USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Orange > Town annual report of the officers of Orange, Massachusetts 1932 > Part 5
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47
Breaks in buildings reported and investigated.
42
Cases investigated and no arrests made.
79
Fires discovered .
1
Fires investigated .
2
Juvenile cases
5
Lost children found and returned to parents.
5
Lost persons reported and located.
3
Lodgings applied for
132
Property reported stolen valued at
$863 00
Stolen property found and returned to owners
531 00
Store doors found open and secured
106
Stray dogs found homes for
1
Stray dogs killed.
7
Dogs found and returned to owners
4
Stolen cars reported and recovered.
2
In closing I wish to state that the police work has increased double and triple in many cases as you will note by comparing a few items listed below of 1931 as compared with 1932.
1931
1932
Arrests taken to court.
23
62
Breaks in buildings reported and investigated.
4 42
Cases investigated and no arrests made.
38 79
Lodgings applied for
58
132
Owing to the increased amount of expense that the town has had to contend with for other sources the Police Department has faithfully tried to co-operate in reducing expenses by officers working ten hour shifts instead of eight hours for the same amount of pay less the 10 per cent cut in salaries.
Respectfully submitted,
By JOHN W. PLUNKETT,
Acting Chief of Police.
65
Report of the Fire Department 1932
The Fire Department was called for service 123 times during the past year.
10 bell alarms, 4 of which were false.
10 6-6 bell alarms for fires.
19 bell alarms for brush and grass fires.
76 bell alarms for chimney fires-telephone 3 blasts.
3 bell calls for out of town.
1 telephone call for cat on a pole.
1 6-6 bell alarm for lost children.
5 fires for which the apparatus was not called.
695 gallons of chemical were used and 4400 feet of hose were laid. Hydrant was used 4 times.
The total amount of property in danger was $311900 00
The total amount of insurance on same was. 273100 00
The total amount of insurance paid on same was. 4758 00
The Department has purchased 400 feet of three and one-half inch fire hose and four new extinguishers for the Tully Company, three new tires for the White truck, and will need one new one this year.
We ought to have a set of salvage covers, and six dozen all-service gas masks, and one-half dozen electric searchlights. Also we need a new 1000 gallon pump though we know that the Town is in no condition to purchase one.
Respectfully submitted,
C. E. LANE, Chief.
66
Report of the Fire Department TULLY BRANCH
Tully, Mass., December 20, 1932.
Charles E. Lane, Chief, Orange Fire Department Orange, Mass.
Dear Sir:
The Tully Fire Department was called six times during the year 1932 as follows:
Date
Owner
Description
May 22
Foskett
Brush
August 24
Hopkins
Chimney
September 15
Jacobs
House
October 9
Hopkins
Chimney
November 7
Davis
Chimney
December 8
Rice
Chimney
At the Jacobs fire in Blissville a loss was sustained for which the Insurance Company paid one hundred and fifty dollars.
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY A. GALE, District Chief.
67
Fire Alarm Report for 1932
To Ernest E. Lothrop, Town Manager
Dear Sir:
I herewith submit the report for Fire Alarm Maintenance for 1932. New line built from Rodney Hunt's factory to Mill street.
Owing to the reduction of appropriation, nothing has been done which was not absolutely necessary.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS H. REYNOLDS,
Superintendent of Fire Alarm.
68
Report of Board of Assessors
Orange, Mass., January 6, 1933
Mr. E. E. Lothrop, Town Manager
Orange, Massachusetts
Dear Sir:
Your Board of Assessors beg leave to submit the following report:
With an increase in appropriations in 1932 over 1931 of $20,496, a decrease in valuation of $129,963 and a decrease in State Income Tax of $11,000 we had an increase in the tax rate over the preceding year of $4 a thousand.
Further decline in revenue from the state is predicted by the Tax Commissioner this year. This with a decline in valuation would indicate a higher tax rate for the coming year.
