USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1913 > Part 16
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We have examined the accounts of John H. Stetson, Treasurer of the Town of Weymouth Water Loan Sinking Fund, and have found them correct.
JOHN P. HUNT, WILLIAM H. PRATT, FRANK N. BLANCHARD,
Auditors.
.
.
.
REPORT OF REGISTRAR AND COLLECTOR.
WATER RENTS.
Balance due January 1, 1913 . . $7,335 26
Charges April 1, to October 1, 1913 31,864 88
Charges October 1, to April 1, 1914 20,186 12
$59,386 26
CREDIT.
Received by Treasurer
$13,456 03
Received by Collector
.
36,039 53
Rebates .
1,257 26
Balance due January 1, 1914
8,633 44
$59,386 26
LABOR AND MATERIAL.
Balance due January 1, 1913
.
$780 00
Charges in 1914
2,750 35
$3,530 35
CREDIT.
Received by Treasurer
$859 14
Received by Collector
.
1,459 21
Rebates .
23 87
Balance due January 1, 1914 .
.
1,188 13
$3,530 35
Respectfully submitted,
F. H. TORREY,
Registrar and Collector.
.
REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF FIXTURES.
To the Board of Water Commissioners :
TOWN OF WEYMOUTH.
GENTLEMEN : As your Inspector of Water Fixtures for 1913, I hereby submit my report.
This work was started June 20th and completed October 10th. My experiences in this work have shown me that, in a great many cases, the town has been deprived of the revenue from new fix- tures until the discovery of the same by some person in authority.
On advising the property owner that he would have to pay an increase in water tax on account of additional fixtures, the usual reply has been "I know it, they might have had it before, if they came to inspect". These conditions throw the burden of taxation on the honest citizen who will notify the Water Commissioners when he has installed new fixtures.
The system of "Fixture Charge" is unfair to the honest, care- ful property owner, who, as a rule, keeps his water fixtures in good condition, allowing no waste, and unless the family is a large one, there is no more water used in the family paying $20.00 per year than in the family with only one faucet for which $6.00 is paid.
The sooner the town arrives at the only practical method of Water Taxation, namely "Meter", the better it will be for all concerned. Then the burden will fall on the shoulders of the "large" and "careless" water user, who would pay no attention to a leaky faucet wasting hundreds of gallons of water, when paying by fixture, but if he thought it was registering on his Meter, he would not permit a leak to exist for one day.
Another abuse of the System is shown in connection with Public Drinking Fountains. Many persons living near a fountain, water their horses and cows at the fountain. The person owning hors- es and cows who water at fountains should pay the same rate he would pay if he watered at home. It is all town water, and if the property owner evades payment of this tax by "fixtures", his
279
property is desireable as being near a fountain and therefore, the Assessors should take this fact into consideration. Sill cocks or hose fixtures should be paid for or sealed up. It would require a constant inspection the year round to assure the town getting full return on all hose faucets in use. The fact that a man does not own a hose, would relieve him of the hose charge, but he could water his garden and cows from the sill cock and thereby evade payment of his share of the expense of the Water System, which he could not do if he paid for his water by "Meter".
The man who waters his horses and cows at the brook deserves special mention also, as he may be seen any day after a snow storm shovelling a path from his barn to the brook so that his conscience may be clear.
Summer dwellings are increasing in number each year and also improvements in the present dwellings are being made. There are a great many new fixtures being installed each year in these houses and as a large number of the owners or occupants are residents of other cities or towns, they are not interested in the increased consumption of water or loss of water income to the Town of Weymouth.
My principal recommendation to the town is to line up with other progressive cities and towns and base your "Charges" on "Meter Rates".
I wish to thank the citizens of the town for their kindness to me on my visits.
Appended you will find results of my inspection.
Respectfully yours,
T. ROBERT SULLIVAN.
INCREASED CHARGES AS RESULT OF INSPECTION 1913.
