USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Rockland > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Rockland Massachusetts for the year ending 1945 > Part 10
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Garageman Fore River Laborer
Unemployed Asst. Treasurer Shoeworker Clerk
Window Dresser Shoeworker Shoeworker Laborer Metal Worker Fireworks Telephone Co. Shoe Operator Shoeworker Shoeworker Retired Clerk Janitor Barber Pattern Maker Newspaperman Radio Flagman Shoe Operative Lineman At Home Postal Clerk Bank Clerk Farmer Auto Dealer Bookkeeper insurance Letter Carrier Salesman Manager Shoe Worker Merchant
177
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
Ryan, Michael J., 406 Liberty St. Schapelle, Peter C., 46 Vernon St. Simmons, Harry A., 43 Linden St. Smith, James B., 27 Taunton Ave. Stevenson, Fred, 35 Highland St. Tilden, Harold L., 59 Cliff St. Toothaker, Oliver H., 618 Market St. Trainor, Paul J., 196 Myrtle St.
Vining, Charles H., 449 E. Water St. Williamson, Waldon P., 476 Liberty St.
Woodward, Warren B., 74 Church St.
Merchant Shoe Operator Expressman Lineman Fireworks Florist
Salesman
Shoeworker
Clerk
Clerk
Insurange Agent
ARTHUR H. MARKS, H. BERNARD MONAHAN, JOHN W. ROSS, Selectmen of Rockland
178
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
Report of Forest Fire Warden
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen
Gentlemen:
There was a decrease in the number of grass and woods fires during the year 1945 from previous years. This de- partment answered 55 calls during the year. The most serious and largest woods fire was off Pleasant Street.
For a number of years the combination of the Fire De- partment has been used as a Forest Fire Truck but on ac- count of its condition we have had to use our 750 gallon pump to answer woods and grass fires which makes it im- possible to go off the road to fight fires on account of the weight of this truck.
I believe that a small truck fitted up for forest fire fighting should be bought by the Town and therefore am asking that an article be placed in the Town Warrant ask- ing for the purchase of a Forest Fire Truck at a cost of $3500.00.
Again I wish to bring to the attention of the people that according to the State law there can be no out of door fires during the months of April and May therefore no permits can be issued. Permits must be secured for out of door fires at all other times during the year except when there is snow on the ground.
Respectfully submitted,
CLYSON P. INKLEY,
Forest Fire Warden
179
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
Aid To Dependent Children Financial Report for 1945
The Aid to Dependent Children is carried on in much the same way as Old Age Assistance. The financing is by means of a town appropriation, reimbursements from the State, other communities and the Federal Government.
One chart has been prepared to show the overall pro- gram and the relative costs. The low figure of town cost in 1943 of $876.14 was due to the State catching up on de- linquent reimbursements and not by any change in admin- istration.
The trends compare to Old Age Assistance. Regulations have been changed from time to time increasing the bene- fits to meet rising costs of living. The budgets on A. D. C. are the most generous of all but they do not provide any luxuries.
The objective of the A. D. C. program is to make it finan- cially possible for a mother, usually a widow, to provide herself and her children with a living standard that in-i sures at least a minimum of comfort and respect. Institu- tions cannot duplicate the home and there is little cause to quarrel with such a program.
During 1945 this form of relief increased approximate- ly 50%. Such increases are unpredictable as they are the result of death and prolonged illness of the father. Social Security will in the future provide for a good percentage of such cases of death and a reduction in town expendi- tures should follow.
A change in the law in 1945 now makes provision for the father during periods of illness and it will no longer be necessary to care for the father under welfare.
Because of the increase in the number of cases it has been necessary to use a larger proportion of federal funds than normal. In addition the Finance Committee trans- ferred $1500.00 thereby making it possible to carry on the program in 1945 without recourse to a special town meet- ing.
180
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
The estimated amount of town funds that will be re- quired in 1946 is $10,500.00 and this amount has been sub- mitted to the Finance Committee for consideration.
Financial reports follow.
H. B. MONAHAN, Clerk Board of Selectmen
Estimated Program for Aid to Dependent Children 1946
Appropriation - Local Funds
$10 500 00
Federal Grant
Balance January 1, 1946
409 53
Estimated credits 1946
3 600 00 $4 009 53
Estimated expenditures
3 500 00
3 500 00
Estimated balance in Federal Funds 1-1-47
509 53
Total expenditures
$14 000 00
Estimated Credits: Federal Grants Mass.
