USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1926 > Part 12
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North Weymouth, December 31, 1926
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Weymouth: Gentlemen :-
I herewith submit my annual report for the year 1926 with an increase in the sealing fees amounting to $326.50 due to more stores and gasoline pumps.
An act was ammended this year regulating the retail sale of ice, as follows, which from the sealer's view point is important to the public reading as follows, Section 1, Chapter 94 of the Gener- al Laws is hereby amended by striking out Section 158 and in- serting in place thereof the following: Section 158. A dealer in ice, who refuses or neglects to provide scales for each vehicle used by him for the retail delivery of ice, or who neglects to fur- nish to the sealer of weights and measures of each city or town in which he conducts business, a list fo the current prices of ice sold by him at retail, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars.
Section 2, said Chapter 94 is hereby further amended by striking out section 159 and inserting in place thereof the fol- lowing :- Section 159. Whoever having charge of the retail de- iivering of ice from a vehicle neglects to keep conspicuously post- ed upon each side of the vehicle the current retail prices of ice sold by him, or refuses or neglects to sell the same by weight, or refuses to weigh the same upon request of the purchaser, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars. Approved March 15, 1926.
During the year, 24 Fish, Fruit, and Vegetable licenses were granted 'at $10 each, 10 junk licenses at $25 each.
Two convictions were made during the year, one for using unsealed scales in the delivery of ice; was fined $5; the other for not having the retail price of ice conspicuously posted on the vehicle sold by him, this charge was placed on file.
My general work for the year is as follows:
Sealed Nonsealed Condemned Reweighings
3149 Articles
51 Articles
28 Articles 457 Articles
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES W. BURGESS Sealer.
.
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REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS
South Weymouth, Mass., Jan. 1, 1927
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of Weymouth:
I herewith submit my report for the year ending December 31, 1926.
Number of places inspected
103
Number of Cows inspected
466
Number of Young stock inspected
25
Number of Bulls inspected
11
Number of Swine inspected
102
Number of Goats inspected
5
Number of Sheep inspected
2
Respectfully submitted, DANIEL SULLIVAN Inspector of Animals
CLINTON F. POPE FUND
January 1, 1926
Deposited in Weymouth Savings Bank
Book No. 14850
Received for Interest
$1176.75 14.70
$1191.45 I
Paid for Legal Fees and expenses
50.00
Turned over to the Town Treasury for aid rendered
Clinton F. Pope and family $1141.45
Respectfully submitted, WINSLOW M. TIRRELL
Adminstrator
REPORT OF THE MILK AND DAIRY INSPECTOR
South Weymouth, Mass., Jan. 1, 1926
To the Honorable Board of Health of the Town of Weymouth:
I herewith submit my report as Milk and Dairy Inspector, also for issuing Oleomargarine permits for the year ending Dec. 31,1926.
Permits issued 176
Milk Licenses Oleomargarine Registrations 11
165
Respectfully submitted, GEORGE B. BAYLEY
Inspector
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF FIRE ALARM
To the Chief of the Fire Department:
The following report of the present state and future needs of the Fire Alarm System is hereby submitted.
The number of bell alarms for the year 1926.
Ward 1. -26
Ward 2- 28 (21 of these were false)
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Ward 3 10
Ward 5- 38
In the year of 1926, 14 miles of wire were renewed, also 6 new boxes installed.
There was a large number of poles set by the different Companies throughout the Town, which has been an expense to the Department.
I recommend that 15 miles of wire be renewed this year.
In the Town we have some 96 miles of wire of which 66 miles have been renewed or replaced within the last few years leaving about 30 miles of wire which is not in very good condition.
Owing to the various places in Town which need boxes it will be necessary in the near future to add more circuits to the system as the circuits now have more boxes than the State Board of Un- derwriters would approve of.
I would like to state that the system is very much more in a staple condition than in the past years.
Respectfully yours, C. F. COOLIDGE
Superintendent of Fire Alarm
REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
The following is the report of the Chief of the Fire Depart- ment:
Our town in the past year has been very fortunate in not having any fires of serious nature that would call for second or general alarms. The total number of calls is 408 which is two less than last year as follows:
Combination No. 1 82
Combination No. 2 117
Combination No. 3 92
Combination No. 5 47
Total 338
Forest Fire Truck 71
409
Total number of calls for Ladder Trucks Ladder from Ward 2 86
Ladder from Ward 5 30
All of our apparatus is in good running order and better e- quipped than ever before but it is perhaps well at this time to say that some of it is showing signs of age.