WARD 1 WARD 2 WARD 3 WARD 4 WARD 5 TOTALS
Faucets
$164 38
$128 33
87 34
$ 47 50
$ 73 83
S 501 38
Water Closets
125 06
141 26
75 50
65 00
90 42
497 24
Bath-tubs
119 99
81 67
38 00
60 00
67
369 33
Horses
18 00
62 00
74 00
48 50
55 00
257 50
Cows
19 50
11 50
29 50
24 00
5 33
99 83
Hose
131 25
52 50
42 00
40 75
0 50
327 00
Totals
$578 18
$477 26
$346 34
$285 75 $364 75
$2,052 28
280
SUMMARY.
One hundred and twenty new service pipes have been laid and fifty-nine old service pipes have been relaid as follows :
88 2-inch lead lined .
2,028.7 feet
9 1-inch lead lined 187.9.“ .
68.5 “ 3 2-inch lead · ·
70 2-inch galvanized iron 1,103.6 66
7 1-inch galvanized iron
174.1 66
1 1}-inch galvanized iron .
.
19.5 66
1 2-inch galvanized iron .
14.0
6
3,596.3 feet
Number of feet of service pipe relaid . 1,259.0
Number of feet of new service pipe laid
2,337.3 feet
Three thousand six hundred and ninety-two service pipes have been laid to date ; of these there are thirty-seven that have not been let on and twenty-five that have been discontinued.
Number of feet of each size laid as follows :
3244 2-inch diameter
72,150.0 feet
339 1
. 8,928.1
4 14- " 66
·
101.3 "
31 12- " 66
·
1,178.0
57 2 - " 66
.
1,298.1
1 22- " 66
17.0 "
23- "
44.1
66
64 - "
66
136.0 “
76-4
264.6
18.«
.
22.0 “
Total length of service pipes .
84,139.2 feet
Number of miles of service pipes
15.935 miles
1
281
One hundred and fifty-five water takers have been added this year, making total number to date 3,840.
Eighteen services are shut off temporarily on account of vacancy and five are shut off for non payment.
Water is supplied to the following :
Families
3755
Slaughter-houses
.
1
Stores .
·
76
Cemeteries
9
Offices
21
Private stables
176
Banks
4
Livery and expr's stables
5
Markets
4
Truck stables
14
Depots
4
Parks .
1
Bakeries
3
Lawn hydrants
81
Churches
15
Blacksmith shops .
3
Halls .
.
8
Groves
1
Public Libraries
2
Paint shops
.
2
Club-rooms .
.
9
Ice houses .
.
3
Restaurants .
4
Electric light station
1
Laundries .
5
Coal and wood yards
1
Manufactories
21
Public drinking fountains
18
Barber-shops
10
Ornamental fountains
2
Boarding-houses
6
Meters
23
Engine-houses
7
Motors
.
.
Green-houses
.
.
7
Hydrants
· 425
School-houses
15
Number of fixtures :
Faucets
· 6230
Water-closets
.
· 1564
Hand-hose
1678
Urinals
.
36
Bath-tubs
. 1026
4
·
·
·
.
.
8
.
·
PIPES LAID AND GATES AND HYDRANTS SET IN 1913.
STREETS.
Cast Iron 6 in.
Galv. Iron 2 in.
Galv. Iron 13 in.
Galv. Iron 1 in.
Gates 6 in.
Hydrants 6 in
LOCATION
Birchbrow avenue
.
.
Cedar Road
.
333.5
Delorey avenue
.
.
1
609 0
To Lewis T. Howe's house
Humphrey
714.0
1
1
To James Humphrey Sehoolhouse To H. T. Dean's house To P. F. Hughes' house To E. E. Otto's house
Off Main
427.0
1
Ramblers Way
113.0
1
To Angelo Lualdi's house To Mrs. Edward Fitzgerald's house To F. H. Graves' house
Varness Road
154.0
Winter
125.0
To Cordelia Reader's house
West .
