USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the year ending 1944 > Part 22
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BUDGET
Of the 1945 appropriations, we have the following balance:
Salaries
$492.58
Fire Pay Roll
404.62
Equipment Maintenance 100.70
$997.90
HENRY WALTON, Forest Fire Warden.
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REPORT OF THE TOWN FOREST COMMITTEE
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
A lot of work has been done in the Town Forest. Trimming has been done on a large group of red pine, and all roadways have been widened. All fire lanes have been plowed. A lot of the hurricane damage has been cleaned up and a great deal more has to be done.
We had to spend some money on the tower and build- ing as the rain was leaking in, damage done by the hurricane.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN A. KENNEDY GEORGE L. GOODING JAMES A. WHITE
REPORT OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Following are the reports and activities of the Police Department for the year ending December 31, 1945:
Number of arrests for the year 1945:
Males 370
Females 33
Total 403
Amount of Fines Imposed
$3,776.00
Property Recovered 9,440.74
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MISCELLANEOUS WORK BY DEPARTMENT Complaints investigated
2,390
Auto accidents investigated
173
Pedestrian 13
Personal injury
45
Property damage
111
-
173
Prisoners detained for other departments
62
Summonses served for other departments
39
Summonses (no-fix) issued
178
Trips guarding mail
94
Bank Alarms (false)
2
Fatal accidents investigated
Drownings
3
Burned to death
3
Sudden deaths
6
12
Street lights reported out
97
Doors found unlocked
76
Beacon lights reported out
6
Night lodgers
48
Dog complaints to Mr. Hanson
51
Dead cats to Board of Health
33
Missing children located
13
Missing persons located
22
MILEAGE OF DEPARTMENT
Patrol wagon
740
Cars
65,828
Ambulance
6,492
Motorcycle
3,745
Total mileage 76,805
Respectfully submitted,
LEO M. MURPHY, Sergeant in Charge.
Cyclists
4
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF RETIREMENT
To the Citizens of the Town of Plymouth:
The Board of Retirement presents herewith its ninth report covering the activities and condition of the Con- tributory Retirement System for the year 1945.
All of our veterans of World War II, except one regular policeman and a few callmen, have returned to civilian life and, with one exception, to the employ of the town. We heartily welcome them back to our ranks and hope that the others may be back soon.
Chapter 658 of the Acts of 1945 comprises a complete revision of the contributory retirement law, effective January 1, 1946. Your Board has attempted in the follow- ing paragraphs to inform the members of the highlights of this new law, as they interpret it.
Any member of the system may now retire at the age of 55, a member in Group B (police and fire) must retire at age 65 and any other member at age 70. Persons be- coming employees after the age of 55 may not join the system but, unless they were employees when the system started, must leave the employ at the age of 65 in the case of police or firemen and at the age of 70 in the case of other employees.
There is a new formula for determining the amount of retirement allowance to be received upon retirement, which is simpler and generally more liberal than the old formula. Moreover, at the time of retirement, a member has his choice of one of three options. Option (a) gives the member the largest monthly allowance. Option (b) consists of a somewhat smaller monthly allowance, with the provision that, if the member dies before receiving in annuity payments a total amount equal to the total of his accumulated deductions, the difference shall be paid in one sum to his designated beneficiary. Option (c) consists of a still lesser retirement allowance but with the
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provision that two-thirds of the amount received by the retired member shall be continued, after his death, during the lifetime of the beneficiary designated by him at the time of his retirement.
. Deductions from member's compensation is now based on a full 5%. This affects only those receiving over $2,600 a year, where formerly the maximum deduction was $130 a year. This additional deduction will increase the amount of a member's retirement allowance. Any member who so desires may pay into the annuity savings fund, by increased deductions from his compensation, additional amounts over the regular 5% to be used to in- crease the amount of annuity at the time of his retirement.
There are benefits payable for ordinary disability, if, after completing ten years, in the case of a veteran, or twenty years, for non-veterans, a member becomes totally and permanently incapacitated for the further perform- ance of duty. There are also benefits for accidental dis- ability resulting from an accident occurring at any time while in the performance of duty. In order to protect his interests, every member should report to the Board any accident which might give rise to a claim for accidental disability benefits. This report should be in writing within ninety days after its occurrence. In case of death from an accident occurring while in the performance of duty, there are also benefits payable to certain classes of dependents.
