USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > West Bridgewater > Town annual reports of the selectmen, overseers of the poor, town clerk, and school committee of West Bridgewater for the year ending 1955-1959 > Part 13
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Motion made to amend the original motion to read the sum of $225.00 be transferred for Library salaries and the sum of $50.00 for Library Expense.
Upon vote motion as amended carried.
Article 10. Moved: that the town vote to authorize the selectmen appoint a committee of four to survey library facilities, this committee to include two members of the Library Trustees.
Motion amended to read that a committee of five be appointed by the Moderator to survey Library facilities, this committee to include two members of the Library Trustees.
Upon vote motion as amended carried.
Article 11. Moved: that for the purpose of furnishing the inhabitants of the town with an increased supply of pure water for domestic and other uses, the Water Commissioners be, and they hereby are, authorized, empowered, and directed to acquire by purchase, or by taking by exercise of the right of eminent domain under the provisions of Chapter 79 of the General Laws, the easement, right, privilege, and authority to lay, construct, maintain, operate, repair, remove, change the size of, and replace a water main with proper fittings and appliances for the transmission of water over, under, upon, and through the lands in the Town of West Bridgewater hereinafter described (description of parcels recorded on page 147 & 148 Town Record Book), and that for the purposes aforesaid, the town raise and appropriate the sum of two hundred ($200) dollars, and that to meet said appropriation, the sum of two hundred ($200) dollars be transferred from available funds in the treasury.
Upon Unanimous vote motion carried.
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Article 12. Moved: that the Moderator appoint a committee of five members to be known as the School Survey Committee. Said Committee shall study classroom needs as related to school population and shall report to the Annual Town Meeting of 1957.
Upon vote motion carried.
Meeting adjourned.
A true copy, ANNA E. BROWN Town Clerk
BOARD OF ASSESSORS
Total Appropriations at Annual Town Meeting,
March 12, 1956
$638,053.71
Other amounts to be raised
74,234.07
Total Appropriations since 1955 Tax Rate was fixed
712,287.78
Emergency Snow Removal
3,879.84
State Parks and Reservations
572.77
State Audit of Municipal Accounts
842.91
County Tax, 1956
16,194.71
Tuberculosis Hospital Assessment
8,585.26
743,533.88
Overlay
10,085.25
Total Amount to be raised
753,619.13
Less: Total Estimated Receipts
263,504.13
490,115.00
Less: Amounts taken from Available Funds
74,319.18
Net Amount to be Raised by Taxes on Polls and Property
415,795.82
55
TABLE OF AGGREGATES
Number of Persons, Partnerships, Corporations, etc.
assessed:
On Personal Estate only
28
On Real Estate only
1282
On both Personal and Real Estate
145
Total number assessed
1455
Number of Polls assessed
1414
Value of Assessed Personal Estate:
Stock in Trade
$ 53,800.00
Machinery
40,950.00
Live Stock
111,825.00
All Other Tangible Personal Property
460,625.00
Total Value of Assessed Personal Estate
667,200.00
Value of Assessed Real Estate:
Land
973,347.00
Buildings
5,242,250.00
Total Value of Assessed Real Estate
6,215,597.00
Total Value of all Assessed Property
6,882,797.00
Tax Rate per $1000
60.00
Taxes for all purposes spread as follows:
On Polls
2,828.00
On Personal Property
40,032.00
On Real Estate
372,935.82
Total Taxes Assessed
415,795.82
Number of Horses Assessed
33
Number of Cows Assessed
716
Number of Yearlings, Bulls and Heifers assessed
123
Number of Swine assessed
78
Number of Sheep assessed
49
Number of Fowl assessed
46,265
Number of Chinchillas assessed
40
Number of Acres of Land assessed
8,465.48