702.0
1
1
To Thomas J. Ryan's house
2,148.0
662.7
67.0
1,573.8
4
3
Number of feet of pipe laid, 4,451.5
Number of gates set, 4.
Number of hydrants, 3.
282
Off' Broad
67.0
565.5
To J. W. S. Wolfe's house To Frank E. Saunder's house To Alva Thompson's house South
Green
192.0
1
227.8
Glendale Road
Ft.
Ft.
Ft.
Ft. 171.5
Norton
Summit
50.2
283
DISTRIBUTION PIPES AND GATES LAID TO DECEMBER 31, 1913.
SIZE
Cast Iron Pipe.
Wrought Galv. Iron Iron Pipe Pipe.
Lead Lined Pipe.
Lead Pipe.
Gates.
Feet.
Feet.
Feet.
Feet.
Feet.
20
in. diameter .
18
in.
66
2,092.5
1
14
in.
20,679.5
12
12
in.
66
19,087.8
28
10
in. 66
30,905.2
37
8
in.
66
38,036.2
58
6
in.
66
185,420.0
298
4
in.
66
18,074.3
37
2
in.
66
41
1} in.
66
43
14 in.
4,932.6
3
1 in.
66
1,363 0
11,113 8 2,698 6
131 0
526.3
12
& in.
66
334.0
1
314,545.5
22,847.6
48,689.8
131 0
860.3
572
Total number of feet
387,074.2
Total number of miles
73.309
Gates .
572
Blow offs, 6 in.
7
Hydrants
.
.
425
Blow offs, 4 in.
·
·
11
Valves, 12 in.
·
.
2
Blow offs, 2 in.
.
1
Automatic Air Valves
10
Check Valves
·
.
3
.
8,984.9 12,499.7
22,059 6
7,885.2
1
250.0
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS - STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. GREAT POND, WEYMOUTH, WATER ANALYSIS, (PARTS IN 100,000.)
DATE OF '
APPEARANCE.
Residue on Evaporation.
AMMONIA.
NITROGEN AS
ALBUMINOID.
NUMBER.
Collection.
Examination.
Turbidity.
Sediment.
Color
Total.
Loss on Ignition-
Fixed.
Free
Total.
In Solution.
In Suspension
Chlorine.
Nitrates.
Nitrites.
Oxygen Consumed.
Hardness.
Iron.
1913
105648 Jan. 29
Slight |Slight
.55 4.35 1.85 2.50 .0014 .0198 .0160
.0038 .54 .0010 .0001
.83 0.8
.040
Great Pond.
106898 Mar. 27
Very Slight
Slight
.65 4.00 1.55 2 45
.0060
.0336
.0244
.0092 .49
.0000 .0000
.75 0.8
.030
Great Pond.
108124 May 27
Very Slight
Very Slight
.80 4 35 2.00
2.35 .0034 .0208 .0170|
1.0038 .47
.0010
.0000
.81 0.8
.030
Great Pond.
109538 July 23
Very Slight
Slight
.70 4.40 1.65 2.75
.0030
.0280 .0230 .0050 .52 .0010 .0000 1
.61 1.0
.035
Great Pond.
111691 Oct.
1
Very Slight
Very Slight
.20
4.90 1.50 3.40 .0008 .0160
.0130 .0030 .56 .0010 .0000
.37 0.8
.025
Great Pond.
.
284
TAKEN FROM.
ENGINEER'S REPORT.
SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MASS., January 1, 1914.
To the Board of Water Commissioners :
GENTLEMEN : I hereby submit my report of the year 1913.
The Blake pump has had very little repairs during the year. The Blake feed pump was sent to the factory at East Cambridge and repaired. The leak in the suction chamber of the Deane pump was repaired by Mr. George Crawford, and has remained tight.
From measurement I find that Great Pond was at the greatest height April 13, it being at that time five and one-half inches above high water mark, and at its lowest point on September 28, it being at that time thirty-four inches below high water mark.