In case of death of a member before retirement, the amount of his deductions with regular interest will be paid to the designated beneficiary. It is therefore impor- tant that every member should file with the Board a "Designation of Beneficiary" form. A member has a right to change his choice of beneficiary by filing a new form at any time, except in the case of a member who has retired under option (c).
A veteran who joined the system before July 1, 1939, has full and complete rights under the Veterans' Act and, if so retired, will be paid the amount of his accumulated deductions at the time of his retirement. Any employee
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retiring under either the Contributory Retirement System or the Veterans' Act for disability must first be examined by a Medical Panel, composed of one physician desig- nated by the state surgeon, a second physician designated by the retiring board and a third physician designated by the employee.
If a member permanently leaves the employ of the town, except to take up employment in another gov- ernmental unit working under the Contributory Retire- ment Law, his deductions with interest will be returned to him on request. However, a member who has twenty years or more of creditable service may leave his deduc- tions in the system and take advantage of a deferred retirement allowance.
Any former member of the system who seeks re-em- ployment within two years after leaving the system and withdrawing his deductions must repay with interest the amount withdrawn. Since this is a condition of re- employment, it is recommended that members leave their deductions in the system for at least two years after termination of service. Any member who ceases employ- ment after age 55 cannot withdraw his deductions but must retire, except in the relatively few cases where the retirement allowance would be less than $240 per year.
This new law contains an additional factor for a veteran retiring under the Contributory Retirement Act, which increases his retirement allowance. For a veteran in Group A retiring for superannuation this would amount to one-fifth of the normal yearly amount of allowance to which he would have been entitled had he not been a veteran, provided that such additional amount shall not exceed $300.
I. MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership Dec. 31, 1944 140
Enrolled during 1945 27
Reinstated 6
173
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Withdrawals
27
.
Members retired
3
30
Total active members
143
2. Pensioners Dec. 31, 1944 22
Members retired during 1945
3
25
Deaths
2
Total pensioners
23
II. RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
Balance reported Dec. 31, 1944
$66,893.00
1. Receipts:
Appropriation, March, 1945
$25,497.70
Deductions from members' salaries and wages
9,634.21
Income from interest
2,050.82
Profit from sale of bonds
342.94
Increase in value of bonds
360.17
$37,885.84
2. Expenditures:
Pensions
$18,118.38
Annuities
810.26
Accidental death benefits
2,161.12
Refunds to former members
4,171.34
Clerical services
364.00
Stationery, printing, postage
27.22
Dues and travel expenses
16.50
Rental of safe deposit box
9.00
Loss on sale of bonds
81.79
Decrease in value of bonds
388.97
$26,148.58
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Cash balance
$7,136.75
Balance in securities
71,493.51
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$78,630.26
III. BALANCE SHEET
1. Assets:
Plymouth National Bank $7,136.75
Plymouth Savings Bank 5,923.89
Plymouth Five Cents Savings Bank 3,824.38
U. S. Treasury bonds, 27/8%
1,057.42
U. S. Treasury bonds, 21/2%
19,000.00
City of Boston bonds
2,537.40
Chesapeake & Ohio Rwy. bonds
1,049.00
Louisiana Arkansas Rwy. bonds
3,972.97
Northern Pacific Rwy. bonds
3,865.05
Great Northern Rwy. bonds
3,352.67
Louisville & Nashville Rwy.
bonds 2,192.50
New York Central & Hudson River Rwy. bonds 3,206.25
Reading Co. Rwy. bonds 5,093.50
Pacific Gas & Elec. Co. bonds, 3's of '70 2,028.18
Pacific Gas & Elec. Co. bonds, 3's of '71 2,106.04
Public Service Co. of New Hampshire bonds 2,169.71
Southern California Edison Co. bonds 2,035.80
First National Bank of Boston stock 2,431.25
National Shawmut Bank stock 2,662.50
Brockton National Bank stock 2,985.00
2. Liabilities:
Annuity Savings Fund $50,472.48
Annuity Reserve Fund 6,621.65
$78,630.26
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Pension Fund
20,606.03
Special Fund for Military
Service Credit
687.99
Expense Fund
242.11
$78,630.26
Respectfully submitted,
RUSSELL P. DEARBORN, Chairman
CORA B. GRADY, Secretary HERBERT K. BARTLETT
Contributory Retirement System Board of Retirement, Plymouth
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE
The Board of Public Welfare presents herewith its Annual Report for the year 1945.
