USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Town annual report of the offices of Fairhaven, Massachusetts 1909 > Part 4
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Stamped postal cards are provided the physicians on which they make their report and return to the secretary of the board.
The board recommends that the collection of swill and
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garbage be let out by contract, to some responsible person or persons who will satisfy the board as to their ability to collect garbage in a sanitary manner.
The board has endeavored to eliminate the practice of allow- ing children to collect garbage by issuing permits to adults only. Twelve such permits have been granted.
On petition of the fishermen of Fairhaven, the clam and quahog licenses-to take clams and quahogs from polluted waters-the board declared all licenses issued prior to Aug. 1, 1909, null and void, and granted new permits - to citizens of Fairhaven only. One hundred and eighty-four such permits were granted.
The board wishes to call the attention of the public to a very important notice (Chap. 80, Sec. 78, of the Public Statutes) : When a householder knows that a person within his family is siek with smallpox or any disease dangerous to the public health, he shall immediately give notice to the selectmen or board of health of the town in which he dwells. If he refuses or neglects to give such notice he shall forfeit a sum not exceed- ing $100.00 (one hundred) dollars.
We want to impress upon the citizens of the town the great importance of this statute, as the secretary of the board has to notify immediately the superintendent of schools, the public library officials and the state authorities.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES P. MAXFIELD, CHARLES E. WESTGATE, ANDREW N. BRUCKSHAW, M. D.
THE MILLICENT LIBRARY FAIRHAVEN, MASS.
ANNUAL REPORT 1909
105
OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES OF THE MILLICENT LIBRARY 1893-1910
President
HENRY H. ROGERS
1893-1909
HENRY H. ROGERS
.
1909-
Vice Presidents
WALTER P. WINSOR
1893-94
GEORGE H. TABER
1895-96
GEORGE H. TRIPP
1897-98
THOMAS A. TRIPP
1899-00
JAMES H. GILLINGHAM
1901-02
JOB C. TRIPP
1903-04
JAMES L. GILLINGHAM
1905-06
FREDERICK B. LYMAN
1907-08
THOMAS A. TRIPP
1909-
Treasurers
JAMES L. GILLINGHAM
1893-94
MRS. LIZZIE F. NYE
1895-96
WALTER P. WINSOR
.
1897-
Secretaries
THOMAS A. TRIPP
1893-69
MISS ELLEN H. AKIN
1895-06
MRS. SARAH C. ANTHONY
1897-98
MRS. LIZZIE F. NYE
1899-00
DON C. STEVENS
1901
DREW B. HALL
1901-
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Standing Committees 1910
Book Committee :-
H. H. Rogers, President; T. A. Tripp, Vice-President ; G. H. Tripp, Mrs. Anthony, M. R. Brownell.
Finance Committee :-
W. P. Winsor, Treasurer; Mrs. Broughton, E. L. Besse, Mrs. Nye, James L. Gillingham.
House Committee :-
Mrs. Winsor, Miss Akin, W. E. Benjamin, G. B. Luther, J. C. Tripp.
Trustees
Miss Ellen H. Akin
1893-
Edmund Anthony, Jr.
1902
Mrs. Sarah C. Anthony
1893-
William E. Benjamin
1893-
Edward L. Besse
1893-
Mrs. Cara R. Broughton.
1893-
Morris R. Brownell
1909-
James L. Gillingham
1893-
George B. Luther
1909-
Frederick B. Lyman
1904-09
Mrs. Lizzie F. Nye
1893-
Henry H. Rogers
1893-1909
Henry H. Rogers
1909-
Don C. Stevens
1893-01
George W. Stevens
1893-08
George H. Taber
1893-01
George H. Tripp
1893-
Job C. Tripp
1902-
Thomas A. Tripp
1893-
Charles W. White, Jr.
1902-04
Mrs. Mary G. Winsor
1893-
Walter P. Winsor
1893-
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LIBRARIAN'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DEC. 31, 1909.
To the Trustees of The Millicent Library:
I have the honor of presenting the librarian's report for 1909 :
Growth
The additions for the year number 941 volumes to the main collection, and 406 to the school collection at a cost of $1,166. Two hundred and ninety-eight volumes were rejected, leaving a net gain of 643, which brings the main collection up to 19,984 volumes. Of the 941 volumes of additions, 497 were new titles, 107 were additional volumes, making 604 of new matter, and the remaining 346 were additional copies. Four hundred and forty-five volumes were fiction, 63 useful arts, 61 travel, 56 fine arts, 54 education, statistics and folklore, 52 bound periodicals, 51 biography, etc. The books added to the children's room numbered 252, of which 79 were new titles.