Due to the general decline in income from Real Estate and the lack of demand for same it seems imperative to your Board that there should be a revision in valuation in 1933, and we recommend that there should be a general revision of assessed values this coming year.
When the revaluation was made in 1929 a uniform method was used in establishing values. On buildings a replacement value was used as a basis for establishing sound values and on land a front value on streets, according to the location of the street, was used. From this assessed values were worked out. This method has been used in many of our cities and towns in Massachusetts and other states and has the approval of the State Tax Department in Boston. In using this method guess work was taken out of the work of assessing and everyone is assured that they were treated on the same basis as their neighbor and the assessed values established were uniform. We recommend that if any general revision of values is made, the same system be used in arriving at these values. We believe that in this way everyone will be treated on an equal basis and no favoritism can be shown.
A complete set of maps and individual cards for every piece of property in town was made at that time. These have been kept up-to-date by your
69
Board and have proved to be invaluable for reference work. We strongly urge the incoming Board to continue this system; otherwise the money spent for this work in 1929 will be wasted:
During the past three years the Tax Collector, Mr. Frye, has served as clerk of the Board. We have found that this has worked out very satisfact- orily and we believe that it is for the best interests of the Town that this method be continued. The fact that the Collector has been the Town Treas- urer and has been at the office every day in the week has made it very con- venient for the taxpayer to take up any question with the Assessors through the clerk. It also gives the Collector an intimate knowledge of the Assessors' work and we highly commend the arrangement and trust that it can be continued.
This being our final report we wish to express to you and the Board of Selectmen our appreciation for their cooperation during the past three years. The work of this Board has been exceedingly difficult from the very beginning owing to the fact that at the outset it seemed imperative that a revaluation of the Town be made owing to the loss of our largest industry and the consequent decrease in the value of that property. We were faced with the necessity of spreading this loss over the whole assessed property of the Town or being confronted with a tax rate that would scare away any industry that might possibly come into the Town. With this was the stead- ily mounting cost of government owing to the unemployment situation and the steady decrease in income from State Income and Corporation Taxes.
With the assistance of the revaluation company this was accomplished and we believe without any material hardship on any one or group of people. We have tried to be impartial in our work. We found that many of our local manufacturers were carrying a heavier load on assessed values than they could possibly stand and continue in business and have tried to ease the burden of these manufacturers in an effort to prevent further loss of industry.
We felt and still feel that it is imperative that the Assessors of Orange or any other community show a spirit of cooperation with local industries if they are to retain them. Orange, today, is no doubt suffering from the lack of foresight on the part of some in recent years in handling this matter. It is imperative, if the town is to secure any industry, that they must be assured that they are going to have favorable consideration in the matter of taxation. The day is past when the tax burden can be saddled on to the manufacturer, and if it is it will drive industry into other communities where they will have favorable consideration.
Following are the tables:
ASSESSMENTS 1932
Personal Property
$ 556489 00
Real Estate. 4844076 00
Motor Vehicle Excise.
247840 00
$5648405 00
70
TOWN APPROPRIATIONS-OVERLAY-STATE-COUNTY TAX
Town Appropriations
$ 268043 27
Deficits 1928
46 24
Deficits 1929
395 92
Deficits 1931
1508 54
State Assessments Tax
8282 50
Auditing
76 73
Reservations and Parks.
11 78
Special State Tax Old Age Assistance
1740 00
County Tax.
14696 62
Overlay, 1932.
8765 72
$303567 32
ESTIMATED RECEIPTS
Income Tax
$18013 30
Motor Vehicle Excise
8753 27
Corporation Tax
8295 63
Bank Tax.
224 65
Licenses .. . ..
354 00
General Government .
814 68
Protection of Personal Property
143 99
Health and Sanitation
12 85
Highways.
3253 50
Charities
5424 26'
Soldiers' Benefits. .
1158 25 *
Schools
6785 88
Libraries.
79 14
Cemeteries (other than from perpetual care funds" or sale of lots) . .
2469 54
Interest on deposit, taxes and assessments.
3828 92
Water Department.