Respectfully yours, GEORGE W. SARGENT.
1
RECORD OF BLAKE PUMPING ENGINE FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1913
MONTHS.
Separate Days Pumping.
Number Hours Pumping.
Average Number Hours
Total Number Revolutions
Pumped per Month. Total Number of Gallons
Average Dynamic Head
Against Pump.
Screenings
Raising Steam, Bank-
ing Fires and Heat-
ing Building.
Pumping.
Total Coal.
Ashes.
No. Gallons Pumped per
Ib. of Coal on Total Coal.
No. Gallons Pumped per
lb. of Coal while Pump-
Average Duty in Foot lbs.
per 100 lbs. Coal on Total
Average Duty in Foot lbs.
per 100 lbs. Coal while Pumping.
January.
31
197 25
6 22
Rev. 359,511
Gals. 12,582,885
Ft. 150
Lbs. 9,300
Lbs. 39,974
Lbs. 49,274
Lbs. 6,805
Gals. 255
Gals. 314
Ft. Lbs.
Ft. Lbs. 32 069,024 39,528,291
February
28
182 30
6 31
333.779
11,682,265
150
8,400
37,002 40,347
49,647
6,160
281
336
40,147,868
49,377,183
April ... .
1
2 00
2 00
2,543
89,005
155
43
302
345
45
258
294
33,359,670
38,109,557
May ..
24
161 57
44
316,450
11.075,750
150
7,025
31,968
38,993
4,779
284
346
35,625,339
43,342,602
June.
30
262 15
8
44
524,473
18,356,555
147
7,994
55,191
63,185
8,674
299
332
35,617,239
40,776,152
July.
31
293 00
9 27
394,598
13,810,930
151
4,426
41,334
45,760
6,158
301
334
38,882,558
42,054,135
August. ..
29
211 00
7 16
404,793
14,167,755
150
5,128
44.019
49,147
6,637
288
319
36,062,951
40,264,116
September. .
24
168 45
7 01
336,433
11,775,155
149
6,775
37,441
44.216
6,059
266
311
33,090,971
38,770,870
October.
12
.78 40
6 38
156,883
5,490,905
144
3 600
16,578
20,178
3,415
272
331
32,966,385|
40,125,209
November . .. ..
16
96 00
00
182,266
6,379.310
148
4,757
20,030
24,787
3,731
257
318
31,767,095|
39,311,582
December ... ...
16
101 57
22
184,476
6,456,660
148
4,800
19,820
24,620
3,245
262
325
32,451,683
40,209,811
Totals and averages.
273
1963 22
6 58
3,584,311
125,450,885
149
71,548
384,006
455,554
61,525
275
326
34,220,246
40,596,440
H. M.
H. M.
6
42
388,106
13,583,710
150
9,300
45,402
5,817
257
316
32,189,131|
39,496,566
March . .
31
207 53
Pumping.
per Month.
ing.
Coal.
.
Lbs.
COAL CONSUMED.
286
..
.
6
6
RECORD OF DEANE PUMPING ENGINE FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1913
MONTHS.
[Separate" Days Pumping.
Number Hours Pumping.
Average [Number Hours
Total Number Revolutions
Total Number of Gallons
Average Dynamic Head
COAL CONSUMED.
Raising Steam, Bank-
ing Fires and Heat-
ing Building.
Pumping.
Total Coal.
Ashes.
No. Gallons Pumped per
1b. of Coal on Total Coal.
lb. of Coal while Pump- No. Gallons Pumped per
Average Duty in Foot
Average Duty in Foot
Pounds per 100 Pounds
of Coal while Pumping.
February ..
March ..
April
30
196 15
6 32
379,057
13,266,995
150
8,957
41,534
50,491
5,985
262
319
32,870,962 39,959,737
May .
8
45 10
5 38
93,265
3,264,275
150
2,275
9,864
12,139
1,614
268
341
34,876,085
42,919,789
June.