The members of the Board of Public Welfare on Janu- ary 1, 1945, were Harold S. Damon, Chairman, Gordon S. McCosh and Harold G. Roberts. At the Annual Town Election held March 3rd, A. Rodman Hussey, Jr., was elected a member of the Board for a term of three years and Harold G. Roberts was elected for a term of one year. Following the Town Election, the Board, on March 10th, organized with A. Rodman Hussey, Jr. as chairman and the other members Gordon S. McCosh and Harold G. Roberts.
On August 13th, A. Rodman Hussey, Jr., resigned as Chairman of the Board, effective as of August 1st, and on August 28th Harold G. Roberts was elected Chairman of the Board.
As provided for in Chapter 708 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth, A. Rodman Hussey, Jr., no longer being able to perform his duties as a member of the Board by reason of his Naval Service, the vacancy on the Board was filled as provided in the same Chapter, and on September 5th, Andrew Rae, Jr., was appointed a military substitute. No further change in the membership of the Board took place during the year.
The year 1945 has presented to the Board many diversi- fied problems of both War and Peace. The first part of the year, before V. J. Day, we were called upon for a variety of Services, frequently by the Federal Govern- ment itself, relating to Selective Service, dependents of men in the service, persons affected by rulings applicable to enemy aliens, children of working mothers, young workers, migrating workers and their families in cases
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of juvenile delinquency, social protection and for furnish- ing general information, advice and referral services to the public at large and for persons with particular prob- lems. Although many of these required services were not new to the Public Welfare Department, it did do a great deal to develop "Public Welfare" in the direction of a unified approach to those basic human problems of social adjustment and which are considered the area of responsibility of social work.
Since V. J. Day, August 14th, it has become increasingly evident that not only were such services needed in the upheavals of the war years but that such public functions in the field of social work should be discharged through agencies responsible to the public and that our Public Welfare Department has recognized and expanding re- sponsibilities to the citizens of our town, in the area of social work. These responsibilities are becoming more apparent as the social insurances expand and mature.
During the past year our Public Welfare workers have been continuously and painfully aware of the difficulties confronting those who depend upon public assistance, in securing suitable housing and they have seen and have become alarmed over the social results of poor housing conditions, overcrowding and doubling up of families in terms of juvenile delinquency and other problems of children, family maladjustments, bad health and per- sonal difficulties of all types. Much more could be said for the need of more adequate housing in Plymouth. "The welfare of the individual is the concern of all."
During the year we have had very fine co-operation from all of our local private agencies, the Jordan Hos- pital, and our resident physicians, dentists, druggists, manufacturing and business establishments.
One hundred and thirty "outside aid" cases have been assisted by our General Assistance Department during the year 1945. The expenditures and receipts for this type of assistance for the year were as follows :- Salaries, $6,787.90; other administrative expenses, $509.39; "outside
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aid" including aid to Plymouth settled cases in other towns and cities, $30,577.55; reimbursements from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, other cities and towns and from individuals were $5,731.44; income from trust funds, $125.55; leaving the cost to the Town of Plymouth for "outside aid" granted, $24,720.11. Total operating cost to the Town of Plymouth was $32,017.40.
INFIRMARY
The demands upon the services and facilities of the Town Infirmary have presented the usual problems during the past year and these problems have been well cared for by our Infirmary personnel.
The need for custodial and domiciliary care for those persons not eligible for other types of public assistance and those whose physical and mental well-being are dependent upon a way of living which can only be found in an institution, have been cared for at our Town Infirm- ary. These aged persons find institutional living a source of physical security and of satisfaction in "group living" and with association with others.
The type of care offered at our Infirmary is primarily custodial care as we are not equipped to care for sick or bed cases.
The necessary improvements have been made to the south building, so that when completed, will make an additional six rooms available for occupancy some time during the next year. Some emergency repairs were made that were not evident when the work was started and for which it was ncessary to expend funds not anticipated at the beginning of the year.
The Directors of the Town Infirmary have requested the Selectmen to hard surface that part of Spring Street from the Town Barn to Summer Street.
