USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1944 > Part 3
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rental of the Legion Hall basement for the use and occupancy of the 14th Company of the Massachusetts State Guard Reserve, or take any other action in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 24. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, or transfer from available funds in the treasury, a sum of money for the purchase of war bonds or other bonds that are legal investments for savings banks for Post War work, in order to establish a post war re- habilitation fund, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5, Acts of 1943.
ARTICLE 25. (By Direction of Selectmen). To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 for use of the Commit- tee on Post War work to be used for legal and engineering advice, or take any other action in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 26. (By Direction of Selectmen). To see what sum of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the Veterans Rehabilitation Plan and Soldiers Relief or take any other action in re- lation thereto.
ARTICLE 27. (By Direction of Selectmen). To see if the Town will vote to instruct the moderator to appoint a committee of five to petition the General Court for legislation authorizing the Town to con- struct and maintain a system of sewers or take any other action in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 28. (By Direction of Selectmen). To see what action the Town will take in allotting or disposing of such sums as have been or may be secured by the Weymouth Salvage Committee.
ARTICLE 29. (By Direction of Selectmen). To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $550.00 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, or take any other action in re- lation thereto.
ARTICLE 30. (On Petition of Merchant and others). To see what sum of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for a reprinting of the pamphlet entitled "An Act to Provide for precinct voting, repre- sentative town meetings, town meeting members, a referendum, and an annual moderator in the Town of Weymouth (Chapter 61, Acts of 1921)" or take any other action in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 31. (On Petition of Manning and others). To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $200.00 to be expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen for the purpose of stocking the ponds and inland waters, located within the Town limits with fish, and of liberating game all in accordance with General Laws (Ter. Ed.) Chapter 40, Section 5, Clause 41 or take any other action in relation thereto.
ARTICLE 32. To see what sum of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate for the purpose of reprinting the Town's By-Laws or take any other action in relation thereto.
You are hereby required to notify and warn said inhabitants of Wey- mouth qualified to vote in Town affairs, in case all the articles in the fore- going Warrant shall not have been acted upon at the meeting called for the sixth day of March, to meet in adjourned session at the hall of the Weymouth School on
WEDNESDAY, THE EIGHTH DAY OF MARCH, 1944
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at seven o'clock and forty-five minutes in the evening then and there to act upon such of the fore-going articles as shall not have been acted upon on March sixth or action upon which may at said meeting of March sixth have been deferred until said adjourned session.
You are further required to notify and warn inhabitants of Weymouth qualified to vote in election to meet at the polling places of their respective precincts, to wit :-
In Precinct 1 in the Bicknell School Hall;
In Precinct 2 in the G.A.R. Hall on Commercial Street;
In Precinct 3 in the Hunt School Gymnasium Hall, on Broad Street
In Precinct 4 in the building of the Citizens' Association, Inc., on Front Street
In Precinct 5 in the building of the Pond School Pond Street;
In Precinct 6 in the building of the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Wessagusset Post No. 1399, southerly side of Broad Street;
In Precinct 7 in the Lovells Corner Improvement Association Building on Washington Street;
In Precinct 8 in the Weymouth Heights Club Building on North Street; In Precinct 9 in the Nevin School Building, Main and Columbian Streets.