18
43 40
2 25
81,667
2,858,345
145
1,046
8,681
9,727
1,275
293
329
35,556,437|
39,819,037
July .
31
195 23
6
18
411,485
14,401,975
151
4,874
43,628
48,502
6,522
296
333
37,394,299|
41,569,595
August .
29
146 35
5
03
313,843
10,984,505
150
4,172
33,242
37,414
4,707
293
333
36,728,539
41,338,113
September.
8
55 00
6 52
117,575
4,115,125
150
2,225
12,696
14,921
1,884
276
324
34,501,852
40,559.578
October.
19
116 50
6 08
239,492
8,382,220
150
5,700
28,496
34,196
5,771
245
294
30,664,829
36,798,656
November
15
84 15
5 37
159,897
5,596,395
151
4,243
16,996
21,239
2,570
263
329
33,183,125
41,467,196
December.
15
90 20
6 01
172,732
6,045,620
148
4,500
19,222
23,722
3,535
254
314
31,457,000
40,298,760
Totals and averages.
173
973 28
5 37
1,969,013
68,915,455
149
37,992
214,359
252,351
33,863
272
321
33,936,250
39,950,955
H. M.
H. M.
Rev.
Gais.
Ft.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Gals. Gals.
Ft. Lbs.
Ft. Lbs.
January.
Pumping.
per Month.
Pumped per Month.
Against Pump.
Screenings
ing.
lbs. per 100 1bs. Coal on
Total Coal.
287
·
1
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF WEYMOUTH
1913.
GAZETTE PUBLISHING COMPANY, WEYMOUTH, MASS. 1913.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD
Ward.
I. Arthur H. Alden ·
292 Bridge street, North Weymouth.
Term Expires. March, 1914
II. A. Lillian McGregor (Miss) . Wellesley, Mass.
March, 1914
II. Elmer E. Leonard March, 1916
1146 Commercial street, E. Weymouth
HI. Clarence P. Whittle, March, 1916 115 Front street, Weymouth.
IV. Theron L. Tirrell March, 1915
244 Main street, So. Weymouth.
V. Prince H. Tirrell March, 1915
167 Pleasant street, So. Weymouth. ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD.
Clarence P. Whittle, Chairman, Prince H. Trreill, Secretary. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD.
Regular meetings of the Board are held the first Tuesday evening in each month at 8 o'clock at the Selectmen's room, East Weymouth.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. Parker T. Pearson.
Office. 511 Commercial street, Weymouth Heights.
Office hours : Office every school day, 8 to 9 A. M. Jefferson School, every Tuesday, close of school. Howe School, every Wednesday, close of school. Office telephone, Weymouth 123-W.
SCHOOL CALENDAR.
Winter term closes March 20, 1914. Spring term begins March 30, 1914, closes June 19, 1914. Fall term begins Sep- tember 1, 1914, closes December 18, 1914. Winter term begins December 28, 1914, closes March 19, 1915.
HOLIDAYS.
Washington's Birthday, Patriot's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day and Friday following.
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL 2-2-2,-2-2-2.
At 7.30 A. M., no school in any school during A. M. At 8 A.M. no school in grades I-IV inclusive. At 11.45 A. M. no school in grades 1-IV inclusive during the P. M. At 12.45 P. M. no school in any grade during the P. M.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Weymouth :
At the last March meeting the recommendations of the School Board in regard to the Athens School were accepted, and the sum of $17,000 was appropriated for building two' additional wings. It was also voted to leave the work of building in charge of the School Board with the provision that they should select two men of practical experience to serve with them. Mr. Frank E. Loud of South Weymouth, and Mr. Waldo F. Turner of East Wey- mouth were asked to serve and accepted. We now take this op- portunity to thank them for the valuable services rendered to the Board.