$3 600 00 4 100 00
7 700 00
Estimated net cost to town in 1946
$6 300 00
Appropriation - Local Funds 1946
$10 500 00
Credits - Mass
4 075 66
6 424 34
Appropriation - Local Funds 1945
7 000 00
Credits - Mass.
3 002 15
3 997 85
Estimated Net increase in amount to be applied to taxation $2 426 49
AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN - Total Expenditures
O
1 2
4
5
(Thousands of dollars) 6
17 22
1314 15
$7,498.84
$1,985.66
$4,001.00.
$13,485.50
$5,018.05
$4,981.95 -
$2.859.95
1942
$12,859.95
$876.14
$6,034.56
$3.359.50
$10,270.20
$3,997.85
$3,002.15
$2,588,20
1944
$9,588.20
$4.424.34
$4.075.66
$5.567.37
1945
$14,067.37
Est. 1946
$5.500.00
$5,000.00
$3.500.00
$14,000.00
Solid portion of Bar Shaded portion of Bar Open space of Bar
Town Funds State Funds Federal Funds
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
181
7 8 9 10
1941
1943
182
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN
Appropriation - Local Funds
Transferred from Reserve Fund
$7 000 00 1 500 00
$8 500 00
Expended on cases
8 500 00
Federal Grant:
Balance available Jan. 1, 1945
2 714 25
Received during 1945
3 262 65
5 976 90
Expended From Federal Funds
5 567 37
Balance available January 1, 1946
409 53
Total expenditures for Aid to to Dependent Children
14 067 37
Credits:
Commonwealth of Mass.
4 075 66
Federal Grants
3 262 65
7 338 31
Net Cost to Town Administrative Costs of Aid to Dependent Children
Appropriation - Local Funds
none
Federal Grants:
Balance available January 1, 1945 Received during 1945
113 56
$392 13
Expended for administration
270 00
Balance in Federal Funds available January 1, 1946
122 13
Analysis of Administration Costs
Edith Duven, salary
$260 00
A. H. Marks, expense
8 00
Mass. Relief Officer Ass'n, dues
2 00
Total
$270 00
$278 57
$6 729 06
183
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
General Relief Including Infirmary Financial Report for the Year 1945
The General Relief program in 1945 has not changed materially from the last two or three years. As was men- tioned in the Old Age Assistance report men as an average are some two or three years older than their wives. In a case of a man drawing Old Age Assistance which in itself would be inadequate for a married couple it is necessary to provide what is known as a combination budget. The man draws Old Age Assistance and the woman is provided for under general relief until such time as she becomes 65 and can draw Old Age Assistance.
The change in the Aid To Dependent Children regula- tions whereby the father of the family can now be in- cluded in the budget will lessen the cost of general relief slightly.
Two charts have been prepared to show the overall ex- penditures, cost to the town and the proportion of cost of the infirmary. It would seem advisable to consider the pro- portion of cost of the infirmary to see if there could be a reduction without destroying the many desirable features of a town infirmary.
In considering this problem we should first realize that the day of the old poor farm has gone by. Other forms of more human relief have been provided making it possible for individuals to live in the community with respect rather than as inmates of an institution.
Our town infirmary in Rockland provides many very de- sirable features that would represent a loss to the town if it were done away with. Perhaps the most desirable feature is the fact that we are in a position to care for certain individuals who do not meet the requirements of other forms of relief thereby allowing them to remain in their own home town rather than as inmates of some State institution.
We also have had individuals on Old Age Assistance that requested their Old Age be taken away so that they could
184
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
enjoy the comforts that they could not secure otherwise. Under the law an individual drawing Old Age Assistance cannot remain at the infirmary for more than 30 days.
We have given much thought to what method might be employed whereby all of the desirable features of the In- firmary could be retained with some relief to the tax- payer. There seems to be only one solution and that is to operate the infirmary as an independent rest home. Under these conditions it would be possible for individuals draw- ing Old Age Assistance to live there and pay their board.
The purpose of such a plan would be to make use of idle facilities thereby spreading certain overhead costs over a larger group with a cash return in board that is not now possible.
When we speak of individuals on Old Age Assistance who might desire to live at the home we mean those that are not eligible for rest home care. An individual to gain ad- mittance to a rest home must be certified by a physician as requiring such care. In addition we always have a few men who are not desirable as roomers or boarders. The rest homes don't want them for the amount the individual receives would not make it possible for them to live under such conditions on a budget not designed for that purpose. People don't want them as roomers because of physical conditions and the individuals only recourse is to try and secure a room in some block and eat his meals out.
