USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Town annual report of the offices of Fairhaven, Massachusetts 1934 > Part 6
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I would also suggest that the Selectmen investigate methods for the proper lighting of Huttleston Avenue Extension particular- ly at Huttleston Avenue and Bridge Street as the State Depart- ment of Public Works has ruled that it has no legal right to do anything in regard to night lighting of highways and it is the duty of the town to see that proper lights be installed as a safety measure.
Members of Committee: E. Philip Osberg, Raymond Babbitt, and Victor O. B. Slater, chairman.
Respectfully submitted,
VICTOR O. B. SLATER,
Chairman. 1
REPORT OF THE Emergency Relief Administration
Work under CWA was carried on till April 2, 1934, when all incomplete projects were transferred to ERA.
All work was stopped April 19, 1934 till May 3, 1934, and ap- plications for work relief were taken. Work started on May 3, 1934 and all assignments for relief work were made from local office. 791 applications for relief have been recorded, 597 men and 194 women.
At the end of December, 253 were employed on relief work, 200 men and 53 women. Of this force 76 were formerly on Wel- fare rolls and 14 on Soldiers' Aid.
Under CWA, January 1 to April 2, the following work pro- jects were completed :
Grading and Repairing Shaw Road.
Painting Anthony School.
Mill Road Drain-to care for surface water previously flowing into water supply of Town.
Roads made passable for fire apparatus to high water mark: Farmfield St., Highland St., Manhattan Avenue, Hawthorne St., Bonney St., Austin Ave., Moravia Ave., and Gilbert Street.
Sewers-Hawthorne and Blackburn Streets.
Brush and rocks cleared from side of Mill Road, New Boston Road, Boston Hill Road, Long Road, Alden Road, Sconticut Neck Road, Weeden Road, Gellette Road, Shaw Road and Bridge Street.
The following projects were operative under CWA and trans- ferred and completed under ERA :
Except Sewing which operated all the year.
Cleaning Sewers, various streets. Sewing Garments, etc. (Women). High School Wall-relaid. Blackburn Street Drain-surface water. Removing Trees.
103
Painting Rogers School.
Resetting Green St. Curbing and Repaving Gutters.
Sewer Extension in Adams and North Streets.
Disbursements in wages under CWA from January 1, 1934 to April 2, 1934 were $21,293.85.
Under ERA, the following projects were started and com- pleted :
Macadamizing East Coggeshall Street approximately 1,060 feet, 30 feet wide, to the Alden Road.
Spraying of trees for the extermination of Brown-tail and Tent Caterpillars.
Cleaning of beaches at Coggeshall Street, North Street, Pil- grim Avenue, Elm Avenue, and Pease Street.
Building a retaining wall and drainage gutter on the north and east part of the south line of Tripp School lot and installing a sand catcher in the northeast corner.
Clearing and grading playground, adjacent to East Fairhaven School, of approximately 3/4 acre; relaying 253 feet of dry wall and building 106 feet of new dry wall.
Cleaning, enlarging, and building bulkheads at the various tireholes, Jenny Lane, Howland Farm, Drew Farm, DeTerra Farm, Yankee Lane, Mederios Farm, and constructing 2 new fireholes, one at Goulart Farm, and one at Howard Farm.
Cleaning of Hicks Street Brook, (so-called) 4,474 feet and digging 600 feet of connecting ditch.
Installation of a drain at Bay View Avenue, Pope Beach, draining approximately 31/2 acres of swamp land.
Painting the interior of Oxford, Job C. Tripp, Anthony, and Rogers schools; and the outside of Washington Street Annex.
Painting the outside trim of Oxford School and the two-room Annex.
Installation of a drain at Red Rock Beach, Sconticut Neck, to drain pond and eliminate flood conditions.
Digging seed clams in polluted areas of Acushnet River and transplanting in clean waters of Little Bay. (Under supervision of Bureau of Marine Fisheries) .
Removal of two hulks, an old schooner and Eagle boat, north of Town Pier.