Number of Dwellings assessed
1,227
56
EXEMPTED PROPERTY Real Estate
Trustees of Howard Funds
$ 66,350.00
Old Bridgewater Historical Society
15,500.00
Baptist Society
7,250.00
Methodist Society
13,800.00
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston
35,300.00
Unitarian Society
13,500.00
Cemeteries (Privately owned)
4,540.00
Town Hall and Lot
15,500.00
Fire Station and Police Station
42,000.00
Highway Garage and Lot
9,500.00
Forestry Garage
2,000.00
Library
3,400.00
School Department (Land and Buildings)
686,800.00
Parks
8,800.00
Water Department
22,000.00
Cemeteries (Town owned)
600.00
Various Lots owned by the Town
6,270.00
Property of the Commonwealth
4,598.00
Total Value of Exempted Real Estate
$957,708.00
Personal Property
Old Bridgewater Historical Society
8,000.00
Trustees of Howard Funds
5,000.00
Town of West Bridgewater:
Water Department
297,500.00
Fire Department
30,000.00
Library
8,000.00
School Department:
Junior-Senior High School
8,000.00
All Other Schools
7,000.00
Highway Department
4,000.00
Town Hall and Offices
3,000.00
Moth Department
2,000.00
Police Department
1,500.00
Scaler of Weights and Measures
250.00
Tree Warden
100.00
Total Value of Exempted Personal Property Total Value of All Exempted Property
$374,350.00
$1,332,058.00
57
MOTOR VEHICLE EXCISE - 1956
No. of Cars Value Excise
Eleven Commitments 2104 $1,014,210.
$52,237.88
Average Excise assessed per car
51.50
1956 Rate per Thousand
54.43
WILLIAM W. PHILLIPS HERBERT A. HOLMES ELMER L. ANDERSON Board of Assessors
PUBLIC WELFARE DEPARTMENT
The Welfare Department has decreased in case load but the medicals have gone up heavily because of fifteen Nursing and Boarding Home cases plus eleven hospitalizations.
Expenditures and receipts were:
1955
1956
General Relief
$ 8,620.64
$ 9,436.68
Old Age Assistance
61,167.07
59,613.02
Aid to Dependent Children
3,979.27
2,961.78
Disability Assistance
5,930.71
8,993.65
Total Expense
$79,697.69
$81,032.13
Total Receipts
64,347.97
61,276.06
Net Expense to Town
$15,349.72
$19,756.07
WILLIAM W. NOYES, Chairman H. ROY HARTSHORN MARJORIE E. MacDONALD Board of Public Welfare
A. M. DEAN Welfare Agent
58
DOG OFFICER
To the Board of Selectmen:
I hereby submit my report of the work done by me as Dog Officer for the year 1956.
Number of dogs hit by cars 6
Number of chickens killed by dogs 34
Number of Persons bitten by dogs 24
Number of Stray dogs picked up 40
Number of Calls answered 85
Number of Stray dogs returned to owners 15
All dogs that we have a record of are licensed for 1956. There are several dogs that we have no record of, that are not licensed and I am taking action against the owners as I come across them. The number of stray dogs is increasing every year and if everyone would take care in properly securing the tag on their dog's collar or get a new one from the Town Clerk if the tag is lost, I would be able to return many more dogs to their owners.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN L. DOWNS, JR. Dog Officer
FIRE DEPARTMENT
To the Voters of the Town of West Bridgewater:
It is the opinion of the members of your Fire Department that it would be of some value to present to you a long range report, one that would present to you our ideas as to what we expect to have to ask for in the way of major expenditures in the next eight or ten years. This report, we hope, will give you the chance to con- sider in advance the department's requests and to make a more thorough study of the same.
We have tried to list these items in the order of importance to the best of our ability and also wish to impress upon you the fact
59
that this program is flexible to the extent that we feel that we can give or take a year or two either way. This program is also tentative in as much as some condition may arise which would change the whole picture immediately such as a major breakdown or a radical change in the town's growth.