18213:55
Refunds and tax costs .
1248 15
Chapter 123, Acts of 1921, Highway appropriation offset .
4888 94
Estimated Income Old Age Assistance.
8656 00
$92618 50
COMMITTED TO TAX COLLECTOR "
Tax on Polls $ 3422 00
Old Age Assistance.
1740 00
Tax on Personal and Real Estate.
183752 84
Tax on Sewer
1332 00
71
Tax on Motor Vehicles
$6550 14
Omitted Assessment Tax
444 60
$197241 58
Number of polls assessed. 1711
Number of horses assessed .
129
Number of cows assessed
501
Number of neat cattle assessed.
147
Number of swine.
9
Number of fowl assessed .
2952
Number of dwelling houses assessed .
1350
Number of acres of land assessed
21008.3
Respectfully submitted,
SPENCER A. REED,
Board
RALPH B. LEAVITT,
of
EDWARD J. CADWELL,
Assessors ..
72
Report of the Librarian
WHEELER MEMORIAL
"To the Library Trustees:
Last year we felt we had reached the peak in circulation but the figures this year show a gain of 8,824 over last year, 84,073 books being circulated in the main library and 3,673 in North Orange Branch, making a total of :87,746. While fiction leads there has been a gain in non-fiction. During the year we had calls for books of reference and study that would have such a limited circulation we felt it wiser to borrow through Inter-Library Loan than purchase. We supplied 135 books in this way. We are glad that the library is resorted to for information and study, but we feel even greater satisfaction in the thought of the comfort given the many citizens in this period of depression and anxiety. The library has certainly afforded the best and cheapest social insurance possible.
If year by year, more people come to the library, more books are lent, more demands are made upon the Librarian and staff, one may feel reason- ably sure that the library is becoming more valuable to its community. This seems to be the record of your library.
Grateful acknowledgment is made for gifts of books and periodicals received the past year.
Respectfully submitted,
N. GERTRUDE HENDRICKSON.
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION FORM OF STATISTICS:
For the year ending December 31, 1931.
Population served (1930 census) 5,365
Assessed valuation of town $5,380,390
Number of days open during the year 302
Hours open each week for reading. 36
Hours open each week for lending 36
73
Number of volumes at beginning of year
19,992
Number of volumes added by purchase
734
Number of volumes added by gifts
74
Number of volumes added by binding
8
Number of volumes discarded .
66
Total number of volumes at end of year
20,808
Number of volumes loaned for home use
87,746
Number of borrowers registered.
2,133
State certificates issued .
260
Honor certificates issued .
21
74
Report of the Librarian
NORTH ORANGE BRANCH
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1932
Number of Books issued during the year 1932 3673
CIRCULATION BY MONTHS:
January .
342
July 305
February
324
August
283
March.
324
September 290
April
408
October
330
May
211
November 330
June
222
December 304
CLASSIFIED
Fiction
2177
General Works 324
Juvenile.
712
Natural Science 69
Literature.
161
Fine Arts.
5
History
125
Useful Arts 7
Travels
82
Biography.
11
We wish to express our thanks to all who have given periodicals, books and papers to our branch library during the year. Also to the librarian of the Main library for her helpful interest and co-operation in the branch library work.
SARA E. RICH, Librarian.
75
Report of Planning Board for 1932
December 19th, 1932
Board of Selectmen Town Offices Orange, Mass.
Gentlemen:
The Planning Board submit herewith its report for the year 1932.
The increasingly distressing financial conditions of the Town, have made it impossible for the Board to carry out any of the projects mentioned in its report for 1930 and 1931.
For the same reasons, it is a safe prediction that comparatively little can be anticipated toward the carrying out of these suggestions in the coming year.
Very truly yours,
DWIGHT S. DAVIS, Secretary.
76
Report of Inspector of Animals
To The Honorable Board of Selectmen:
I am herewith submitting my report as Animal Inspector for the year 1932.
Barns inpected 136
Cows.