ON MONDAY THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF MARCH, 1944 -
at eight o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to bring in to the wardens of their several precincts, their votes on one ballot, for the following named public officers, to wit :-
One (1) Town Treasurer
Five (5) Selectmen and Board of Public Welfare
One (1) Collector of Taxes
Two (2) Assessors for three (3) years
Two (2) School Committee for three (3) years
. One (1) Water Commissioner for three (3) years
One (1) Park Commissioner for three (3) years
Three (3) Trustees of Tufts Library for three (3) years
One (1) Board of Health for three (3) years
Three (3) Planning Board for three (3) years
One
(1) Tree Warden
One (1) Annual Moderator
And for the election of Town Meeting Members from the several voting precincts of the Town as follows :- (In accordance with Chapter 28 of the Acts of 1943, the first third, in theorder of votes received, of members so elected shall serve three years, the second third in such order shall serve two years, and the remaining third in such order shall serve one year, from the day of the Annual Town Meeting)
Precinct 1: 42 Town Meeting Members, 14 for three years, 14 for two years, 14 for one year
Precinct 2: 27 Town Meeting Members, 9 for three years, 9 for two years, 9 for one year
Precinct 3: 42 Town Meeting Members, 14 for three years, 14 for two years, 14 for one year
Precinct 4: 18 Town Meeting Members, 6 for three years, 6 for two years, 6 for one year Precinct 5: 21 Town Meeting Members, 7 for three years, 7 for two years, 7 for one year
Precinct 6: 33 Town Meeting Members, 11 for three years, 11 for two years, 11 for one year
Precinct 7: 18 Town Meeting Members, 6 for three years, 6 for two years, 6 for one year
Precinct 8: 21 Town Meeting Members, 7 for three years, 7 for two years, 7 for one year
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Precinct 9: 27 Town Meeting Members, 9 for three years, 9 for two years, 9 for one year;
and to vote Yes or No on the following questions :
Question 1. (Part 1). Shall the Town of Weymouth vote to have the office of Town Accountant placed within . the classified Civil Service? Yes. No.
(Part 2). If it is voted to place the office of Town Accountant within the classified Civil Service, shall the Town of Weymouth vote to provide for the continuance in said office of Emerson R. Dizer, the present incumbent thereof, after passing a qualifying examination?
Yes. No.
THE POLLS WILL BE CLOSED AT 8 O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING
You are directed to serve this Warrant by posting a copy thereof attested by you in writing, in each of two public places in each voting precinct in said Town, seven days at least before the date for holding the first meeting called for in this Warrant.
Hereof fail not, make due return of this Warrant with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk of said Town on or before the twenty-sixth day. of February, 1944.
Given under our hands at Weymouth this twenty-fourth day of Janu- ary in the year of our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Forty-Four.
HARRY CHRISTENSEN, Chairman SANDY ROULSTON JOSEPH A. FERN BASIL S. WARREN
RALPH P. BURRELL
Selectmen of Weymouth
A true copy Attest :
Constable of Weymouth
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING March 6, 1944
Pursuant to a warrant duly issued a Special Town meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Weymouth represented by its duly elected and qualified Town Meeting members was held in the hall of the Weymouth High School, East Weymouth on Monday, March 6, 1944.
197 Town Meeting members were checked by the police.
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 o'clock in the evening by William J. Holbrook, Annual Moderator. The attested copy of the warrant for the meeting was read by the Town Clerk. Mr. Lane moved that the reading of the Article be dispensed with. So Voted.
The Reverend Jordan, Pastor of the First Church of Weymouth was called upon to invoke the Blessing of the Ruler of the Universe upon the deliberations of the meeting.
Two Town Meeting members not previously sworn to the duties of their office were at this time sworn by the Moderator. The Moderator then called for the Article in the Warrant.
ARTICLE 1. Mr. George Lane for the Appropriation Committee moved: That the Town accept the several reports of the Selectmen Laying out as Town ways the following designated private ways and parts of ways or any of them, to wit:
(a) Sagamore Road from the northerly line of War Housing Project Mass. 19052 (Wessagusset Hill) to northerly line of Peddock Road
(b) Bursley Road from a point in southerly line of Blackstone Road to a point in the northerly line of Peddock Road.
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(c) Blackstone Road from a point in the easterly line of Sagamore Road to a Point in the northerly line of Bridge St.
(d) Pedidock Road from a point in the easterly line of Sea Street
to a point in the westerly line of Blackstone Road or any por- tion of said ways and authorize the Board of Selectmen to ac- quire by gift purchase or take by right of eminent domain in fee or other- wise for all purposes of a public street and highway in and over each of said streets as so laid out and accepted; and expressly including therein all rights title or interest of any kind or description in or to any sewers, pipes, drains, appurtenances or system now existing in such ways or parts of ways as the owner or donor now has, and that the sum of $1.00 be raised and appropriated for the working of the above named streets in- cluding the acquisition of the fee above referred to and for the building of any bridges, drains and conduits or securing easements which may be necessary in connection therewith and that the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to accept deeds of any reservation strips existing in connection with any of said streets provided this acceptance shall become effective only upon the approval by the Town Counsel of deeds sufficient to effectuate the vote of the Town. $1.00
Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Lane was unanimously adopted and so declared by - the Moderator.