In our best judgment a Four-Wheel-Drive truck with winch should be purchased and equipped with necessary appliances to be used primarily as a forest fire truck but would also be available as an additional piece for buildings. This type of truck has proved of great value in towns which already own them in times of natural disaster or emergency such as hurricanes and blizzards. With the use of the winch these towns have helped clear streets blocked with fallen trees and debris. In the blizzards of last year these pieces were sent out first on all alarms and opened the roads for the rest of the apparatus. This was accomplished through the fact that they were Four-Wheel-Drive and if this wasn't enough to pull them through the drifts, with the use of the winch attached to a pole or tree, they were able to continue to their desination.
We also believe that under the present conditions when the department is very apt to be shorthanded during the day that such a piece would, in a large way, offset this situation. It requires sev- eral men to pull one thousand to twelve hundred feet of hose through the woods but with the type of equipment we are asking for it will be possible to drive directly to the edge of the fire and to continue around the edge until it is contained.
If this truck is added to our equipment it should prolong the life of our present Combination by relieving it of about half of its present runs. This would mean that we would not have to replace Comb. #1 as soon as we would otherwise. We believe that this purchase should be made in 1957.
We feel that the Fire and Police Station is one of the key locations in town and should be in a position to carry out its functions regardless of conditions over which we have no control. In the event of power failure we would be put out of business in a large scale because neither department would have the use of the radio which links us with surrounding communities. We would have no alarm system and no heat. As a consequence we are asking that a standby generator be purchased and permanently mounted in the station to furnish power in case of failure by the
60
municipal power supply. We advocate the purchase of a generator large enough to supply additional buildings in case the town should, in the future, build new Town Offices next to the station. The cost of the extra output would only be about $300.00 more than one which would supply the station alone and we believe that once again we should buy in anticipation of future needs. This purchase we recommend this year if possible.
The next major expenditure will be the replacement of Engine #2. This truck is now twenty years old and each year from now on will become increasingly doubtful as to its reliability. This truck has done a tremendous amount of work and has been overloaded since its purchase. We feel that in order to give you the protection you pay for that the equipment should be in top condition at all times and that it should never be allowed to be placed in the doubtful class which would be the case if this piece was continued to be used as a first line piece of apparatus. We recommend you consider replacement by 1960 or thereabouts with a 750 gal. per minute pumping Engine.
The present Comb. #1 is the work-horse of the department and has answered all alarms including grass, woods and buildings since its purchase. It has given wonderful service and yet, like all things mechanical, will wear out. This truck also has been over- loaded and abused through necessity. It was purchased in 1945 and we feel it should be replaced with a similar type truck on a heavier chassis to insure dependable service in case of emergency. If you purchase a new Forest Fire piece in 1957 we believe that this truck would give us reasonably good service until approximately 1962. In case you do not purchase the new Forest Fire piece it is con- ceivable that we might have to ask for a replacement before that time.
The present Emergency # 1 has proven its value and usefulness to everyone and we are proud that the men were able to furnish such a piece of equipment for the town at no cost to the taxpayer. This truck has had a complete motor overhaul in 1956 and should, barring something unforeseen, give us good service for some years to come. However, in 1963, we feel that it will have served its Master well and should be replaced with a new truck.
To the best of our knowledge these items are all of the major
61
expenditures for equipment that we will be asking for in the next eight to ten years. However, you folks will have to give some thought to manning the station on a 24-hr. basis in the near future.
Our recommendations for equipment at present day prices would total for everything approximately $50,000 which, if broken down to a ten-year period, averages $5,000 a year or about one dollar on your tax rate. We believe that the correct way of main- taining a high standard of efficiency is to make a purchase each year or two rather than let them accumulate and have to spend a large sum in one year.