One hundred periodicals and newspapers were subscribed for at a cost of $270; of the more popular, from two to four copies are taken.
In the spring some eight hundred volumes suitable for collateral reading were placed in collections of about forty in each of the twenty rooms at the grade schools. The collec- tions, which are changed from room to room twice a year, are in the care of the teachers, who report large use of them both in connection with classroom work and for home reading; the use at home running up to eight hundred issues in a month and more.
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Binding
Over nine hundred volumes needing the attention of a binder were carefully examined; 298 volumes were rejected, 470 re-bound, and the remainder repaired by the regular staff.
Registration.
Three hundred and sixty-six persons received borrowers' cards; adult residents of Fairhaven 125, of school age 130, residents of New Bedford 25, and of other places 86. These names bring the total registration since May, 1902, to 4,153. The exact number of cards in use during the year was not determined, but is considerably less than 4,000.
Home Use
The number of current (unbound) periodicals issued was 6,926. The number of bound books issued from the main collection was 38,311, from the fiction pay duplicate collection 892, and from the school room collections 4,990, a total of 44,193 bound volumes. The total number of pieces loaned therefore is 51,119.
The Building
Besides the usual numerous minor repairs and improvements new Persian rugs were purchased for the space about the loan desk, a new table built for the reading room, electric fixtures placed upon the tables, and the furniture cleaned and refinished.
Personal
During the spring, a trustee, Rev. F. B. Lyman, resigned because of removal from town and was succeeded by Mr. Morris
109
R. Brownell. On May 19, the founder of the institution and president of the board suddenly passed away to the great sorrow and loss of all his associates. His son, Mr. Henry H. Rogers, has been elected to his place and chair at the board.
The library staff remains the same as for the past five years. Members of it have attended the sessions of the national and local library organizations. The Librarian was elected a member of the Council of the American Library Association at its meeting at Bretton Woods in June ; he also has continued to serve the Massachusetts Library Club as secretary, and as president of Cape Cod Library Club.
Very respectfully submitted,
D. B. HALL, Librarian.
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LIBRARY STAFF
LIBRARIAN AND SECRETARY.
DREW B. HALL July, 1901-
ASSISTANTS.
FLORA A. LEIGHTON, In charge of circulation EDA M. PERRY, Children's Librarian
January, 1903- February, 1905-
ANNIE THOMPSON, Cataloger
December, 1891-
JANITOR
WILLIAM O. SAWYER
April, 1907-
PAGE
JAMES L. GILLINGHAM, JR. July, 1908-
Additions and Withdrawals, and Circulation, 1909
ADDITIONS
WITH- DRAWALS
CIRCULATION
Adult
Young People
Total
Adult
Young People
Pay Duplicates
Schoolr'm Libraries
Fiction
138
163
37
107
42
487
170
68
21,172 20
6,409
892
28,473
General Works
3
6
9
*6,645
281
6,926
Philosophy
5
1
5
2
21
2
175
182
357
Sociology
21
12
5
16
54
2
6
475
743
1,218
Language
·2
2
11
15
3
80
274
354
Useful Arts
56
4
1
2
63
3
2
989
168
1,157
Fine Arts
40
2
4
10
56
1
2
823
376
1,199
Music
16
5
1
2.2
1
139
49
188
Literature
29
2
5
3
39
1
9
950
941
1,891
Travel
40
3
7
11
61
4
8
1,359
744
2,103
History
13
1
S
26
3
5
429
452
881
Biography
30
11
5
5
51
5
471
164
735
Totals
418
271
79
173
42
406
1,389
186
112
34,315
10,920
892 4992
51,119
Not classified
22
1
2
402
137
539
Natural Science
12
9
1
Pay Duplicates
Schoolr'm Libraries
Total
New titles
Add. copies & volumes
New titles
Add. copies & volumes
Adult
Young People
20
Periodicals
52
52
186
186
Religion
13
5
Not classified
*This "Circulation" is of unbound periodicals almost entirely.