Twenty-two persons have been cared for this year with expenditures amounting to: Salaries, $2,447.73; other
F
t
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administrative expenses, $3,857.42; "inside aid," $4,336.10. Reimbursements from the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts, other cities and towns and from individuals, $2,905.28; from rentals, $72.00; from trust funds, $6.03; a cost to the Town of Plymouth for "inside aid" at the Infirmary for the year 1945 of $1,352.79. A net cost to the Town of Plymouth of $7,735.97.
HAROLD G. ROBERTS, Chairman GORDON S. McCOSH ANDREW RAE, JR.
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REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF OLD AGE ASSISTANCE
To the Citizens of the Town of Plymouth:
Presented herewith is the annual report of the Bureau of Old Age Assistance for the year 1945.
The total amount spent in 1945 was $215,228.97, of which $81,702.00 was received from the Federal Government as its proportionate share of the cost. Of the balance approximately $93,716.00 was reimbursed to the Town by the Commonwealth of Massachuusetts leaving the net cost to the Town $39,810.00. As the money contributed by the Commonwealth goes into the Excess and Deficiency funds of the town it is necessary for the town to appro- priate the State's share of the cost each year. .
Seventy-one applications were taken during the year of which sixty were approved for assistance. Forty-four cases were closed during the year, giving us a net increase in our case load of sixteen cases. We are now aiding three hundred and ninety cases under this category of assistance. Since the end of the war there has been a steadily increasing number of applications for aid, and it is anticipated that there will be a substantial increase in the load for 1946.
One of the reasons for the increase in the cost of Old Age Assistance is the fact that the State Department of Public Welfare issued new allowances for clothing and incidentals for all cases. Old Age Assistance is not a form of insurance or pension, but is a program under which payments are based on need. This means that the amount which an individual receives is actually based upon his or her own personal needs. Medical expenses, hospitali- zation, and other special needs are met when necessary.
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The State Department of Public Welfare issues a manda- tory budget with which we must comply. Every effort is made by the Federal, State, and towns to insure at least a minimum of security and comfort to persons over sixty-five years of age.
During 1944 and 1945 a considerable amount of money was contributed towards the support of Old Age Assist- ance recipients by their children. After the war with the resultant decrease in employment, the contributions of children began to diminish. The law with regard to contributions of children was changed radically on Janu- ary 1, 1946. With the new scale of exemptions and the fact that children's contributions are now figured on net rather than on gross income, these contributions have been virtually wiped out. This has resulted in an increase of over $1,200.00 per month which will greatly increase the costs for 1946.
The total amount expended for salaries for 1945 was $7,250.56 of which $3,465.34 was contributed by the Fed- eral Government, leaving a balance of $3,785.22 as the cost to the Town.
Respectfully submitted,
H. G. ROBERTS, Chairman HAROLD DAMON GORDON S. McCOSH ANDREW RAE, JR.
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AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN
To the Citizens of the Town of Plymouth:
Presented herewith is the annual report of the Board of Public Welfare for Aid to Dependent Children for 1945.
The cost for Aid to Dependent Children in 1945 was $40,146.95. This represented an average of 42 cases and 85 children with an average cost per case per month of approximately $78.89. Nine cases were added during the year and ten cases closed, making a net decrease of one case. The average cost per month increases gradually throughout the year as the aid for these cases is also based on need. A budget is figured in accordance with the number of people in the family and the needs of those people. These budgets change constantly as the children become older as the State mandatory budget provides different amounts for food and clothing according to the age of the individual.
Aid to Dependent Children is a form of assistance which provides allowances for the support of children under sixteen years of age, or under the age of eighteen if attending school, who have been deprived of parental care or support. The responsibility of this department is to meet the basic needs of these children and to enable them to be brought up in a suitable home. The Federal Government pays its proportionate share of the cost of this aid which is based on one-half up to $18.00 per month spent for the first child, and up to one-half of $12.00 expended for each succeeding child. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts reimburses one-third of the entire cost for this type of aid.
Of the amount of $40,146.95 spent in 1945, $7,468.96 was contributed by the Federal Government. The State's
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share of this cost was $13,382.32, leaving a balance of $19,295.67 as the cost to the Town.
Money contributed by the Federal Government as its share for the administration of Aid to Dependent Chil- dren is used for the salaries of the staff that administers this aid which is the same staff that handles the Old Age Assistance program. An amount of $836.58 was. con- tributed in 1945 for the administration of the Aid to Dependent Children program.