It is our belief that the Town wants and appreciates a well- trained and well-equipped Fire Department and we are constantly striving for this goal. We would appreciate your consideration of developing a training ground in the rear of the Fire Station on land now owned by the town. It would mean bulldozing off the top soil and putting in a gravel fill, changing the present course of drainage ditches to the outer edge of the field and this could be accomplished with no great trouble. We would like to do a little each year in constructing such a training ground and it would pay great dividends in return. Exclusive of land preparation we feel that an expenditure of $500.00 per year for the ten years would give us a drill ground with a drill tower, burning pits, propane gas lines, smoke rooms for the use of masks and other facilities. At present, we have no place in town where we can drill with ladders, life lines, life nets and other appliances that require a tower for efficient drilling. We are asking that you consider this well and we would appreciate an immediate start on this long-range program.
If there are questions which arise in your minds (and there will be) if you will take the time to come to the Fire Station any Monday evening we will try to explain more fully our reasons and our needs. We hope that this will be of some help to you in decid- ing what kind of protection you desire.
Signed: By Committee
Chief ANTONE SOUSA Dep. Chief EDWIN T. GIBSON Capt. RAYMOND C. KEITH Capt. RICHARD KEITH Lieut. FRANK BURQUE
62 POLICE DEPARTMENT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
I herewith submit the Annual Report of the West Bridge- water Police Department for the year 1956.
Complaints
539
Investigation
732
Investigation with or for other departments
99
Investigation out of State
2
Breaking Entering in the night time and larceny
5
Breaking Entering in the day time and larceny
6
Larceny
15
Conspiracy
3
Assault and Battery
2
Rape
1
Attempt Rape
1
Number of Arrests 157 - Male 156 - Female 1
CAUSES OF ARREST
Breaking, Entering in the night time
3
Breaking, Entering in the day time
2
Larceny
2
Conspiracy
3
Assault and Battery
1
Open and Gross Lewdness
1
Attempt Rape
1
Violation of Probation
1
Drunkenness
26
Disturbance
3
Using car with out authority
4 10
Operating under the influence
Operating so as to endanger
11
Operating unregistered
Operating uninsured
Attaching Registration plates unlawfully
Leaving scene of accident after causing property damage
Operating after suspension of license
1
Operating with out a license
14
Failing to stop on signal of an officer
4 4 1 3
3
63
Speeding Failing to slow
2
Failing to keep right
3
Failing to stop at stop sign No Registration
2
3
No Lights
2
Refusing to show license
1
Escaped Inmates
9
Giving false name and license
2
Committed to State Hospital
6
Runaways
2
MISCELLANEOUS
Court Fines Imposed
$1860.00
Fines reverting to the Town
$130.00
Stolen property recovered
$12,311.00
Total amount of jail sentences imposed 4 months
Total amount of jail sentences suspended
2 years, 6 months
Total probation period
9 years, 1 month
Not Guilty
1
Cases Filed
13
Prisoners transported to Plymouth
4
Prisoners transported to Youth Service Board in Boston
1
Prisoners transported to Framingham Women's Reformatory
1
Missing persons located
13
Business Establishments doors and windows found open or unlocked 121
Street lights out reported
138
Emergency messages delivered
35
Emergency truck called by police for lighting equipment
4
Emergency Resuscitator Calls covered by police and fire department 4
Summons served for other departments
48
Fire calls covered by police
53
Fires reported by police
11
Arrest made out of Town
5
Times in District Court
320
Times in Superior Court
7
Grand Jury
3
Road Hazards reported
24
Escorts given
81
Aid to other departments
11
27
64
Assistance to disabled motorist
39
Persons dropped dead from heart condition 1
Persons sick taken home 3
Persons sick taken to Hospital
12
Persons injured other than auto accidents taken to Hospital or Doctor
41
Dogs hit by cars either injured or killed
30
Wires down and reported
5
Revolver permits issued
32
Permits to purchase firearms
2
Class 1 Dealers Motor Vehicles Sales Reported
138
Class 2 Dealers Motor Vehicles Sales Reported
118
Class 3 Dealers Motor Vehicles Sales Reported
33
Individual Transfer of Sales Reported
181
TRAFFIC REPORT
Auto Violations
643
Traffic violators taken to Court
107
Traffic Violations sent to Registry
355
Violations placed on file
181
Auto Accidents
98
Persons injured
52
Persons Killed
3
Accidents involving property damage only
59
Auto and Train Accidents
2
Auto and Bicycle
1
Motorcycle
1
The police department is pleased to report that Juvenile Delinquency is at a minimum for which the department expresses its many thanks and appreciation to the sponsor and to those who helped in the Base Ball for Boys, C.Y.O., Legion for their parties, Lions Club, School Department and teachers who gave so much of their time at school dances and to all other organizations who helped in any way and the Churches. Most of all the parents who try and guide their children to be good Citizens.