Mr. Lane moved to adjourn. So voted.
Meeting duly adjourned at 7:39 P. M. without date.
A true copy attest: Julian R. Merchant, Town Clerk
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING March 6, 1944
Pursuant to a warrant duly issued a Special Town meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Weymouth represented by its duly elected and qualified Town Meeting members was held in the hall of the Wey- mouth High School, East Weymouth on Monday, March 6, 1944.
201 Town Meeting members were checked by the police.
The meeting was called to order at 7:45 o'clock in the evening by the Annual Moderator, William J. Holbrook. The attested copy of the warrant for the meeting was read by the Town Clerk.
The Rev. Jordan, Pastor of the First Church of Weymouth was called upon to invoke the Blessing of the Ruler of the Universe upon the deliber- ations of the meeting.
Six Town Meeting members not previously sworn to the duties of their office were at this time sworn by the Moderator. The Moderator then called for the Article in the Warrant.
Mr. Allan C. Emery at this time asked indulgence of the Town Meeting members assembled while he read the letter mailed by the Laban Pratt Hospital Committee to each and every Town Meeting member. The letter reads as follows:
February 15, 1944
To Town Meeting Members of the Town of Weymouth:
Your Committee on the LABAN PRATT HOSPITAL would like to refer to its report made at the annual Town meeting in March 1942, from which we quote as follows:
"We recommend that, in order to insure the economical and efficient operation of the hospital and to remove it from political in- terference, a group of citizens be selected as incorporators of a hospital to be known as the Laban Pratt Hospital; and said corporators shall con- stitute the Board of Trustees, with powers to appoint its successors and operate the hospital as agents of the Town; and in order to effectuate this purpose it is recommended that the moderator appoint a board of fifteen citizens to act as such incorporators; and that a petition and act be prepared for introduction into the legislature as soon as the determination · of all pending legislation 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.
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Granting that fifteen would be the number acceptable, we would Recommend that five be selected for one year, five for two years, and five for three years, etc. It might be well to have the number established divisible by three so that you would not have more than one-third turnover of the Trustees in any one year.
"This report of your committee having been accepted by the Town at the Annual Town Meeting in March, 1941, your Committee has re- quested our fellow member, our Town Counsel Judge Kenneth L. Nash, to draft an act for introduction into the legislature, thus carrying out the above-mentioned recommendation."
At the annual Town meeting in March 1942, it was voted that the Moderator be empowered to appoint a committee to petition the next Legislature for the enactment of enabling legislation contained in the committee's report and that the Moderator appoint the fifteen (15) in- corporators provided for in the proposed legislation.
All of this was attended to in due season.
Judge Nash had previously drafted the bill using as a model the bill that was enacted for the operation of the Burbank Hospital at Fitchburg. This bill was judicially discussed in the case of Ware vs. Fitchburg in Volume 200 Mass., Page 61. The changes in the bill were made to make it adaptable to the Town of Weymouth.
That bill, Senate No. 411, bearing Senator Holmes' and Judge Nash's names, was introduced in the Legislature and eventually passed by the Senate. This was late in April or early in May of 1943. When the bill was taken up for action in the House, Mr. Cook of Athol of the Com- mittee of Municipal Finance, on May 18th substituted a new bill, House No. 1751 for Senate No. 411. This latter bill provided in Section 3, lines 21, 22, 23 and 24 as follows:
"The Town shall annually, BY BALLOT, elect such number of trus- tees, for the term of three years each, as are necessary to fill any vacancies."
This additional provision to the original bill negatives the entire purpose of the act and throws into the general election for each year the selection of five inembers of the Board of Trustees, beginning the year after organization of the Board.
House No. 1751 later became Chapter 404 of the Acts of 1943. Section 9 of the latter act is as follows: -
"This act shall take full effect upon its acceptance by a majority of the Town meeting members of the Town of Weymouth present and voting thereon at a meeting legally called for this purpose not later than five years after the date of the passage of this act, but not otherwise."
You will note that the above provision gives the Town until June 2, 1948, to accept the provisions of the act if it so chooses, but only at a meeting called "for this purpose".
