollars, it is felt that the old machinery is not adequate to carry on this business efficiently. Modern times and modern conditions re- quire that a change should be made in our town government, as well as in business and industry.
For the reasons set forth by the committee and the marked lack of personal responsibility for attendance at town meetings, the rep- resentative plan of voting, if adopted and carried out, will afford a remedy without loss of the essential advantages of town government.
For the information of those who are not familiar with the plan, it consists briefly, of a division of the voting population of the town into a number of precincts, each one of which shall have approximately an equal number of representatives elected at the annual town meeting in February. It will be the duty of these representatives to attend town meetings and vote on all articles presented. The total number of voting members will be somewhat less than the capacity of the town hall, so that any citizen who desires may attend the meeting and speak on any subject.
The committee calls attention to the fact that after the bill has been approved by the Legislature, that the citizens will then have an opporunity to vote on the matter before it becomes effective.
223
REPORT ON REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING
1926]
The representative plan of town meeting retains many of the ad- vantages of the old town meeting, simply adjusting them to exist- ing conditions.
Respectfully,
HENRY S. BALDWIN, Chairman, R. H. BURCKES, JOHN B. EARP, STANLEY D. FORBES, Secretary, F. W. LACROIX,
E. A. WHITING, MAURICE YOZELL.
PROPOSED ACT
A copy of the proposed Act is submitted herewith:
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
In the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-Seven
An act to provide for precinct voting, representative town meet- ing, town meeting members, a referendum and an annual moderator in the town of Swampscott.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Gen- eral court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Section. 1. Upon the acceptance of this act by the town of Swamp- scott as hereinafter provided, the selectmen of the town shall forth- with divide the territory thereof into not less than six nor more than twelve voting precincts, each of which shall be plainly designated. The precincts shall be so established as to consist of compact and contiguous territory. Their boundaries shall be reviewed and, if need be, wholly or partly revised, by the selectmen, in October, once in five years, or in October of any year when so directed by a vote of the town meeting held not later than September twentieth of that year. The selectmen shall, within ten days after any establishment or revision of the precincts, file a report of their doings with the town clerk, the registrars of voters, and the assessors, with a map or maps or description of the precincts and the names and residences of the voters therein. The selectmen shall also cause to be posted in the town hall a map or maps of description of the precincts as estab- lished or revised from time to time, with the names and residences of the registered voters therein; and they shall also cause to be post- ed in at least one public place in each precinct a map or description of that precinct, with the names and residences of the voters therein.
The division of the town into voting precincts and any revision of such precincts shall take effect upon the date of the filing of the report thereof by the selectmen with the town clerk. Whenever the
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TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
precincts are established or revised, the town clerk shall forthwith give written notice thereof to the secretary of the Commonwealth, stating the number and designation of the precincts. The provisions of the General Laws relating to precinct voting at elections, so far as the same are not inconsistent with this act, shall apply to all elec- tions and primaries in the town upon the establishment of voting pre- cincts as hereinbefore provided.
Section 2. Other than the officers designated in section three as town meeting members at large, the representative town meeting membership shall in each precinct consist of the largest number di- visible by three which will not exceed four per cent. of the registered voters in the precinct. The registered voters in every precinct shall, at the first annual town election held after the establishment there- of, and at the first annual town election following any precinct re- vision, conformably to the laws relative to elections not inconsistent with this act, elect by ballot the number of registered voters in the precinct, other than the officers designated in section three as town meeting members at large, as provided in the first sentence of this section, to be town meeting members of the town.
The first third, in the order of votes received, of members so elect- ed shall serve three years, the second third in such order shall serve two years, and the remaining third in such order shall serve one year, from the day of the annual town meeting; in case of a tie vote af- fecting the division into thirds as aforesaid the members elected from the precinct shall by ballot determine the same; and thereafter, ex- cept as otherwise provided herein at each annual town election the registered voters of each precinct shall, in like manner, elect one- third of the number of elected town meeting members to which that precinct is entitled for the term of three years, and shall at such election fill for the unexpired term or terms any vacancy or vacancies then existing in the number of elected town meeting members in any precinct.
Upon every revision of the precincts the terms of office of all elect- ed town meeting members from every precinct shall cease upon the qualification of their successors, who shall be elected at the an- nual town election held next after such revision. The town clerk shall, after every election of town meeting members, forthwith notify each such member by mail of his election.
Section 3. Any town meeting held under the provisions of this act, except as otherwise provided herein, shall, at and after the first election held under this act, be limited to the voters elected under section two together with the following, designated as town meeting members at large, namely, all members of the General Court of the Commonwealth from the town, the moderator, the town clerk, the selectmen, the chairman of the board of assessors, the town treasurer, the town counsel, the town collector of taxes, the chairman of the trustees of the public library, the chairman of the board of health, the chairman of the park commission, the chairman of the water and.
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1926] REPORT ON REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING
sewerage board, the tree warden, the chairman of the overseers of the poor, and the chairman of any board of town officers hereafter constituted by law or by the acts of the town.
The town clerk shall notify the town meeting members of the time and place at which town meetings are to be held, the notices to be sent by mail at least seven days before the meeting. The town meet- ing members, as aforesaid, shall be the judges of the election and qualification of their members. A majority of the town meeting members shall constitute a quorum for doing business, but a less num- ber may organize temporarily and may adjourn from time to time. All town meetings shall be public.
The town meeting members as such shall receive no compensation. Subject to such conditions as may be determined from time to time by the members of the representative town meeting, any voter of the town who is not a town meeting member may speak, but he shall not vote. A town meeting member may resign by filing a written resigna- tion with the town clerk, and his resignation shall take effect on the date of such filing. Town meeting members who remove from the town shall cease to be a town meeting member, but a town meeting member who removes from the precinct from which he was elected to another precinct may serve only until the next annual town meeting.
Section 4. Nomination of the candidates for town meeting mem- bers to be elected under this act shall be made by nomination papers, which shall bear no political designation, shall be signed by not less than ten voters of the precinct in which the candidate resides, and shall be filed with the town clerk at least ten days before the elec- tion. No nomination papers shall be valid in respect to any candidate whose written acceptance is not written thereon or attached thereto.
Section 5. The articles in the warrant for every town meeting, so far as they relate to the election of town officers, and town meet- ing members, as hereinbefore provided, referenda, and all matters to be acted upon and determined by ballot, shall be so acted upon and determined by the voters of the town in their respective precincts. All other articles in the warrant for any town meeting shall be acted upon and determined exclusively by town meeting members at a meet- ing to be held at such time and place as shall be set forth by the select- men in the warrant for the meeting, subject to the referendum pro- vided for in section eight.
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