USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1932 > Part 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
Metropolitan Parks District Assessment
86.77
Ways in Malden, Braintree, Weymouth and Hingham Chap. 364, Acts 1929 Direct Assessment
Old Age Assistance
Chap. 398, Acts 1931
6,745.00
Total State Liabilities
$109,930.73
COUNTY LIABILITIES
County of Norfolk Tax
41,308.08
Chap. 228, Acts 1932
EXPENDITURES AUTHORIZED BY THE TOWN OF WEYMOUTH to be provided for in the Tax Levy of 1932 Authorized at the Annual Town Meeting, March 7, 9 and 11, 1932
$600.00
Selectmen's Department
8,600.00
Accounting Department
6,000.00
Treasurer's Department
2,794.50
Collector's Department
8,000.00
Appropriation Committee
297
Assessor's Department
9,330.00
Legal Department and Damages
5,575.00
Town Clerk's Department
3,500.00
Elections and Registrations
4,655.00
Engineering Department
4,525.00
Planning Board
300.00
Town Hall and War Memorial
8,500.00
Civil War Soldiers' Monument & King Phillip's War Memorial
100.00
Police Department
69,237.00
Fire Department
67,987.33
Building Inspector's Department
3,090.00
Sealer of Weights and Measures
1,575.00
Moth Department
6,405.00
Tree Department
2,130.00
Street Lighting
39,500.00
Harbor Master
275.00
Health Department
8,585.00
Nurses
2,000.00
Maintenance Norfolk County T.B. Hospital
11,749.98
Garbarge Removal
10,243.22
Charities
108,750.00
Work in lieu of charity
37,000.00
Old Age Assistance
32,000.00
Pensions
2,490.00
Soldiers' Benefits
20,000.00
Highway Department
85,000.00
Snow and Ice Removal
10,000.00
Sidewalks
4,000.00
Support of Schools
440,000.00
Tufts Library and Branches
21,058.00
Fogg Library Reading Room
1,500.00
Observance Memorial Day
800.00
Parks and Playgrounds
7,625.00
Miscellaneous Expenses
2,550.00
Unpaid Bills
3,076.69
Overdrafts
8,103.07
Alewife Fishery
500.00
Care of Soldiers' Graves
1,450.00
Care of Old Cemeteries
600.00
Interest and Discount
62,000.00
Note and Bond Retirement
104,000.00
Municipal Buildings Insurance Fund
1.00
Insurance
200.00
Reserve Fund
25,000.00
298
Discharging Incumbrances Easements-Streets, etc. Sea Wall-Fore River Avenue Schoolhouse-Church Street
1.00
5.00
4,500.00
7,163.05
$1,274,629.84
Authorized at Special Town Meeting, May 17, 1932
Selectmens' Department
$ 37.50
Unpaid Bills
287.95
$325.45
Authorized at Special Town Meeting, August 10, 1932
For Charities
$48,000.00
Old Age Assistance
15,000.00
Maintenance Town Hall and War Memorial
650.00
Fire Department
75.00
Highway Department
19,450.00
Mosquito Control
451.00
$83,626.00
CREDITS
Estimated Receipts :
Certified by the Tax Commissioner to the Assessors, July 1, 1932.
