USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1941 > Part 17
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STAFF NEWS
There have been several changes in personnel during the year:
.
On March 26th Mrs. Mary M. Dingwall, the librarian of the North Weymouth Branch since its establishment in 1922, retired. Her long years of faithful service deserve our grateful recognition and we wish her many years of health to enjoy a well earned leisure.
On April 1st Miss Marion Meurch left to take a position in the Thayer Library in Braintree, and in September Miss Ruth Cormack and Miss Mar- jorie Fulton both left to be married. Our good wishes go with them all.
Miss Dorothy Trussell of South Weymouth and Miss Muriel Courtney of East Weymouth have been added to the staff. Miss Catherine C. Condrick, formerly assistant at the East Weymouth Branch, has been appointed librarian at the North Weymouth Branch, and Miss Ruth H. Kai has been promoted from assistant at the North Weymouth Branch to one of the vacancies at the Main Library. Mrs. Florence G. Truax was appointed Extension Librarian in charge of the stations at Weymouth Heights, Lovell's Corner, Nash's
213
Corner and Pond Plain. She is assisted in the two last mentioned by Mrs. Gertrude C. Andrews and Mrs. Lena Pratt.
On November 12th news reached us of the death of Mr. Thomas E. Shea. Mr. Shea was our janitor for thirteen years, until his illness two years ago. He was a faithful worker and a true friend to the library and with sincere sorrow we lowered the library flag to half mast.
As in previous years, the library has served as a practice field for students. Two weeks in April a senior from Simmons College Library School worked with us, and for a week in May a Weymouth High School senior came to us for experience in typing and filing.
INSIDE FOUR WALLS
A service for the young people of High School age has been started with the opening of an alcove of books especially selected to meet their needs. This alcove, located in the main reading room of the library, holds books needed for school reports, but also many others of definite appeal to young adults, and to older adults, who still find zest in high adventure. The music collection, formerly shelved in this alcove, now has shelves of its own around the curving walls of the tower alcove.
A new flooring of cork carpet, covering the front half of the main floor of the library, has solved a difficult maintenance problem and adds to the attractiveness of the library. It is desirable to extend this to cover the re- mainder of the floor as soon as funds are available.
A little additional shelving and a new section for the card catalog case has been added at the East Weymouth Branch.
GIFTS AND EXHIBITS
To all those who have brought to the library gifts of books, or of flowers from their gardens, or have loaned their treasures for exhibit, the trustees take this opportunity to make grateful acknowledgement. They would make special mention of the practical and helpful gifts of posters made especially for the library by Mr. Robert Blattner and Miss Shirley Holbrook. The book donations during 1941 are listed in the appendix t othis report. They are welcome gifts and are greatly appreciated.
Again this year the library has been recipient of a grant from the Tufts Lecture Fund, which has enabled us to bring Mr. and Mrs. John Cronan and Mrs. Margaret Powers to tell stories from fine books to the boys and girls of Weymouth. This is a gift of far reaching results, for the inspiration of these stories goes into every school in Weymouth.
The following exhibits have been loaned to the library during 1941 and the trustees herewith make grateful acknowledgement.
Community Fund Exhibit on Home Nursing
Model sailing vessels.
"Sea-witch", a clipper- ship.
"Alice Mandel", a whaling ship. Loaned by Mr. Clarence H. Hewitt.
Log of the Bark "Action", a whaler bound to the Pacific Ocean in 1856. Its Captain, William Wood, from New Bedford.
Loaned by Mr. Franklin Huntress.
Playground exhibit of handicrafts done by children from Webb and Weston Parks.
Lion's Club optical exhibit.
Art Week Exhibit of paintings and handicrafts.
This last exhibit deserves special note, for all the paintings and art objects were made by local artists. It was an exhibit of real merit and attracted
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much interest. It has now been held in the library on two successive years and we hope that it may become an annual event.
