USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1878 > Part 2
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accessible to all classes, under the most reasonable and liberal, and at the same time the most simple, rules and regulations, that it has become, in its way, one of our most powerful, as well as useful, educational agencies. It deserves, and should receive, your most cordial support, and I recommend a liberal appropriation for its use.
During the year some four thousand dollars have been expended in repairs and improvements upon the Library Build- ing. This includes the construction of an elevator, which, while it enables us to utilize more readily all portions of the building, affords convenience to those having charge of the Library.
HIGHWAYS.
The two largest items of expense growing out of the work of the Highway Department, during the year, have been incurred in the erection of a bridge at Jamesville, and the construction of Foster street. The latter, all things considered, may be regarded as perhaps the most important work which has been undertaken by the department for many years. The whole history of the Foster street extension, as it has been called, from the beginning to the end, abounds in disagreeable contro- versies, and is filled with unpleasant recollections. It is scarcely possible for an unprejudiced man to understand how the street, as it is to-day, or will be when entirely completed, can be regarded, in its advantages to the public, anything like an equivalent for the exciting struggle which terminated in its construction. Many of those connected with the government of eighteen hundred and seventy-seven honestly believed, with- out doubt, that there was no obligation resting on the city to build the street, growing out of any acts of previous adminis- trations ; and it was only in obedience to the mandate of the highest judicial tribunal of the Commonwealth, from which there was no appeal, issued after long and vexatious proceed- ings, that the point was yielded and the street made. The wis- dom of the project is a problem which must be left to the future for solution. And while it is to be hoped that the investment, large as it is, will prove a profitable one for the city, and the
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work, one of convenience and utility to the people, it must be confessed that the hope is one not altogether free from doubt. No one can be censured for entertaining the fear that, from the beginning, the interests of individuals have been more clamorous, and have exercised a more powerful influence in attaining the result, than those of the public at large.
Aside from these two undertakings, nothing beyond the ordinary work of the department has been called for, or attempted. The streets and highways are generally in good condition, and there is nothing, apparently, which is likely to call for any extraordinary outlay for the coming year, or which will prevent the expenses of the department from being brought to the lowest point. The question of paving, either relaying that which is already down, or extending new paving over new ground, may come up for your consideration. It is a subject which well deserves your attention; whether it would not be judicious to extend paving, from time to time, by short dis- tances over those portions of our streets where there is the most travel, and which are subject to the greatest wear, and whether such gradual extension would not prove the part of wisdom and in the interest of economy.
PUBLIC GROUNDS.
The work of improving and beautifying the public grounds of the city, the old Common and Elm Park, has progressed as rapidly as the appropriation made for that purpose would allow. To this work I desire especially to direct your attention. It is a subject which, I am convinced, has hitherto received far too little consideration from the City Government. We have been inclined to underrate its importance. We have been accustomed to look at it too much as the capitalist would do, and, without thought, to place it on the side of extravagance, or, at least, one of those things to be first dispensed with. A little reflection, however, will convince us, I think, that this view is an erroneous one. These are places intended eminently for the people - a place of common resort to all, for innocent amusement and recreation. Here every man is the peer of his neighbor. Here
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every man has his own lawn, and walk, and resting-place. The more attractive they are made, the more they will be resorted to, and the more they will exercise an influence for good over those who take advantage of them. Nothing of a public nature can be better adapted to developing the better feelings and cul- tivating a refinement in a large class of our population, which, perhaps, may be reached in no other way, than these portions of the public domain. Taking this view, we cannot doubt for a moment, that a neglect of the public grounds would prove a short-sighted economy. For just in proportion as we succeed in elevating and refining that portion of our population for which these places are, to a certain extent, designed and maintained, by the means which they afford, we shall succeed in promoting sobriety and good order in the community, thereby contributing to the well-being of society.
In the expenditure and management of this appropriation, we are quite sure that we have the full benefit of it all. There is no waste about it. It is not diminished by large salaries nor by official expenses. In the direction of the work and the applica- tion of the money we have a gentleman who is familiar with the purposes of both, who is devoted to the service, and who gives his personal attention to it, in all its details, with as much exact- ness and fidelity, and with as much care and economy, as if he were in his own private grounds ; and, what is more remarka- ble in these days of official greed, without fee or reward of any kind whatever.
Under these circumstances, therefore, so favorable to the accomplishment of a most desirable object at so comparatively trifling expense, I think it due to ourselves, no less than the Commissioner in charge of the grounds, that we manifest an appreciation of the service which he so unselfishly renders, by strengthening his hand, and giving him all the aid and encour- agement we can, in the prosecution of a work, which is not only now, but will be hereafter, thoroughly appreciated and com- mended. I have no hesitation in recommending a more liberal appropriation for the objects of the Commission, than has been heretofore granted.