Repair of 2,100 textbooks in various schools.
104
Cleaning beach north of Fort Phoenix to Pierce and Kilburn wharf, and beach at Harbor View, south end of Farmfield Street.
Installation of drain at Carleton Avenue draining approxi- mately 5 acres, relieving flood conditions. One sand-catcher built.
Planting of 234 trees in various streets of the Town.
Revision of precincts and changing of voting lists from al- phabetical to street arrangement.
Nursing project, employed 2 nurses on nursing, instructive, child welfare, and tuberculosis follow-up.
Laying concrete walk on the west and south of Tripp School with a concrete driveway for coal delivery, and a scholars' ap- proach on Bridge Street. Also the resetting of curbing on Bridge Street, where walk was laid.
Taking of seed scallops from shallow waters that they might not be killed by the ice and frost, and transplanting to deep waters.
Trimming trees of dead wood and dangerous branches throughout the Town.
Deepening skating pond on Morgan Street, and filling 30,000 square feet west of the baseball field. Skating surface of 69,000 square feet made available; 275 lineal feet of retaining wall con- structed on Morgan Street.
Projects Still in Operation at the End of the Year:
Eradication of Pests (Gypsy Moth and Brown-tail).
Resetting curbing on Spring Street.
Relaying and leveling flagging on Main Street.
Extending present Herring River (so-called) cement drain 425 feet northerly. Side walls of stone, covered with a five-inch slab, cast in place.
Construction of a wall on the North and East side of Potters' Field, filling and grading, also construction of a driveway.
Cleaning and deepening and constructing a wall at Town Brook (so-called) at Town Yard.
Building a retaining wall at Town Yard, to prevent the erosion of filling.
Review and carding of vital statistics of the Town (i.e., births, deaths, and marriages) since its incorporation.
Repair and remarking of books at the library.
Knitting socks.
Under ERA, from April 2, to the end of business in December $73,237.53 were disbursed in wages to relief recipients. The total disbursement under ERA and CWA for the year was $94,531.38.
State Auditor's Report
To the Board of Selectmen
Mr. F. Eben Brown, Chairman
Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Gentlemen :
I submit herewith my report of an audit of the books and accounts of the town of Fairhaven for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1933, made in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44, General Laws. This is in the form of a report made to me by Mr. Herman B. Dine, Assistant Director of Accounts.
Very truly your,
THEODORE N. WADDELL, Director of Accounts.
Mr. Theodore N. Waddell Director of Accounts Department of Corporations and Taxation State House, Boston
Sir :
As directed by you, I have made an audit of the books and accounts of the town of Fairhaven for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1933, and submit the following report thereon:
The financial transactions, as recorded on the books of the several departments receiving or disbursing money for the town or committing bills for collection, were examined and verified by a comparison with the books and records of the treasurer and the accounting officer.
The books and accounts of the accounting officer were ex- amined and checked in detail. The ledger accounts were analyzed, the appropriation accounts being compared with the town clerk's records of town meetings, and a balance sheet, showing the
106
financial condition of the town on December 31, 1933, was pre- pared and is appended to this report.
In checking the original vouchers and pay-rolls with the .classification book, it was noted that vouchers were on file repre- senting petty cash advances made and charged to departmental appropriations. When petty cash advances are made, the accounts should be set up on the accounting officer's ledger, and as expen- ditures are made, vouchers should be presented by the depart- ment and charged to the proper appropriation, so as to replenish the petty cash fund.
In checking the vouchers it was again noted that the vouchers showing monthly payments of $666.66, entered as rental for fire equipment, are not properly itemized. These vouchers should be itemized, so that a true classification of the annual expenditure of $8,000 may be available.
The books and accounts of the town treasurer were examined and checked. The cash book was footed and the recorded receipts were analyzed and compared with the accounting officer's ledger and with the records of the departments making payments to the treasurer. The payments by the treasurer were compared with the selectmen's warrants authorizing the disbursement of town funds.