"A PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITY"
It is not many years since libraries were considered merely as places where one might go to borrow books,-mostly fiction. The library is still that, but it is much more. Today it is "a people's university": an open door to fur- ther educational opportunity for old and young. Its educational service begins with small children, who through story hours and reading clubs and individual help in book selection, are guided to the best in children's litera- ture. It continues with the High School student, who finds in the library the source material for his school assignments. To the adult seeking further knowledge the library offers its wealth of both cultural and practical material. This is a part of and an expression of our heritage of freedom: it is a beacon light, extinguished in many countries today, but still burning for us, lighting the way to knowledge, and truth, and understanding.
TOTAL WAR!
Just as the year closes our nation has been plunged into war, a total war involving the entire world and all our way of life. The library, like every other social agency, must contribute the utmost of its resources to the war effort.
Today the book demand is top-heavy on the practical side. Books on various defense industries and on military and naval science are demanded as never before. Here is one of the library's opportunities to serve in this war. The recreational service is also needed. Books still have the power to life and inspire the spirit, to stimulate the thinking, to entertain and relax strained nerves. They have a vital function in the morale of the nation. This fact has been so truly recognized by our enemies that they fear books and have burned great libraries. It must be our part to keep open to our people the avenues of thought through the ages, to keep open books, so that we may continue to have open and growing minds. And it will be our part to meet new demands for books, arising out of the fact that we are located in the center of a defense area and will have encampments of both the army and the navy within the town limits, and a population augmented by the fam- ilies of workers in our nearby defense units.
The trustees and the library staff are ready to cooperate in this war effort : to guard the heritage of freedom of thought as expressed in literature ; to make available to all the open book, for information, for recreation, and for inspiration.
Respectfully submitted,
CLARANCE P. WHITTLE,
President.
By order and on behalf of the Trustees.
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DONORS OF BOOKS TO TUFTS LIBRARY, 1941
Allen, Thomas
11 Books
Almquist, & Wiksells, pub.
American Chemical Foundation
American Petroleum Institute
2 Books
Babson's Reports, Inc.
3 Books
Baruch, B. M.
Bolton, Mrs. Chester
Braunworth & Co.
Calland, Philip
3 Books to Pond Plain Station
Carnegie Corporation
5 Books
Carroll, Rev. Marcus
Citizenship Educational Service, Inc.
Commonwealth, Secretary Of, Committee on Publication
2 Books
Comstock, Mrs. Sarah
4 Books to North Weymouth Branch 1 Book to East Weymouth Branch
Cork Institute of America
Delegation for the promotion of economic cooperation between the northern countries
Drew Press
Duffey, Wm. R.
Eichler, Philip
Ferguson, Mrs. James
4 Books to East Weymouth Branch
Folk, Maurice & Laura, Foundation, Pittsburg
Ford, Henry
Foster Hope, Pub.
Frazier, Mrs. Gertrude
Holbrook, Mrs. Wm. A.
Hoover Library on War, Revolution & Peace
2 Books
Howard, Louise
Hungarian State Tourist Dept. Publication
Jones, Arthur
Limited Editions Club, Inc.
Little Brown, Pub.
Lyons, Helen
12 Books
Meigs, Mrs. M. S.
New England Commission Woman's Centennial Congress
Pease, Ivan 25 Books to East Weymouth Branch 26 Books to East Weymouth Branch
Pratt, Edith
Quincy Auxiliary, No. 225, B'nai B'rith
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Sigler, P. N.
Smithsonian Institution
3 Books
Superintendent of Documents
3 Books
Timperley, H. J., ed.