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HOPE CEMETERY.
The limits of Hope Cemetery have been enlarged in the man- ner contemplated and recommended one year since. The necessary appropriation was made, and a lot of land, containing between ten and eleven acres, situated on the southerly side of the original grounds, and adjoining them, bounded on the west by the street, has been purchased upon the most advantageous terms. No more territory will be required for many years to come. The grounds, under the excellent management of the Commissioners, are, from year to year, assuming an approved appearance, and give promise of fully responding, in the near future, to the sentiment, which in these later years has so rapidly gained ground, and been so sedulously cultivated among all classes of people- The duty of providing and setting apart more suitable and attractive places for the burial of the dead.
It may not be amiss to state, in this connection, that during the season the Mechanic street burial-ground has been abandoned for the purposes of interment, and the remains of all those who lay there have been removed. I would recommend that so much of the land within its limits as has not been taken for the con- struction of Foster street, be sold at as early a day as is practi- cable.
WATER.
The supply of water at the present time is abundant, and the means of storing it have at no time been more ample, or more satisfactory, than now. The Lynde Brook dam is in a more complete condition than it has been at any previous period of its history. During the year some improvements of an unim- portant character have been made to render it, if possible, more secure from disaster; and those best qualified to judge, and whose experience entitles them to be regarded as competent authority in such matters, have no hesitancy in pronouncing it to be as nearly perfect in construction and equipment as it well can be, under all the circumstances, and that all danger of a repetition of our past experience is so far removed, that entire safety may be fairly claimed for it.
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Among the suggestions that have been made, from time to time, for securing an additional supply of water, is the one look- ing to the erection of a second dam above the present one. This could unquestionably be done at a very trifling expense, comparatively, and would, without doubt, prove a valuable auxiliary in maintaining the supply. And, while I do not wish to be understood as saying anything which can be construed into a recommendation, I nevertheless regard it as my duty to call your attention to it for such action as, on consideration, your wisdom may suggest.
The work which was done on the North Pond dam some two years ago, for the purpose of guarding against the danger of disaster, has recently been found to be insufficient and defec- tive. In consequence of the discovery, the safety of the dam has been questioned. The attention of the County Commis- sioners has been called to it, and, after a careful examination, they have taken the necessary steps, and ordered the necessary work to be done, to insure its security. The work has already been commenced, and will be completed as soon as the weather will allow. The expense of the work will be borne only in part by the city, the balance being defrayed by the other proprietors of the dam, who are responsible, with the city, for its permanent maintenance.
SEWERS.
The work of the Sewer Department, during the year, aside from the construction of the Island sewer, has been of an unim- portant character, partaking, perhaps, more nearly of complet- ing or finishing, so to speak, the entire plan of sewers in the city, so far as the plan has been matured. Many small sections have been laid in different parts of the city, for the accommo- dation of those living in the immediate vicinity of the several principal lines. This work, however, has been very nearly accomplished, and hereafter there will be very little of it to do.
The work upon the Island sewer, all things taken into account, has been successfully prosecuted during the season ; and with nothing to interrupt its progress, the coming year will, in all probability, witness its completion. With the exception of the
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rock excavation, the work has been done principally by the day. under the direction of the department. This mode of carrying on the work was regarded by some as of doubtful expediency ; but it may be fairly said that the experiment has proved a suc- cess. Great precaution has been taken that the laborers employed should be the permanent residents of our city, prefer- ence always being given to those having families dependent upon them for support. Of course, those in charge of the work may have been occasionally deceived, and the good intentions of the department, in this respect, may have been sometimes interfered with. But, as a rule, the care which has been taken in the matter has been rewarded with success.
If the work goes on to completion as it has been begun, I think it will be satisfactorily shown that the course which has been adopted, and thus far carried out, in the construction of the sewer, has been a wise one, and that the expense of the work will prove to be no greater than it would have been had it been done under an entire contract. On the other hand, the advantage gained by the superior quality of the work will be very marked. Every part of it has been done with the utmost care and thoroughness, and when completed will be found, I think, to be one of the finest pieces of work of its kind any- where.
While this work, which was under consideration so long, and which was decided upon, at last, with so great reluctance, has proved to be quite as formidable in its character as its most strenuous opponents predicted, I think it will be fully demon- strated to be one of the most important improvements, in a sanitary point of view, which the city has undertaken for many years, and one which, under the circumstances, could not have been delayed for any considerable length of time.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
We may well congratulate ourselves upon having in our ser- vice a fire department so thoroughly organized, so admirably disciplined, and so completely equipped as ours is. Too much cannot be said in praise of its efficiency and promptness ; and
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the faithfulness which it evinces in the discharge of its duties on all occasions deserves the commendation of all our citizens. There is no organization which is more deserving of our cordial support in every way in which we can render it. Its very pres- ence affords a sense of security, and its constant protection of our property from the devouring element commands our grati- tude, and invokes our aid and encouragement.