The treasurer's cash balance on July 14, 1934, was proved bv a verification of a deposit in transit and by a reconciliation of the bank balance with a statement furnished by the bank of de- posit.
The payments on account of maturing debt and interest were verified by a comparison with the amounts falling due and with the cancelled securities and coupons on file.
The securities and savings bank books representing the in- vestments of the several trust funds in the custody of the town treasurer were personally examined, the income and expenditures being verified.
The income from the Henry H. Rogers High School Fund, as entered on the treasurer's books was verified with a statement furnished by the City Bank Farmers Trust Company of New York, Trustees.
The tax title deeds taken by the town and the record of taxes and assessments added to tax titles held by the town were ex- amined and checked, and a detailed list was compiled. The recorded collections on accounts of the redemption of tax titles
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were checked and verified. Considerable time was taken to verify' the tax title account on account of the failure of the collector to report properly the tax sales and taxes added to tax titles. It. was found that the collector, after certifying taxes as added to tax titles, had accepted payments on the tax accounts as added and has reported these receipts as taxes. This practice should be discontinued, and the collector, after having certified the transfer of taxes to the tax title account, should refer to the treasurer all transactions involving tax title redemptions.
The books and accounts of the tax collector were examined and checked. The taxes and assessments outstanding at the time of the previous examination were audited, and all subsequent com- mitments were compared and reconciled with the assessors' war- rants. The recorded collections were compared with the pay -- ments to the treasurer, as recorded on the treasurer's cash book,. the abatements were checked with the assessors' records of abate- ments granted, and the outstanding accounts were listed and re -- conciled with the accounting officer's ledger.
The outstanding accounts were verified by mailing notices to a number of persons whose names appeared on the books as, owing money to the town, the replies received thereto indicating. that the accounts, as listed, are correct.
Attention is called to the amount of outstanding taxes of prior years, as shown on the balance sheet. A determined effort. should be made at once to secure settlement of these accounts, as well as of the amount of $205.43 due from the collector, as. established by a previous audit.
The financial accounts of the town clerk were examined and checked. The receipts from dog, sporting and trapping, and. town licenses issued were checked, and the payments to the town. treasurer and to the Division of Fisheries and Game were verified ! with the treasurer's books and with the receipts on file.
The records of the selectmen for licenses and permits granted, for town hall rentals, and for rentals and wharfage of the Union : Wharf were examined. The payments to the treasurer were veri- fied by a comparison with the treasurer's books and the outstand- ing accounts were listed and proved.
The records of receipts of the sealer of weights and measures were examined and checked in detail, and the payments to the: treasurer were verified.
108
The records of commitments of departmental bills were checked and verified by a comparison with the records in the several departments, the abatements were checked with the de- partmental records of abatements granted, the recorded collec- tions were compared with the treasurer's and the accounting of- ficer's books, and the outstanding accounts were listed and proved ..
In addition to the departments mentioned, the available re- cords of all other departments receiving money for the town were checked, and the payments to the treasurer were verified.
The surety bonds filed by the town officials for the faithful performance of their duties were examined and found to be in proper form.
There are appended to this report, in addition to the balance sheet, tables showing reconciliations of the treasurer's and the tax collector's cash, summaries of the tax, assessment, tax title, and departmental accounts, together with tables showing the con- dition of the various trust funds.
For the co-operation of the various town officials and the- courtesies extended during the progress of the audit, I wish, on behalf of my assistants and for myself, to express appreciation.
Respectfully submitted,
HERMAN B. DINE, Assistant Director of Accounts ..
SCHOOL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OF FAIRHAVEN
MASSACHUSETTS
FAIRHA
O
M
TO
ASS.
INCORPOR
TOWN HALL
22-1812.
TED
FEB
FOR THE
Year 1934
THE FAIRHAVEN STAR, INC.