The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, H. C. Briggs, and was signed March 14, 1913 with the understanding that the work was to be completed by September 1. Owing, however, to the fact that the contractor was delayed in procuring material for building, we were unable to open the school until Sept. 15. As this occasioned the loss of only seven school days there is no doubt that pupils will be able to accomplish the work by the end of the year.
We have now a well equipped, modern-building, centrally loca- ted, with one vacant room for future use.
The great increase in the number of children in town together wihh the opening of the new rooms at North Weymouth, neces- itated the employment of six new teachers. In Ward I there was an increase of 38 pupils, in Ward II, 43, in Ward. III, 28, while in Ward IV and Ward V, the number remained about the same as last year.
In Ward III, in order to accomodate the large number of pupils, a room in the Tufts building was opened which had been used for a number of years as a store room. This is a narrow room extending the entire width of the building and not at all adapted to school purposes. However, by taking from each of three grades and placing them in this room, we were able to reduce the number in the rooms so as to comply with the law. If we have as large an increase next year (and it has been about twenty for the last four years) we shall have no room to place the
4
children. This will probably mean one session for some of the grades.
There should be some action taken at the next town meeting in regard to a remedy for the conditions in Ward III. The buildings in this part of the town are old and sadly in need of repairs. It would take several thousand dollars to put them in good condition and we believe it would be a foolish expenditure to repair or add to the present buildings. The light is poor in most of the rooms and in very cold weather it is imposeible to heat them. We believe that it would be for the interest of the town to replace the buildings with a modern building of fourteen rooms, so planned that more rooms could be added at any time without injury to the appearance of the whole. Such a building could be constructed and equipped for about $75,000.
The State Police required us to place fire extinguishers in the basement and on each floor of all the school buildings in town. This necessitated the purchase of about fifty extinguishers. They also required us to make many changes in all the buildings, which means quite an additional outlay. These requirements, together with the expense of extra teachers, have kept us from making only such repairs as were absolutely necessary.
Mrs. Gilbert Hunt of Weymouth Heights, offered to give 150 loads of loam for use on the High School lot. As the loam was within a few hundred feet of the grounds, it was gladly accepted. The front of the lot was levelled and the loam spread, but owing to a delay in laying the curbing, the seeding was postponed and will not be undertaken until next spring. The brush was cut and burned, and the trees around the building trimmed, thereby much improving the appearance of the grounds.
We respectfully submit the following estimates for school ex- penditures for the coming year :
RESOURCES.
Balance from 1912 . $16,326 46
Appropriation March 10, 1913 . 69,000 00
One-half dog license money 708 17 .
Tuition of State children ·
205 50
Supplies and tickets sold
146 33
Use of telephone, Tuft's School .
26 45
Amount carried forward $7,951 61
5
Amount brought forward $5,068 30
Asa K. Binney, shrubs
6 00
E. C. Barker, refunded
·
5 63
Rand & McNally, rebate
5 40
A. J. Richards & Son, pipe 2 40 ·
J. W. Vinson, glass .
1 30
$86,443 64
EXPENDITURES.
Superintendent
$2,099 94
Instructors
. 43,952 27
Janitors
.
· 5,193 24
Fuel .
4,310 54 ·
Repairs
2,993 00 ·
Water rent
341 50
Supplies -
4,915 06
Miscellaneous
906 41
Transportation
2,925 00
$67,636 96
Balance unexpended Dec. 31, 1913
$18,806 68
ESTIMATE FOR 1914.
Superintendent .
. $2,150 00
Instructors ·
50,000 00 .
Janitors
.
5,250 00
Fuel .
4,500 00
Repairs
3,500 00 .
Water rent
350 00
Supplies
4,500 00
Transportation
3,000 00
Miscellaneous
. 1,000 00
$74,250 00
Respectfully submitted, 1
CLARENCE P. WHITTLE, A. LILLIAN MCGREGOR, ARTHUR H. ALDEN,
PRINCE H. TIRRELL,
THERON L. TIRRELL, ELMER E. LEONARD.
