USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1941 > Part 6
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Motion of Appropriation Committee was adopted.
ARTICLE 40. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town name "Overlook Park", so called, "G. A. R. Memorial Field". Mr. Prince Tirrell moved a substitute motion: That that portion of the Bicknell School grounds which is enclosed and known as the baseball field be known as G. A. R. Memorial Field.
Mr. Sheehy moved to amend Mr. Tirrell's substitute motion: That the initials G. A. R. be deleated and the words "Grand Army of the Republic" Memorial Field be substituted in place thereof.
Motion as offered by Mr. Tirrell and thus amended was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 41. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town take no action upon this article.
Selectman Callahan moved: That the sum of $200. to be expended under the direction of the Park Commissioners in cooperation with the Lovell's Corner Men's Social Club for the celebration of the fourth of July at Bradford Hawes Park or take any other action in relation thereto.
Motion lost.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was adopted.
ARTICLE 42. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town take no action upon this article.
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Selectman Callahan offered a substitute motion as follows: To see if the town will vote to instruct the Board of Water Commissioners to grant permits for boating and fishing on Weymouth Great Pond to citizens of Weymouth whenever the action taken by the State Department of Public Health, December 10, 1940, because of the present National Emergency shall be rescinded.
Motion as offered by Selectman Callahan was adopted.
ARTICLE 43. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the subject matter of this article be reffered back to the Planning Board for further study.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 44. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the subject matter of this article be referred back to the Planning Board for further study.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was adopted.
ARTICLE 45. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the town take no action upon this article.
Mr. Field stated that previous action of this article had been duly author- ized under Item 14 of Article 1 and moved that Article 45 be dispensed with
Unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 46. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the subject matter of this article be referred to the agency set up under Article 2 of this Warrant.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 47. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $200. for the observance of Armistice Day to be expended under the direction of a committee of three (3) to be appointed by the Moderator chosen from the several veteran and hereditary organizations in accordance with the provisions of General Laws (Ter. Ed.) Chapter 40, Section 5, Clause 12 as amended.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
Mr. Field asked unanimous consent to consider Article 60 at this time. So voted.
Article 60. That the Town raise and appropriate and pay into the State Treasury the sum of $10,000. as a contribution towards the improvement of the Weymouth Back River in accordance with a project of the federal government and authorize its Board of Selectmen to execute and deliver a bond of indemnity in accordance with General Laws, Chapter 91, Sec- tion 29, provided that no part of said amount shall be expended until the Congress of the United States shall have appropriated the sum of $40,000. and the Commonwealth has made available the sum of $10,000. for the improvement aforesaid and providing further that the Board of Select- men are authorized to provide free of cost suitable areas for the disposal of the dredged material.
Mr. Veader moved to amend the recommendation of the Appropriation Committee as follows: That the Town accept the offer of the American Agricultural Chemical Company with regards to fill on their property. So voted.
Motion of the appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, and thus amended was adopted.
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ARTICLE 48. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the subject matter of this article be taken up in conjunction with Article 60 of this Warrant.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 49. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That - the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $550. for the purpose of main- taining, during the ensuing year, the mosquito control works as estimated and certified to by the State Reclamation Board in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 112, Acts of 1931.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 50. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town take no action upon this article.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 51. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $11,000. for the purpose of constructing that portion of a sea wall running along Wessagusset Beach 400 feet westerly from Station 11 plus O, near Massasoit Road to Station 7 plus O as shown on a plan by Russell H. Whiting, Civil Engineer, and dated December 28. 1935, entitled "Plan and Profile for Proposed Sea and Retaining Wall" provided said work be performed by the Street Department.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted. -
ARTICLE 52. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $250. for the purpose of printing the Town's By-Laws to be expended under the direction of the Town Clerk,provided that 100 copies as so printed be delivered to the Building Inspector's Department.
The Moderator called upon Judge Nash to preside and took the floor to explain to the meeting the urgent need of revision of the present By-Laws ' and moved: That the Moderator appoint a committee' consisting of The Town Counsel, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee and the Town Accountant to make a study of the Town By-Laws, and to propose changes, revisions, and additions thereto, subject to the approval of the Town Meeting, and that the sum of $500. be raised and appropriated for this purpose in order to carry out this work by this committee.