School Committee
WILLIAM B. GARDNER GEORGE F. BRALEY MRS. ELLA H. BLOSSOM
MRS. ELIZABETH M. KNOWLES ORRIN B. CARPENTER
JAMES A. STETSON
Term expires in 1935 Term expires in 1935 Term expires in 1936
Term expires in 1936
Term expires in 1937 Term expires in 1937
Chairman WILLIAM B. GARDNER, 35 Union Street
Secretary and Superintendent of Schools CHARLES F. PRIOR, 30 Green Street
School Department Clerk BEATRICE DECOFFE, 212 Main Street
SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE HOURS
Town Hall
8:15-9:00 A. M .- Every school day. 4:00-5:00 P. M .- Every school day. Wednesday evenings, 7:00-8:00.
The Superintendent's office is open with a clerk in charge daily from 9:00-12:00 and 1:30-5:00, except Saturdays, when it is open only in the forenoon.
Telephone at Town Hall, Fairhaven-3891. Telephone at residence, 30 Green Street-6714-W.
School Calendar
1935
Wednesday, January 2
Schools re-open
Thursday, February 21st
Schools close
Monday, March 4
Schools re-open
Friday, April 19
Patriot's Day (Holiday)
Friday, April 26
Schools close
Monday, May 6
Schools re-open
Thursday, May 30
Memorial Day (Holiday);
Friday, June 28
Schools close
SUMMER VACATION
Monday, September 9 Schools re-open
Wednesday noon, Nov. 27
Thanksgiving Recess
Monday, December 2
Schools re-open
Friday, December 20
Schools close (Christmas vacation)
Monday, December 30
Schools re-open
The signal at 7:15 A. M. indicates no forenoon session for any of the eight grades of the elementary schools.
The signal at 12:45 noon indicates no afternoon session for any of the eight grades of the elementary schools.
The no-school signals do not apply to the high school.
Report of the School Committee
To the Citizens of Fairhaven :
Herewith is submitted the anual report of the School Com- mittee for the year ending December 31, 1934.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT (Elementary Schools)
RECEIPTS
Town Appropriation, 1934
$ 96,740.00
H. H. Rogers Trust Fund
4,541.65
Edmund Anthony Jr., Trust Fund
327.63
Pease Fund
254.12
County Dog Fund
1,223.72
$103,087.12
EXPENDITURES
General Control $4,928.93
Superintendent's Salary
$3,750.00
Office Clerk
732.