Under these conditions sickness has resulted because of neglect. We have had them come to us and practically beg to be taken into the infirmary under any conditions so that they could have a warm room and decent meals. They do not properly belong in the infirmary as welfare inmates but we could not turn them away and we had no recourse but to take them under those conditions.
In proposing such a plan of making the infirmary a rest home we cannot present an exact plan as to procedure and costs. If any plan is to be voted it would have to allow the Board of Selectmen to act in their judgment. The plan would have to be flexible to insure that whoever ran the home would not go broke or get rich.
185
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
Before bringing this plan before the people we have care- fully considered whether or not the town would be operat -. ing a rest home to the injury of those people who have in- vested their capital in such ventures. From our experience and the small number of such individuals that actually need such a home we cannot see where we would be in- juring the people who operate rest homes.
Under such a plan the costs would be no greater and we would have the benefit of paid board for at present idle rooms. The board would have to be set at a figure to in- sure a small profit on the food. Tentatively a figure of $10.00 a week would seem to be adequate and it needs no argument to prove that an individual would have con- siderable difficulty in hiring a room and eating out on this amount with any degree of comfort comparable to the in- firmary facilities.
As a final analysis we do not feel we should make a strong recommendation of this proposed plan as after all the people of Rockland are paying the bills and if they are satisfied to operate an infirmary at a cost of nearly $100.00 a week with legitimate town cases as low as two or three at times it should be their privilege to continue to do so. We do feel however it is our duty to point out that the cost at the infirmary is out of proportion to services returned and to bring it before the people for discussion and consid- eration.
An article is to be inserted in the Warrant to bring the question before the voters.
The financial report for the year 1945 follows:
H. B. MONAHAN, Clerk Board of Selectmen
186
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
GENERAL RELIEF INCLUDING INFIRMARY
Appropriation - Local Funds Expended
$23 000 00
22 309 06
Under appropriation
690 94
Credits :
Board at Infirmary $1 840 65
Received from Individuals 209 35
Received from other communities 301 27
Commonwealth of Mass.
1 001 43
3 352 70
Net cost to town
$18 956 36
Costs of Administration
Gerald Wheland, salary as Agent
207 70
Edith Duven, salary 658 65
A. H. Marks, expense 6 00
Hobbs & Warren, supplies
4 79 877 14
GENERAL RELIEF - Cost of Infirmary to Total Expenditures
(Thousands of Dollars)
0
3
6
9
12
15 18 . 21 * 24 27
30
33 36
39 42
45
1941
8.613.20
$39,451.27
1942
$5.923.70
$27,678.74
,
1943
$5.858.65
$22,397.75
1944
7,483.12
$21,648.19
1945
$6,771.93
$22,309.06
·
Est 1946
$7,500.00
$25,000.00
Solid Portion of Bar Open Space of Bar
Infirmary Costs Total General Relief including Infirmary
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
137
.
.
-
GENERAL RELIEF - Total Expenditures
(Thousands of Dollars)
O
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
27
30
33
36
39
42
45
$27,009.38
· $12,441.89
1941
$22,376.52
$5,302.22
1942
$18,480.09
$3,917.66
$22,397.75
1943
$17,722.47
$3,925.72
1944
$21,648.19
$18,956.36
$3,352.70
1945
$22,309.06
Est 1946
$21,500.00
$3,500.00
. #25,000.00
Solid portion of Bar Open space of Bar Total
Cost to Town Reimbursements from State, other towns and individuals Total expenditures
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
189
$39,451.27
$27,678.74
190
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
Analysis of Infirmary Cost
Earl Wyatt, salary as Supt. $1 219 92
Earl Wyatt, cash purchases 12 76
Frances Simeone, salary as cook
780 00
Brockton Edison Co., service
118 79
N. E. T. & T. Co., service
34 35
Water Dept., services
83 26
Old Colony Gas Co., service
69 98
Dr. A. H. Barron, medical service
63 00
Dr. N. A. Lough, medical service
4 00
Rockland Coal & Grain Co., supplies
766 83
Albert Culver Co., supplies
580 10
Fransosos Market, supplies
27 98
Tedeschi Market, supplies
188 02
Hickey Brothers, supplies
240 88
Pioneer Food Stores, supplies
153 38
Herbert Gardner, supplies
202 85
Michael Ryan, supplies
244 02
Boston Provision Co., supplies
100 49
Howard Street Grocery, supplies
138 30
M. Benotti Co., supplies
76 01
West Side Grocery, supplies
141 12
Market Street Grocery, supplies
79 40
H. H. Mock, supplies
184 32
Joseph A. Fern, supplies
32 80
M. D. Stetson Co., supplies
