USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1894-1896 > Part 45
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The following amounts were voted to be raised and appropriated, acting under this article.
Town debt and temporary loans, $13,000.
Schools, general, $24,570.
Schools, contingent fund, $1,500.
School text books and supplies, $2,000.
Support of poor, with income from town farm, $6,000.
Highways and bridges, $11,000, to include macad- amizing, $1000 for Main street, and $500 for railing Main street at Lakeside.
Voted. That $1000 of the highway appropriation be re- served for winter work commencing Nov. 1, 1895.
Fire Department, $3,200. Public library (with dog tax), $200.
Public reading room, $175.
Salaries town officers, $3,630 ; to be divided accord- ing to the recommendations of the appropriation com- mittee in the town report.
Town house expenses, $2,000. Miscellaneous expenses, $7,000.
Forest fire wards, $500.
Police department, $1,000.
The committee to whom was referred articles 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 43, 46 and 47 reported, and after a few amendments the articles were finally acted upon as follows :
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Art. 31. To see if the town will pay for one-half the cost of edge stones and the setting thereof upon sidewalks where abuttors pay one-half cost of the same, and raise and appropriate five hundred dollars therefor, or what it will do about it.
Voted. $600 for the purpose, and that the work be done under the direction of the road commissioners.
Art. 32. To see if the town will build a sidewalk on the south side of Prospect street from the tracks of the Boston and Maine railroad, westerly to the ledge there situate, and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what it will do about it.
Art. 33 To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of eight hundred dollars to widen and grade Bart- ley street, and build a sidewalk on the northerly side thereof, or what it will do about it.
Voted. To refer the above two articles to the road com- missioners.
Art. 34. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money to continue the work on Main street, Lakeside, as ordered by the county commissioners, or what it will do about it.
Voted. $1,000.
Art. 36. To see if the town will pay for one-half the cost of edge stones and setting thereof in Wakefield Park, 1 where abuttors pay one-half cost of the same, and raise and appropriate twelve hundred dollars therefor, as petitioned for by Charles S. Hanks, or what it will do about it.
Indefinitely postponed.
Art. 43. To see if the town will build a sidewalk on the northerly side of Lawrence street between the estate
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of H. C. Burnham and Vernon street, and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what it will do about it. Art. 46. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of fifty dollars to complete the sidewalk on Water street, or what it will do about it.
Art. 47. To see if the town will raise and appropriate a sufficient sum of money to repair the sidewalks and road-bed of Bennett street, or what it will do about it.
The above articles were referred to the road com- missioners.
Voted. To accept and adopt the report as amended.
Voted. That a committee of five be appointed by the chair to confer with the Wakefield .Water Company and ob- tain a price for hydrants for one year or a term of years, and report at an adjournment of this meeting or at some future town meeting.
Chair appointed O. V. Waterman, Wm. S. Green- ough, R. Britton, T. J. Skinner and C. F. Woodward. Voted. To adjourn to Thursday evening, March 7, 1895, at 7.30 p. m.
ADJOURNED TOWN MEETING, MARCH 7, 1895.
Acting under article 8 it was voted to raise and ap- propriate for
Common and park expenses, $500.
Municipal light plant expenses, $3,500, with income from plant.
Art. 9. To see what method the town will adopt for the collection of taxes for the year ensuing.
Voted. On motion of Tax Collector Woodward, that all taxes be due Sept. 15, 1895, and that a discount of two
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per cent. be made on all bills paid before that date ; and that on all bills remaining unpaid October 1, inter- (st be charged at the rate of six per cent. per annum.
J. A. Sanborn moved an amendment that the dis- ( ount be abolished, which was lost.
Art. 10. To see if the town will authorize its collector of taxes for the year ensuing to use all means for the col- lection of taxes which a town treasurer when appointed collector may use.
Voted. To authorize the collector as indicated in the arti- cle.
Art. 11. To see what sum of money the town will raise and appropriate for concrete work.
Voted. $250 for new concrete sidewalks where abuttors pay one-half the expense, and $250 for repairs on side- walks and crossings.