Selectman Callahan rose to a point of order stating that the motion as presented was beyond the scope of the article as presented.
Moderator ruled point of order not well taken.
Mr. Field moved to amend the motion of Moderator O'Donnell: That the sum of $100. additional be raised and appropriated for the purpose of printing copies of the by-laws as they now exist.
So voted.
Mr. Corkum further moved to amend: That copies of the complete and revised by-laws be sent to each Town Meeting member.
So voted.
The motion of Mr. O'Donnell as thus amended was adopted.
ARTICLE 53. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved : That the Town take no action upon this article.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was adopted.
Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, asked unanimous consent to consider Article 55 at this time. No objections. So voted.
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ARTICLE 55. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town instruct its Board of Selectmen to release to the Elmwood Cemetery Association land lying easterly of the cemeteries on Union Street provided that of this land one fifth in area shall be reserved to the use of the Town for the purpose of burying veterans to be under the supervision of the Custodian of Veteran's Graves.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 54. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town take no action upon this article.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 56. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town take no action with regard to the Laban Pratt Hospital until the favorable final determination of the issues in litigation.
Mr. Russell Stiles, Secretary of the committee appointed by the Moder- ator under Article 28 of the Annual Town Meeting of 1940, made the following report.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE LABAN PRATT HOSPITAL
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TO THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING-WEYMOUTH-MARCH, 1941.
In the first place, your Committee would like to pay its tribute to the late Danial P. Cummings, who was appointed a member of this Committee but unfortunately died before the Committee met to organize. We were sorry not to have the benefit of his counsel and his cooperation. His place on the Committee has been filled by Mr. John L. Gallant of 78 Putnam Street, East Weymouth.
In order to carry out our instructions that a study be made of the need for further hospitalization in the Town of Weymouth and the requirements of a hospital not to exceed a fifty-bed capacity, your Committee has had several meetings and has given this matter considerable thought and at- tention.
In this connection, you authorize us to engage the services of an expert, which we have done. We had brought to our attention the name of Dr. Joseph B. Howland who for many years was Superintendent of the Peter Bent Brig- ham Hospital in Boston. Since his retirement from that office, he has served as temporary Superintendent of the Huntington Hospital in Boston. He has also been spending considerable time in making surveys regarding hospitaliza- tion needs throughout New England.
He has been highly recommended to us as an expert in hospitalization needs and surveys.
After considering others in similar fields, your Committee decided to engage Dr. Howland and we submit herewith his report dated June 29, 1940. Your Committee considers this report an excellent one and endorsed it un- animously.
Dr. Howland's Report.
Hingham, Mass.,
June 29, 1940.
Allan C. Emery, Chairman :
On May 21st, 1940, I received a letter from the Clerk of your Committee stating that by a vote taken at the Town Meeting of March, 1940, it was ordered that a study be made "concerning the need of further hospitalization
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in the Town and the requirements of a hospital not to exceed a fifty bed capacity".
In a letter dated May 31st, 1940, from the same source, he quoted from the will of the late Laban Pratt the terms of a bequest. From the extract of the will as given me, I note:
1. The sum is $300,000.00
2. It is given to the Town of Weymouth
3. To establish and maintain a hospital at Weymouth Heights and in the neighborhood of the Old North Church.
4. The fund to be managed and controlled by said town as it may deem wise and expedient.
From the instructions received,I understand that this report is limited to an opinion as to what hospital needs remain unsupplied in Weymouth and an opinion as to the cost of building and equipping a fifty bed hospital.
My first effort has been to study the present hospital to form an opinion as to its efficiency and to what extent it is caring for the hospital needs of Weymouth.
From the "Prospectus of the Weymouth Hospital", I find that in 1922 it was incorporated as a hospital for the purpose of "treating medical, surgical and obstetrical cases". The same prospectus states that "The new Weymouth Hospital has been organized by Weymouth people for Weymouth needs".
It is apparent that the hospital soon after its founding became a com- munity hospital instead of a purely Weymouth institution. Its 1938 annual report shows that patients were admitted from more than twenty towns. Most of the admissions however, are from Weymouth, Braintree, Rockland, and Hingham in the order named.