Combination 2 has had rather more hard usage than the rest due to accidents and more frequent calls than any other. While still in good working order it seems fitting to me to say that the town should consider the purchase of a new Triple Combination and put Combination 2 in reserve so that should any accident put one of our trucks out of commission it could be used until re- pairs are made, thus keeping our fighting strength up to it's maximum at all times.
Ward 3 Fire Station is in need of paint inside and outside. The other stations are in good condition at present though it
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would surprise anyone who visited the cellar at Ward 2 and saw the posts and timbers used to hold the apparatus floor.
The buildings show that they were not built for such loads as they are carrying although they all stand it better than No. 2. However with minor repairs they are good for some years.
Inspections
Since April 1, your Chief of Dept. has had an opportunity to be daily in contact with fire conditions and hazards in all parts of the Town. We have made many inspections, some on com- plaints from different persons, some on our own account, and some on invitations.
Following is the complete report:
Gasoline separate from Garages 29
Garages and gasoline 17
Setting or removing tanks 16
Installation of oil burners 17
In regard to oil burners I wish to say that there have been burners installed which we have never been notified to visit or inspect. This is directly against the Law of the State of Massa- chusetts and advertisements were inserted in the Weymouth Ga- zette and Item in the spring of 1926 so that no one can say that they were ignorant of the Permit Law.
There were 4 permits issued for blasting.
Inspections of Stores, Factories, Premises etc. 39
Permits for the Sale of Fireworks 24
Storage of Smokeless Powder 1
Manufacture of Fireworks 2
Total Number of Inspections 149
Recommendations
Under this heading which I am obliged by Law to write I wish to convey to you the way to keep your Fire Dept. up to the recommendations of the New England Bureau of Underwriters.
In the Town Report of the year of 1920 will be found a re- port of the Survey of the Town with regard to Fire Hazards and their recommendations. I am pleased to say that some of this has been accomplished a little at a time. But knowing the atti- tude of the Underwriters toward bettering the conditions it would be well to go along a little faster than we have in the past. We need a small force of permanent firemen. To that end I would recommend the appointment of 12 men at a fair salary.
This would give us six men responding to each alarm with- out waiting for call men.
Under the present system of answering with 2 Combinations and 1 Ladder Truck on an alarm. This is emphatically needed and I hope that it will come to pass this year so that we may have at all times men to lay the first line. We all know that it is the first few minutes that stop a fire or cause a conflagration and we all know that there are plenty of congested places in our town which must be handled quickly or the worst may happen. That these conditions have not occurred is due in great measure to the splendid spirit of the drivers of your apparatus and the ready response to alarms of the entire call force of the Weymouth Fire Department.
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1,
I am proud of being the Chief of such a hard working, con- scientious, public spirited set of men, willing to jump at any hour of the day or night to do their level best against the bitterest enemy of mankind in it's unconfined state or mankinds greatest friend in it's proper place; FIRE.
Not many, citizens of the Town really know much about their Fire Alarm System. It might seem a big story to some when we say that there are in the Town 96 miles of wire connecting the, system of boxes at the present time to headquarters. Then there are the Batteries for furnishing current for this vast system, the Switch Boards, Repeater and many other parts, all contained in one room of the Central Fire Station.
It is well worth the consideration of the citizens of the Town that a small fire such as we had in the station at Ward 3 recent- ly might occur in this station and if it should, the delicate organi- zation of your Fire Alarm System might become so effected that it would be impossible to use it for a considerable time. In the meantime suppose someone should want to summon the Dept. because their home or business was in danger fiom fire.
Six years ago the New England Bureau of Underwriters ask- ed to have your Fire Alarm put in' a fire-procf, trouble-proof building by itself. This is being done in Cities and Towns and should be done in Weymouth. To this end I recommend a suffi- cient appropriation to build a fire proof Fire Alarm Station that will take care of your system for years to come.
Plans for building and equipment are in preparation and will be presented for the approval of the Hon. Board of Selectmen in the near future. In connection with the foregoing , recommend the purchase of non interfering boxes to replace the old styl's boxes in business centres. Such replaced boxes may then ba used in the system at places as the demand comes up for more protection in the Town.
