USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1913 > Part 6
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Voted: That a committee of five (5), composed of the following citizens be appointed to investigate the subject matter of this article and bring in their report to the next town meet- ing, regular or special, with their recommendations. Com- mittee, Peter Schwamb, Alexander S. Jardine, Napoleon J. Hardy, John R. Foster, and W. I. Middleton.
Article 17 taken up. (Equitable tax rate.)
The Committee recommended and it was so voted that no action be taken under this article.
Article 18 taken up. (Sealed bids for town supplies.)
The Committee recommended, and it was so voted that no action be taken under this article.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
The number of voters attending the meeting, as determined by the Constables in charge of the Turnstiles, was four hun- dred and seventeen (417). All business calling the meeting having been transacted it was
Voted: That this meeting be now dissolved.
Meeting dissolved at fifty minutes after eight o'clock. A true record. Attest:
THOMAS J. ROBINSON, Town Clerk.
TOWN WARRANT.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. MIDDLESEX SS To either of the Constables of the Town of Arlington.
GREETING: In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, qualified as the Constitution requires, to vote in elections and Town affairs, to assemble in the Town Hall, in said Town, Tuesday, the Twenty-fifth day of Novem- ber, 1913, at 7.30 P.M., then and there to act on the following articles, viz .:
ARTICLE 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
ART. 2. To hear and act on the report of the Committee appointed April 28, 1913, to select a suitable lot of land for school and municipal purposes.
ART. 3. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Selectmen, in the name and behalf of the Town, to purchase a lot of land for school and municipal purposes, or either or both such purposes, and make an appropriation therefor, or take any other action thereon.
Hereof, fail not, and make due return of this Warrant with your doings thereon, to the Selectmen, on or before said day and hour of meeting.
Given under our hands at said Arlington, this tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirteen.
FRANK V. NOYES, HERBERT W. RAWSON, JACOB BITZER, Selectmen of the Town of Arlington.
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TOWN RECORDS
CONSTABLE'S RETURN.
Arlington, November 23, 1913.
MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
By virtue of this Warrant I have notified and warned the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, qualified to vote in elections and town affairs to meet at the time and place and for the purposes herein named, by causing a printed attested copy to be left at every dwelling house in the Town and also by posting an attested copy on the doors of the Town Hall seven days at least before said day of meeting. A notice of the time, place and object of said meeting was published in the Arlington Advocate.
(Signed) WILLIAM T. CANNIFF, Constable of Arlington.
In pursuance of the foregoing Warrant the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, qualified to vote in elections and Town affairs, met in the Town Hall, in said Arlington, on Tuesday, the twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirteen, and were called to order at thirty minutes after seven o'clock in the evening by the Town Clerk, who read the Warrant calling the meeting and the return thereon of the Constable who served the same upon the Inhabitants.
Article 1 taken up. (Choice of Moderator.)
John G. Brackett was unanimously elected Moderator and was sworn to the faithful discharge of his duties by the Town Clerk.
On motion of Truman L. Quimby, Chairman of the Com- mittee of Twenty-one, article 2 was taken up.
Article 2 taken up. (Report of Committee on High School Site.)
John W. Bailey, Chairman of the Committee on selection of a High School site presented the report of the Committee and requested that the same be read by the Town Clerk.
During the reading of the report by the Town Clerk, Mr. Adams of the Committee illustrated the various sites by means of stereopticon views thrown on a curtain on the stage.
The report was a most comprehensive one, reciting that the Committee had investigated in all nineteen different sites,
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and gave reasons why , certa'n sites were eliminated from consideration and why other sites were favorably considered. The Committee were unanimous in recommending the Winn · farm on Mystic Street as the best site available for a High School building.
It was then
Voted: That the report of the Committee on High School be received.
Mr. Quimby, Chairman of the Committee of Twenty-one, then asked that the report of the Committee of Twenty-one be received and it was so voted.
Mr. Quimby then offered the following motion: "That the recommendations of the Committee appointed April 28, 1913, to select a suitable lot of land for school and municipal pur- poses, be adopted."