·
·
·
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REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
Members of the School Committee :
I herewith submit my fifth annual report, the same being the twenty-eighth in the series of annual reports of the superintend- ents of this town.
In beginning this report I wish to call your attention to a few changes which I believe would increase materially the value of the work in our schools. The need for these changes and the results to be expected from their accomplishment I shall take up in detail later.
1. The elimination of the ninth grade and the substitution of an eight grade system.
2. The erection of a fourteen-room building at Weymouth, to take the place of the Hunt, Tufts and Lincoln.
3. The replacing of the unadjustable furniture with furniture of the latest type.
4. The equipping of the business department in the High School with sufficient and suitable materials for its needs.
EIGHT GRADE SYSTEM - The first of these recommendations, to change from a nine to an eight grade system, carries with it no increase in expense, but on the other hand should bring about a decrease as soon as the combined eigthth and ninth grades have passed through the High School.
This change has been made in many other places in the State, and has been found to work advantageously. It saves a year's time for the pupils, and in combination wilh semi-annual promo- tions, which should be introduced later, would give greater elas- ticity to our present course. Such a change would cause a con- gestion in the High School for a few years, but the problem of seating could be solved by using the hall for a study room, and converting the gymnasium and the present study room into recitation rooms.
7
In this connection it might be well to consider the effect of the change in the grammar buildings. The number of teachers in the Athens School would remain the same, as it will be necessary to open one more room there next year. The Humphrey School would lose one teacher, which would be a benefit, as it has been necessary to seat part of the eighth grade in the teachers' room this year. Buildings like the Pratt and Shaw would have two grades per room, in the place of having one crowded room with three grades. The principal of the Bates could devote his entire time to one grade, instead of having two grades with from fifty to sixty pupils, as he has had during the last few years.
NEW BUILDING AT WEYMOUTH :- There is no need of my enter- - ing into a lengthy discussion of the need of a building in Wey- mouth. The committee appointed by the Improvement Associat- ion of that part of the town investigated the conditions and made a report which was published in the local papers. I believe that the findings of that committee were fully justified. From my own observations I will state that the general conditions surrounding the school children in Ward III are worse than they are in any other part of the town. The buildings are poorly lighted, poorly heated, and poorly ventilated, and in addition are a menace to the safety of the children in case of fire.
When we consider that attendance is compulsory and that child- ren are compelled to spend the major portion of the day in the school room, isn't it reasonable to expect that the same authority which compels attendance shall furnish those conditions which will be most favorable to the moral, mental and physical development of the child.
ADJUSTABLE SEATS AND DESKS :- In last year's report it was recommended that steps be taken to discard the old desks in rooms equipped with unadjustable furniture and replaced with the latest adjustable type. As the appropriation was cut $2.000 be- low the amount estimated it has been impossible to accomplish any of this work during the year. In order to facilitate the work whenever funds are available I have made a table showing the seating capacity of the buildings, the number of desks in use, and the kind whether adjustable or unadjustable. From this table the cost of any changes can be estiimated.
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NO. OF DESKS NO IN USE
ADJUSTABLE
UNADJUSTABLE
Athens :
446
391
398
48
Adams :
48
35
0
48
High :
378
279
364
14
Humphrey :
342
335
342
0
Washington Grade 4 :
48
44
48
0
66
3 :
56
48
0
56
66
2 :
98
68
0
98
1 :
90
82
48
42
Jefferson Grade 4 :
42
42
0
42
66
66
3 :
49
38
0
49
66
2 :
46
46
0
46
66
1 :
44
44
0
44
Tufts : ·
211
203
197
14
Lincoln :
Hunt Grade 9 :
37
31
37
0
66
66 .
7 :
48
39
11
37
66
6 :
49
49
49
0
5 :
48
47
0
48
Shaw :
156
102
156
0
Pratt :
168
145
168
0
Howe :
166
127
148
18
Bates :
176
164
135
41
Pond :
36
19
30
6
Hollis :
32
23
0
32
2959
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