USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1930 > Part 7
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On July 5, 1930. I paid a visit to the widows of Councillor Moore and of Councillor Peters. I was then invited by the Mayor to attend a session of the local court and invited to set upon the bench with him. In the evening I was the guest of the Rotary Club at a dinner arranged for the occasion. I there presented resolutions that had been prepared and engrossed by our Rotary Club, which was grateful acknowledged
Sunday, July 6, 1930, in company with the Mayor, I was es- corted to Church by a band and the members of the Town Council in their gowns and insignia of office. The Mayor was in full regalia and was attended by mace bearers. Immediately following the exer- cises at the Church. I visited the municipal offices, where was gathered the Mayor, Town Clerk and members of the Council, and there presented the picture of our municipal group of buildings. The Mayor responded and expressed his gratitude for this gift and said it would immediately be placed on the walls of the Mayor's office.
I left Weymouth on July 7, 1930. and upon arriving at the station found that the engineer of the train that was to take me to London was the Mayor of Dorchester who visited us here in Weymouth some few weeks ago.
He invited me to ride in the cab with him and I gladly accepted his invitation. I was accompanied to London by Mr. Smallman, the Town Clerk, who had previously arranged several interesting events for my entertainment in London. One of these was an in- terview with Sir Ramsey MacDonald, Prime Minister of England, this being arranged through the courtesy of Lord Cranbourne. Following the interview with Mr. MacDonald I was escorted to the distinguished visitors' gallery in the House of Parliament.
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On July 8, 1930, through the kindness of Mr. Smallman and by arrangement made by him, I was privileged to meet the Lord Mayor of London at the Mansion House. We were graciously re- ceived by the Lord Mayor and his wife.
On returning from the Mansion House we saw the King and Queen of England driving to Buckingham Palace from their ded- ication of the "India House".
On July 9, 1930, Mr. Smallman left London for Weymouth, thus ending the entertainment of your representative by the people of Weymouth in England.
I desire here to record, in order that it may be perpetuated in this record, the extreme courtesy, kindliness and generosity that the people of Weymouth in England extended to me during my visit. Every act that friendship and kindly thoughtfulness could inspire was performed.
This, assuredly, was not extended to me in any personal cap- acity, but only as your representative, and, therefore, was a man- isfestation of the friendship of the people of Weymouth in England for the people of this town.
In their multitude of decorations for the occasion of the ded- ication of the bridge was displayed a great many American flags. which could have been done for no otlier reason than to express friendship and courtesy for us.
This was very manifest in various conversations with their officials and representatives in which they spoke of the increasing friendly intimacy between thes two towns and our being brought together in closer bonds of friendship.
For my part, I endeavored to represent you to the best of my ability in a manner which I hoped was calculated to inspire res- pect for our town.
To what extent, if any, I was successful it is not within my province to state, but I like to think that perhaps this visit made some contribution toward increasing our already friendly and pleasant relations with the mother town in England.
I greatly regret the necessity in this respect of the so frequent use of the personal pronoun I, but in view of the fact that it is a recital of my activities while serving as your representative. I have been unable to see how it could have been avoided.
I want to express to you and the people of Weymouth my pro- found appreciation of the honor and privilege that you conferred upon me in designating me as your representative for the purpose of attending these ceremonies in Weymouth in England. It was truly a very great privilege and I was, I trust, at all times deeply sensible of the honor of serving there as the representative of this town of Weymouth in Massachusetts.
Respectfully submitted,
August 11, 1930
GEORGE L. BARNES
The Moderator resigned the chair to the Town Clerk, and it was unanimously voted by a rising vote that this report be accepted and the same be spread upon the records of the townl.
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John W. Hefferman, Sec'y of the Appropriation Committee moved and it was so voted: That the Tercentenary Committee be authorized to appoint such sub-committees as it may consider necessary for the proper conduct of the celebration.
Art. 2. Voted unanimously: That the Town accept Chapter 352 of the Acts of 1930, and that the payment to be made in accordance with the provisions of said act be charged to the appropriation for the payment of damages.