Attendance Officer
190.50
School Census
125.00
Miscellaneous
131.43
Instruction
$73,196.39
Teachers' Salaries
$68,983.63
Text Books
1,787.88
Supplies
2,424.88
Operation and Maintenance
$14,958.33
Janitors' Salaries
$7,515.72
Fuel
3,284.66
Building Supplies
2,041.99
Repairs
1,649.89
New Equipment
466.07
5
Other Agencies Transportation Health Tuition Insurance
$8,305.82
$4,978.86 1,535.48 65.63
1,725.85
Miscellaneous
$197.79
Total
$101,587.26
Balance
1,499.86
$103,087.12
FINANCIAL STATEMENT (High School) RECEIPTS
$23,260.00
H. H. Rogers Trust Fund
26,495.93
Petty Cash Credit
10.00
$49,765.93
EXPENDITURES
Instruction
Teachers' Salaries
$32,738.90
Text Books
1,672.89
Supplies
2,671.59
Operation and Maintenance
$10,121.75
Janitors' Salaries
$5,360.52
Fuel
1,775.45
Building Supplies
1,947.06
Repairs
536.47
New Equipment
502.25
Other Agencies
$650.00
Health
$315.00
Insurance
335.00
Miscellaneous
$233.79
Total
$48,088.92
Balance
1,677.01
$49,765.93
Town Appropriation
$37,083.38
6
E. R. A.
Through cooperation with E. R. A. authorities a very large amount of necessary and desirable work has been done on school buildings and grounds. This includes: Re-painting the exteriors of the Oxford, Edmund Anthony Jr., Rogers, and Washington Street Schools, and the renovation of the interiors of Oxford, Edmund Anthony Jr., and Job C. Tripp Schools; in part, also, of the Rogers School; laying drainage for the yard of the Job C. Tripp School, building granolithic sidewalk around the Tripp School, repairing 2158 text books. The material necessary for this work was paid for, in part, out of the general appropriation by the Town for such purposes, and in smaller part from the school appropriation. The total from the latter amounts to approxi- inately, $600.00. If both material and labor for these projects had been furnished by the School Department it would have paid out, on a rough estimate, $3000-$4000. It could not have been done within the funds available. Some of the work, particularly the painting, was very much needed, and had been already postponed undulv. The Committee appreciates greatly the opportunity of getting this done. There has been a considerable saving thereby in repair bills for the year, which explains in part why the balance returned to the Town is as large as it is.
The regular repairs have been made. Minor ones have been more numerous than usual. Among these may be mentioned: New grates for high school, East Fairhaven and Oxford boilers. Repairs of East Fairhaven roof; installation of additional radia- tion in East Fairhaven school: repair of weather vane at Oxford School; new treads for stairways at Rogers School, and repairs to roof and plumbing at same school; new ceiling in the Wash- ington Street room; repairs to roof and to heating system at Job C. Tripp School; repair or renewal of window shades in all schools; furnishing additional tables and benches for High School lunch room to meet the requirements brought about by placing the "Addition" pupils on the single session; repainting clock faces of High School tower. These mentioned and many others have received attention.
FINANCES
Coal, all supplies and equipment, have been higher in price this year. Despite this fact, your Committee is returning to the treasury $1,677. from the High School appropriation and $1,459. from that granted the Elementary Schools; a total of $3, 136.00. As has been stated, some of this balance has been rendered pos- sible by the E. R. A. assistance in repairs.
7
Fairhaven received from the State General Fund in Novem- ber $17,477. instead of $14,440. as of last year. This is on the general treasury and will, in effect, decrease local taxation for the support of schools. In the Budget for 1935, which follows, your Committee asks for $1,200. increase in the High School appropria- tion. The Town can grant this without increase in its per capita cost from local taxation. It is very much needed. Only one additional teacher has been engaged, while the number to be taught in the high school has increased by 166. Continued cur- tailment of expenditures for high school education will certainly result, not only in losses to pupils, but, also, in removal of our high school from Class A rank. In this connection, please ex- amine the figures in the Report of the Superintendent of Schools. They show a reduction of per capita High School cost by 40% since 1929.
At the beginning of the year the Committee faced a probable reduction in the income from the H. H. Rogers Trust Fund. For- tunately, the full amount has been received. Uncertainty for 1935 exists, and until financial conditions are more settled, the Com- mittee must continue to take into consideration this factor in making plans for operation of the schools.
Attention is called to statistical tables in the Report of the Superintendent of Schools, which indicate the very great reduc- tion in all school costs from 1929, the first year of the depression, to the present time.
The Committee desires to recognize here the excellent spirit in which its employees work.
The Budgets for 1935 follow :
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BUDGET
Budget for 1935
Budget for 1934
Expended in 1934
General Control, (Including $5,000.00
$5,000.00
$4,928.93
Supt., Clerk, Truancy,
Census, Office Expense )
Instruction. (Including
75,000.00
75,400.00
73,196.39
Teachers, Books, Supplies)
Operation and Maintenance (Including Janitors, Fuel,
14,600.00
14,200.00
14,958.33
Bldg. Supplies, Repairs and New Equipment)
8
Other Agencies (Including Transportation, Health, Tuition, Insurance ) Sundries
8,250.00
8,382.00
8,305.82
200.00
208.00
197.79
Total From Outside Sources
$103,050.00
$103,190.00
$101,587.26
6,310.00
6,450.00
6,306.48
Appropriation required $96,740.00
$96,740.00
$95,280.78
HIGH SCHOOL BUDGET
Budget
Budget for
Expended in 1934
Instruction, (Including
$39,200.00
38,000.00
$37,083.38
Teachers, Books, Suplies)
Operation and Maintenance, 10,300.00
10,300.00
10,121.75
(Including Janitors, Fuel, Bldg. Supplies, Repairs, and New Equipment. )
Other Agencies, (Including Transportation, Health, Tuition, Insurance)
900.00
900.00
650.00
Miscellaneous
360.00
360.00
233.79
Total
$50,760.00
$49,560.00
$48,088.92
H. H. Rogers Trust Fund
26,300.00
26,300.00
Appropriation asked
$24,460.00
$23,260.00
:Balance, 1934
$1,677.01
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM B. GARDNER, Chairman, JAMES A. STETSON, MRS. ELLA H. BLOSSOM, MRS. ELIZABETH M. KNOWLES, ORRIN B. CARPENTER, GEORGE F. BRALEY,
Fairhaven School Committee
.