The Fire Patrol, which has heretofore been supported in part by the city, is an efficient co-worker and ally of the department, acting under its direction on all occasions when its services are called into requisition. During the past year we have paid towards sustaining this auxiliary of the Fire Department the sum of one hundred dollars per month, the rest of the expense being borne by the underwriters. The Patrol has come to be so important a part of the department, and has become so valuable an aid in protecting and saving property at fires, that its services cannot now well be dispensed with; and I have no hesitation in recommending the city to continue its contribution to its support.
POLICE.
The reputation which the members of our police force have hitherto maintained for promptness and efficiency in the dis- charge of their important and delicate duties, has been fully sustained. It is a reputation which has been fairly earned, and which is justly merited. In the expression of this opinion I feel that I shall be sustained by all our citizens who properly esti- mate the value of an efficient force, and who are so much indebted to the department for the good order which so generally prevails within the limits of its jurisdiction.
On former occasions, when I have had the honor of addressing you upon subjects connected with the conduct and management of our municipal affairs, I have given my views, at considerable length, as to what seemed to me necessary to constitute a proper and reliable police force, the relations which its members sustain to the people, and the duty of the City Government in maintain- ing it, and in giving all the aid and encouragement possible to this important arm of our service. I do not, at this time, propose
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to trouble you with a repetition of those views ; but I must be allowed to say, in passing, that every year's experience in the administration of our city affairs, only tends to strengthen and deepen my convictions of their correctness and practicability. I am more and more convinced, that nothing contributes so much to the real and practical value of the force, as the assurance of permanence and stability in its composition and organization. The idea of a permanent retention in service, through all the fluctuations and changes of administration, and the feeling of security from removal, except for cause, will often serve as inducements for desirable men to accept positions in the depart- ment who would otherwise be unwilling to do so; thus enabling us more frequently to avail ourselves of the services of capable and trustworthy men - men in whom we should feel entire con- fidence, and to whom we should unhesitatingly commit the charge and duty of guarding our persons, our homes and our property from the attacks of vice and crime.
At the risk, therefore, of incurring the charge of importunity upon this subject, I again call your attention to the desirable- ness, if not the necessity, of taking measures for placing the department upon such a footing as to ensure a comparatively permanent organization, and to put the individual members of it beyond the power of removal by each successive administra- tion of the City Government, except for well established incom- petency, or for dereliction of duty.
CHARITIES.
The City Farm, I am happy to say, has never been under better, or more judicious and discreet management than at the present time. Under the direction of the present Superintend- ent very noticeable improvements have been made in its care and cultivation, and the whole appearance of the establishment gives evidence of thrift and good husbandry, which is alike . creditable to him and gratifying to the authorities.
During the year a reservoir has been constructed for the pur- pose of storing water for the use of the premises, and a tele- phone has been put up, connecting the Superintendent's office
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with the police station and the office of the Clerk of the Over- seers of Poor, at the City Hall. Both improvements have been made at a very moderate cost, and already give promise of great convenience and usefulness in conducting the business of the Institution.
The applications for assistance and relief, which have come from the poor, the needy, and the destitute, during the year, have been more frequent than usual. There is every reason to believe, that in the immediate future these calls will be greatly multiplied. While engaged in the duty of administering this department of our charities-a duty which not only carries with it the binding force of a legal obligation, but should be regarded by us in the nature of a privilege - we must bear in mind that we are the appointed almoners of the city's bounty, and as public servants, are bound to exercise all proper dis- crimination and caution in the execution of that trust. But at the same time the city bids us deal not only kindly and tenderly, but bountifully with the deserving poor, dispensing with an open and a generous hand. It bids us accompany each bestowal of assistance with the words of hope and encouragement, rather than of censure and admonition, always remembering that it is better to err by sometimes granting aid to an unworthy appli- cant rather than that the really deserving should go away empty- handed.
CITY HOSPITAL.
The labors of the Board of Commissioners having in charge the Jaques property and other funds connected with the City Hospital, have met with the most gratifying success. The wis- dom of the movement which resulted in the establishment of the Commission is no longer questioned by any one. Even those who at first opposed the measure as of doubtful expediency, at the best, now frankly commend it as the most judicious plan that could have been adopted for the preservation of the various funds which have been transferred to the hands of the Commis- sioners, and for securing the application of the income of them to the support and maintenance of the institution, for the benefit of which they were originally created. And so long as the
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Commission shall be composed of discreet, faithful and unselfish men-men who are interested in the cause of suffering humanity, and who are willing to devote some portion of their time, gratu- itously, in that cause, - we need have no fear that the measure will be attended by any but the most favorable results.