Trufant, Mrs. Evelyn
Trussell, Dorothy
8 Books to Children's Room
United States Department of Agriculture
2 Books
United States Government
3 Books
United States Printing Office
216
2 Books
Conrad, David
APPENDIX A Circulation by Classes from the Tufts Library and Branches
Main
North Weymouth
East Weymouth
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Adult
Juvenile
Total
General Works
135
15
150
18
2
20
20
6
26
Philosophy
448
10
458
41
17
58
69
21
90
Religion
242
166
408
45
58
103
47
116
163
Social Sciences
1,348
3,083
4,431
126
2,161
2,287
214
2,678
2,892
Natural Sciences
693
1,178
1,871
42
243
285
109
266
375
Useful Arts
2,200
1,017
3,217
287
391
678
314
747
1,061
Fine Arts
2,033
1,869
3,902
195
1,129
1,324
300
1,129
1,429
Literature
1,288
377
1,665
310
88
398
637
164
801
History
1,307
663
1,970
181
121
302
394
253
647
Travel
1,740
1,264
3,004
516
457
973
520
346
866
Biography
1,957
782
2,739
635
192
827
822
335
1,157
Periodicals
4,082
517
4,599
2,187
291
2,478
2,434
424
2,858
Pamphlets
106
106
Fiction
36,732
11,990
48,722
18,638
6,589
25,227
28,100
6,725
34,825
Total
54,393
22,940
77,333
23,229
11,752
34,981
34,011
13,214
47,225
Number of Volumes Distributed through the Fogg Delivery Station
606
Number of Volumes Distributed through the Schools
9,245
.
8
13
21
30
4
34
Language
82
9
91
Continued on next page
217
1
1
APPENDIX A Circulation by classes from the Tufts Library and Branches (continued)
Weymouth Heights
Lovell's Corner
Nash's Corner
*Pond Plain
Grand Total
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Adult
Juvenile
Total
200-
25
43
68
3
10
13
4
2
6
4
11
15
370
406
776
300
49
701
750
36
761
797
58
58
15
83
98
1,788
9,525
11,313
400
1
2
3
121
28
149
500-
23
136
159
12
205
217
4
22
26
4
15
19
887
2,065
2,952
600-
35
120
155
39
222
261
6
19
25
14
47
61
2,895
2,563
5,458
700-
53
197
250
47
334
381
8
32
40
15
112
127
2,651
4,802
7,453
800-
102
58
160
28
34
62
29
1
30
23
24
47
2,417
746
3,163
900-
34
40
/ 4
21
114
135
2
1
3
12
20
32
1,951
1,212
3,163
910
132
94
226
64
172
236
39
27
65
23
15
38
3,034
2,375
5,409
920-
199
60
259
95
138
233
58
16
74
25
39
64
3,791
1,562
5,353
Per .-
344
122
466
220
60
280
9,267
1,414
10,681
Pam .-
107
1
108
Fict .-
5,448 1,447
6,895
3,231
1,672
4,903
4,100
898
4,998
1,744
494
2,238
97,993
29,815
127,808
Total
6,472
3,027
9,499
3,808
3,723
7,531
4,250
1,076
5,326
1,889
860
2,749
128,052
56,592
184,644
* Key to Classification on previous page of Statistics
* May 2, 1941- December 31, 1941.
Books Borrowed
113
Books Loaned
21
1
1
174
23
197
100-
27
7
34
12
12
9
9
606
55
661
000-
218
Inter-library loan :
1
1
APPENDIX B.