Art. 3 John W. Heffernan, Sec'y of the Appropriation Com- mittee moved :
That in accordance with Section 100 of Chapter 41 of the Gen- eral Laws and the Acts in amendment thereof and in addition thereto there be allowed to Earl R. Starrett a permanent member of the Fire Department for expenses and damages sustained by him while acting as such member of the Fire Department includ- ing loss of pay by reason of absence of duty on his part because of temporary incapacity caused by injuries suffered through no fault of his own while in the performance of duty such amount as he may expend with the approval of the Chief of the Fire Department for medical and surgical attendance, hospitalization, medicines, surgical supplies and nursing plus the sum of Twenty-five dollars ( $25.00) per week during such time as he is absent from duty on account of said injuries, such payments to continue until such time as in the opinion of the Chief of the Fire Department he is able to return to duty, or until otherwise ordered by the Town Meeting, such payments to be charged to the appropriation for the payment of damages.
Mr. Everett E. Callahan moved as an amendment: That the words and figures "Twenty-five dollars ($25.00)" be stricken out and insert the words "full pay". This question on the amendment was put before the meeting and was declared not a vote.
The motion as offered by the Appropriation Committee was then put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Art. 4 Voted: That the Board of Selectmen be authorized and empowered to compromise for a sum not exceeding Twelve Hun- dred Dollars (1,200.00) the claim of Mrs. Lena M. Pratt and of her husband Frank W. Pratt for personal injuries received by said Lena M. Pratt on account of an alleged defect in Sea Street op- posite the turn-out sitnated westerly from North Street.
Art. 5 John W. Hefferman Sec'y of the Appropriation Commit- tee moved as follows: To raise and appropriate the following ad- ditional sums of money for the operation and expenses during the remainder of the current year of the following town departments and activities, to wit:
Item 1 Police Department $610.46 which sum shall inchide the installation of automatic traffic signals at the corner of Bridge and North Streets, the corner of Park Avenue and Main Street and the corner of Park Avenue and Middle Street. Mr. David J. Toomey moved as an amendment that the sum of $2,100.00 be: raised and appropriated for the Police Department and a traffic
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signal be placed at the corner of Bridge and Evans Streets. After quite a discussion on this subject, Mr. Toomey on consent of the meeting withdrew his amendment. The question on the motion of Mr. Hefferman was then put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Item 2. Mr. Heffernan moved as follows: Fire Department $922.00 of which sum Five Hundred Dollars shall be for the pur- pose of purchasing hose, One Hundred Fifty Dollars for the pur- pose of cellar pipe, One Hundred Fifty-Seven Dollars for alter- ations to the boilers in the Engine houses in Wards 3 and 5, Fifty Dollars for moving the Ward 2 whistle to the new Fire House and Forty Dollars for a so-called ("fire Freeze") extinguisher for gas- oline fires.
H. Franklin Perry offered the following amendment: That the sum of Sixty-two and 50/100 for payment of rental to the First Baptist Church and Society for the use of their bell as a Fire Alarm, at the rate of Twelve Dollars and fifty cents per month from August 1, 1930.
The question on this amendment was put before the meeting and it was so voted. More than seven members raising their hands as having doubted the vote, a recount was thus ordered. The Mod- erator appointed Alfred C. Sheehy, Ralph H. Haskins and Mel- ville F. Cate as tellers, they were sworn to the faithful perform- ance of their duty. The tellers reported 101 voting in the affirm- ative and 65 voting in the negative and the amendment was so voted.
Mr. William A. Connell moved to amend the motion as amend- ed by adding the sum of $295.00 for the purpose of installing a fire alarm box near the Weymouth-Rockland line. This amend- ment was put before the meeting and it was so voted.
The motion offered by the Appropriation Committee as amend- ed was then put before the meeting and it was so voted. Total amount $1,379.50)
Item 3 Payment of damages $4,100.00.
Item 4 Selectmen's Department $680.00 of which sum $300.00 shall be for additional printing, $300.00 for miscellaneous expenses and $80.00 for the purchase of the latest model Remington No. 6 Noiseless typewriter.
Item 5. Unpaid bills, $446 40.
Item 6. Massachusetts Tercentenary Committee, $3,800.00 which sum shall include the construction of seats of the bleacher type for the open air theatre at the civic center, said seats to be so constructed that they can be moved and stored.