During the year, sales of the Jaques land, to the amount of nearly ten thousand dollars, have been effected by the Commis- sioners, thus converting unproductive property into a paying investment, for the benefit of the Hospital. From such a begin- ning as this, at a time when there is so little demand for unoc- cupied land, we may confidently anticipate certain success in the future, when business revives, and land for building pur- poses is more frequently sought for.
The subject of erecting hospital buildings upon the land donated to the city by Mr. Jaques for that purpose, in eighteen hundred and seventy-two, has been referred to a committee whose report will be before you. I regret to say that I cannot agree with some of the conclusions of that report. Nearly seven years have elapsed since this deed of gift was made to the city and accepted by the City Council. Not one of the conditions contained in that deed has been complied with by the city, unless, perhaps, we may except the one requiring the widening of Wellington street. The appropriation of twenty- five thousand dollars required was, indeed made, formally, but nothing ever came of it. All the other conditions have been quietly ignored, not to say forgotten; and it is difficult to understand how the committee, in the face of these facts, so discreditable to the city, can come to the conclusion that they "are unable to see wherein the City Council have been derelict of duty towards the institution, or unfaithful to the trust reposed by its generous benefactor."
The final conclusion, however, at which the Committee unani- mously arrive, namely, that "another year an appropriation should be made sufficient to erect the buildings, and carry out in full the obligation of the deed," is eminently wise and just, and sohuld be at once accepted and acted upon. I do not see how, under all the circumstances, any other course can honestly be pursued. I therefore earnestly invite your attention to an early
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consideration of this too long neglected matter, with a view to carrying out the recommendations of the Committee, and thus relieving the city of the cloud which, as it seems to me, has rested altogether too long upon its fair fame, by the neglect to carry out Mr. Jaques' wishes, as embodied in the conditions of his deed of gift-a neglect all the more conspicuous from the fact, that the deed was so speedily followed by the princely bequest contained in his last will and testament.
But setting aside the obligations resting upon the city by its acceptance of the deed of gift, and re-enforced by Mr. Jaques' subsequent act of munificence, there is another consideration which, in itself, is quite sufficient to warrant us in proceeding, at once, with the erection of the hospital buildings on Prince street, in accordance with the conditions of the deed -and that is, the consideration of economy. The whole homestead estate is now unproductive property, beyond its temporary occupation for hospital purposes. The buildings, never adapted to hospital use, require, from their great age, constant repairs and altera- tions, which involve more or less expense. By occupying the Prince street lot, buildings better adapted to the purpose could, at the present time, be erected, for the sum indicated in the deed of gift. This having been done, the monthly penalty of two hundred dollars, now being incurred by the city for its neglect, would cease; and, what is more, by the occupation of the Prince street lot, one of the most valuable tracts of land in the city, for building purposes, would be released, which, being put upon the market, would meet with a ready sale. The pro- ceeds of such sale would increase the fund to such an amount that, in all probability, the income of it would be amply sufficient for the generous support of the hospital, rendering an annual appropriation from the city for that purpose wholly unnecessary. Nay, more, - besides converting the present unproductive property into a fund, the income thereof to be devoted to the maintenance of the hospital, in accordance with the directions of Mr. Jaques, as expressed in his will, it would very largely increase the volume of property subject to taxation.
I recommend, therefore, that the subject of erecting hospital buildings,on Prince street, in accordance with the provisions
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contained in Mr. Jaques' deed of gift, be taken into considera- tion by you at a day sufficiently early to insure the substantial completion of the work during the coming season.
Gentlemen of the City Council :
Our duties are before us. We are about to take up. the· bur- den which our fellow-citizens have laid upon us for the coming year. And while I pledge you my earnest endeavors to do my full share in bearing that burden, by devoting my time and strength to the public service, by co-operating with you in all efforts to carry out the wishes of our constituents, and to pro- tect their interests, I beg leave to admonish you that the burden will rest upon us all alike. No one of us can discharge the obligations which rest upon another. Each one of us has his own allotted work, and he can delegate it to no one else-work which has been assigned to him by his election, and which he now assumes by accepting the trust. The compact between him and his constituents is to-day made complete. They, on on their part, have given him their confidence ; he, on his part, has pledged himself not to abuse or betray that confidence. This compact demands his prompt, personal attentionto the discharge of his duties, at all times, under all circumstances, in season and out of season. It demands his constant attendance upon all sessions of the Council; it claims his faithfulness to the work of the committees to which he is assigned ; it bids him hold himself in readiness to give his presence whenever and wherever the business of the city, whatever it may be, calls him. It is this personal service, and this personal service alone, which can redeem the pledge we have made here to-day. It is by this personal service, and by this personal service only, we can hope to attain that result which should be the aim of all public servants-fidelity to the trust committed to us, fidelity to our constituents, and fidelity to ourselves.
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