Art. 12. To see if the town will authorize its selectmen to provide a night watch and will raise and appropriate money to pay them.
Voted. $1800.
Art. 13. To determine the compensation of enginemen for the year ensuing.
Voted. $25 each.
Art. 14. To see if the town will raise and appropriate two hundred dollars for the purposes of Memorial day, and give the free use of the town hall upon that day to Post 12, G. A. R.
Voted. $200 and use of hall.
Art. 15. To see what action the town will take in reference to unpaid concrete bills of former years now due the town from various individuals.
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On motion of Mr. Low, it was voted that the entire matter be referred to the selectmen.
Art. 16. To see if the town will authorize the school com- mittee to employ a superintendent of schools, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
Voted. That a school superintendent be employed.
Art. 17. To see if the town will choose an appropriation committee to consider the matter of appropriations for the year 1896, and report in the town report of that year.
Voted. On motion of Col. Woodward that the chair ap- point a committee of fifteen.
Chair appointed as appropriation committee C. F. Woodward, Michael Low, Richard Britton, Everett Hart, William G. Strong, Silas W. Flint, William N. Tyler, Richard J. Cuff, William F. Young, T. E. Balch, George K. Walton, Everett W. Eaton, Fred S. Hartshorne, Peter S. Roberts and W. K. Perkins.
Art. 18. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money for repairs on town hall.
Voted. $500.
Art. 19. To see if the town will vote to instruct the engi- neers of the fire department to open and test each fire hydrant once in each year and report annually the date of examination and location of hydrant; also to see that the town reservoirs are kept in order for instant use, or what it will do about it.
Voted. That the engineers of the fire department be in- structed to open and test each fire hydrant once each year, in the company of the superintendent of the wa- ter company, and report annually the date of examina- tion and location of hydrant, and to see that the town reservoirs are kept in order for instant use.
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Art. 20. To see if the town will raise and appropriate twenty-five dollars for the use of the fish committee, or what it will do about it.
Voted. $25.
Art. 21. To see if the town will vote to establish an elec- tric light on Vernon street between Highland street and Salem street, and appropriate money therefor, or what it will do about it.
Voted. To refer to municipal light board.
Art. 22. To see if the town will authorize the school com- mittee at the close of each fiscal year to transfer the unexpended balance of the school appropriation re- maining to the credit of one department to another department thereof, or what it will do about it.
Voted. To so authorize the committee.
Art. 23. To see if the town will authorize a fire-alarm box to be placed at or near the intersection of Main street and Hanson street in Greenwood, and raise and appro- priate money therefor.
Voted. To raise and appropriate eighty dollars for the purpose.
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Art. 24. To see if the town will authorize a fire-alarm box to be placed at or near the intersection of Park street and Pleasant street, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
Voted. To raise and appropriate seventy-five dollars for the purpose.
Art. 25. To see if the town will authorize a fire hydrant to be placed at or near the intersection of Lake avenue and Spaulding street, and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what it will do about it.
Voted. To lay on the table.
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Art. 26. To see if the town will procure a hose carriage and five hundred feet of new hose for the same, and locate them in the Woodville district, at or near the town farm buildings, and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what it will do about it.
Voted. On motion of Mr. Britton, to refer to a committee consisting of the engineers and J. A. Sanborn, to re- port at an adjourned meeting.
Art. 27. To see if the town will authorize an electric street light to be placed upon Eaton street, opposite a passage way extending from said Eaton street to the grounds of the Lincoln school building, and appropr .- ate money therefor, or what it will do about it. Voted. To lay on the table.
Art. 28. To see if the town will authorize its tax collector to place upon each tax bill before issuing the same for collection a list of the property taxed, and amount of tax assessed upon each separate piece of property so demanded in said bill, or what it will do about it.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Art. 29. To see if the town will authorize a correct sur- vey and map to be made of all lands in the town sub- ject to taxation, and publish and distribute a sufficient number of such maps when made, and raise and appro- priate money therefor, or what it will do about it. Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Art. 30. To see if the town will cause to be printed and distributed a list of taxable polls and property assessed during the current year, and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what it will do about it.