531
Young cattle . 244
Bulls
34
Oxen
2
Sheep
14
Goats
3
Hogs .
104
Cattle (interstate) . 73
HORACE L. WILKINSON,
Inspector of Animals.
77
Report of Inspector of Slaughtering for 1932
To The Honorable Board of Health:
I herewith submit my report as Inspector of Slaughtering from March 10, 1932, to January 1, 1933.
Beeves
Swine
Veals
Total
March
1
9
10
April
1
11
12
May
16
16
June
10
10
July
6
6
August
5
5
September
1
9
10
October
1
13
14
November
2
5
14
21
December
11
13
10
34
-
-
Totals
15
20
103
138
Am pleased to report all animals within legal requirements as to health and other conditions.
Respectfully submitted,
A. B. COOLIDGE,
Inspector of Slaughtering.
78
Report of Home Department of Franklin County Extension Service Orange 1932
" NEW CLOTHES FROM OLD "
A three-meeting project including:
I. Renovation-Discussion of dyeing, laundering, pressing, dry clean- ing. Analysis of garments brought to class. II and III. Remodelling- Discussion of garments brought to class enrolled in adapting new colors, lines, fabrics, pattern cutting and fitting, finishes, etc.
Three communities held classes taught by local leaders who had re- ceived the information from Mrs. Esther C. Page, Clothing Specialist, and Miss Gladys E. Sivert, Home Demonstration Agent, at the Sectional Leader Training meetings in Orange. The Home Demonstration Agent visited each local group once.
ORANGE CENTER
Local leaders-Mrs. E. C. Whitney, Mrs. Emma Cogswell and Mrs. Jennie Munsell.
There were twenty women enrolled in the class with 25 different women attending. At the class 56 garments were remodelled with good results. Of these 39 were completely remodelled and 17 had some minor adjustment. This included 36 dresses, 4 coats, 4 undergarments, 5 boys' clothing and 6 miscellaneous.
There were 12 garments renovated by dry cleaning and laundering methods as follows: 1 blouse, 2 trousers, 9 neckties, and 2 dresses. Reported good results.
In addition 12 women reported passing on this information to 61 others who had not come to the classes.
NORTH ORANGE
Local leaders-Miss Julia Prentice, Mrs. E. N. Harrington and Mrs. Warner Davis.
There were 19 different women attending the local classes with 15 women enrolled.
Fourteen garments were remodelled, with good results. This included 10 dresses, 2 suits and a slip made from a dress.
Eleven garments were renovated, including 10 dresses and one pair of trousers by dry cleaning or laundering. Good results reported.
In addition 13 women reported passing on this information to 16 others.
79
TULLY
Local leaders-Mrs. Arleen Preece, Mrs. Henry Gale, Miss Helen Fiske.
There were 19 different women who attended the classes with 13 en- rolled members.
Ten garments were completely remodelled with good results reported. This included seven silk dresses, 2 cotton dresses and one wool suit. Ten garments were renovated. Reported fine results. CHILDREN'S COATS AND HATS
A three-meeting project on the " Making of Children's Coats and Hats " was conducted in Orange Center and North Orange by local leaders who had attended the sectional leader training meetings held in Orange by Miss Gladys E. Sivert, Home Demonstration Agent.
ORANGE CENTER
Local leaders-Mrs. Charles Cogswell, Mrs. Charles Phinney.
Nineteen coats were made in class. Seventeen were made of old ma- terials. The actual cash outlay was $5.00 and the savings to the parents was estimated to be $78.00. Two coats were made of new materials with a saving of $9.00. Two hats were made.
NORTH ORANGE
Local leaders-Miss Julia Prentice, Mrs. Warner A. Davis.
Eight different women attended the meetings with three who made coats of old materials.
HOME FURNISHINGS
Local leaders-Mrs. Jennie Munsell, Mrs. Walter Brazer.
Meetings were held on the making of curtains, slip covers and rugs at the Swedish Congregational Church by the local leaders with 24 women attending.