Your committee is firmly of the opinion that it would be advisable for the Town on March the sixth, to consider this act and vote NOT to accept it, and to appoint a committee of say not less than five (5) mem- bers who would petition the Legislature at its special or regular session for enactment of the original act WITHOUT CHANGE.
In view of the experience that this bill met with in the House of Representatives, your committee recommends that the next time this bill is presented in the Legislature it be followed more closely as it goes through the House. It was not until after the acts of the Legislature were printed, which was months after this bill was passed, that your committee knew that the bill as presented by the town was not passed in its proper form by the Legislature.
Your committee feels sure that the citizens of the Town of Weymouth do not want the Laban Pratt Hospital to become a political football, therefore, it is very necessary that this bill as passed by the Legislature be NOT ACCEPTED by the Town but that a new bill be enacted by the legislature that will keep the Hospital out of politics and will conform to the wishes of the citizens of the town as previously expressed in its
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annual town meetings.
Respectfully submitted.
Allan C. Emery, Chairman
Russell A. Stiles, Secretary
Dr. Harris E. Bowmar
John L. Gallant C. Parker Whittle, Jr.
Judge Kenneth L. Nash
Dr. Robert R. Ryan
LABAN PRATT HOSPITAL COMM.
ARTICLE 1. Mr. Emery, for the Laban Pratt Hospital Committee moved: That the Town vote to reject House Bill No. 1751 of 1943 Chapter 404, Acts of 1943 and that the Moderator be instructed to appoint a committee of not less than five to petition the next regular session of the Legislature on behalf of the Town for enactment of Senate Bill No. 411 of 1943.
Mr. Prince H. Tirrell spoke on the question and moved: to accept Chapter 404 of the Acts of 1943 as thus enacted.
Amy Hill Duncan spoke on the question endeavoring to enlighten the members present on the passage of the Laban Pratt Hospital bill in its progress through committees and both branches of the Legislature.
Senator Newland H. Holmes spoke on the question with reference to the bill as originally drawn and the changes made therein.
Mr. Allan Emery at this time requested Judge Kenneth L. Nash to speak on the question as a member of the Laban Pratt Hospital Com- mittee.
Judge Kenneth L. Nash read and cited the case of the Fitchburg Hospital as an explanation to the Town Meeting.
Mr. Alfred K. Martin moved the previous question, whereupon the Moderator asked for a vote on the previous question and declared the previous question prevailed.
Mr. Francis Gunn spoke for the acceptance of the bill in its present form.
Mr. George E. Lane spoke with regards to the keeping of politics out of the Laban Pratt Hospital Trustees.
Mr. Robert H. Buchan spoke on the question.
Time for debate in the previous question having expired, the Moder- ator . then called for action on the motion of Mr. Emery and declared the motion prevailed.
Mrs. Duncan doubted the vote. More than seven having doubted the Moderator appointed the following tellers, Mr. Oberlin Clark, Mr. Cedric Watson, and Mr. John Field to tabulate the vote by a showing of hands.
The Moderator then swore in the tellers.
The tellers reported as follows:
In favor of Mr. Emery's motion: 137
Opposed to Mr. Emery's motion: 43
whereupon the Moderator declared the motion of Mr. Emery as so voted. Mr. George E. Lane moved to adjourn. So voted.
Meeting duly adjourned at 8:50 P.M. without date.
Mr. Cate at this time moved to recess for ten minutes. Motion Lost. A true copy attest: Julian R. Merchant, Town Clerk
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING March 6, 1944
Pursuant to a warrant duly issued the annual meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Weymouth represented by its duly elected and qualified Town Meeting Members was held at the hall of the Weymouth High School, East Weymouth on Monday, March 6, 1944.
219 Town Meeting Members were checked by the police.
The meeting was called to order at 8:45 o'clock in the evening by
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William J. Holbrook, Annual Moderator. The attested copy of the warrant for the meeting was read by the Town Clerk.
The Reverend Jordan, Pastor of the First Church of Weymouth was called upon to invoke the Blessing of the Ruler of the Universe upon the deliberation of the meeting.
Two Town Meeting Members not previously sworn to the duties of their office were at this time sworn by the Moderator.
The Moderator then called for the articles in the warrant and Mr. Lane of the Appropriation Committee moved that the reading of the articles in the warrant be dispensed with. So voted.