Voted. That the town cause to be printed and distributed a list of the taxable polls and property assessed during the year 1895, under the direction of the assessors, and
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that $400 be raised and appropriated for the purpose ; and that the printing and binding contract be given to the lowest responsible bidder among residents of Wakefield.
At this point Maj. Teague offered a resolution to the effect that hereafter the distribution of the annual town reports and books giving the list of taxable polls and property be made by leaving the same at residence or place of business in town. The resolution was adopted.
Art. 35. To see if the town will pay during the current year one dollar and seventy-five cents per day for a man's labor upon highways of the town and three dol- lars per day for labor of a man and horse upon said highways, or what it will do about it.
Voted. On motion of G. W. Killorin, to indefinitely post- pone.
Art. 37. To fix the compensation to be paid to the mem- bers of the municipal light board for services rendered as such board, from August last past until March of the current year, and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what it will do about it.
Voted. On motion of Mr. Low, that the subject be re- ferred to a committee of three to report at an ad- journed meeting.
Art. 38. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of four thousand dollars from the proceeds of the gas and. electric bonds for the purpose of making additions and extensions to the gas plant, as recommended in the manager's report, or what it will do about it.
Voted. $4,000, on motion of Mr. Flint.
Art. 39. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of two thousand dollars from the proceeds of the gas and
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electric bonds for the purpose of extending the street gas mains where residents on the line of proposed ex- tensions will guarantee an income of not less than five per cent. per annum of the cost of such extensions for a period of ten years, or what it will do about it.
Voted. To appropriate the amount asked for.
Art. 40. To see if the town will instruct the municipal light board to place another arc dynamo in the electric light station to provide for additional lights, that are now and may be petitioned for, and appropriate money therefor from the proceeds of the gas and electric bonds, or what it will do about it.
Mr. Heath explained that it was not advisable to in- crease the expenses at present, and the article was indefinitely postponed.
Art. 41. To see if the town will instruct the municipal light board to place three electric arc lights on Forest street in Greenwood, as petitioned for by residents upon said street, and appropriate money therefor from the proceeds of the gas and electric bonds, or what it will do about it.
Art. 42. To see if the town will instruct the municipal light board to place electric arc lights as follows : one upon Pine street, one on Summer street, near to Or- chard street, one upon Salem street in Montrose, near to Tobias Libby's house, one at the corner of Court street and Central street, one upon Emerson street, one near to the intersection of Hart and Valley street, one upon Park avenue between West Chestnut street and Dell avenue, one upon Prospect street between West Chestnut street and Fairmount avenue, one on Fairmount avenue, near to S. L. White's house, one on Railroad street, near to the Boston ice company's houses, and two upon Vernon street, north of Lowell
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street, and appropriate money therefor from the pro- ceeds of the gas and electric bonds, or what it will do about it.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone both articles.
At this point article 21 was taken up and the subject was referred to the municipal light board.
At 10.15 the meeting adjourned until next Monday evening.
ADJOURNED TOWN MEETING, MARCH 11, 1895.
Reports of committees were called for. Engineer Levi Flanders reported on behalf of the committee appointed to consider article 26. The committee re- commended an appropriation of $450 for the purchase of 700 feet of hose for the purpose of repairing the " tramp house", so called, on the town farm for the storage of the hose carriage. It was estimated that the cost of making repairs would not exceed thirty dollars.
Upon motion of Maj. Tyler the report was accepted and the recommendations adopted.
Capt. James H. Carter, on behalf of the committee appointed to consider the compensation of the munici- . pal light board for their services from August, 1894, to March, 1895, recommended that the sum of $300 be raised and appropriated for the purpose.
On motion of W. G. Strong the report was accepted and the recommendation adopted.