I also recommend the installation of suitable Fire Alarm boxes on our schools.
This matter has been taken up with the Supt. of Schools and has his approbation.
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Many of our schools are too far from boxes at the present time and this matter should be taken up at once to insure in- stant response in case of Fire or other trouble.
In asking these recommendations for the Fire Dept. and Fire Alarm I wish to say that it is solely for the benefit of every person in the Town of Weymouth and it is to their safety and se- curity to have these improvements and we ask them in the name of Protection of Lives and Property.
In conclusion I wish to extend to your Hon. Board and the various heads of the Police, Street, Water and other Depts. for their help and co-operation at all times, my sincere thanks.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN Q. HUNT,
Chief of Weymouth Fire Department
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REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Weymouth: Gentlemen:
I herewith submit the annual report of the services rendered by the police department for the year ending December 31, 1926.
Causes of Arrests
Crimes against the person:
Assault and Battery
22
Crimes against property :
Breaking and entering
8
Larceny
10
Trespass Total
25
Crimes against public order:
Adultery
2
Default
1.
Drunkenness
344
Failing to pay help
2
Insane
8
Idle and Disorderly
1
Malcious mischief
2
Neglect of family
2
Nonsupport
1
Neglected children
4
Neglected parents
3
Tramp
2
Violation of Town By-law
1.
Violation of motor vehicle laws
528 (84)
which are for operating under influence of intoxicating liquor. Liquor Laws:
Keeping and exposing
9
Unlawful sale
10
Illegal Transportation
2
Violation of fish and game laws
17
Violation of probation
4
Keeping unlicensed dog
1
Weights and measures Total
2
946
Crimes against public peace :
Carrying concealed weapon
1
Crimes against public justice: Bribery
1
Recapitulation :
Crimes against the person
22
Crimes against property
25
Crimes against public order
946
Crime against public peace
1
Crime against public justice Total
1
Out of town arrests
176
Total arrests for year
1171
Miscellaneous report:
Property recovered
$13,457.00
.
995
Nine raids for intoxicating liquors
7
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Complaints investigated 577
Buildings found open and secured 98
Street lights reported out 89
Wagon calls
280
Ambulance calls
71
Number of dogs killed
70
Fines imposed in Lower Court $11,694
Fines imposed in Superior Court 550
I wish to thank the Honorable Board for the assistance and co-operation they have given to the department, also to the mem- bers for the faithful performance of their many duties.
Respectfully submitted, ARTHUR H. PRATT, Chief of Police
REPORT OF THE TREE WARDEN
South Weymouth, Mass. To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Weymouth: Gentlemen :-
Herein please find my report for the year 1926. The work of the department has consisted of trimming our street trees, re- moving dead or otherwise objectionable trees and setting out twenty-eight maples on our streets. Twelve of these maples were for replacement of trees killed by escaping zas and were paid for with all expenses pertaining thereto by the Old Colony Gas Com- pany.
We must set out more trees on our streets. I suppose that most of our citizens have heard some talk about the trees which were removed from Commercial street. Now my friends (and enemies if there be such) I want to say that after the new trees which I have already bought (and they are good ones) are set out, which will be doue soon. and the job is all done if you will take your tax bill in your hand and go down there and look the whole thing over I think that most of you will say, "well after all, everything considered, I guess that it was the best thing to do .**
Yours respectfully, C. L. MERRITT. Trea Warden
REPORT OF THE MOTH SUPERINTENDENT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen
Gentlemen :-
South Weymouth, Mass. of the Town of Weymouth:
Herein please find my report for the year 1926. As regards the gypsy Moth I would say that we found them much more nu- merous than last year and having attended a meeting of the whole State Department in Boston today I am able to give a re-
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port as to the conditions all over the State. Each of the Super- visors of the various districts of the State reported an increase of from fifty to three hundred percent in Gypsy infestation. Whereas there was a stripping of woodlands on Capa Cod in 1925, of 45,000 acres there were 60,000 acres stripped nude in 1926.
As regards the Brown Tail Moth, our Town is free of tham at present but they are found by the bushels in some parts of the State.
The work of the department the past year has consisted of scoutting and cresoting our street trees, cutting out wild cher- ries and obstructing bushes on the roadsides and spraying pri- vate property. As we had quite a quantity of arsenate of lead left over from the previous years we bought only a small quan- tity from the Town of Milton to carry us through the season, so as we are down to the last pint we shall have to buy a full sup- ply for the coming season; we shall also have to buy hose.