Registrations
Number of borrowers registered December 31, 1940
8,954
Number of new registrations in 1941 :
Tufts Library Adult
406
Juvenile
256
662
North Weymouth Branch
Adult
172
Juvenile
131
303
East Weymouth Branch
Adult
130
Juvenile
125
255
Weymouth Heights Station
Adult
11
Juvenile
48
59
Nash's Corner Station
Adult
26
Juvenile
11
37
Lovell's Corner Station
Adult
13
Juvenile
32
45
Pond Plain Station
Adult
63
125
1,486
Number of registrations which expired in 1941
959
Number of registrations void thru death or removal from town
348
1,307
Number of borrowers registered December 31, 1941
9,133
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION FORM OF STATISTICS For the Year Ending December 31, 1941
Population served (Census of 1940)
23,747
Assessed valuation of the Town
$49,991,251.00
Total Number of agencies, consisting of Main Library
1
Branches
4
Deposit Stations
1
Delivery Stations
y
Number of days open during the year
300
Total valuation of library property
$104,600.00
Number of volumes at beginning of vear
56,295
Juvenile
62
10,440
2
Schools
219
Number of volumes added by purchase
2,253
Number of volumes added by gift
152
Number of volumes added by binding
0
Number of volumes lost or withdrawn
1,140
Number of volumes at end of year
57,560
Number of volumes of fiction lent
117,808
Total number of volumes lent
184,644
Number of borrowers registered
9,133
Number of new borrowers registered in 1941
1,486
Number of periodicals received
116 titles; 187 copies
Receipts from
Payment for
Town appropriation
$24,793.00
Books & Periodicals
$4,099.42
Endowment funds
783.16
Binding
900.20
Salaries, Library service, Janitor service
14,285.69
Heat,
365.53
Light
505.23
Rent (Branches)
1,875.00
Other expenses
2,910.56
Unexpended balance
634.53
$25,576.16
$25,576.16
THE FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE TUFTS LIBRARY FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31 ,1941
Salaries and Wages:
Librarian and Assistants Janitors
$10,287.93 1,336.00
$11,623.93
Books and Periodicals
3,190.44
Service to Stations
908.94
Binding Books
1
900.20
Fuel
365.53
Light
380.72
Maintenance of Building
677.21
Other Expenses : Convention Expenses
$
36.05
Telephone, printing, supplies, etc.
1,013.73
1,049.78
$19,096.75
North Weymouth Branch:
Librarians
$1,128.38
Rent
675.00
Books and Periodicals
339.00
Maintenance of Building
35.17
Light
52.13
Transportation of Books
52.00
Sundries
1.10
2.282.78
220
East Weymouth Branch :
Librarians
216.00
Janitor
1,200.00
Books and Perodicals
569.98
Light
127.85
Maintenance of Buildings
52.00
Transportation of Books
6.50
3,562.10
Total Expended Balance to Treasury
$24,941.63
634.53
Total
$24,793.00
Appropriation, March 3, 1941 Income from other sources:
50.00
Tufts Fund-Books
50.00
Tufts Fund-Reading Room
299.45
Joseph E. Trask Fund
115.00
Augustus J. Richards Fund
69.96
William H. Pratt Fund
67.50
Susannah Hunt Stetson Fund
56.25
Tirrell Donation
22.50
Francis Flint Forsythe Fund
22.50
Alida M. Denton Fund
17.50
Charles Henry Pratt Fund
12.50
Total
25,576.16
December 31, 1941
EMERSON R. DIZER, Town Accountant
221
$1,317.38
Rent
72.38
Sundries
$25,576.16
Arthur E. Pratt Fund
REPORT OF THE TOWN COUNSEL
January 13, 1942
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen.
I hereby submit my report as Town Counsel for the year ending December 31, 1941.
During the past twelve months the Town has been engaged in consider- able litigation, both as to number of cases and amounts involved. Of these perhaps the most important was the Bill in Equity which had been brought by certain heirs of Laban Pratt against the Town as Trustees of the fund, seek- ing a decision of the Court which would declare the trust voided and the money forfeited to the heirs in accordance with the residuary clause of the will. Happily they were unsuccessful. Early in the year but after the 1941 Town Report had gone to press, the Court found in favor of the Town and dismissed the Bill in Equity, thus saving this fund, which now aggregates over $544,000., for the Town to devote to the purposes of the bequest.
Presently, under direction of the Board of Selectmen, I have drafted a petition for instructions with the object of having the Court deterinine whether the Town Infirmary property lies "in Weymouth Heights and in the neighborhood of the Old North Church". Such petition is in the office of the Attorney General awaiting his approval before being filed in Court. A decision interpreting this particular phrase in the will seems essential in case the Town elects to build a hospital on this location. Though the action is largely anticipatory, it may be of considerable value to have it determined at an early date.
