USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the year ending 1927 > Part 25
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Should this be accepted by the town at the next town meeting it will necessitate one officer in addition to what we now have, it will also mean an additional expense for the ensuing year.
In anticipation of the above I respectfully recommend an appropriation of $31,500.00 for the year 1929.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN ARMSTRONG,
Chief of Police.
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ASSESSORS' REPORT
Aggregate Valuation,
$25,459,050 00
Exempt under Clauses 11, 17, 18, 23,
106,725 00
Available for Revenue,
$25,352,325 00
Valuation, Personal,
$4,455,275 00
Valuation, Real,
20,897,050 00
Loss on Valuation, 1,472,775 00
To be raised by Taxation :
1927 Overlay,
116 83
State,
34,340 00
State Highway,
3,489 98
County,
56,875 98
Auditing Tax,
85 36
Town,
773,694 26
Overlay,
9,737 19
$878,339 60
Estimated Receipts, and free cash and dog tax voted by the town to be used by the Assessors,
282,745 40
$595,594 20
April 1. Division of Taxes,
Personal,
$103,328 74
Real, 484,147 46
Moth,
470 25
Dec. 31. Additional,
697 74
July 1. Polls,
8,118 00
Dec. 31. Polls, 182 00
Rate of Taxation, $23.20 on $1,000.00.
$596,944 19
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Warrants to Collector :
Property,
Polls,
$588,644 19 8,300 00
$596,944 19
Exempted under Chap. 59, Sec. 5, Gen. Laws:
Charitable, Benevolent, Literary, Edu- cational, $866,675 00
Houses of Religious Worship,
345,150 00
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
177,500 00
United States of America,
118,200 00
Town of Plymouth,
1,656,375 00
County of Plymouth,
598,550 00
Tables of Aggregates :
Residents assessed on property,
3,511
Corporations, Firms, Etc.,
686
Non-residents,
1,340
Polls assessed,
4,150
Polls exempted, Clause 18,
38
Polls exempted, Clause 23,
12
Horses,
148
Cows,
335
Neat Cattle,
14
Sheep,
23
Swine,
2
Fowl,
4,354
Dwelling Houses,
4,042
Acres of Land,
48,000
ABATEMENT ACCOUNT
Levy of 1927,
Dec. 31, 1927, Balance,
$1,026 09
Appropriation from 1928 Levy,
116 83
Dec. 31, 1928, Abatements :
Personal,
$625 25
Real,
870 87
$1,142 92
1,496 12
Overdraft to be assessed in 1929, $353 20
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Levy of 1928, Sept. 29, 1928, Overlay,
$9,737 19
Dec. 31, 1928, Abatements :
Polls,
$228 00
Personal,
440 22
Real,
1,550 92
2,219 14
$7,518 05
Reserve Overlay
Dec. 31, 1927, Balance, $9,837 05
Transferred to Reserve Account, 701 42
$9,135 63
We recommend an appropriation of $7,000.00 for sal- aries and other expenses.
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NATHANIEL G. LANMAN, CHARLES H. SHERMAN, THOMAS L. CASSIDY,
Assessors.
:
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WEL- FARE FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1928
Infirmary
Number of inmates remaining Jan. 1, 1928, 10
Admitted during the year, 8
- 18
Discharged,
3
Died, 1
-
4
Number remaining Dec. 31, 1928, 14
Nothing especially worthy of note has occurred at the Infirmary. Mr. and Mrs. Russell L. Dickson remain as Superintendent and Matron, respectively, with the same good care of the inmates as usual. Especially hard on the Superintendent was the care of Henry Buchanan, who died on March 3rd, 1928, as he was practically help- less for months before his death, and for weeks before the end needed care both day and night.
We have expended this year for the upkeep of the building $812.61, $438.00 of which was for reshingling the roof of the wood house, putting up steel ceiling to replace fallen plaster in the basement of the main build- ing, and some carpentry work, the balance being general repairs from time to time.
From the increase in the number applying for admit- tance to the Infirmary, and the record of those aided out- side, it is apparent that the year 1928 was harder for many people to get along in than any year recently. We have had also from six to a dozen people, mostly men with families, that we have given part time work to during
Plymouth Seven
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the fall and winter to offset aid either already granted or asked for.
The income of $13.64 from the Julia P. Robinson fund was expended by the Matron, Mrs. Dickson, for the ben- efit of the inmates.