Yours respectfully, C. L. MERRITT, Moth Superintendent
REPORT OF THE TOWN COUNSEL
Weymouth, January 1, 1927. To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Weymouth:
The work of the Town Counsel may be properly divided un- der three heads: ADVICE, CONVEYANCING and PREPARA- TION OF LEGAL PAPERS, and CONDUCT OF LITIGATION. On the efficient performance of the two first named duties depends in considerable measure the ability of the Town to avoid certain classes of litigation.
ADVICE: I have endeavored to place myself at the disposal of various Town Officials to advise them as to their legal rights and duties, and at the same time to avoid volunteering advice as to questions of policy. Some of our citizens think the function of the Town Counsel is to advise the various Town Boards and Of- ficials as to what they ought to do, and have received many re- quests to give such advise. This, of course, is entirely outside the functions of the Town Counsel, whose province is only to ad- vise as to the advantages or disadvantages of a certain course of action from a legal point of view. When any important legal point was likely to arise, I have endeavored to attend the meet- ings of the Selectmen, and none of the acts of the various Town Officials during the year have, thus far, been attacked from a le- gal point of view.
CONVEYANCING AND PREPARATION OF LEGAL PA- PERS: Many of the forms in use by the Town at the beginning of the year were antiquated and unsuited to their purpose, doubt- less inherited from ancient days before the Town had any Coun- sel. As fast as these were brought to my attention I revised and brought them up to date, and have also prepared a number of new forms, which will, I believe, facilitate the transaction of Town business, and make it less open to legal attack. The new
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Town By-laws, which are shortly to be submitted to the Town Meeting, will materially contribute to this end. -
LITIGATION: In addition to the court cases named in the last annual report of the Town Counsel, the following suits have been brought against the Town:
Mary A. Donovan vs. inhabitants of Weymouth. Peti- tion to Assess Damages for the taking by eminent do- main of the North Weymouth Playground. Norfolk Su- perior Court.
Peter B. and Robert S. Bradley, Appellants, vs. Asses- sors of Weymouth: Appeal from a refusal to abate tax- es on Weymouth Great Hill. Norfolk Superior Court. Edward C. Beck vs. Inhabitants of Weymouth. Action of contract for redecorating Tufts Library. Suffolk Su- perior Court.
All the above cases are still pending.
- The petition of the Selectmen to the County Commissioners directed by the last annual Town Meeting, for the purpose of re- building the bridge to Idlewell has been filed and a decision ren- dered odering the enlargement of the bridge.
In the case of Weymouth vs. Boston, tried last year in the Su- perior Court, a decision in favor of the town for a part of the amount sued for was rendered last Spring, and at the request of the Selectmen the judge reported the case to the Supreme Judi- cial Court, as an important question of interpretation of the Poor Law was involved, on which the decisions are divided. The case was argued before the full bench in November, and I am in- formed is being watched with interest by the Poor Departments of other cities and towns, on account of the effect it will have on their administration of the law. No decision has as yet been manded down.
In the discharge of my duties I have had the most cordial co-operation from your Board and from other Town Officers, and I wish to record my appreciation thereof.
Respectfully yours, FREDERIC GILBERT BAUER, Town Counsel
REPORT OF THE FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION COMMITTEE
Weymouth, January 1, 1927
To the Honorable the Board of Selectmen :
The Committee on the Celebration of the One Hundred Fif- tieth Anniversary of the Independence of the United States reports that is has completed its duties. The celebration is well known to our citizens and will only be summarized in this report. A full account of the celebration with a stenographic report of the addresses made has been prepared as a matter of record, and copies may be obtained at the Town Office by those interested.
On account of a delay in the steamer docking in New York, the guests from Weymouth, England, did not arrive in Boston until early
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Saturday morning, July 3. They were entertained at breakfast at the Harvard Club, which was their headquarters during their stay here, after which they visited the factories of Edwin Clapp & Son Inc. and The Stetson Shoe Co. In the afternoon, they visited Har- vard University and the Longfellow House, and in the evening at- tended the field day of Weymouth Post, American Legion on Clapp Memorial Field, and at 11 P. M. lighted the great bonfire prepared on Weymouth Great Hill.