Mr. Strong moved to take up article 3, relating to the acceptance of the reports of the town officers, and made a motion that $500 be raised and appropriated for the purpose of putting steam heating or hot water heating into the almshouse. Town Treasurer Skinner
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raised a point of order that no such motion could be acted upon under article 3. The moderator ruled the motion out of order. Mr. Strong then moved that article 8 be taken up and that the motion be considered under the clause relating to the support of the poor. Col. Greenough raised another point which was also well taken. Mr. Low moved that a committee of five be appointed to consider the matter and report at an adjourned meeting. The moderator decided that there was nothing in the warrant authorizing any action thereon, but made no objection to the appointment of a committee. No person objected to Mr. Strong's idea, and all who expressed any opinion favored the scheme. Mr. Low's motion was carried and later on the modera- tor appointed the committee as follows : M. Low, A. E. Perry, G. F. Whittemore. Richard Britton and Daniel Evans.
The report of the committee appointed to consult with the Wakefield water company regarding the rental of hydrants was then offered. Mr. Skinner read the following letter :
To THE TOWN OF WAKEFIELD :
In response to your request that the Wakefield Water Company name a price at which it will furnish water to the town for fire purposes for the period of one year and for a term of years, the Wakefield Water Company makes the following offer :
First. It will contract with the town of Wakefield to furnish water for use in the extinguishment of fires through its hydrants now set and such as may be required by said town on its lines of pipe for a period of five or ten years from the first day of April. 1895, at the rate of thirty-five dollars per year per hydrant, paya- ble for the first two months on the first day of June, A.D. 1895, and thereafter semi-annually on the first days of December and June in each year ; the pressure to be the same as required by the former contract, provided that said contract may be abrogated at
.
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the option of the water company at any time after any tax or assessment has been made upon the company to aid in procuring an additional water supply.
Second. For a period of one year from April 1, 1895, the company will make a contract with the town for the same purpose without any provision for abrogation at the rate of forty dollars per year per hydrant, payable one-half on the first day of Octo- ber, 1895, and one-half on the first day of April, 1896. Other conditions to be the same as in offer marked first above.
Yours very respectfully . WAKEFIELD WATER CO., By S. K. Hamilton, Pres.
Voted. To accept the report.
Voted. That the town accept the first proposition made to the town by the Wakefield water company for a five or ten years' contract at the rate of $35 per hydrant per year, whenever it is authorized so to act.
Voted. To raise and appropriate $4,650 for rental of hy- drants due and which may become due until further action of the town is taken in relation to the town making a contract with the water company for five or ten years.
Art. 44. To see if the town will rescind that portion of its vote passed April 6, 1885, authorizing its select- men to take charge of the expenditure for lecture pur- poses of the income of the bequest of Cornelius Sweet- . ser to the town, and to choose a committee of five or more persons, each of whom to serve for a term of five years, whose duty it shall be to provide lectures for the town in accordance with the terms of said be- quest, and pay the net proceeds to the selectmen.
Voted. To rescind the vote passed April 6, 1885, and that a committee of five be appointed by the moderator to carry out this article.
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Chair appointed Harry Foster, W. L. Coon, C. W. Eaton, H. B. Evans and Geo. H. Smith.
Art. 45. To see if the general committee on the celebra- tion of the 250th anniversary of the town's settlement be authorized to deposit with the town's treasurer the balance of money remaining in said committee's hands, to continue on interest as an accumulating fund for use at the 350th anniversary of the settlement of the town, Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Art. 48. To hear and act upon the report of the commit- tee appointed in November last past to select a school lot and procure plans for a school building in the west part of the town.
C. H. Spencer, chairman of the committee, reported as follows :
"We have held numerous meetings and have visited and examined individually and collectively different lots in that district. While we found several suitable lots, none of them were available for the desired purpose until C. S. Hanks generously offered to donate about 16,000 feet of land, provided it should be used only for a school lot.
In the opinion of your committee additional land will be re- quired and we therefore respectfully recommend that two thou- sand dollars be raised and appropriated for the purchase of sufficient additional land for the purpose, and that immediate steps be taken for the erection of a substantial school house thereon."
Voted. To accept the report.
Voted. To recommit the report to the same committee to report at a future town meeting.