53 77
Harry L. Rome, supplies
12 25
Rome Brothers, supplies
80 46
Alice L. Holbrook, supplies
7 00
Lewis H. Smith, supplies and labor
167 00
Dr. Benjamin Lelyveld, services
6 00
Fred S. Delay, supplies 41 20
Harold E. Thayer, supplies
.7 50
Herman Rome, supplies
8 15
J. E. Sullivan & Sons, funeral
100 00
Lawrence Griffin, services
10 00
Handschumacker & Co., supplies
5 54
Hayden's Service Station, supplies 47 86
Glenwood Range Co., supplies 1 43
191
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
William Bell, supplies
16 50
Everett C. Ford, supplies 4 32
Rockland N. S. Laundry, services
25 80
Anthony F. Gawrouski, services
15 00
Kings Poultry Farm, supplies
7 50
Tovia Jarvinen, supplies
4 00
Park Street Fish Market, supplies
2 65
Frank P. Mills, services
10 94
Reformatory for Women, supplies
18 82
McManus Box Co., supplies
7 00
H. A. Cook, services
3 00
The C. B. Dolge Co., supplies
3 86
FitzGibbons Service Station, supplies
7 18
Forsberg Electric Co., service and parts 111 40
H. F. Davis Tractor Co., parts
11 19
Arthur Synadies, services 6 00
Rockland Hardware, supplies
49 42
Quality Fish Market, supplies
6 43
J. B. VanDoren, supplies
2 00
Boston Janitor Supply Co., supplies
34 22
Comm. of Public Safety, service
5 00
Rockland Shoe Repair, services
3 30
Nemasket Trans Co., services
85
Roland S. Poole, services
13 00
J. S. McCallum, services
103 29
Dr. Ralph Briggs, services
5 00
Clarence Damon, services
62 03
A. S. Peterson, supplies
9 34
Ranney's, supplies
8 47
Mass. Reformatory, supplies
6 54
Total Cost of Infirmary
$6 771 83
192
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
Old Age Assistance
During the year 1945 the Old Age Assistance program has continued to be very active. On January 1, 1945, there was a total of 238 cases. The year ended with a total case load of 240.
Sixty-three new applications were received during the year. Of this number, 49 were accepted, and added to the rolls; 13 cases were rejected, not being eligible under the existing law. One application was withdrawn voluntarily.
While the total cost of the Old Age Assistance program amounted to $121,838.97, the net cost to the town was $7,933.04. Federal contributions, state reimbursement and amounts paid Rockland by other cities and towns, amounted to $113,905.93. Thus the net cost to the Town of Rockland does not seem too great in comparison to the vast benefit to the aged of our town, who through no fault of their own, have found it necessary to seek assistance.
The liability of children to support their parents had to be determined and enforced according to the Old Age As- sistance law. This entailed much additional work in re- viewing budgets, since many children were found liable to support, due to their high wages in defense employ- ment.
As of January 1, 1946, there has been a liberalization of the law, regarding liability of children for support of their parents. Many children who were liable under the old law, will no longer be liable under the amended law for 1946. This no doubt, will mean a larger case load and a more costly budget in 1946.
It shall be the continued duty and responsibility of the local Department to administer the Old Age program with fairness and justice to the aged citizens of our town who find it necessary to apply for aid. At the same time, our responsibility to the tax payer who makes the aid possible, will not be overlooked.
JOHN W. ROSS, Chairman Bureau of Old Age Assistance
. .
193
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
Bureau of Old Age Assistance Financial Report for the Year 1945
During 1945 Old Age Assistance was subject to con- siderable publicity as a result of agitation to induce the Legislature to change the regulations increasing the bene- fits. Because of this publicity and subsequent action by the Legislature a more detailed and comprehensive report is made than usual.
Old Age Assistance since its inception has been a pro- gram, instituted during a depression period, for one pur- pose; to insure to people beyond the usual employable years a position of security in the community with at least a minimum of comfort. As it is a program of relief by the State these comforts cannot be granted much beyond the bare essentials of food, shelter and clothing. The medical part of the program however is a generous one. Physician's services, rest home care, medicines, appliances and hospi- talization are all provided to whatever degree required.
Old Age Assistance as a program of the State has not met with favor with all groups of people. There are those who feel that security in old age is a personal responsibil- ity and one to be earned by thrift. These people cannot reconcile a new order of looking to Washington as the Great White Father who provides all.