Outside Aid
This form of aid has been given to 289 persons living in Plymouth and to 21 living elsewhere in the State, but retaining their settlements here. To this larger number both at the Infirmary and Outside, we attribute our extra expenditure and the overdraft of $3,554.51 with which we closed the year. A factor in this higher cost to the town in aiding its poor is the larger weekly amount given as compared to a few years ago. During the past year we have issued 735 written orders for food and fuel totaling $6,592.59, a little less than an average of nine dollars for each order, as a matter of fact the orders run from $3.50 to the single person for food, to $5.00, $10.00 and even $12.00 in one or two instances of large families. It is not many years ago that many a family got along on $3.00 per week, under about the same conditions. However taking the present day figures of the weekly budget for a family as prepared by some of the experts of today, we are apparently giving about half enough.
Occasionally we get a call from some of the younger, improvident, people who living up to the weekly wage as fast, or faster, than it comes, find that with the cessation of work, and with no credit in their "cash and carry" system of trading, that hunger is right at their own door, and thus some of them are obliged to apply to the town temporarily. At the same time we appear to be adding a slow but constant stream of expensive cases that stretch into the future with no promise of a quick ending. Dur- ing the past year death has closed three cases in which we had been paying at the average rate of $16.75 each for care and board, and in two of them the town had been interested for quite a term of years.
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Mother's Aid
This form of aid has remained at a standstill and we have to report the same three mothers and their eleven children as was reported at the close of 1927. For the amount of expenditures and reimbursements reference is made to the Accountant's figures appended at the close of this report.
Our total expenditure during the year for all classes of aid was $32,271.21, of which $3,491.81 was returned to the town from various sources, leaving $28,779.40 as the net cost to the town of aid expended in behalf of those persons needing relief.
We recommend an appropriation of $3,554.51 to care for the overdraft, and $32,000.00 for the use of this Board during the year 1929.
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DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Appropriation, (Including Mothers' Aid), $27,000 00
Appropriation Nov. 24,
1,600 00
Income from Trust Funds,
116 76
$28,716 76
Payments
General Administration-
Salary of Chairman, $50 00
Salary of Secretary, 350 00
Stationery and Postage, 87
All Other, 37 00
$437 87
Infirmary-
Salary of Superintendent, $624 00
Other Salaries and Wages, 1,245 60
Groceries and Provisions, 2,392 92
Dry Goods: Clothing, 340 43
Building, 812 61
Fuel and Light,
1,022 36
Equipment,
208 24
Hay and Grain,
276 22
Ice,
146 96
All Other,
472 36
Outside Relief by Town-
Cash,
$7,613 00
Rent, 2,823 00
Groceries and Provisions,
5,394 94
Coal and Wood,
1,197 65
Dry Goods : Clothing,
9 53
Medical Attendance,
243 70
Burials,
279 00
State Institutions,
182 00
Institutions other than State, 583 05
Care and Nursing, 1,792 24
7,541 70
20,118 11
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Relief Given by Other Cities and Towns-
Cities, Towns, 567 00
$1,495 79
2,062 79
Other Expenses- All Other, 4 80
$30,165 27
MOTHERS' AID Payments
Cash,
2,106 00
Total Payments, 32,271 27
Balance Overdrawn to be Appropriated by Town,
$3,554 51
INCOME FROM JULIA P. ROBINSON FUND Expended by the Board of Public Wel-
fare for Inmates of Infirmary, $13 64
PUBLIC WELFARE RECEIPTS AND REIMBURSEMENTS
Sale of Produce,
$199 16
Board in Infirmary,
555 00
Miscellaneous,
22 46
Individuals,
133 21
Cities and Towns,
1,189 60
State,
640 05
State (Mothers' Aid),
752 33
$3,491 81
WILLIAM T. ELDRIDGE, GEORGE L. GOODING, HERBERT W. BARTLETT, Members of Board of Public Welfare, Plymouth, Mass.
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PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
The following reports of the Librarian and the Presi- dent for the year ending Dec. 31, 1928, are respectfully submitted to the tax payers of the town:
It is hardly necessary for the President to make an ad- ditional report after the detailed one of the Librarian, but I feel that we should endorse some of the recommenda- tions in the Librarian's Report and express our apprecia- tion of the efficient service rendered by the working force of the Library during the past year.