Income Tax
$100,163.51
Corporation Taxes
88,348.12
Highway Appropriation Offset Chap. 122, Acts 1931
37,558.54
Old Age Assistance
16,175.44
Chap. 259, Acts 1932
Poll Tax Warrant-1932
13,384.00
Old Age Assistance Warrant-1932
6,745.00
Other Receipts :
National Bank Tax
$30.49
Trust Company Tax
317.88
Licenses and Permits
2,500.00
Fines and Forfeits
1,000.00
Grants and Gifts
18,000.00
Dog Licenses
2,463.27
Moth Taxes
1,700.00
Motor Vehicle Excise Taxes
50,000.00
General Government
17.75
Inspection
300.00
Forestry
37.30
299
Health and Sanitation
700.00
Highways
500.00
Charities
40,000.00
Soldiers' Benefits
2,500.00
Schools
4,000.00
Libraries
600.00
Public Service Enterprise
304.00
Interest
13,029.31
$138,000.00
Summary 1932 Account
Appropriations :
March 7, 9, and 11, 1932
$1,274,629.84
May 17, 1932
325.45
Aug. 10, 1932
83,626.00
$1,358,581.29
State Liabilities
109,930.73
County Liabilities
41,308.08
$1,509,820.10
Credits
Estimated Receipts
$326,511.63
Poll Taxes previously collected
13,384.00
Old Age Assistance Taxes
22,920.44
Highway Offset
37,558.54
$400,374.61 $1,109,445.49
Balance
Valuation of the Town of Weymouth
Tax Rate for 1932:
Real and Personal
$24.00
Motor Vehicle Excise
29.92
Valuation for 1932 :
Real and Personal
$47,037,748.00
Motor Vehicle Excise
1,631,350.00
Number of Polls assessed :
June 23, 1932
6,692
November 2, 1932
136
Total Number of Polls assessed 6,828
Number Old Age Assistance assessed :
June 23, 1932 6,745
300
November 2, 1932
136
Total Number Old Age Assistance
6,881
Number of autos assessed Feb. 2, 1932
304
Number of autos assessed Apr. 1, 1932
1984
Number of autos assessed Aug. 1, 1932
2679
Number of autos assessed Dec. 1, 1932
1324
Number of autos assessed Dec. 10, 1932
834
Total number of autos assessed
7,125
Number of Polls exempted by law or otherwise
53
Number of Residents assessed on property
6,323
Number of Non-Residents assessed on property
2,441
Number of horses assessed
78
Number of cows assessed
340
Number of sheep assessed
24
Number of other cattle assessed
6
Number of swine assessed
14
Number of fowls assessed
7,497
Number of dwelling houses assessed
7,400
Number of acres of land assessed
8,999
Respectfully submitted,
CHARLES W. BURGESS,
JOHN F. DWYER,
OTIS B. TORREY,
HARRY E. BEARCE,
JULIAN R. MERCHANT,
Assessors of Weymouth.
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF APPEAL
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
The Board of Appeal considered 83 applications for relief from the provisions of the Building Laws. Careful consideration was given each application, having in mind improvement of property and to make all buildings, as near as possible, conform to the provisions of the By-Laws.
The summary of the records of the Board follows :
Applications approved 60
Applications conditionally approved 15
Applications disappproved 8
Respectfully submitted,
RUSSELL H. WHITING,
Secretary of Board.
301
REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS
324 Washington Street, Weymouth, Mass. January 18, 1933
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen : Gentlemen :
Herewith is submitted the annual report of the Inspector of Animals for the year 1932.
Number of Places inspected 70
Number of Cows inspected 479
Number of Young Stock inspected 30
Number of Bulls inspected 10
Number of Dogs inspected
30
Number of Dogs quarantined
7
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN F. DWYER Inspector of Animals.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF FIRE ALARMS
East Weymouth, Mass. January 20th, 1933
To Chief J. Ralph Bacon,
Weymouth Fire Department :
I respectfully submit the annual report of the Fire Alarm system of the Weymouth Fire Department.
During the year alarms have been transmitted over the system.
Alarms for fires,
212
Mutiple second alarms
3
Multiple third alarms
1
False 22
Lost Child calls
2
No school signals
11
Chief's calls
12
Deputy's call
1
Supt. of alarms
2
The outside wire is in very good condition very little trouble being encountered from this source. One complete new circuit has been added, five miles of wire being used.
The constant replacement of new poles has added much to the upkeep of the system. It is also necessary to renew appproximately 200 crossarms each year to keep the system in efficient operation.
302
We have a number of obsolete alarm boxes spread over the cir- cuit, which are over 40 years old, and I sincerely recommend renew- ing at least three of these each year to reduce this condition.