May I stress again to you parents, to instruct your children not to accept rides from strangers also to the boys and girls who drive not to pick up strangers. We as adults should also be care- ful.
I sincerely wish to express my thanks and appreciation to the
65
Selectmen and all other departments for their invaluable assis- tance in helping us to carry out our duties.
To the members of the department, thanks for your good work and co-operation.
Respectfully submitted,
DOUGLAS EATON, SR. Chief of Police
Following is a list of arrests made in West Bridgewater 1956 By State Police:
Operating under influence, Male
2
Operating to endanger
1
Drunk
1
Speeding
7
Operating w/o a license
3
A. W. O. L.
2
Operating unregistered M. V.
2
Operating uninsured M. V.
2
Attaching plates
1
Escaped Inmate
1
Suspicious Person
1
Using M. V. w/o authority
1
Giving false name to Police Officer
1
INSPECTOR OF WIRES
Honorable Board of Selectmen
Town Offices
West Bridgewater, Mass.
Gentlemen:
I hereby submit my report for the year ending December 31, 1956.
Inspections 195
Locked locations
10
Meter permits issued
93
Service permits issued
81
Electric water heaters
23
66
Electric ranges added
15
Gas & Oil burners added 24
Additional wiring old houses
13
Rough wiring new houses
30
Not acceptable
11
Motor loads added
4
Electric clothes dryers added
22
Electric signs added
1
Edison permits issued
130
All inspections were based on the 1953 National Electric Code as adopted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with no added rules.
Respectfully submitted,
LLOYD P. NORDHOLM Inspector of Wires
VETERANS SERVICES DEPARTMENT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen.
This department handled 29 cases during the year assisting 31 adults and 14 children. Eighteen of these cases were of a tem- porary nature due to unemployment or illness.
The sum of $11,648.26 was spent as follows:
Food, Rent, etc.
$8,107.00
Fuel
823.76
Doctor
332.00
Hospital
217.50
Nursing Home
1,467.60
Medicine
577.40
Hospital-Out-patient
96.00
Eye Glasses
27.00
$11,648.26
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM W. NOYES
Veterans Agent
67
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
Sealed Scales under 100 lbs. 27
Sealed Scales over 100 lbs.
4
Sealed Weights 27
Sealed Liquid measures
5
Sealed Vehicle tanks
2
Sealed Grease pumps
1
Sealed Gasoline pumps
24
TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
TRUSTEES
Elected
Term Expires
Dorothy Freeman
1954
1957
Allen B. Foye
1954
1957
Anna Howe 1
1955
1958
Stanley Carlson
1955
1958
Jane Bartlett
1956
1959
Winfield Leavitt
1956
1959
BOOK COMMITTEE
Dorothy Freeman
Anna Howe
Jane Bartlett
Stanley Carlson
OFFICERS
Chairman
Winfield Leavitt
Treasurer
Anna Howe
Submitted by,
JANE BARTLETT
Secretary
LIBRARY REPORT FOR 1956
To the Trustees of the West Bridgewater Public Library:
I respectfully submit the annual report of the Library for 1956. We have had a busy year and several occasions have made it
68
necessary and a pleasure to have the library open every day during special "WEEKS". We were especially active prior to the TER- CENTENARY WEEK in June, as patrons and various groups sought material on Costumes and history of the early settlement of our town. Our "History of Plymouth County" was so well thumbed during that time that it had to be sent to the bindery to preserve it. During TERCENTENARY WEEK the library was open every day for visitors. On display were valuable material owned by the library and historical documents, pictures, and maps kindly loaned to the library. We are grateful for the gift of three copies of the anniversary book "Old Bridgewater Tercentenary"; two copies from the Tercentenary Committee; one for our permanent files and one for circulation.