We have added one full-time assistant who had been serving only part time. This seemed advisable and, of course, made an additional expense, but as the Library is growing in circulation, as you will see by the report of the Librarian, it must follow that the expense will in- crease.
At the time of our last report we were just complet- ing the room in the basement for the Children's Depart- ment. This Department has been in operation during the past year and is working very satisfactorily. This, of course, means some additional help and necessarily a slight increase in expense, but we feel that this change is a great benefit to both the Children's and Adult's De- partments as the children now use the side entrance and do not go through the main room of the Library, thus avoiding much confusion.
The three full-time assistants are doing very satisfac- tory work and we feel that they are entitled to some in- crease in salary, and it will be necessary to ask for a slight increase in our appropriation to meet this expense and to provide for additional books.
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We feel that the Town appreciates the work that the library is doing both at the Library and also its activities in connection with the Jordan Hospital and the branch library at Long Pond and hope that the Town will appro- priate the sum of $9,000 for the use of the library for the coming year.
Respectfully submitted,
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
Edward L. Burgess, President.
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REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR 1928
To the Directors of the Plymouth Public Library :
1928 has come and gone, and with it the busiest and most progressive year of our Library history. It is in- teresting to review briefly the events which have made this history, and which have contributed to the steady growth of our Public Library, which is sharing, as far as its resources will allow, the continued and rapid develop- ment of all other public libraries throughout North Amer- ica. The public library in the United States is an estab- lished institution, and as one foreign visitor remarked, "An American town would as soon think of being with- out a church, as without its public library."
It is most important to note here that the greatly in- creased use of the Library, which has practically doubled in every department since 1924, has taken place in almost the same population as that of 1924, and is not the result of a large, new influx of residents. It would seem that the granting of as many privileges as possible, the abol- ishing of all unnecessary red-tape, the untiring efforts of the staff to assist the public in every way, and to make the public feel that the Library belongs to them, that every request will be filled so far as it is in any way pos- sible, and last, but not least, the attempt to furnish a wide and unbiased variety of books for a wide and varied reading public has brought results.
However, with all this appreciated growth, the Library is far from being able to supply all of the demands made upon it. Our book supply, which should equal at least five books per capita, is still only one and three-fifths books per capita. In order to take care of the amount of work which has been done during the past year, another full time assistant is absolutely necessary. The American
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Library Association recommends one assistant to every 20,000 books circulated, and with a total circulation of 104,789 for 1928, five full time assistants should be pro- vided instead of the four which are now trying to carry all of this work. The response with which all of the Li- brary's extension activities have been met, has been more than gratifying, and the only problem is, how are these growing demands made by the schools, the branch li- braries at Long Pond, Ellisville and the Jordan Hospital, to say nothing of our immediate public, to be supplied ? When a request comes from a teacher for a set of books for reference work in her school-room, and there is not one book left to send her, then it is forcibly borne in on one that the need for more books is real and acute. After having considered the detailed record of the year's work which follows, it is to be hoped that the residents of Plymouth will feel that the Library has proved itself to be worthy of continued and increased support, as the demands made upon it multiply and as it grows in use- fulness and scope.
The big event in our 1928 history, was the completion and opening of the new Children's Room on March 15th, which was made possible by Miss Appleton's generous bequest of $10,000. This new room, which was remod- elled from a large part of the basement which had been used as a store-room, has proved to be most satisfactory in every way, and an immense relief to the congested con- ditions upstairs, as well as a great joy to the children under 14 (and many others who are older) who make use of it. The outside entrance eliminates all of the con- fusion caused by the children going in and out of the main door, and the large windows admit plenty of fresh air and sunlight. The most up-to-date and attractive equip- ment furnished by the Yawman & Erbe Company, com- pletes what everyone concedes to be a most attractive room. The chief result of the opening of this new room is the large increase in the circulation of the children's
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books, and the necessity for having additional help in the Children's Room at times. Miss Babcock, the Children's Librarian, finds it impossible to attend to all matters per- taining to the Children's Room, and there should be an assistant available whenever she is needed. This has not been possible during the past year, because of the rush of work and demands made on the assistants upstairs.