In concluding I wish to extend my sincere thanks to all for the services and co-operation rendered at all times.
Respectfully,
C. F. COOLIDGE, Supt. of Fire Alarms.
REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
East Weymouth, Mass. January 23, 1933
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen,
Gentlemen :
I respectfully submit my annual report of the activities of the Fire Department during the year ending December 31st, 1932.
The department responded to four hundred and eighty-eight, (488) alarms for fires, together with nineteen (19) emergency calls. Three multiple alarms were sounded, each resulting from the delay in the department being notified upon discovery of the fires. The men of the department are to be commended for the splendid work accom- plished in averting serious conflagrations.
The' ever increasing calls for assistance in various emergencies tend to show that the general public is rapidly appreciating the de- parment's effort to render service regardless of what condition may arise.
Changes have been made to increase the working efficiency, and good results have already been shown.
During this period a series of fires occured, which caused con- siderable damage, that the origin was found to be of incendiary na- ture. Local and State officials cooperated with me in checking further losses from this cause.
The apparatus covered the various fires in the following manner, using the necessary equipment to extinguish the same.
Automobiles
23 Electric Oven
1
Barns
4 Electric Transformer 1
Blacksmith Shop
1 Electric Wires 1
Bridge
11 False 22
Carnival Horses
1 Fireworks Buildings
1
Chimney
18 Florist Shop
1
Coal Wharf
2 Freight Office
1
Depot
1 Garage
1
Dwellings
73 Hay stack
1
Dumps
17 Hen house 2
Hospital Incinerator Lumber pile Machine Shop Oil burners Rubbish
303
1 Salt Marsh 2
1 Sheds 13
2 Variety Store
2
1 Wagon
1
8 Woolen Mill
1
2 Grass and Brush 271
Total 488
Emergency Calls Answered
Automobile accidents
2
Man drowned (recovered body)
1
Automobiles over bridge
2
Pneumonia sickness
2
Cat from trees
5
Rescue boy from water
Cat in partitions
1 at Whitman's Pond 1
Dog from ice
1
Rescued child from
Lost children
3 Weymouth Fore River · 1
Rescued father and two sons from Weymouth Fore River
1
Total 19
ALARMS ANSWERED AND EQUIPMENT USED AT FIRES
Chief's Car
Engine 1
Engine 2
Engine 3
Engine 5
Squad
Ladder 1
Ladder 2
Forest Truck 3
Forest Truck 5
Reserve Truck
Totals
Alarms responded to
488
131
177
78
75
194
51
129
214
85
9
1,631
Emergency Calls
19
1
1
10
Hours pumped at fires
31/2
21/2
11/2
9
7
231/2 7
Hours pumped at tests
1
1
5
Hose laid, (21/2 inch)
14,100
23,100
12,600
12,200
39,600
18,800 2,200 3,000
125,600
Hose laid, (Booster)
2,600
9,800
3,000
5,100
8,400
28,900
Hose laid, (Forest Fire)
1,350
700
500
6,000
31,200 8,650
48,400
Ladders raised
130
25
188
92
1,009
1,143
2,587
Salvage Covers spread
1
1
Hand Soda and Acid Ext.
2
2
Large Soda and Acid Ext.
2
2
Pyrene Extinguishers
1
2
3
Carbon Dioxide
3
3
Chimney Fusees
3
5
2
5
15
Lighting Generator
201/2
201/2
Inhalator
6
Cellars Syphoned
118
Hose used
56 62 15,000 19,050
34,050
4
100
Hand Phomene extinguishers
85
11
·
6
-
304
305
Considerable work has been added to the various routine due to the large amount of light fuel oil burners being installed making it necessary to inspect each one as to the storage of the oil, and to issue a permit for the same. The following inspections were made in ac- cordance to the regulations and permits issued.