Respectfully submitted,
H. G. ROBERTS, Chairman GORDON S. McCOSH ANDREW RAE, JR.
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REPORT OF THE CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS FOR THE YEAR 1945
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The Board of Cemetery Commissioners present here- with their report for the year 1945.
It is with regret that the Commissioners have been obliged to accept the resignation of Mr. Edward R. Belcher from the Commission.
Mr. Belcher was elected a Cemetery Commissioner in 1932 and has served as Secretary during his term as Commissioner.
He was always interested in the work of the Depart- ment and his presence at our meetings will be missed by his former associates on the Board.
Mr. John B. Finney was appointed at a joint meeting of the Selectmen and the remaining Board members of the Commission, to fill the vacancy until the election of Town Officers in March 1946.
OAK GROVE AND VINE HILLS CEMETERY
Apart from the regular maintenance considerable work was done during the past year to complete the clearing up of damage caused by the hurricane of Sept. 1944.
This work has been completed.
We mentioned in the report of 1944 the desirability of continuing the work of hard surfacing additional drives in the Cemetery and asked that $1,000 be appropriated from a Cemetery Fund set up by the Town.
This fund was established and can be used for the purchasing and developing land for Cemetery purposes and for certain improvements.
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All money received from the sale of lots is deposited in this fund.
All appropriations from this fund have to be approved by the Town but do not affect the tax levy.
This requested appropriation was made but we were not able to do any hard surfacing on account of the diffi- culty of getting labor and materials.
We hope to be able to carry out this work during 1946 with the money appropriated last year and held over for this purpose.
The roof of the toolhouse has begun to leak and needs reshingling. The estimated cost of this work is $250 and we recommend an appropriation of this amount for this work.
BURIAL HILL
The hurricane damage on Burial Hill was confined principally to the uprooting of two large elms, with the result that the bank wall on Church St. at the two points where the elms were blown over was damaged.
This damage to the wall has been repaired and the tree tops removed and trunks sawed, but some work still remains to be done on the stumps.
We wish at this time to acknowledge the cooperation of Mr. John Kennedy, Supt. of the Moth Dept., in assist- ing with men and equipment in this tree removal work.
A section of walk on top of the hill was resurfaced with an Asphalt mix at a cost of $135.
CHILTONVILLE, MANOMET, CEDARVILLE AND SOUTH POND CEMETERIES
Some damage was caused to the fence around the Chiltonville Cemetery by the hurricane, but owing to the difficulty of getting carpenters only a part of the new fence necessary to replace the old one has been built.
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We will finish this work during 1946.
At the Manomet Cemetery twelve lots in the new part have been graded and loamed.
The Commissioners plan to continue this work the coming year and to develop approximately 30 lots by grading and loaming.
These lots will also be in the new section on the road- way parallel to the White Horse Road.
We request an appropriation of $1,000 for this work from the special fund mentioned in this report.
BUDGET FOR THE YEAR 1946
Appropriations requested:
Salaries:
Superintendent $2,164.37
Clerical Assistance 922.35
$3,086.72
Oak Grove and
Vine Hills $11,250.00
Burial Hill 3,300.00
C.M.C. and S.P. Cems.
2,200.00
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$16,750.00
$19,836.72
Special Account-Improvement of Cemeteries
$1,000.00
Respectfully submitted,
ARTHUR E. BLACKMER RICHARD T. ELDRIDGE JOHN B. FINNEY Board of Cemetery Commissioners.
T
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REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD
The Planning Board organized for the year 1945-46 with Allen D. Russell as Chairman and Arthur E. Black- mer as Secretary.
The Board completed the first section of the Post War Municipal Planning Committee report and filed it with the Selectmen. Due acknowledgement is given to those men who with the Planning Board made up this com- mittee. They were Messrs, Elmer C. Chandler, Theodore Brink, Abbott A. Raymond, Clifton C. Wood and Edward Chase. Most of the projects and the figuring thereon were done by these gentlemen, the Planning Board doing the collating and presentation. While little use has been made of this work as yet it is only because it was com- piled to meet an emergency which has not arisen, for which we should all be thankful.
At their various meetings the Planning Board gave further study to the question of parking, to disposition of the Knapp School, to the plans for the Westerly Route etc. The Board met with various individuals and groups and also formed a part of the larger committee appointed by the Selectmen to study the parking problem.
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