The development of the Intermediate Department, at one end of the Children's Room, for those boys and girls who are advanced readers, is proving to be a most worth while and interesting project, and helps tremendously in solving the problem for those readers who are not 14 in years, but who are much older mentally. "The Children's Story Hour" has been held as usual on every other Satur- day morning, from November until May. The first story hour of the winter took place in "Book Week," which was celebrated during the week of November 11th. Miss Margaret Kyle, the author of "Little Sister" was the story-teller, and the children were much delighted to have as their entertainer, the author of their beloved book. On December 21st, in honor of Forefather's Day, Miss Rose Briggs told many thrilling and inspiring incidents in the lives of the Pilgrim children. The other story- hours have been most successfully conducted by Miss Babcock. 269 children attended the Story Hours in 1928, and on these mornings, every chair, table, and window- sill is often occupied !
The 1928 "Book Week Celebration" was the first one to be held in the new room, and it was a most attractive exhibit in every way. The new books were arranged on a special table and in every nook and corner, and the walls were decorated with pictures and posters which most aptly portrayed the love of good books and encour- aged the habit of reading. Many parents visited the ex- hibit, as well as the hundreds of children. In connection with the celebration, a Poster Contest was held, and two books were offered as prizes for the best and second best
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posters presented by the pupils of the 7th grade in the Junior High school, which most effectively suggested the results to be obtained from an intimate contact with books. The posters were on exhibition in the Children's Room for several weeks, and brought forth much admir- ing and enthusiastic comment. The judges finally awarded the first prize to Carlo Guidoboni for his poster entitled "Enter This Place," and the second to Willis Roberts for "Let Us All Read." A "Book Week" film was also exhibited at the Old Colony Theatre throughout the entire week.
A large and important part of the work carried on by both the Children's Room and the Adult Department is the work in connection with the schools. The develop- ment and growth of this phase of our library activities has been a steadily increasing one, until now it is impos- sible to supply the demands made upon our small collec- tion of books. 7750 books were circulated by the schools in 1928, 5456 more than in 1926, and 1152 more than in 1927. This would be still larger if the necessary books were available. Since neither the High School nor the Junior High School maintains a library, all of their ref- ence work is done at the Public Library. In 1928, 11,457 reference questions were recorded at the Desk, more than three times the total number listed in 1926, and 3686 more than in 1927. When it is realized that the majority of these questions is the result of class assignments in home- work, the definite contribution from the Library to the educational system of the town can hardly be overesti- mated. The public library of today helps to finish what the schools begin, and the modern project method of teaching, which might use fifty books for one subject, in place of the one text-book of years ago, could scarcely be carried on without the aid of the public library. These facts should be realized by our citizens, because it is im- possible for the Library to supply the just demands made upon it by the pupils and teachers alike, without the neces-
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sary funds with which to employ adequate assistance and to buy the necessary books. During 1928, every school- room below the Junior High School, three rooms in the Junior High School, and three rooms in the High School were furnished with deposits of books. These deposits are changed as soon as the classes have finished with them.
An important development in connection with our school work has been that of instructing the 8th grade pupils of the Junior High School in the use of the Li- brary. Last year, from January until June, each English class was given two lessons, first in how to use the cat- alogue and find the books upon the shelves, and the sec- ond in how to know and use the reference books.
The interest in the State Certificate reading continues to increase each year, until in 1928, every 4th, 5th, and 6th grade in town was working for the Honor Certificates which are awarded by the Mass. Dept. of Education, through the Division of Public Libraries, to every boy or girl who has read 20 books on the State Certificate Read- ing List, five of which must be non-fiction. On Friday, June 22nd, for the sixth successive year, these schools observed the presentation of the Honor Certificates. The Librarian and Children's Librarian attended the exer- cises at the Cornish and Knapp Schools, where short dramas of the favorite books were presented and a long- er play, called "The Libr'y and the Joneses," which called forth peals of amusement from everyone present. So much interest is taken in these exercises, devoted entirely to portraying the benefits to be derived from loving good books, that this celebration is looked forward to more eagerly each year. After the plays were finished, the Librarian gave a short talk on the value of the "Certifi- cate Reading" and the love of books in general. 117 "Honor Certificates" were presented, 16 more than last year, showing that 2340 books were read for the Honor Certificates alone.
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490 children earned one or more Certificates toward their Honor Certificates, indicating that in all, 4790 books were read in connection with this one phase of our li- brary's work, as each Honor Certificate represents 20 books, and each separate certificate represents five books.
The total circulation of the past year was 104,789, the largest circulation in the history of the Library, and a gain 14,640 over that of last year, nearly twice the 54,943 of 1924, and over four times the 25,456 of 1916.