Inspections made
Garages, (Public)
24
Garages, (Private)
193
Installation of Gasoline Tanks
12
Removal of Gasoline Tanks
27
Retail sale of Fireworks
31
Schools
10
Stores
43
Mercantile Buildings
11
Storage of Fuel Oil
651
Storage of Volatile Inflamables
7
Theatres
4
Total
1
1,013
Permits Issued
Blasting
8
Bonfires
6
Burning of Rubbish
97
Display of Fireworks
7
Garages
19
Removal of Tanks
27
Sale of Fireworks
27
Storage of Fuel Oil
651
Storage of Volatile Fluids
7
Transportation of Explosives
9
Total
858
Apparatus and Equipment
The apparatus has been found to be functioning efficiently, each piece having been tested periodically. All repairs and changes to- gether with painting and varnishing has been done by the permanent members thereby resulting in a considerable saving to the Town.
A few minor repairs are needed to some equipment to keep them operating at standard.
A new Chief's car is badly needed, as the Hudson now in service is costing considerable to maintain.
The gas masks which were added to the equipment have already proven their value in allowing the men to penetrate smoke and gasses to reach the seat of the fire, reducing the danger to the men and the loss of water damage.
Five thousand feet of 21/2 inch hose has been placed in service fill- .ing a much needed want. I .sincerely recommend the purchase of an additional twenty-five hundred (2,500) feet to replace the old hose now . used as reserve. Much better service will be realized as with good reserve hose on hand it will be possible to properly dry the wet hose
306
used, greatly increasing the life of the equipment and reducing the danger of the hose bursting under pressure just when needed.
Stations
Each station is in need of painting throughout the interior. Dur- ing the recent heavy rains, considerable water leaked into the quarters, marring the paint and plastered surfaces. It is my desire to correct this condition in the near future.
In concluding this report I wish to extend my sincere thanks and grateful appreciation to the Board of Selectmen for their generous cooperation rendered to me and to my department at all times.
Again I wish to thank the officers and men of my department for the splendid spirit and cooperation shown, which after all is the suc- cess of all organizations.
I wish to express my grateful thanks to Chief of Police Butler and the men of his department for their assistance at fires.
To the heads and members of other departments and committees who have so generously assisted at any time, to each and every citi- zen who aided in any way, I wish to extend my appreciation.
Respectfully submitted,
J. RALPH BACON, Chief of Fire Department.
1
REPORT OF PLANNING BOARD
Weymouth, Mass. January 7, 1933
To the Citizens of Weymouth :
Owing to conditions of the past year, whereby it was the desire of all, to curtail expenses, the Planning Board felt that it was not the proper time, to advocate any material added expense to the Town
The result of our work however can be seen in several projects, which have carried to completion, during the past year.
The most pronounced being the new street, known as Litchfield Road, connecting North and Lovell Streets, at North Weymouth.
The widening, and curbing at the junction of Webb and Commer- cial Streets, on the north side.
The widening and curbing the corner of Broad and Essex Streets. A permanent construction of a curbing on Laurel Street.
Many other improvements in the Town have been considered. The one most noteworthy being our recommendation, to the Board of Se- lectmen, that they request of the Massachusetts Highway, and the County Commissioners the building of a State Highway, beginning
307
at the Braintree line, running through West and Middle Streets, to Central Square, East Weymouth, with the thought in mind, later, to extend it through to Bridge Street.
This would involve no land taking, and we are pleased to report, that at a joint meeting of the Commissioners, and our Selectmen, this project was very favorably received.
Other projects, that our Board favor, are the straightening and widening of Pleasant street, at Pine street, and at Lovells Corner. Also at the junction of Water street.