FAIRHAVEN SCHOOL REPORT
1910
115
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
JOSEPH K. NYE,
GEORGE H. TRIPP,
DANIEL W. KENDRICK,
DANIEL W. DEANE,
THOMAS A. TRIPP, LEWIS E. BENTLEY,
Term expires 1910 Term expires 1910 Term expires 1911 Term expires 1911 Term expires 1912 Term expires 1912
Chairman. THOMAS A. TRIPP.
Secretary and Superintendent, FRANK M. MARSH.
Superintendent's Office Hours. Town Hall Wednesday, 4.00-5.00 P. M. Wednesday, 7.00-8.00 P. M. High School Monday, 8.30-9.30 A. M.
Monday, 12.00-1.00 P.M.
Appointments may be made for other hours.
116
SCHOOL CALENDAR,
1910.
Monday, Jan. 3 Tuesday, Feb. 22 Friday, Feb. 25 Monday, March 7 Tuesday, April 19 Friday, April 29 Monday, May 9 Monday, May 30 Thursday, June 30 Tuesday, Sept. 6 Wednesday, Nov. 23 Monday, Nov. 28 Friday, Dec. 23
Tuesday, Jan. 3 Wednesday, Feb. 22 Friday, Feb. 24 Monday, March 6 Wednesday, April 19 Friday, April 28 Monday, May 8 Tuesday, May 30 Friday, June 30
All schools close.
All schools close.
All schools close.
All schools close.
All schools close.
All schools re-open Washington's Birthday Mid-winter vacation All schools re-open Patriots' Day Spring vacation All schools re-open Memorial Day Summer vacation All schools re-open Thanksgiving recess All schools re-open Christmas vacation
1911.
All schools close.
All schools close. All schools close.
All schools close. All schools close,
All schools re-open Washington's Birthday Mid-winter vacation All schools re-open Patriots' Day Spring vacation All schools re-open Memorial Day Summer vacation
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING, Feb. 22, 1910.
VOTED-That the report of the Superintendent of Schools be accepted and adopted as the report of the School Committee.
VOTED-That the Board ask for an appropriation of $20,000 the sum necessary to maintain the schools on the present basis.
118
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
To the School Committee of Fairhaven :-
In accordance with your regulations, I present the following brief, annual report relating to the organization and manage- ment of the school department. Appended to this report are the customary financial and statistical tables, which in a con- densed form present the main facts as to expenditure, enrol- ment, attendance, teachers, equipment, and so forth.
In the main, the location and organization of grades and classes has remained the same as last year. It was then re- ported that the opening of private schools had reduced the number for that year on an average of three and one-half pupils per room, though this decrease in numbers was so scattered that it did not make it possible to reduce the number of school rooms. At the opening of school last September, it was found that the number of pupils returning to the public schools, to- gether with the increased enrolment, made it impossible to care for as many grades at the Oxford school as had been planned, thus making it again necessary to transfer the eighth grade to the Rogers School, and place part of the sixth grade, together with the fifth, in the old High school building. The Oxford school has been able to care for the first, second, third, fourth, half of the sixth, and the seventh grades, by crowding a part of the third and fourth grades into one room.
The conditions and reasons for closing the New Boston school one year ago, as discussed in our last report, were un- changed in September, when it was decided by the board that it would be inexpedient and unwise to re-open this school at
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that time, consequently the pupils from this section have con- tinued to be conveyed in the school car to the central schools. A comparison of the financial statement of 1909 and 1910 shows that there has been a saving of $500.00 on teachers' salaries and that the increase in the cost of transportation resulting from the closing of this school has been less than $100.00. These pupils have been scattered among six different rooms, thus adding no expense for teaching.
All other pupils in the town from grade one to eight have been cared for in the six rooms at the Washington Street school, and the eight rooms and the hall at the Rogers school, while the preparatory class has as formerly been housed in the old High school building though the room has been over- crowded. The eighth grade, of 56 pupils, has also with diffi- culty been crowded into one room at the Rogers school. Unless serveral pupils withdraw from the present eighth grade, it will not be possible to accommodate them next year in one room in the old High school building.
A large class of seventeen was graduated from the High school in June. The number completing the preparatory class in June was smaller than for many years, besides, there were no pupils to enter from the town of Acushnet, which fact caused the enrolment at the High School to be a trifle less than report- ed last year. On the other hand, the total number enrolled in grades for the fall term is 931 as compared with 885 last year, an increase of 46. This additional number having been scatterd over all the grades did not this year involve any additional room or teaching force.