The total attendance of 59,964 for reading and study alone, again exceeded that of any other year by 6889. The adult attendance was 35,427, and the juvenile was 24,537. The gain of 6889 in the attendance was entirely in the adult department, but because of the separation of the two departments last March, a more definite line be- tween adult and juvenile has been drawn, and many over 14 in the past were probably counted as juvenile, while all over 14 are now counted as adults. Another year will give more accurate information about this.
The total circulation of 104,789 consists of 95,077 at the main desks, 7750 school circulation, 1186 at the Jor- dan Hospital, 604 at Long Pond, and 172 at Ellisville. Of the 95,077 circulated at the main desks, 70,286 was the adult total and 23,691 was the juvenile, which with its 7750 circulated by the schools, reached a total of 30,298, largest juvenile circulation on record. 1275 prints were circulated and 1838 periodicals. 321 Yiddish, German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Russian books were issued. The total non-fiction circulation from the main desks was 21,036, 14,058 of which was adult, and 6978 was juvenile.
180 books were borrowed through the Inter-Library Loan system, books which are too expensive or of too limited appeal for the Library to buy. The resources of the departmental libraries in Washington, the State House Library, the Massachusetts Division of Public Li- braries, the Boston Public Library, the Brookline Public
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Library, and that of Brockton, as well as the Medical, Congregational and New England Historical Society Li- braries are all available. Deposits in Italian, German and Yiddish are borrowed regularly from the Division of Public Libraries and exchanged when they have been read through.
During 1928, 1829 borrowers registered at the Library, 980 more than in 1927. Of these, 585 were new names, 391 were adult, and 184 were juvenile. The largest num- ber of new temporary borrowers, 187, was also recorded this year. The total number of active borrowers is now 3647. With our automatic expiration of the borrower's card at the end of every three years, only the active regis- trations are contained in the file.
1869 books were added to the Library including new books, gifts, and replacements. 58 books were discard- ed, and there are now approximately 22,008 books upon the shelves.
The Literary and Library Extension Committee of the Woman's Club has contributed its usual assistance in the collecting and distribution of the periodicals from Club members to the Boy's Club, the Marines, Jordan Hospital, County Farm, the Norwell State Police Bar- racks, and the Open-Air Hospital at South Hanson.
The Librarian has continued her weekly visits to the Jordan Hospital, and whenever it has been impossible for her to go, Miss Sampson has gone instead. This has been a most gratifying and satisfying experience, and 1186 books were circulated as a result of our efforts there. The little Branch Library at Long Pond is flour- ishing and growing under the generous and careful ad- ministration of Mrs. W. E. Randall, and 604 books were issued in that village during 1928, over 200 more than a year ago. This has been the first year of the Branch Li- brary at Ellisville, in the home of Mrs. Ernest Ellis, and 172 books were given out to the residents of that small hamlet. Mrs. Ellis wrote a most appreciative note, telling
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what great pleasure and comfort the books had given to everyone of the villagers, and how very grateful they were for this privilege.
In addition to the improvements in the basement, a new delivery desk, which was built and made to order, was installed in the Adult Department. This has been of immense assistance in the serving of our increasing pub- lic and is most satisfying in every way. The original desk was cut down and placed in the Children's Room. Two new double tiers of stacks were placed on the bal- cony floor, and a new bulletin-board was purchased for the Reading Room. That part of the Reading Room which had been the Children's Corner, has been con- verted into the Reference Corner, much to everyone's comfort and advantage. The dead linden tree at the cor- ner of the Library grounds has been removed, and a new cement sidewalk is a great improvement to the front of the Library. A fine new rubber mat, which was very much needed, adorns the entrance.
In concluding this report, the Librarian hopes that the following summary and recommendations will be care- fully considered : that with a circulation of 104,789, five full-time assistants are absolutely necessary in place of the four which we now have; that this last year it was possible to add only 16 more books than in 1927, and with our large increase in the circulation, it is clearly evident that many more books are needed to supply any- where near the varied demands which are made upon us. Our income is still the lowest of that of any library of our size in this part of Massachusetts, and our salaries among the lowest. In 1928 our total income amounted to about 79 cents per capita, 63 cents of which came from the town appropriation. It is earnestly hoped that the Di- rectors will do all in their power to obtain a larger ap- propriation for 1929, which will bring our income near- er the $1.00 per capita, which the American Library As- sociation recognizes as a minimum for a library's sup-
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