There are still pending the cases of the Boston Edison Company vs. the Town of Weymouth, Docket No. 1161, of the year 1940, which are based upon a complaint of the Company against the Town for refusal of the Board of Assessors to abate certain taxes. A similar case, Docket No. 18384, was filed by the same plaintiff against the Town for the year 1941. These com- plaints allege an over-assessment in each year of the sum of about eight millions of dollars. An adverse decision would be serious indeed to the Town. Both matters are pending before the Appellate Tax Board but it appears that they should not be heard until such time as the Superior Court renders a decision on the case of the Edison Company against the Commis- sioner of Corporations and Taxation, which involves much the same question.
In May of 1941, fourteen residents of the Town of Weymouth brought a Bill in Equity, known as a tax payer's bill, against the Town, alleging that many of the acts of the representative Town Meeting were improper and unenforcible for diverse reasons and prayed that an injunction issue restrain- ing the Town from paying any of the bills which they elleged were illegally contracted. This prevented payment of many accounts when due and resulted in loss of discounts and other considerable expense to the Town. The case was answered and demurred to. It was argued before the Superior Court late in July on the demurrer only. No decision having been rendered, counsel for the petitioners requested the respondent Town to agree to a dismissal of the bill without costs. A day or two thereafter this arrangement was completed and the bill was dismissed on December 24, 1941.
For some years past there have been pending many Welfare cases between the City of Boston and the Town, on which liability for payment has been questioned. Several suits had been entered in the Superior Court. In some the Town of Weymouth was defendant, in others the plaintiff. In all, there were about two hundred separate individuals involved. All cases were joined in the same suit and were tried before a Master for a period of over thirty days. The Master's Report, as filed in the Superior Court, finds for
222
the Town in the aggregate sum of approximately $8900. Later information indicates this sum may be increased somewhat, and the Town should receive a check of the City of Boston in approximately this amount.
There are also three Welfare cases where the Town has brought suit against the Town of Hingham. It is my opinion that neither party will prevail in any substantial sum but that the Town will recover a small amount as a result of bringing these three suits.
There are now pending in various Courts a number of cases growing out of alleged injuries received on the highways of the Town. The Ad Damnum in these several cases, which includes one death case, aggregates approximately $30.000. It would seem that all these cases would come to trial during the present fiscal year and I should be optimistic indeed to think that the Town would prove victor in many of them. I trust that the judgments obtained will be only a small precentage of the damage alleged.
There are also several cases where the owners of real estate have filed their requests for abatements from the Board of Assessors and have prose- cuted their appeals before the Appellate Tax Board. I understand there may be several brought during the coming year as well. It seems wise that they should be contested in each case in order that the tax structure may not be successfully assailed, resulting in a loss of revenue to the Town.
A suit brought by Mary Suppa against Ernest W. Thomas, a chauf- feur in the Street Department for damages allegedly received as a result of a collision between the car in which the plaintiff was riding and a town snowplow operated by Mr. Thomas. The case was rather vigorously tried and the plaintiff obtained a verdict in the sum of $850. plus interest and costs of suit. The only offer of adjustment emanating from the plaintiff a few days before actual trial was for the Town to settle in the sum of $3500. in behalf of Mr. Thomas. This was refused. Because no insurance has been taken out by the Town on its drivers, Mr. Thomas stands in the unfortunate position of judgment debtor in the sum recovered. For this he is personally liable, and as the accident was occasioned without gross negligence and while he was properly engaged in the course of his employment, it seems fair that the Town should reimburse Mr. Thomas by paying this judgment for him. I have so recommended to the Appropriation Committee and to the Board of Selectmen and an article has been put in the Town Warrant to make this possible.
In addition to the cases outlined above, there have been a score or more of small claims either pending or satisfactorily adjusted and rather more than this number of releases prepared and delivered to purchasers of foreclosed tax titles.
It seems that the volume of work of the department has increased many fold during the past year and it appears that the current year will be a busy one. It may be that we have been fortunate during the past eight or ten years in not having more litigation, for I suppose a $48,000,000. corpora- tion with its many departments and its manifold activities is bound to be- come engaged in difficulties and controversies that may find their ways into the Courts.
May I thank you for the kind sympathy and co-operation and through you the various departments, boards and employees of the Town for their willing assistance in aiding me in the duties of my department.