The greatest change during the year has occurred in the teaching force. Since June it has been necessary to locate and investigate many candidates in order to recommend five teachers for very important positions in the High school, and since our last report ten new teachers for the work of the grades. At the same time, in other schools of the Union, seven other new teachers including a Principal have been required. This
120
necessity of supplying twenty-two teachers out of a corps of fifty, within six months indicates something of the difficulty of keeping the work of the schools up to a fair standard of efficiency, as well as the amount of time and effort necessary to secure recruits for the places made vacant by teachers who have been constantly growing in ability and efficiency.
The general work of the schools has been carried on along lines already established in recent years. The manual training, cooking, sewing, physical training, being continued in the upper grammar grades, and gradually extended, whenever desirable and feasible, down to the lower grades. In this way the schools of Fairhaven have for some years attempted to meet that reason- able demand for some type of manual or industrial work in connection with the older studies. In order that it may be made clear to those who have failed to notice in former reports or have forgotten, it seems best here to re-state the fact that none of the work in manual training, physical training, and cooking, costs the town a cent from the public treasury. All of these practical and highly desirable subjects are worth the price that many of the towns are willing to pay for by town appropriation. The citizens, therefore, ought to consider it fortunate that these opportunities are available for our boys and girls in the grades, without any outlay from the public funds.
In this connection a suggestion regarding the expenditures of the regular town appropriation may be proper. It is a fact that cannot be controverted that the education of public school children is expensive; and, with the increasing demand upon the public schools, is bound to be no less expensive in the future. As has been before stated, it is very certain that every effort is made by everyone connected with the school depart- ment to keep the expenditure within the limit of actual neces- sity, and sometimes far within the necessity. A glance at the financial statement shows the cost of different depart. ments. The large expense has been for salaries of teachers, and here the expenditure is inevitable, since Fairhaven cannot
121
reasonably or economically pay any smaller salaries than at present, nor can fewer teachers be employed. The janitor service cannot be reduced in any way. The expenditure for supervision is pretty largely paid for by the state. The expenditure for transportation saves the maintenance of at least four schools, which would have to be conducted under very unsatisfactory conditions, at an expense of at least $3,000. This expenditure for transportation without any question makes a net saving. The expenses for repairs are for the varied minimum repairs that the exigencies of age and weather make imperative. The largest items under this head have been the re-building of the tops of the large chimneys and repairs on the copper work of the roof, also the re-building of the platform and stairs at the rear entrance at the Oxford school; and at the Rogers school where the east side of the tower had to be re-pointed. Here also repairs to the copper work on tower and roof had to be made. In addition, a new floor was put down in the lower corridor, which is only a start on work that should be continued until all the present old floors, which are in a very bad condition, are replaced. The expenditure for books and supplies of all kinds has been not much over $1.00 per pupil for the entire year. While under the head of miscellaneous comes the items of water, light, equipment, clerical work, census, printing, care of grounds, etc.
However, it has been possible, with help outside the regular appropriation, for Fairhaven to have the advantages of schools of well-known excellence, and still have the cost per pupil far below the average in the state, and much below the average of towns having equal advantages.
Those of us who were educated twenty-five or fifty years ago, sometimes look back and question why the narrow school curriculum of those days is not adequate and sufficient to meet the demands of the present, but we fail to realize that the home in those days, in the majority of cases, was an educational center in itself, which furnished the training along the manual
122
and technical lines which is now, in most cases, impossible of realization with the changed economic and social conditions.
How many of our successful business and industrial managers got their manual training and their executive and industrial be- ginings on the farm or in the shop of their fathers, where either necessity or environment brought the boys and girls under the broad educational influences which were not thought to be educational, since they were not under the school roof. As a prominent public man has recently said-" The school then had a narrow curriculum and the home had a broad curriculum." That is, the home was half home and half shop.
Now that the father is so busily and constantly enwrapped with the commercial and industrial demands of these rushing times, he is able to give almost nothing in the way of education to his boy. Likewise the modern mother has so many demands upon her time outside the home that there is little time or oppor- tunity for the splendid training in domestic art and home economics that was practiced in the home of twenty-five or fifty years ago. To overcome the disadvantages of this narrow curriculum, in recent years, the demand upon the public school to broaden its curriculum, to meet these phases of education, has been irresistible. The situation has been reversed to a certain extent so that it is now becoming necessary with the narrowness of the home curriculum, to broaden the school curriculum, and make the school half school and half shop.