I went to the hospital twice and visited practically all departments noting facilities and equipment. I came to the conclusion that it was well equipped to furnish the most essential requirements for the proper diagnosis and treat- ment of patients judged by the standards of many community hospitals with which I am familiar.
Present Unsupplied. Needs of Weymouth for Hospitalization of Its Sick
Using accepted indices, I find there is a very considerable lack of beds for acute cases in Weymouth. A single standard cannot be used in all parts of the United States nor in all parts of any section of the country. The pro- blem in a town situated as is Weymouth is modified by its proximity to Bos- ton, one of the Country's largest medical centers. To a somewhat less extent, it is influenced by the proximity of the Quincy Hospital, but very little by the Brockton Hospital. We have to note, too, the extent of the industrial hazard, which for Weymouth I consider small.
The Community Federation reports that from five sample census takings, the Boston Hospitals are estimated to have given 2460 days of ward care for Weymouth patients in 1939. It should be noted that they have no record of patients occupying private or semi-private rooms. The Quincy Hospital reports that it cared for 200 Weymouth patients in 1939. The Brockton Hos- pital reports that it had very few Weymouth patients in that year and these few mostly automobile or industrial accident cases.
There seems to be no other hospital in this vicinity of sufficient size or importance to be taken into account.
Considering the above facts, it is my opinion that Weymouth requires for its residents a total of not less than 75 to 80 hospital beds. My estimate includes beds for obstetrical, general medical and surgical cases, including children, but does not include beds for communicable diseases, mental pa- tients of a permanent institutional type, nor for the continued care of tuber- culosis.
The Weymouth Hospital has 70 beds for adults and children. (It is not usual, in estimating the capacity of a hospital, to include the bassinets for the new-born, of which the hospital has 24).
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Weymouth Patients during the past five years have used an average of 45% of the hospital beds, and this means that they occupied on the average 32 of the 70 beds.
For obtaining the latest available census figures of Weymouth, I used the findings of Massachusetts Public Document No. 15 published in 1935 in which the population of Weymouth is given as 21,587. From the above figures, I consider that approximately 43 more beds are needed to properly fulfill the hospitalization needs. Unofficially I am informed that the present population of Weymouth is about 23,000. If this figure is correct, the present unsupplied need of hospital beds would be 48.
If and when a new hospital is built, the latest available census should be consulted and, in my opinion, the number of beds required would be 31/% for every one thousand residents.
I am further requested by your Committee to give "the requirements of a fifty bed hospital".
An average estimate of the number of cubic feet needed per bed in a fifty bed hospital is 6500 and I believe at this time and in this vicinity it would probably cost about 65c a cubic foot to build a hospital in a suitable manner of fire-resistant materials.
Cost of building fifty bed hospital $211,250.00 Architects and engineers' fees 12,675.00 Equipment and furnishings 40,000.00 $263,925.00
No estimate has been made of the cost of a site on the assumption that Town land near the Infirmary would be used. I have visited this property and I feel sure that it offers a suitable site. There would, of course, be some further expense in building roads, walks, and for landscaping.
Also no estimate has been made of the cost of making changes in the present Infirmary buildings to house nurses and other employees. From the outside, it would seem to lend itself very well for this purpose.
As to the cost of operating a fifty bed hospital, assuming an average of 40 patients and using the 1939 daily per capita cost of $5.88 of the Weymouth Hospital, thé annual operating expense would be $85,848.00.
What operating receipts might be expented to offset the estimated annual operating expense of $85,848.00? I believe this will be very hard to predict. I am of the opinion that they would be small because of the probability of many patients able to pay their own way choosing to go to the present hos- pital because of its established reputation. My feeling is that that new hospital would do well to collect annual revenue of about two-thirds of its operating expense or $56,000.00
I close this report by re-stating that I believe there exists at present a very definite lack of hospital facilities amounting to from forty-three to forty- eight beds.
Respectfully submitted,
Joseph B. Howland, M. D.