Respectfully submited, KENNETH L. NASH,
Town Counsel
22,!
REP ORT OF THE VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen :
The Weymouth Visiting Nurse Association has completed twenty-seven years of successful work in this community and the secretary submits the following report.
The Board of Directors has held ten regular meetings with an average attendance of ten members.
The Chairman of Nurses reports 4787 calls made by the nurses during the year and fifty-one well-baby clinics held, with 591 babies examined, 150 of whom were new.
Mrs. Pratt and Miss Wilbur report 780 patients cared for during the year.
Respectfully submitted,
ESTHER W. WARREN,
Secretary
REPORT OF ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMMITTEE
December 31, 1941
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
This committee has maintained the December, 1940 schedule of lights. The installation of new lights has been somewhat curtailed by Federal regulations which prevented any extension of lines. These rulings have re- cently been modified so that shorter extensions can now be made.
The Power Company has given the Town a substantial reduction in the price of lights, the largest lights now costing from five to ten dollars less per year.
The chief advantage to the Town, however, lies in the smaller lights of which we have 1650. These lights were of 60 candlepower and cost $17.90 per year. These lamps have been superseded by 100 candlepower bulbs, an increase of 70% in power, and the new price is $18.00 per year.
The above facts account mostly for our unexpended balance of about $500.
The Town now has 1776 lights, 57 having been added during the year, and our monthly bill is $3125.
We are asking for $37,517.00 to maintain this service plus $450.00 for 6 months' service on 50 additional lights.
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH KELLEY, Chairman ALFRED S. TIRRELL WALTER R. FIELD OLINDO GAROFALO J. HERBERT LIBBEY, Clerk
224
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
WESSA
USSET 1622
FORARE LS
VINCERE
MASSACH
TTS
.1635.
1635
Weymouth, Massachusetts 1941
WEYMOUTH SCHOOL COMMITTEE
PRINCE H. TIRRELL, Chairman
MRS. ARTHUR R. TAYLOR, Secretary
Clayton W. Nash
19 West Street, South Weymouth
Prince H. Tirrell
167 Pleasant St., South Weymouth Joseph W. Mahoney
21 Pierce Court, North Weymouth William F. Shields
Wey. 0650
41 Glendale Street, Weymouth Wallace H. Drake, M.D.
88 Sea Street, North. Weymouth
Mrs. Arthur R. Taylor Wey. 0450
Term expires April 1, 1944
44 Tower Avenue, South Weymouth Wey. 2354
ADMINISTRATION
Charles R. Thibadeau, Superintendent of Schools Weymouth 0837
14 James Road, East Weymouth
Office
Weymouth High School 89 Middle Street, East Weymouth Weymouth 1460
Helen G. Tonry, Secretary 79 Chard Street, East Weymouth Weymouth 0966 Myrtle L. Rice, Assistant Secretary 79 Front Street, Weymouth Weymouth 1534-M
Office Hours-8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on all school days; 9.00a.m. to 10.00 a.m. on every week day, except Saturday, when schools are not in session ; at other times, by appointment.
SCHOOL CALENDAR 1941-1942
First Term-Opens September 9-Closes December 23 Second Term-Opens January 5-Closes March 27 Third Term-Opens April 6-Closes June 18 Holidays-Columbus Day, Armistice Day, Thanksgiving and day fol- lowing, Washington's Birthday, Patriots' Day Opening Day for 1942-1943-September 9, 1942
227
Term expires April 1, 1942 Wey. 0740
Term expires April 1, 1942 Wey. 2618-M
Term expires April 1, 1943
Term expires April 1, 1943 Wey. 1610-W
Term expires April 1, 1944
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Meetings of the Committee
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held on the first Tuesday of each month at the High School Building at 8 p.m. Entrance Age
No child shall be admitted to school in September unless he has reached the age of five years on or before the first day of April pre- ceding.
A birth certificate is required for entrance to the first grade. Children entering for the first time will be admitted only during the first two weeks of school.
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