This group is probably fundamentally right in their thinking but the economics of the last few years have re -! sulted in certain conditions that were not present a gen- eration or so ago. During the depressions years great numbers of people were without work and in an age where 40 years was considered as undersirable for employ- ment the elderly people were really up against it. The prob- lem was terribly serious and Old Age Assistance was in- stalled more or less as an emergency measure and taking into consideration the conditions that brought it about we perhaps should not be too critical of flaws. The thoughts of the group that security is a personal responsibility did bear fruit in the fact that a wage deduction plan of Social Security came into being.
194
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
Passing through the first decade of the Old Age As- sistance program we find in 1941 the thought emerging or perhaps still prevalent from the past, that children who were financially able should assume or contribute to the support of their parents before they became a public charge. The first law to achieve this purpose was a cau- tious one and not much more than a gesture as it lacked practical means of application.
In 1943 the Legislature in a good part of improved eco- nomic conditions-and to a certain extent public feeling- put some teeth into the law. The exemptions of liable chil- dren were lowered and Bureaus of Old Age Assistance were ordered to prosecute cases in which the law was not being complied with. Severe penalties could beimposed upon a town if it failed to comply with the law. Unpleasant court action resulted in our town and other towns for those children who did not contribute to the support of their parents as the law prescribed.
In many cases tragic family situations developed and as a result a storm of protest arose throughout the State. The sad part was that in the majority of cases it was the old folks who suffered and even family ties were torn apart. The Legislature of 1945 tempered its views on the liability of children and recognized that exemptions had been placed at such a low figure that a son or daughter would need to deprive himself or his family in order to meet the requirements of the law.
The exemptions allowed children before being compelled to support their parents were revised upward and effec- tive January 1, 1946 most children will be within the al- lowable exemptions and they will not be expected to con- tribute to the support of their parents. This will be dis- cussed in more detail later in this report.
The administration of Old Age Assistance in Rockland is the duty of the Board of Selectmen acting as a Bureau of Old Age Assistance more commonly known as the "Board."
The duties of the Board are to grant Old Age Assistance to worthy applicants in accordance with regulations es-
195
TOWN OF ROCKLAND
tablished by acts of the Legislature. Each applicant as a citizen is entitled to full and just consideration without re- gard to race, creed, color or political sympathies. In striv- ing to fulfill this responsibility we cannot at the same time forget that we are the paid employees of the tax payers of Rockland with a duty to protect the interest of those taxpayers. If one group should be favored at the expense of the other we would not be doing our job in an honest manner.
A report to be a good report should present a picture of stewardship. This is the kind of a report that the citizens of Rockland are entitled to receive and is the kind that is our objective to present.
With this thought in mind a series of charts have been prepared to show the various trends. If these charts are carefully studied a fairly comprehensive picture may be obtained of the administration of Old Age Assistance in Rockland based on facts.
H. B. MONAHAN, Clerk Board of Selectmen
196
SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
CHART A - LOCAL FUNDS
The funds used in Old Age Assistance payments by the town of Rockland are derived from two sources, a town appropriation and reimbursements from the Federal Government which are available for expenditure without appropriation.
Chart A deals with town appropriations. The term ap- propriation is correct but it may be misleading as the en- tire amount is not derived from local taxation. In arriving at the amount to be raised by local taxation State reim- bursements are estimated by the Assessors and deducted from the amount appropriated and only the balance is ob- tained from local taxation.
The reimbursements received represent the share of the cost that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts assumes. Every dollar of cost assumed means one dollar less that the taxpayer of Rockland need pay. Therefore, it is to the in- terest of Rockland that the administration of Old Age As- sistance is such that the town can get full reimbursement on every case.
The State or the Federal Government will not make a reimbursement on a case if it is not in proper order and based on regulations governing Old Age Assistance. This means that if local administration is slack and individuals are granted Old Age Assistance benefits because of politi- cal favor rather than on merit the entire cost is borne by the taxpayers of Rockland.
The trend of Chart A showing a steadily decreasing pro- portion of cost is borne by Rockland indicates that the in- terest of the taxpayer has been protected. Another chart to follow will show that this was not accomplished by injury to the recipient of Old Age Assistance.
In 1940 Rockland taxpayers were paying a proportion of 38.7 cents of each dollar of local funds. By 1945 this proportion had been steadily reduced to a figure of 7.8, a reduction of 30.9 cents.
This reduction represents a saving to Rockland taxpay- ers of over $60,000.00 and it could not have been accom- plished with slack administrative methods.
Chart A
OLD AGE ASSISTANCE - Local Funds
(Thousands of Dollars)
119401941 1942 1943 19441945
in
10
15
20 25
30
35
40
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