In order that the boys or girls of the grammar school and first years in the High school may have an opportunity to get that kind of an education, which for some boys and girls is the only kind of training that appeals to them, courses have been established which tend to utilize these motor impulses and interests, which at this period of life are strong and which, unless given opportunity for exercise in connection with the more formal training, impel such boys and girls to break off completely their educational opportunities, and flock to the stores and factories. Possibly the tardy realization of the
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necessity of this kind of training provided by the public schools at public expense, has been the cause for a somewhat radical demand for industrial education, and caused some to swing to the extreme in this direction.
As pointed out in our last report, there have been many rad- ical extremes in thought and action both for and against the in- troduction of this phase of education. Fortunately, however, the legislature under the direction and influence of Governor Draper, has made possible a new or re-organized state Board of Education. The appointment of a commissioner, with two assistants with greater powers and opportunities, makes the out- look for larger and wiser development of our educational in- terests much brighter than ever before.
That Fairhaven boys and girls have now for several years been afforded opportunities in the most desirable of these newer phases of education is a well known fact to all ex- cept a few who have failed to take note of repeated explanation to this effect. It has become a sort of chronic habit on the part of some newspaper and magazine writers to claim that high schools are extremely narrow in their aims, offer prepara- tion only for college, and consequently work along classical lines. However much this criticism may belong to some high schools in some communities, it is nevertheless a fact that the Fairhaven High School has for a number of years had the broadest kind of aims ; and as soon as it was possible by our present equipment the widest kind of opportunities have been afforded, not only for preparation for college, for technical schools, for normal schools, but such courses as will help to prepare pupils for commercial and industrial positions. No better testimony as to the success of the efforts to provide op- portunities for boys and girls to prepare themselves for higher education or for active life can be found than in the list of graduates, and their occupation, as published in this report. Not only do the pupils have the choice of the several main courses, but all pupils have many and varied opportunities in
124
domestic art, domestic economy, physical and manual education, · free hand drawing, mechanical drawing, sewing, dressmaking, etc., through which they may discover for themselves something as to their tastes and abilities, thus sowing the seeds for growth and development along the lines of least resistance and of greatest adaptability.
Owing to the necessity for keeping expenditures down to the lowest possible minimum, the supply of text books has been year after year kept far below the real needs of the schools, and so badly worn and soiled from use, over a period more than double the usual life of text books, that it is absolutely necessary to make provision for replacing these worn out and worthless books, and for the purchase of additional books.
This year the work of the grades has been made much more efficient and satisfactory by the introduction of new texts in language and grammar, and it has also been possible to pur- chase new texts in physiology and hygiene which are modern and helpful, and in sympathy with the present movement for better sanitation and civic improvement, and in the general conditions of healthful living than any books before prepared.
During the year consideration has been given to the ways and means of improvement in methods of teaching writing, and we hope soon to make some recommendation which will promise better results in this subject.
It is certain that in the near future some more reasonable and sanitary substitute will have to be made for the common drink- ing cup and the common towel in all public places. The school department has in recent years experimented with indi- vidual paper towels and with individual paraffine drinking cups, the expense and practicability of which is still a matter of question. It is a fact, however, that a large majority of our children provide themselves with their own drinking cups, and would the parents of all children be sufficiently interested in protection of their individual children to instruct them to pos-
125
sess their own drinking cups, the demand upon the school de- partment to furnish them would not be necessary.
In connection with the general effort in recent times to safe- guard the health of people, and of school children in particular, there is a far more important question which I wish to mention. In the large majority of cases pupils who are entering our schools at the age of five are altogether too immature and un- developed, physically and mentally, not to suffer from the close confinement and formal work of the schoolroom. The evils of this early entrance at the age of five have been reduced by the half-session plan. However, theory and practice are very much in favor of the entrance age limit being fixed at six years.
Two results follow such a plan. First, less useless effort has to be expended upon children who are mere babies, and whose slow development makes it impossible for them to be prepared to take up second grade work in one year. Second, such child- ren are not subjected to the discouraging necessity of being prematurely forced to do mental tasks for which they are not sufficiently developed. Furthermore, this immaturity and the consequent struggle of the part of many to keep up with the demands of the grades often affects the pupil's work and atti- tude through all the grades, and sometimes extends to the High school, providing such pupils do not get discouraged and drop out before reaching the end of the grammar course.
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