DRESS FORMS
A class in the making of dress forms was held in Orange Center with the Clothing Specialist and the Home Demonstration Agent. Fifteen dress forms were made. This included five in Orange, three in Tully and two in North Orange.
BASKETRY
Two meetings with ten homemakers of North Orange and Tully were held with Paul E. Alger, County Club Agent. The principles of all weaving was taught and each woman made a tray.
CLOTHING RALLY
A sectional clothing rally was held at the Orange Grange Hall. Orange Center and North Orange "New Clothes from Old " classes presented each a short playlet in the morning. Mrs. Esther C. Page, clothing specialist, gave a talk on "Color and Personality " in the afternoon. Sixty Orange women attended.
The program was in charge of Mrs. E. C. Whitney, Town Chairman, and Miss Gladys Sivert, Home Demonstration Agent. Luncheon was served by the Grange, Mrs. Anna Delva, Chairman.
80
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Two meetings have been held in this four-meeting project on Child Development. Mrs. Ruth D. Morley, Child Development Specialist is conducting the leaders' meetings. The subjects are:
1. Adapting furnishings and equipment to meet growing needs of the child. 2. Education through play. 3. Living together. 4. Routine habit training.
The local leaders for this project are: Orange Center-Mrs. J. E. McElroy and Miss Florence Ryan. North Orange-Mrs. Ashley Davis and Mrs. E. N. Harrington.
MISCELLANEOUS
The Home Demonstration Agent in co-operation with the other Ex- tension Agents conducted a program at the Millers River Grange.
Signed GLADYS E. SIVERT
Home Demonstration Agent
81
Report of 4-H Club Work in Orange
Paul E. Alger, County Club Agent
Frances D. Andrews Ass't Club Agent
In the early Spring the County Club Agent had a conference with Mr. E. C. Hempel, Superintendent of Schools, relative to 4-H Club Work for the summer. As a result of the conference special emphasis was placed on Garden and Canning Club Work in order that the children of the town might help out as much as possible in the food supply. The County Club . Agent and Assistant visited all of the schools encouraging the children to join the 4-H Clubs. A fine response was received. Fifty-two enrolled in. Garden work and 38 enrolled in Canning work.
Mrs. Elizabeth Jefferies was again engaged as 4-H Club Supervisor. The County Club Agent gave advice also in regard to fertilizer and planting of some of the adult gardens in town.
The Club Work was successful in Tully as well as in Orange town proper. In addition two splendid clubs were carried on in the Winter at Tully. A Clothing club led by Mrs. Josephine Osgood and Mrs. David Gale was very successful. The Handicraft club was led by Mr. Arthur Drew. The children in these Winter clubs at Tully made eighteen articles of Clothing and seventeen articles of Handicraft, also making fourteen repairs.
There are ten Poultry club members enrolled from Orange and five are enrolled in the Rabbit project.
A great many of the Orange 4-H Club Members exhibited at the Greenfield Fair. In the Parade for Club Floats Tully for the second time won first prize. The Orange Town Fair was the finest in years. The quality and quantity of vegetables and canned products was very outstanding.
Mrs. Jefferies reports as follows relative to the Garden Club Work: " The Garden Club Work in Orange this summer was the best in years. There were thirty-nine enrolled in the 4-H Club and at our first meeting there were thirteen more enrolled. Of the fifty-two members forty-nine had good gardens and exhibited at the Orange Fair. One extra table, the length of the hall had to be used this year because of so many more ex- hibits. There were two hundred ninety individual vegetable exhibits and twenty vegetable collection exhibits. There were two Garden Club Meet- ings held and one hundred fifteen garden visits made."
82
The Canning work was carried on in fine spirit this year in North Orange, with girls from Tully attending; and at Orange proper. The group at North Orange had two leaders, Mrs. Floyd French and Marion Drew, a sixth year canning club member. The plan for meetings was checked by Mrs. Jefferies so the first year girls throughout Orange were doing the same type of work. There were eight girls enrolled and they canned one hundred eighteen jars of fruit and vegetables.