Item 7. Highway Department, $25,050.00 of which sum $12,500.00 shall be for completing surfacing of Broad Street, $800.00 for re- surfacing Wessagussett Rcad. $5,800 for a permanent sidewalk with curbing on the North side of Park Avenue from Main Street to Pleasant Street, $2,450.00 for a sidewalk on Lake Street, $2,800.00 for a sidewalk on Webb Street from Broad Street to Commercial Street, $700.00 for a sidewalk on Phillips Street extending in from . Broad Street, provided that all said appropriations shall be ac- counted for as one fund and any unexpended balances thereof shall
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be available for the construction of a permanent sidewalk on Wash- ington Street southerly of Middle Street.
Mr. William A. Hannaford moved as an amendment: That so much of the vote as relates to the Highway Department be amend- ed so that the first portion thereof shall read: Item 7. Highway Department $36,000.00 of which sum $13,600.00 shall be for the per- manent construction of Middle Street, $13,500.00 shall be for the completing of surfacing of Broad Street, etc., and by adding at the elid of said clause the words, the sum of $4000.00 heretofore appro- priated for the construction of Middle Street is hereby made avail- able for the permanent construction of Middle Street herein autho- rized, in addition to the sum herein appropriated.
The question of the ammendment as offered by Mr Hannaford was put before the meeting and it was lost.
Mr. David J. Toomey moved as an amendment that the sum of $1,000.00 be added to construct a drain at the junction of Wharf Street and Commercial Street The question on this amendment was put before the meeting and it was lost.
The question of the motion as offered by Mr. Heffernan was then put before the meeting and it was so voted. ($25,050.00)
Item 8. Soldiers' Relief $800.00
Item 9. Charities, $33,250.00 in addition to which suni $250.00 appropriated at the special Town Meeting held September 16, 1929 for the expenses of the Committee to investigate and report on approved methods of administering poor relief, and $1,500.00 appro- priated at the Annual Town Meeting in March 3, 1930 for the pay- ment of an executive secretary of the Department of Public Wel- fare are hereby appropriated and made available for the general use of the Department of Public Welfare.
Mr. Everett E Callahan offered the following amendment: That the Moderator appoint a committee of ten, two from each Ward, one to be chairman, to act with the Welfare Worker on all present and future welfare cases and, further, that this committee be em- powered to act as they deem for the best interests of the town, the committee to dissolve after their report at the next Annual Town Meeting.
This amendment was put before the meeting and was declared not a vote.
The question on the motion of Mr. Heffernan was tlien put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Item 10. For the Building Inspector's Department $120.00, for the expenses of the Board of Appeal.
Item 11. For the expenses of the Harbor Master including re- imbursement for expenses already incurred $212.00.
Of the sums herein appropriated for the Tercentenary Commit- tee $150.00 shall be available for expenditures under clause 34 of Section 5 of Chapter 40 of the General Laws as amended by Chap- ter 36 of the Acts of 1928; provided that all mechanics, laborers or teamsters, employed under any appropriation made at this Town Meeting shall be citizens of Weymouth and all materials pur- chased from any such appropriation shall be purchased of dealers who are citizens of Weymouth whenever they can supply the same.
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The question on the motinon of Mr. Heffernan on the several items as amended was then put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Mr. Heffernan offered the following emergency preamble:
Whereas, the deffered operation of so much of the foregoing vote as appropriates the sum of $3,800.00 for the Tercentenary Com- mittee would defeat its purpose, which is to enable seats to be provided for the open air theatre in season for use at the celebra- tion in September and would thereby prevent the proper conduct of the Town's Celebration,
Therefore, so much of the foregoing vote as makes said appro- priation is declared to be an emergency measure, necessary for public convenience.
The above resolution was adopted, the tellers reported 133 voting in the affirmative and 1 in the negative.
Art. 6. Voted: That the Board of Park Commissioners be autho- rized to accept from the Stetson Shoe Co, Inc., a lease for five years revocable at will by the town and on six months notice by the lessor, with an automatic clause until such time as either parties shall give the other party sixty days notice of its intention to ter- minate the same, of the following described parcel of land:
A certain tract of land located in that part of Weymouth known as South Weymouth, and bounded and described as follows:
Beginning at a point at the intersection of the division line between land of the Stetson Shoe Co. Inc., and land of Georgianna B. Rugman with the easterly boundary line of land of Edward Hirt. said point being about 215 ft. southerly from the southerly side line of West St .; thence running southerly by said easterly boundary line of said Hirt and by an extention of said line in the same course a total distance of 253 ft .; thence turning at nearly a right angle and running easterly a distance of 140 feet; thence turning and running northerly by a line nearly parallel with the first described course a distance of 275 feet to land of said Rugman; thence turn- ing and running westerly by said land of Rugman a distance cf 142 feet to the point of beginning; containing about 37,000 square feet more or less.