At this time Mr. John William O'Donnell asked unanimous consent to present to the Town Meeting Members assembled, a resolve.
Unanimous consent prevailed.
Be it resolved that:
Whereby order issued today the Office of Price Administration has re- moved the Chairman of the Weymouth War Price and Rationing Board for a reason that is neither sound, just or in accordance with the facts, We the Representatives of the People of Weymouth in Town Meeting assembled do hereby make solemn protest against the arbitrary and dictatorial char- acter of this action of the Office of Price Administration.
The reason given for this removal is that the Chairman of the Wey- mouth War Price and Rationing Board is engaged in Political activity by being a candidate for the office of Town Meeting Member.
Everyone acquainted with the facts is aware that service as a Town Meeting Member has no political aspect · whatsoever. It is Public Service rendered to the Town without compensation. The ruling therefore is clearly wrong and should be immediately revoked.
To accomplish that end it is hereby voted:
That a copy of this resolution be sent to the President of the United States and each member of Congress from Massachusetts and that the Moderator appoint a committee of three to take appropriate action to see that this order is immediately revoked.
In taking this action we will show our appreciation of the excellent work performed by the entire Weymouth War Price and Rationing Board in giving of their time and effort to help the war effort and thereby as- sisting in the successful prosecution of the War.
Like action to be taken by the committee to be appointed by the Moderator in the removal, for the same reason, of any other member of the Weymouth War Price and Rationing Board.
This resolution unanimously adopted at the Annual Town Meeting, March 6, 1944 by the duly elected and qualified sworn Town Meeting Members there assembled.
Mr. Lane for the Appropriation Committee moved:
That the report of the Appropriation Committee containing its motions to be offered at this meeting, as shown in printed form, be now recorded as received. So voted unanimously.
Mr. Lane for the Appropriation Committee moved:
That the motions on the several articles as offered and presented in the Appropriation Committee's printed report be considered as now before the meeting to be voted upon, separately under the respective articles in the warrant. So voted unanimously.
Mr. Lane for the Appropriation Committee moved :
That Article 1 be now taken up, item by item. So voted unanimously.
ARTICLE 1. To provide for all expenses of maintenance and oper- ation of each of the Town's several departments and activities for the fiscal year, for certain improvements, and to meet certain requirements of the law, the several sums hereinafter set forth are hereby appropriated for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified, all such sums to be raised by taxation in the levy of the current year unless some other source of revenue is expressed. So voted, and unanimously and tentatively adopted.
Item 1. For personal services and expenses of the Appropri-
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ation Committee $675.00. Of this sum $100.00 is reserved for use only in case of a special Town Meeting and not exceeding $450.00 shall be for personal services of the Secretary of the Committee who may be a member thereof. $ 675.00
Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Lane was unanimously and tentatively adopted.
Item 2. For the Selectmen's Department $
4,225.00 Of this sum not exceeding $500.00 shall be for personal serv- ices of the clerk who may be a Selectman, and $550.00 is pro- vided expressly for expenses of the Rationing Board. Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Lane was unanimously and tentatively adopted.
Item 3. For the Town Accountant's Department. $ 6,013.00 Of this sum not exceeding $5,663.00 shall be for personal serv- ices of the department.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Lane was unanimously and tentatively adopted.
Item 4. For the Town Treasurer's Department 4,434.50. Of this sum not exceeding $3,259.50 shall be for personal serv- ices of the department. For foreclosing Tax Titles the addi- tional sum of $1,000.00. $ 5,434.50
Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Lane was unanimously and tentatively adopted.
Item 5. For the Tax Collector's Department $ 8,252.00
The compensation of the Tax Collector shall be five and one half mills on each dollar of taxes collected and, the Selectmen are authorized and instructed to insure the Tax Collector in the sum of $15,000.00 robbery insurance.
Motion of the Appropriation Committee as offered by Mr. Lane was unanimously and tentatively adopted.
Item 6. For the Assessor's Department $
11,410.00
Of this sum not exceeding $9,419.00 shall be for personal serv- ices of the department and for transportation of the Board. The salaries of the Assessors are herewith fixed at $900.00 for the Chairman, and $800.00 each for 4 others. The clerk of the Board may be a member thereof.
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