This motion was discussed at length by Messrs. Foster, Peck, Schwamb, Spurr, Birch, Maguire, Perkins, Drouet, O'Leary, Breed and others.
On the question being raised as to whether a vote in favor of the motion (the adoption of the recommendations of the Committee) would bar the consideration of other sites, the Moderator ruled that if the meeting voted to adopt the recom- mendations of the Committee no other sites could be considered; but that if the vote was negative any site might be considered under Article 3.
On the question being called for, the Moderator declared that the motion as offered by Mr. Quimby was not carried, 165 voting "Yes," 204 voting "No."
Article 3 taken up. (Purchase of a High School site.) Mr. Drouet presented the Varney and Taylor site for an extension of the present building along Maple Street.
Mr. Birch presented the Schouler Court site, taking the so-called Town dump, owned by the Heirs of Henry J. Locke, and the land and buildings on the easterly side of Schouler Court.
Mr. Maguire presented the Mead lot on Highland Avenue.
The scheme to enlarge the present building by building an addition towards the new Town Hall was also presented.
All of these motions on being put to vote were declared not carried.
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TOWN RECORDS
Mr. Quimby of the Committee of Twenty-one then offered the motion embodied in the report of said Committee "that the Selectmen be empowered to purchase for school and munic- ipal purposes the Winn farm on Mystic Street at a price not to exceed $33,000."
This motion on being placed before the meeting was declared lost.
On motion of William G. Peck, amended by William C. Drouet to include the Varney and Taylor lots, it was
Voted: That a committee of three be appointed by the Moderator, in or within five days from this date, to bring in their findings and recommendations, in print, relative to the cost of acquiring the Academy site, including the cost of grading and excavation of the same, and excluding from their findings all dwellings on Jason Street, as heretofore proposed by the School Committee; the cost of acquiring, grading and excavating the Varney lots, so called, 21 and 23 Maple Street, with an aggregate area of 26,059 square feet, assessed for $12,712, and affording an additional frontage on Maple Street to the present High School lot of eighty feet. Also, to report their recommendations and findings as to the cost of acquiring and grading the Mead lot, so called, of any part of same with such additional adjoining land, if any, as they may deem proper, being the same site mentioned in committee's report and being item number seven of said report. Said Committee to report to the Town on or before December 15, 1913.
The Moderator within the time allowed under the foregoing vote appointed the following citizens to serve on said Com- mittee:
Rev. Frederick A. Bisbee, Henry W. Hayes, Max H. Meyer.
The number of voters attending the meeting as determined by the Constables in charge of the turnstiles was four hundred and fifty-three (453).
The business calling the meeting having been transacted it was
Voted: That this meeting be now dissolved. Meeting dissolved at five (5) minutes after eleven (11) o'clock.
A true record. Attest:
THOMAS J. ROBINSON, Town Clerk.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
TOWN WARRANT.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. MIDDLESEX COUNTY. To either of the Constables of the Town of Arlington.
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, qualified as the Constitution requires, to vote in elections and Town affairs, to assemble in the Town Hall, in said Town, Monday, the fifteenth day of De- cember; 1913, at 7.30 P.M., then and there to act on the follow- ing articles, viz .:
ARTICLE 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
ART. 2. To hear and act on reports of Committees hereto- fore appointed.
ART. 3. To see what action the Town will take with refer- ence to the increase and improvement of present High School accommodations, make an appropriation therefor, determine in what manner the money shall be raised, or take any other action thereon.
Hereof, fail not, and make due return of this Warrant with your doings thereon, to the Selectmen, on or before said day and hour of meeting.
· Given under our hands at said Arlington, this first day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirteen.
FRANK V. NOYES, HERBERT W. RAWSON, JACOB BITZER, Selectmen of the Town of Arlington.
CONSTABLE'S RETURN.
Arlington, December 13, 1913.
MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
By virtue of this Warrant I have notified and warned the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, qualified to vote in elections and Town affairs, to meet at the time and place and
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TOWN RECORDS
for the purpose named by causing a printed attested copy to be left at every dwelling house in the Town and also by posting an attested copy on the doors of the Town Hall, seven days at least before said day of meeting. A notice of the time, place and purpose of said meeting was published in the Arlington Advocate.
(Signed) WILLIAM T. CANNIFF, Constable of Arlington.
In pursuance of the foregoing Warrant the citizens of the Town of Arlington, qualified as the Constitution requires to vote in elections and Town affairs, met in the Town Hall in said Town on Monday the fifteenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirteen, and were called to order at thirty minutes after seven o'clock in the evening by the Town Clerk, who read the Warrant calling the meeting and the return thereon of the Constable who served the same upon the inhabitants.
Article 1 taken up. (Choice of Moderator.)
John G. Brackett was unanimously elected as Moderator and was sworn to the faithful performance of his duties by- the Town Clerk.
Article 2 taken up. (Reports of Committees.)
Rev. Frederick A. Bisbee then read the report of the special committee appointed November 25, 1913, to investigate and report on the Varney-Taylor lot, the Academy Street lot and the Mead-Highland Avenue lot. The report was in print and had been distributed to the citizens of the Town.
The report was received.
On motion of Truman L. Quimby the report of the special committee was then laid upon the table.
The report of the Committee of Twenty-one was then received. .
The report of the site committee recommended the purchase of about 47,303 square feet on Academy Street, at a cost of $18,000.
The Committee of Twenty-one recommended that the area of land be enlarged to 54,903 square feet, at a cost of $22,000.
Article 2 was then laid on the table.
Article 3 taken up. (Proposed High School site.)
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Mr. Bisbee of the special committee then offered the motion that the town purchase for a High School site the areas men- tioned in the report of said committee's report at a cost not exceeding $18,000.
Mr. Quimby, for the Committee of Twenty-one, offered an amendment that the area recommended by said committee of Twenty-one be purchased at a cost not exceeding $22,000.
Mr. Bisbee of the Site Committee accepted the amendment.
Mr. Lamson offered an amendment that the sum of $110,000 be appropriated for an addition to the present High School building, substantially in accordance with plans previously shown by Professor Peter Schwamb.
Mr. Birch offered a substitute motion that the sum of $30,000.00 be appropriated for the purchase of the Schouler Court site, substantially as shown by him by means of lantern slides thrown on a curtain.
Mr. William G. Peck then addressed the meeting and called the attention of the citizens to the generous donations which the Town had received from the Robbins family, and indicated that it was the desire of the Misses Robbins that nothing should be done by the Town at this time which would in any way interfere with the project of making the square, bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, Pleasant, Maple and Academy Streets, a civic square for park and municipal purposes.
At the request of Mr. Osgood, the Town Clerk read the resolutions passed by the Woman's Club at the meeting of the Club, December 4, 1913. In the resolutions the Club expressed its desire that no action should be taken by the Town which would in any way be antagonistic to the wishes of the Misses Robbins, and that the Club were particularly opposed to the scheme to enlarge the present High School building, either by addition toward the new Town Hall, or by extending the building on Maple Street by the purchase of the Varney and Taylor properties.
The matter of various sites was then discussed by Messrs. Crosby, Birch, Maguire, Schwamb and others.
The amendment offered by Mr. Lamson was then voted on and declared not carried by the Moderator, only six voting in favor.
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TOWN RECORDS
Dr. John W. Bailey then presented a new site and offered a substitute motion, that the Town take, by purchase or otherwise, a lot of land, not exceeding two acres, from the northeasterly corner of the Locke farm on Massachusetts Avenue, and the land (about 34,413 square feet) and buildings of Timothy Hurley, adjoining, for a sum not exceeding $18,000.
On the question being called for, this substitute was lost. Yes, 120. No, 225.
The amendments and substitute motions were taken up in the order in which they were offered and each was defeated, including the addition to the present building, the Mead lot, and the Schouler Court proposition.