The building of a road, from the Bath House at North Wey- mouth, to the top of Great Hill.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK A. PRAY, Chairman
RALPH H. HASKINS, Clerk
JOSIAH B. REED,
ALLAN C. EMERY,
RUSSELL B. WHITING,
ARTHUR I. NEGUS,
THOMAS J. KELLY,
Weymouth Planning Board.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE FOR THE PERMANENT PRESER- VATION OF THE HISTORIC RELICS AND OTHER MEMENTOS of Reynolds Post 58, Grand Army of the Republic
To the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Weymouth :
At the annual Town Meeting last year, the following vote was passed :
Voted : That the Town does accept such flags, pictures, relics and other objects connected with the military history of Weymouth as Reynolds Post No. 58, Department of Massachusetts, Grand Army of the Republic, the 35th Massachusetts Veteran Association or any other body of veterans who may wish to give to or deposit in the custody of the Town, and the Town does hereby declare itself trustee of the same and agree to hold the same for the benefit of future generations as an object lesson in patriotism and American history. The committee which built the civic center is hereby directed to plan for a suitable place for the safe-keeping and display of said objects and is authorized to build a suitable receptacle for the display of the flag of the 35th Massachusetts Veteran Association in the second floor corridor of the Town Hall and the Town Counsel is instructed to pe- tition for such legislation as will authorize the public display of said flag. Pending the acceptance by the Town of plans for a permanent display for said relics, the said committee are instructed to arrange for their temporary custody and display in the Town Hall and, sitting jointly with the Board of Selectmen, to make such reallocation of the space in the Town Hall as will provide the necessary room. For the aforesaid purposes, the committee are authorized to expend any monies still remaining in the appropriations under their charge.
308
In view of the new work assigned to this Committee, the Modera- tor appointed Mrs. Edward B. Nevin to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mrs. Isabel M. Easton. It will be noted that under the foregoing vote of the Town, a three-fold task is assigned to this Committee :
(1) To provide a suitable display case in the upper corridor of the Town Hall for the flag of the 35th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Veteran Associa- tion ;
(2) To arrange for the temporary custody and dis- play of the property of Reynolds Post No. 58, Grand Army of the Republic, in the Town Hall;
(3) To prepare plans for a suitable place for the permanent safeguarding and display of said property.
The first task was completed in October, and the flag was turned over to the custody of the Town at the annual installation of officers of the Grand Army of the Republic held in the Council Chamber on Tuesday evening, November 1, 1932. The flag is displayed in a her- metically sealed glass case which is so constructed that it can be moved intact, should occasion require, and the flag can be removed from the case through the top, because the remaining members of the regiment desire the flag used to cover their caskets when they pass away, in like manner as it has been used for all other members of the regiment dying in this vicinity. There was no difficulty in obtaining from the legislature the necessary legal authority to permit the display of this flag, and the Town is to be congratulated upon having de- positd in its custody so unique a memento.
In order to carry out the second task assigned to the Committee, a joint meeting of the Committee and the Board of Selectmen was called, which was attended by representatives of both organizations. At this meeting, it was unanimously voted that the best, if not the only suitable, place in the Town Hall for the temporary display of this property is the room on the east side of the second floor ad- joining the Council Chamber and now occupied by the Welfare De- partment, and in accordance with a vote of the Town it was voted to remove the Welfare Department to the basement where space is available.
The most complicated task assigned the Committee, however, was that of preparing recommendations as to a permanent place for the safe-keeping and display of these articles and plans for carrying these recommendations into effect. The first thought that naturally occurs to anyone is to provide a place in the Town Hall. To provide adequate space, however, it would be necessary to finish off a room on the third floor. This would necessitate installing an elevator, as it would be impossible for members of the Grand Army at their present age and state of health to climb the two flights of stairs necessary to reach the third story. The building already contains provision for an elevator so that all that would be necessary would be to open up the well which already exists, and is now temporarily used as closets, and put the elevator in. The third story, however, being in the roof, has sloping walls with dormer windows. It was not intended for any such purpose, but rather for drafting rooms for the
309
various engineering departments of the Town when the Town grows so as to require such space, and its lighting arrangements are ad- mirably suited for that purpose. To fit it up as a museum would in- volve a considerable expense which would be wasted when the Town needs it for municipal purposes. Furthermore, with the growth of the Town the time can reasonably be anticipated when the third story will be needed for municipal purposes, although that day is un- questionably many years off. For these reasons, the Committee be- lieves that to fit up a place in the Town Hall would cost the Town fully as much as to put up a separate building and would be less satisfactory and less suitable. Furthermore, some day the time will come when the Town will need all the space in the Town Hall for municipal purposes and to fit up the Grand Army room in the Town Hall would only postpone the necessity of providing satisfactory ac- commodations elsewhere, not do away with such necessity.