Above described parcel of land is bounded northerly by land of Georgianna B. Rugman; easterly by other land of the Steson Shoe Co., Inc .; southerly by other land of The Stetson Shoe Co., Inc .; and westerly by other land of the Stetson Shoe Co., Inc., and by land of Edward Hirt.
Art. 7. Voted: That the Trustees of Tufts Library be anthoriz- edl to accept a lease at a rental of One Hundred Fifteen Dollars ($115.00) per mounth for the term of five years of the ground floor of the Garey block so called on Broad Street, East Weymouth.
Art. 8. Voted: That the Committee on Town Hall and War Memorial be authorized to place in the central rotunda of the Town Hall a bronze tablet in commemoration of the benefactors of the Town.
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Art. 9. Motion offered by Mr. Heffernan: That the subject mat- ter of this article be referred to a committee consisting of the School Committee and of the Town Hall and War Memorial Com- mittee, the meeting to be called in accordance with the first para- graph Section 304 of the by-laws, with power to select a name.
Mr. Daniel L. O'Donnell in an eloquent appeal moved that the open air theatre in the civic center be named "Ralph Talbot Mem- orial Auditorium". and it was so voted. The motion as amended was so voted .
Art. 10. Mr. Heffernan moved: That no action be taken under this article. Mr. John W. Knox mover as ammendment: That the sum of $2,500.00 be raised and appropriated to build a permanent sidewalk on Middle St., from Circuit Avenue to Washington Street.
The question on the amendment was put before the meeting and it was lost.
The question on the motion offered by Mr. Heffernan was then put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Art. 11. Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Art. 12. Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Art. 13. Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Art. 14. Voted: To raise and appropriate the sum of Three Thousand Nine Hundred Sixty-two and 50 100 Dollars ($3,962.50) for grading and surfacing the drive way and the area in the rear of the Hunt School said work to be done under the supervision of the Superintendent.of Streets.
Art. 15. Motion offered by Mr. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee: To raise and appropriate the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) for the further improvement of Legion Mem- orial Field said work to be done under the direction of the Com- mittee in charge of the project. The Moderator declared the motion as carried. More than seven members 'having doubted the vote a recount was ordered. The tellers reporting 108 voting in the affirm- ative and 16 voting in the negative the motion was carried.
Art. 16. Voted: That no action be taken under this article.
Art 17. Voted: That the Board of Selectmen be authorized to sell at private sale or release in part satisfaction of any claim for damages such portion of the land acquired by eminent domain from Frank H. Holmes by taking dated March 17, 1930 and recorded with Norfolk Deeds Book 1885, Page 401, as in the opinion is no longer needed by the Town for which it was taken and to give in the name of the Town a good and sufficient deed or deeds therefor, and that the Selectmen be further authorized to release, if in their judgment advisable, so much of the right of way extending from said premises to said Shawmut Street as covers any land in excess of a strip twelve feet in width.
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Art. 18. Voted unanimously: That the Board of Selectmen be and hereby are authorized to take for drainage purposes the fol- lowing easements in and over a strip of land twelve feet wide ex- tending from Shawmut Street, to land acquired by the Town from Frank H. Holmes by taking dated March 17, 1930 and recorded with Norfolk Deeds Book 1885. Page 401, and bounded: Northeasterly by land now or late of Pasquale and Filomena Garofalo there mea- suring 102.23 feet; Southeasterly by land acquired by the Town of Weymouth from said Holmes by the taking above referred to there measuring 12 feet; Southwesterly by land of Gabriel Costanzo. there measuring 102 feet more or less, and Northwesterly by Shawmut St., there measuring 12 feet, being a portion of the prem- ises covered by land court certificate No. 5025 and recorded with Norfolk Registry District of said land court in Book 26. which are described as being subject to rights of way.
(1) A right to pass and repass with persons, animals, and vehi- cles at all times in so far as the same may not all ready cover- ed by an easement now owned by the Town as appurtenant to the land acquired from said Holmes under the taking above referred to.