Sunday morning they, with several of our Town officials, were guests of the Massachusetts Society Sons of the American Revolu- tinon at" a service conducted in the "Old Ship" Meeting House at Hingham, the oldest church building in continuous use in the United States. Our own official celebration on Sunday began at two thirty with a service in the Sacred Heart Church, consisting of the Rosary, Bennediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and Choral Te Deum. This, as well as all the other official events of the celebration was attend- ed in a body by the guests from Weymouth, England in their official robes, the Town officials, members of the celebration committee and veteran and hereditary organizations. Reverend John B. Holland, the senior clergyman of Weymouth officiated at this service. Im- mediately following this service was a service in the Old South Church, South Weymouth, participated in by all the Protestant cler- gy of the Town. This service reproduced a service of Colonial times, including a sermon preached in February,.1776 by Reverend Man- asseh Cutler, D. D., chaplain in the Revolution, which was delivered by his great-great-grandson, Reverend Francis Alden Poole, D. D., pastor of the church. A feature of this service was the choir in Col- onial costume, the lining of one of the psalms, and the presence of the tithing man, which part was taken by Mr. Howard H. Joy. Following this service, memorial exercises were held at the graves of Revolutionary and 1812 soldiers in the Highland Cemetery. These were conducted by the Massachusetts Society Sons of the American Revolution. The officers taking part in the ritualistic services were: Colonel Frederic Gilbert Bauer, President; Benja- min Newall Johnson, Esquire; Vice-President; Reverend Lewis Wilder Hicks, A. M., Chaplain; Captain Henry Newton Comey, Marshall. A military escort and firing platoon was furnished by Battery D, 241st Coast Artillery . Following these exercises, tea was served on the lawn of the Old South Church by members of the ladies organizations of Weymouth, under the direction of Mrs. Albert E. Avery, Past Regent of the Susanah Tufts Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. At a buffet luncheon in banquet hall of Masonic Temple, and at seven o'clock occurred the great mass meeting on Clapp's Field, at which it was estimated that between three and four thousand people were in attendance, not including the occupants of automobiles which were parked in a solid line outside of the Broad Street fence. The music was furnished by a choir of one hundred of our citizens, and a full orchestra led by Mr. James W. Calderwood, director of music in public schools. The grandstand for the occasion was built by the manual training class of the Weymouth High School, and was so constructed that it could be removed and used on the new High School Athletic Field. The chorus had been rehearsing weekly for over two months and the impressive and artistic rendering of the musical numbers spoke much for their own conscientious work and the skill of the director.
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The chairman of the general committee, Colonel Frederic Bauer, presided, and the program was as follows:
"Gloria," "Twelfth Mass"-Mozart. Choir and orchestra.
Invocation, Reverend Father John B. Holland, Senior Clergy- man of Weymouth.
Escort to the Colors, by the Continental Guard of the Massa- chusetts Society, Sons of the American Revolution.
"The Star Spangled Banner" by the choir, orchestra and au- dience.
Address of Welcome, Mr. Frederick E. Waite, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
Chorus-"The Heavens are Telling" from "The Creation," Hayden; Choir and orchestra.
Reading of the Governor's Message, Thomas Vinson Nash, Esquire, Register of Probate of the County of Norfolk.
Chorus-"The American's Paean," written and composed for the occasion. Words by Mrs. William Woodcock. Music by Mr. Bates Torrey. By the choir and orchestra.
Reading of the "Declaration of Independence" William J. Holbrook, Esquire.
Chorus-"The Red, White and Blue." By the choir and or- chestra.
Address: "Weymouth and the Battle Hymn of the Republic," Mr. Howard H. Joy, President Weymouth Historical Society.
Chorus-"The Battle Hymn of the Republic," by the choir orchestra and audience.
Introduction of guests from Weymouth, England. Hon. George L. Barnes, Town Moderator.
Choruc-"Rule Britannia," Arne, by choir and orchestra.
Address, His Worship, Percy John A'Court, J. P., Mayor of Weymouth and Malcombe Regis.
Address, Percy Smallman, Esquire, Town Clerk of Weymouth and Malcombe Regis.
Singing "God Save the King," by choir, orchestra and dience.
au-
Address, Mr. William John Peters, Councillor of Weymouth and Malcombe Regis.
Address, Mr. Thomas Moore, Councillor of Weymouth and Malcombe Regis. -
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