Also in June the librarian had the pleasure of presenting State Certificates for required reading to the pupils of the 6th grade of the Center School. The pupils in turn gave gifts of books to the library.
And in June, too, the librarians and two guests attended the annual meeting of the Old Colony Library Club held at Plymouth.
The last of November was another WEEK; annual Children's Book Week, and the library was open every day; teachers with their classes and parents enjoyed the display of new juvenile books.
Following a special Town meeting in November, it was voted to have the library open two more days a week; Tuesday and Thursday from 10 until 4, and it has greatly relieved crowded periods, especially for the school children, who now have a choice of three days in which to obtain books or for reference assign- ments.
Also at the special Town meeting it was voted to have the Moderator appoint a committee of 5-2 library trustees, Mr. Winfield Leavitt and Mrs. Anna Howe; the librarian, Miss Jean Murdock and 2 townspeople, Mr. Kenneth Buker and Mr. Warren Anderson to survey the facilities of the library and its urgent need for expansion. This committee is functioning and will submit a report at the Town meeting in March.
69
Improvements have included the addition of 5 more steel book-case sections, which utilizes all the space now available. We purchased a wheel-barrow for the use of the janitor-added an extra electric light fixture in the basement and two flood lights for the entrance and parking space, much appreciated by our patrons.
Our school circulation shows a slight gain; this year we had book deposits at the Howard Seminary every month.
We are grateful to friends who have donated books and Periodicals.
Our staff remains the same and Miss Jane Foye of the High school is part-time assistant.
Our trustees are, as always, very helpful and willing to co- operate in any of our suggestions.
We have added many new names to our records and during 1957 hope to welcome more library friends and make more gains.
STATISTICS School Circulation
Elementary fiction
1065
Elementary non-fiction
852
1917
Secondary fiction
933
Secondary non-fiction
897
1830
Total elementary
1917
Total secondary
1830
Total school
3747
Gain over 1955
556
CIRCULATION
Adult fiction
8363
Adult non-fiction
2442
Juvenile fiction
4646
70
Juvenile non-fiction
1491
Bound Magazines
91
17,033
Monthly magazines
2838
Total
19,871
Books added by purchase
Adult
383
Juvenile
177
Total
560
EXTENSION SERVICE
By Robert B. Ewing, Agent-Manager
The Plymouth County Extension Service is an educational organization which is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture and the University of Massachusetts.
There are three departments-Agriculture, Home and 4-H -and the office is in the Court House, Brockton, Massachusetts.
The Program of each department-Agriculture, Home Eco- nomics and 4-H is planned with the cooperation of farm, rural and urban people. County Extension Agents strive to bring to county people the results of research in Agriculture and Home- making, that will increase incomes, provide a better living and happier family life, by teaching people to help themselves. Because more families are moving into our Plymouth County Towns there is an increased demand for information by telephone and letters pertaining to the home, home grounds, gardens and livestock. Many leaders trained by the Extension Service staff forward in- formation to groups and individuals in the community through meetings, news articles and special activities.
Funds for County Aid to Agriculture are derived principally from the County. Some Federal funds are also made available through the University of Massachusetts. Most towns in Plymouth County make a token appropriation which is used for the general
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