We recommend that in order to insure the economical and efficient operation of the hospital and to remove it from political interference that a group of citizens be selected as incorporators of a hospital to be known as the Laban Pratt Hospital and said corporators shall constitute the Board of Trustees with powers to appoint its successors and operate the hospital as the agents of the Town; and in order to effectuate this purpose, it is recom- mended that the Moderator appoint a board of fifteen citizens to act as
1
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1
-
such incorporators, and that a petition and act be prepared for introduction into the Legislature as soon as the determination of all pending litigation may be consummated.
We do not consider it necessary to arbitrarily have the number fifteen, but it is our opinion that this would be about the right number of citizens, Granting that fifteen would be the number acceptable, we would recommend that five be elected for one year; five for two years; and five for three years, and so on. It might be well to have the number established divisible by three so that you would not have more than a one-third turn-over of the Trustees in any one year.
We further recommend that the Town vote to instruct the Town Counsel to seek from the Probate Court an interpretation of that clause of the will of the late Laban Pratt having to do with the location of the hospital in Weymouth Heights, in the neighborhood of the Old North Church," with a view to determine whether the site of the Town Infirmary would lie within the area described by those words.
Respectfully submitted,
ALLAN C. EMERY, Chairman RUSSELL A. STILES, Secretary HARRIS E. BOWMAR, M.D. JOHN L. GALLANT KENNETH L. NASH (Judge) DR. ROBERT R. RYAN C. PARKER WHITTLE, JR.
Selectman Callahan moved: That all committees heretofore appointed be hereby dissolved with thanks and that all monies heretofore appro- priated be transferred to the general fund and any outstanding bills be paid from the reserve amount and further that the Board of Selectmen are hereby instructed to take all necessary steps preliminary to starting construction of the Laban Pratt Memorial Hospital including the pro- curing of plans for a 50 bed hospital provided however, that actual con- struction shall not be started until all preliminary plans are presented to a special town meeting called for that purpose which meeting shall further instruct the Board of Selectmen as to further action.
Motion lost.
Mr. Field moved to amend the recommendation of the Appropriation Committee as follows: That the report of the Committee as read be eccepted with thanks, and that the committee be authorized to continue their functions.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field and thus amended, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 58. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town instruct its Board of Selectmen to accept as a gift from Mary Fifield King various pieces of furniture and household furnishings and express the gratitude of the Town to the donor.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
ARTICLE 59. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the Town instruct its Board of Selectmen to release lots 263-280 incor- porated and 210-218 incorporated off Phillips Street, now Prescott Street, South Weymouth, to Cleveland and Mattie Jewell.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee, as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
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.
ARTICLE 61. Mr. Field, for the Appropriation Committee, moved: That the subject matter of this article has been provided for under Article 1, Item 44.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Field, was unanimously adopted.
Mr. Hughes moved: To adjourn.
The meeting was declared adjourned without date at 11:17 p.m.
JULIAN R. MERCHANT,
Town Clerk
A True Copy Attest : Julian R. Merchant
(Seal)
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
March 3, 1941
March 5, 1941
March 6, 1941
Raise and Appropriate Appropriate
Article 1
Item 1
Appropriation Committee
$ 650.00
2 Selectmen's Department
3,700.00
3 Town Accountant's Department 6,146.00
4 Treasurer's Department
5,263.00
5 Collector's Department
8,671.00
6 Assessor's Department
10,878.60
7 Legal Department
3,000.00
8 Payment of Damages
8,851.20
9 Town Clerk's Department
4,220.00
10 Elections and Registrations
$4,234.00
11 Engineering Department
5,500.00
12 Planning Board
300.00
13
Maintenance Town Hall, etc.