(2) An easement to lay and conduct conduit pipes, wires and conduits under the surface of said land from Shawmut Street to the land sc acquired from said Holmes by taking above referred to. and to repair and renew same; and that the sum of $1.00 be raised and appropriated for the purpose of acquiring said easement, but that the Board of Selectmen be authorized if in their judgment it is desirable, to accept on behalf of the Town a deed in fee simple of said premises and to make any agreement with the own- er of said premises reserving him a right of way thereover and any other agreements nct inconsistent with the Town's use of said premises.
Art. 19. John W. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved: That the portion of the circumferential highway construc- tion constructed under Chapter 364 of the Acts of 1929 lying be- tween Main and Columbian Streets be named Park Avenue. Mr. Alfred S. Tirrell moved as an amendment: That the name of this new street be named Park Avenue West.
The question on the amendment was put before the meeting. and it was so voted. The question as amended was then put before the meeting and it was so voted.
Art. 20. Voted unanimously: To accept the report of the Board of Selectmen relocating that portion of Iron Hill Street lying southerly of land of Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and that the Board of Selectmen be authorized to acquire by gift or pur- chase or take by right of eminent domain an easement for all pur- poses of a public street and highway in and over the property within said relocation and that the sum of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) be raised and appropriated for the expense of acquiring said ease- ment, provided nevertheless that nothing herein contained shall be constructed as an abandonment by the Town of any portion of said street as now existent
The tellers reported 138 voting in the affirmative and none in the negative.
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Art. 21. John W. Heffernan of the Appropriation Committee moved as follows: To raise and appropriate the sum of Two Thou- sand Dollars ($2,000.00) for the expense of ascertaining the cost of the proposed municipal golf course, half of which sum shall be for the use of the committee on municipal golf course in obtaining plans and estimates of constructing such a course of the land herein described and half of which shall be for the expense of bringing proceeding under Chapter 80 A of the General Laws for the con- demnation of the following described two parcels of real estate situated in that part of Weymouth known as North Weymouth, to wit:
First parcel: Northwesterly by Green Street about 900 feet: Southerly by Green Street about 742.68 feet; Northerly by land of Miles P. Keene by the southerly end of Forest Avenue, so-called a. private way, and by land of George J. Thiers, a total distance of 1184.38 feet: Northeasterly by land of the United States of Amer- ica a distance of 491.35 feet; Easterly by said land of the United States of America by various courses about 141.58 feet; Southerly by land now or formerly of Hinston Realty Trust about 1450 feet; Southwesterly by land of James B. Jones about 1000 feet; North- westerly by land of Joseph O. Thompson about 655.90 feet; South- westerly by said land of Joseph O. Thompson about 624.65 feet; Containing about 96.2 acres more or less, said parcel comprising the whole of the land described in land court certificate No.11171 Registry District of Norfolk County, and standing in the name of Catherine M. Mathewson in deeds to Alvah M Thompson recorded in Norfolk Registry of deeds Book 1156, Page 632, Book 1566, Page 573, Book 1438, Page 56 and Book 1190, Page 204 and por- tions of the land described in land court certificate No. 7898, Registry of Norfolk County standing in the name of James B. Jones, and in deed to Edward C. Ross recorded with Norfolk Registry of deeds Book 896, Page 133, and to Mary E. Rudd re- corded with Norfolk Registry of Deeds Book 1067, Page 161
Second Parcel: Northeasterly by Green Street about 347 feet: Northwesterly by land of Miles P. Keene; Northeasterly by land of Miles P. Keene; Northwesterly by land of Adelaide A. Baxter about 869 feet; Southwesterly by land of Harry L. White and Amy L. White, joint tenants, about 400 feet; and Southeasterly by Green Street about 1368.50 feet.
Containing about 15.2 acres more or less, and comprising the whole of each of the various premises more particularly des- cribed in the deeds of Alvah M. Thompson recorded in Norfolk Registry of Deeds Book 1566, Page 573, Book 1562, Page 102 and Book 1211, Page 168.
And the Board of Park Commissioners are hereby authorized to file a petition for the condemnation of said land for park pur- poses in accordance with said Chapter, provided nevertheless that all moneys herein appropriated shall be accounted for and disbursed as one fund.
Mr. Harold A. Condrick moved: That further action under this article be postponed.
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