There is another reason why the Committee believes that a separ- ate building should be erected. The Memorial Cross, with its sur- rounding trees, beautiful and impressive as it is, has not sufficient mass to balance the Town Hall, so that the civic center looks one- sided. To put a building back of the cross would make the entire group look more symmetrical and balanced, and consequently add to its beauty and impressiveness. The building need not and should not be a large one, and as will be pointed out later in this report, the type of building the Committee has in mind could be built at probably less expense in the end than would be involved in fitting up adequate per- manent quarters in the Town Hall.
Such a building should, of course, be in harmony with the other members of the group. When the Town Hall was built, this Com- mittee pointed out that the Colonial type of architecture was best suited for such a purpose and also pointed out the advantages of copying an actual historic building rather than constructing a modern building in the general style of the Colonial period. The compliments which our civic center has received show that the Committee was correct in its judgment and we have accordingly made an exhaustive examination of buildings and plans of buildings in different parts of the country (all without expense to the Town) in the effort to discover a small brick building of the Colonial period which could be copied. After considering all available buildings, your Committee decided that the best building to copy for the purpose is Holden Chapel of Harvard University, which was erected in 1744. Although built for a chapel, the building has no ecclesiastical features about it, and as a matter of fact was only used as a chapel for a very few years. It is really a one-room hall. Application was made to the President and Fellows of Harvard College for permission to copy the building, which permission they courteously granted, and the Committee has obtained from the architects in charge of the building program at Harvard University sketches of the building.
The Committee accordingly recommends that a building which shall be a copy of Holden Chapel of Harvard University, slightly reduced in size, be built on the land back of the Memorial Cross and east of the high school driveway, so as not to encroach on any land not already allocated to the War Memorial. The building, in spite of its small size, would have adequate space not only for the Grand Army's relics but for the relics and property of any other veteran
310
organizations which may in future years come to the Town, so that it would be, in accordance with the Town's vote, a museum of Wey- mouth's military history.
Whether the building should be erected this year, or the Town merely approve the project and defer actual building operations until later, is a matter on which the Committee is not yet prepared to make a final recommendation. In view of the existing economic conditions, the Committee is not inclined to recommend anything which would involve the Town in any considerable expense to be added to the tax rate. On the other hand, plans are under consideration which the Committee believe may enable the building to be erected at this time without adding anything to the tax rate. The building is so simple in its construction that nearly all of the work upon it can be done by Weymouth citizens who are at present unemployed, so that so far as concerns their labor, erecting the building would mean merely utilizing the unemployed, for whom the Town must provide some assistance, on this building in place of on some other work, and so far as their labor is concerned, construction of the building will cost the Town nothing beyond what it would have to pay anyway for unemployed relief. The skilled labor that is required can all be performed by Weymouth workmen and all of the materials with the exception of structural iron, electric light fixtures, and glass, can be purchased of concerns in Weymouth and at least one of these three items can be purchased of a concern, one of whose members lives in Weymouth, so that virtually every dollar of the expense would be spent in Weymouth and the money necessary to provide material can, the Committee believes, be obtained from a source which will not affect the tax rate. The Committee is accordingly studying this aspect of the matter and if the building can be erected without putting any burden on the taxpayer, the Committee will ask the Appropriation Committee to recommend it this year, otherwise, they will recom- mend that actual building be deferred. There are only six members of the Grand Army still left in our community and, in view of their age, it seems only fair that the Town should make proper provision for caring for their historic material before they all answer the last roll call and in view of the position they have occupied in the life and history of the Town for the past sixty-five years, the Committee believes that this permanent place should be provided at this time if it can be done without imposing any burden on the taxpayer.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.