The girls working with Mrs. Jefferies, Evelyn Martin and other older club members as assistants, showed fine results. There were 2592 jars of foods put up ready for the winter by these girls.
The Garden Club members cared for an area of more than 30,000 sq. ft., raising vegetables approximately at $1000.
SCHOOL AND GARDEN EXHIBIT-SEPTEMBER, 1932
Financial Report
Premiums
$156 75
Printing
15 10
Ribbons
17 95
Lumber and booth decorations
7 45
Miscellaneous-Trucking and supplies
2 75
$200 00
Respectfully submitted for the committee,
EDWARD C. HEMPEL, Chairman.
83
Report of the Sealer of Weights and Measures
To Ernest E. Lothrop, Town Manager
Dear Sir:
I have the honor to submit the annual report of the Department of Standards for the year 1932.
Adjusted
Sealed Condemned
Platform scales over 5000 lbs.
Platform scales under 5000 lbs.
1
4 46
Counter over 100 lbs.
1
Counter under 100 lbs.
19
Beam over 100 lbs.
2
Beam under 100 lbs.
1
Spring 100 lbs. or over
7
Spring under 100 lbs.
19
Computing 100 lbs. or over
3
Computing under 100 lbs.
38
Personal weighing
3
Avoirdupois weights
53
269
Liquid measures
64
Oil jars
97
Gasoline measuring pumps
34
Gasoline measuring meters
18
Kerosene measuring pumps
17
Oil measuring pumps
25
Molasses measuring pumps
3
Quantity stops on pumps
124
Yardsticks
28
-
54
812
0
Fees collected and turned over to Town Treasurer $89 52
Reweighings have been made in stores and markets of bread, butter potatoes, sugar and other merchandise.
Respectfully submitted,
SYDNEY S. TAYLOR,
Sealer of Weights and Measures.
84
Report of Orange Visiting Nurse Association, Inc.
January 1, 1932
December 31, 1932
Cash balance January 1, 1932.
$ 434 10
Receipts:
Town appropriation.
$1200 00
School department
400 00
Collected by nurse
535 35
1932 drive
342 12
Food sale.
38 50
Donation Orange Woman's Club
10 00
Interest on Savings Bank Account
13 26
Total receipts 2539 23
$2973 33
Disbursements:
Salaries of nurses
$2020 00
Telephone and lights
42 12
Rent of first aid room.
252 00
Supplies.
11 00
Automobile expenses
239 10
Cost of automobile, Used
225 00
Sundry expenses.
15 93
Total disbursements
2805 15
Cash balance December 31, 1932.
168 18
$2973 33
Respectfully submitted,
GERTRUDE K. POLAND, Treasurer.
85
Report of the Visiting Nurse
To the President, Board of Directors, and Members of the Visiting Nurse Association :
Economy programs in public health nursing are placing new and greater demands upon personnel as it becomes necessary that every home visit, every conference, in fact every activity should be as productive as possible. I have a duty and a distinct opportunity not only to call the attention of welfare organizations to the added dietary needs of the sick, those whose resistance may be lowered, but to insure special treatment for those individuals. We must remember that a saving in expenditures for relief to the point where minimal requirements are not met is sure to mean break down in the future with a greater public outlay.
Clinics have been held where big adults and school children may be examined. We must control the carriers of Tuberculosis if we are to con- trol Tuberculosis. Guiding cases of childhood type by systematic plan is a modern and valuable method of locating not only early cases, but active cases of adults.
Child Welfare conferences have proven to be worth while and instructive to the parents. While it is true that infant mortality rate has continued to decline, that the babies of this town have been on the whole well provided for, it by no means indicates that our pre-school and school children are in a satisfactory condition. During the present economic depression, effecting child health suggests added responsibilities to all health organiza- tions.
The Public Health nurse has a definite responsibility in this community which she serves; physicians, families, neighbors, insurance companies, social and welfare agencies are the chief concern of Visiting Nurse calls. .
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