Art. 49. To see if the town will purchase a lot of land in the west part of the town and erect a school building thereon in accordance with the recommendations of the
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committee reported under the next preceding article of this warrant, and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what action it will take in the matter.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Voted. To take up article 27.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone this article.
Voted. To extend the thanks of the town to the moderator for his services in conducting the meeting, and that the sum of $25 be paid him for his services.
Voted. To dissolve this meeting.
TOWN MEETING, APRIL 8, 1895.
Article 1. To choose a moderator to preside at said meeting.
Edward A. Upton was chosen moderator.
Art. 2. To see if the town will enter into a contract with the Wakefield water company to furnish water for the extinguishment of fires through its hydrants now set, and such as may be hereafter required by the town on the lines of pipe of said company, for a period of five years and two months from the first day of April, A.D. 1895, at the rate of thirty-five dollars per hydrant per annum, payable for the first two months on the first day of June, A. D. 1895, and thereafter on the first days of December and June of each year, the pressure to be the same as required by the former contracts, provided that the said contract may be abrogated at the option of said water company, at any time after any tax or assessment has been laid or made upon the com- pany, to aid in providing an additional water supply, and also to see if the town will authorize and instruct its selectmen to execute in the name and on behalf of
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the town a contract with said water company according to the foregoing terms, or what it will do about it.
Voted. That the town enter into a contract with the Wake- field water company to furnish water for the extinguish- ment of fires, through its hydrants now set and such as may be hereafter required by the town on the lines of pipe of said company, for a period of five years and two months from the first day of April, A. D. 1895, at the rate of thirty-five dollars per hydrant per . annum, payable for the first two months on the first day of June, A. D. 1895, and thereafter on the first days of December and June of each year, the pressure to be the same as required by the former contracts, provided that the said contract may be abrogated at the option of said water company at any time after any tax or assessment has been laid or made upon the com- pany to aid in providing an additional water supply ; and that the selectmen of the town be and are hereby authorized and empowered to execute in the name and on behalf of the town, a contract with the said water company, according to the foregoing terms.
Art. 3. To see what sum of money the town will raise and appropriate for the annual rental of hydrants in addition to the sum of money heretofore raised and appropriated for the same purpose at the last annual town meeting.
Voted. To raise and appropriate $667.67 in addition to the sum raised at the annual meeting.
Art. 4. To hear and act upon the report of the committee in relation to heating the Wakefield almshouse with steam.
Mr. John Moran raised a point of order, viz. : That the committee had no right to report as they were not legally appointed.
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Voted. To take up article 5.
Art. 5. To see if the town will put steam heating appara- tus into the Wakefield almshouse, raise and appropriate money therefor, and appoint a committee to carry the same into execution.
Voted. That a committee of five be appointed to report what action it is best for the town to take under this article. 4
Chair appointed Michael Low, Austin E. Perry, G. F. Whittemore, Daniel Evans and J. A. Hickey, who reported as follows :
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON HEATING WAKEFIELD ALMSHOUSE.
Your committee appointed by the Town in regard to heating the Almshouse have attended to their duty in the matter and make the following report :
They found that the building is heated at the present time with eleven stoves which do not heat the building in a proper or econ- omical way, and is a source of danger from fire at any time. Also that it requires a large amount of coal and wood, 30 per cent. of which could be saved under a system of steam heating. The building is a cold one having large corridors, and under the pre- sent system of heating are not heated at all. Your committee have considered the system of heating by hot water and find it would not be economical for the town to use this system of heating, There- fore your committee recommend that the system of steam heating be used in the building, and that the town raise and appropriate the sum of $900 for that purpose and that a committee be appoint- ed to see that the contract is properly performed according to plans and specifications submitted by this committee.
Respectfully submitted. MICHAEL LOW, AUSTIN E. PERRY, GERRY F. WHITTEMORE, JAMES A. HICKEY, DANIEL EVANS, Secretary.
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Voted. To accept and adopt the report.
Voted. To raise and appropriate $900.
Voted. That the same committee serve to carry out the recommendations of the report.
Art. 6. To hear and act upon the report of the committee appointed in November last past to select a school lot and procure plans for a school building in the west part of the town.
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