for
1935
1934
REPORT OF THE Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee of Fairhaven :
The twenty-third annual report of the present Superintendent is herewith submitted.
ATTENDANCE AND MEMBERSHIP
The total membership for the year ending 1934 was 2366; the average membership, 2163; the avereag attendance, 2032, and the percentage of attendance 94. The present actual membership is 2235 as compared with 2223 last year at the same time.
REGISTRATION, MEMBERSHIP, ATTENDANCE, 1929-1934
Annual School Census of Minors Between 5 and 16 years of age - October
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
2345
2360
2474
2479
2382
2344
Membership and Attendance - June of each year
Total
Membership
Average Membership
Average Attendance
Percentage of
Attendance
1929
2268
1972
1867
94
1930
2213
1899
1906
95
1931
2152
2097
1982
94.5
1932
2351
2142
2034
94.9
1933
2471
2218
2084
94
1934
2366
2163
2032
94
Distribution of Children By Grades (October 1)
Grade
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
I
233
277
204
216
198
196
11
226
253
238
209
200
190
III
219
198
217
225
195
202
IV
209
203
223
230
195
217
:-
232
262
194
210
213
210
VI
196
202
219
199
204
222
VII
182
167
203
206
218
20-
VIII
127
135
151
199
202
191
High School IX-XII
397
401
1
494
527
580
607
High School XIII
7
5
6
19
3
7
Year
10
The above statistics serve to show changes in school popula- tion and membership since 1929. They indicate :-
That the number of children in Town between the ages of 5 and 16 was greatest in 1933, but that the number now in Town between these ages has not decreased since 1929, the first year of the depression.
That, in 1934, 37 fewer children entered the first grade than in 1929.
That grades 1-2-3 number 90 less than in 1929, a loss of 13 %.
That the middle grades, 4-5-6, have increased by 11 or about 2 %.
That the two upper grades, 7-8, have increased by 86 or 22 % .
That the high school membership, grades 9-13, has increased by 220, or 54 1/2 % .
The effects of unemployment, and increase of compulsory school age to 16, have been an increase of our school membership, as a whole, hy 10%, and of high school membership by 54 % .
TREND OF PER PUPIL COSTS, 1929-1934
It is well known that relatively few people read and digest the statistical information in a School Report. This is uninter- esting to some; to others it would tend to "slow up" conversa- tion about public policies. Unfavorable criticism is easier when it is unhampered by facts. Nevertheless, because people may differ honestly in interpreting and applying facts, it is desirable that they be made available.
Comparative Per Pupil Costs, 1929-1934
Total Cost,
Cost, High and Elementary
Per Pupil cost of
Year
High and Elementary
from Local Taxation
High School only
1929
82.98
56.88
139.17
1930
83.48
57.04
121.91
1931
77.41
52.85
123.33
1932
78.29
53.85
114.68
1933
71.85
49.69
90.93
1934
70.68
45.03
82.67
Facts :-
The per pupil cost in 1934 is a decerase of 14.8% from that of 1929, the first year of the depression; the cost from local taxa- tion only, a decrease of over 20%.
11
The per pupil cost of high school education, considered alone, has decreased 40% since 1929.
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