7,430.00
14 Civil War Monument, etc.
100.00
15 Police Department
85,089.50
16 Fire Department
89,939.10
17 Building Inspector's Department
2,419.84
18 Sealer of Weights and Measures
1,250.00
19 Moth Department
7,000.00
20 Tree Department
3,420.00
21 Street Lighting
37,487.00
22 Harbor Master
1,560.00
23 Board of Health
18,719.00
24 Employment of Nurses 2,500.00
25 Maintenance Norfolk County Hospital
16,001.46
26 Garbage Removal
5,000.00
27 Public Welfare
172,823.00
58
28 Old Age Assistance
128,818.00
29 Pensions
2,493.78
30 Soldiers' Benefits 26,150.00
31 Highway Department
129,000.00
32 Support of Schools
454,122.17
$ 3,502.83
33 Libraries
26,843.00
34 Observance of Memorial Day
912.00
35 Parks and Playgrounds
7,150.00
36 Miscellaneous Expenses
3,813.00
37 Unpaid Bills
38 Overdrafts
39 Contributory Retirement System
22,960.46
40 Salaries and Expenses of Water Dept. Work for private parties
10,000.00
41 Sewer Construction
42 Alewife Fishery
350.00
43
Care of Soldiers' Graves
1,500.00
44 Care of Old Cemeteries
200.00
45 Interest and Discount
13,500.00
46 Debt Retirement
68,000.00
47 Municipal Building Insurance Fund
5,000.00
48 Fire and Other Insurance
814.99
4,435.01
49 Reserve Fund
24,095.16
7,904.84
Article
2 Co-op with Federal Gov't for Relief
60,000.00
10 For acquisition and working by the Highway Dep't of land to be used for public highways
6,570.00
13 Chap. 90 Road Conctruction
5,939.72
4,060.28
14 Chap. 90 Maintenance
26,700.00
34 Purchase of land (near High School)
7,500.00
47 Armistice Day Observance
200.00
60 Improvement of Wey. Back River
10,000.00
49 Mosquito Control
550.00
51 Proposed Sea & Retaining Wall
11,000.00
52 Revising & Printing Town By-Laws
600.00
$1,556,934.98 $129,444.21
99,541.25
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TOWN ELECTION
March 10, 1941 1
2 3
4
5
6
7
8
9 Total
1 TOWN TREASURER, 1 Year
** George E. Curtin 64 Hawthorn St
548
441
619
261
317
510
251
240
470
3657
Blanks
400
212
429
127
159
289
113
62
222
2013
Total
948
653 1048
388
476
799
364
302
692
5670
5 SELECTMEN & BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE 1 Year
Nils E. Anderson 40 Gt Pond Rd
228
159
138
104
245
124
115
85
210
1408
** Everett E. Callahan 316 Pond St
382
271
485
234
251
290
224
162
291
2590*
Harry Christensen 114 Front St Ralph T. Cipullo 19 off Humphrey
334
315
781
184
128
326
127
125
180
2500
** Joseph A. Fern 15 High St Pl
452
413
469
164
137
540
164
126
221
2686*
Frederick T. Hoffman 52 Birchcliff ** George E. Lane 139 Pearl St George Reed 16 Columbian
563
241
392
133
265
279
145
134
379
2531*
** Sandy Roulston 246 North St
578
312
523
236
269
280
220
201
402
3021*
N. Perry Sipprelle 60 Tower Ave ** Basil S. Warren 33 Congress St Blanks
474
334
583
212
239
309
203
185
357
2896*
1254
750 1353
353
454 1285
309
288
743
6789
Total
4740 3265 5240 1940 2380 3995 1820 1510 3460 28350
1COLLECTOR OF TAXES 1 Year
** Frank W. Holbrook 33 Keating Cir.
707
426
762
302
371
488
289
248
531
4124*
Scattering Blanks
241
226
286
86
105
311
75
54
161
1545
Total
948
653 1048
388
476
799
364
302
692
5670
2ASSESSORS 3 Years
Henry F. Godin 1273 Pleasant St
214
351
323
49
61
427
70
76
96
1667
** Francis A. Gunn 54 Union St.
551
254
512
210
290
284
189
165
404
2859*
** John W. Heffernan 1024 Front St.
439
220
508
271
251
242
194
141
314
2580*
Walter E. Moore 21 Clinton Rd. John D. Walsh 153 Central St. Blanks
179
145
143
53
106
136
89
92
128
1071
161
128
226
83
139
161
84
41
258
1281
352
208
384
110
105
348
102
89
184
1882
Total
1896 1306 2096
776
952 1598
728
604 1384 11340
-
27
79
36
32
44
450
192
159
229
158
210
144
138
85
.413
1728
90
67
80
110
82
71
103
40
158
801
138
167
134
25
73
268
36
47 62
950
55
77
73
27
1
1
60
2 SCHOOL COMMITTEE 3 Years
** Wallace H. Drake 88 Sea St.
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