The question then came on the original motion of the Com- mittee of Twenty-one for the purchase of the Academy Street site.
This motion was declared lost, a two-thirds vote of those present being necessary. 190 voting "Yes," 185 voting "No."
The number of citizens attending the meeting as determined by the Constables in charge of the turnstiles was five hundred eighty-eight (588).
Nothing having been accomplished and all articles in the Warrant having been acted upon, it was
Voted: That this meeting be now dissolved.
Meeting dissolved at 11.30 P.M.
A true record. Attest:
THOMAS J. ROBINSON, Town Clerk.
TOWN WARRANT.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Arlington, in the said County.
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, qualified as the Constitution requires, to vote in elections and Town affairs, to assemble in the Town Hall, in said Town, Monday, the twenty-second day of De-
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
cember, 1913, at seven-thirty o'clock in the evening, then and there to act on the following articles:
ARTICLE 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
ART. 2. To hear and act on the reports of Committees heretofore appointed.
ART. 3. "To learn the opinion of the citizens of the Town, in relation to an act of the Board of Selectmen, in issuing a permit to the Arlington Gas Light Company, to erect a plant for the manufacture of water gas, on a location on Grove Street, in said Town of Arlington, said location being adjacent to the Symmes Arlington Hospital; to learn the opinion of the citizens of the Town, as to whether the erection of a plant for the manufacture of gas on said location is for the best interests of the Town, or will be hurtful to the inhabitants, injurious to their estates, or in any way dangerous to the public health, and to take such action relative to the foregoing, if any should be deemed desirable, as to the citizens assembled may seem meet. "
(This article is inserted at the request of James P. Donnelly, et al.)
ART. 4. To see if the Town will vote to accept the bequest of Edwin S. Farmer of the sum of $5000 for the relief of poor widows of the Town, in accordance with the provisions of said bequest, or take any action thereon.
ART. 5. To see if the Town will vote to accept the bequest . of Edwin S. Farmer of the sum of $5000 for the relief of needy persons of the Town, in accordance with the provisions of said bequest, or take any action thereon.
ART. 6. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select- men to establish and maintain, from the revenue of the Town Hall, a fund for the general maintenance and upkeep of the building, or take any action thereon.
ART. 7. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to establish and maintain, from the revenue of the scenery and piano in the Town Hall, a fund for the main- tenance and upkeep of said scenery and piano, or take any action thereon.
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TOWN RECORDS
ART. 8. To see if the Town will vote to elect its Selectmen and Board of Public Works, beginning with the annual election of March, 1914, one for the term of one year, one for the term of two years, and one for the term of three years, and there- after one for the term of three years, or take any action thereon.
(Inserted at the request of Roger W. Homer, et al.)
' ART. 9. To see if the Town will ask the Board of Assessors to publish the assessed value of real estate in Arlington, including the size, the total value, and the value per foot, or per acre, of each parcel of land tabulated alphabetically by streets and in rotation according to the order of location on each street.
Also, to see if such publication should be bound with the' Assessed Polls, with the Town Report, or separately, make an appropriation for the same, determine in what manner the money shall be raised, or take any action thereon.
(Inserted at the request of Roger W. Homer, et al.)
ART. 10. To see if the Town will vote to ask the Assessors to have the tax rate itemized in the Town Report, so as to show what part of same is spent for State, County and Metro- politan Taxes, what part for interest, schools, Board of Public Works, salaries and maintenance, and such other items as may be of interest to the citizens, make an appropriation therefor, determine in what manner the money shall be raised, or take any action thereon.
(Inserted at the request of Roger W. Homer, et al.)
ART. 11. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Selectmen to assign to the School Committee certain offices in the old Town Hall Building, not now used for Town purposes, or take any action thereon.
ART. 12. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Selectmen to dispose of such furniture, now in the offices of the old Town Hall Building, as the Town does not require, or take any action thereon.
Hereof, fail not, and make due return of this Warrant with your doings thereon, to the Selectmen, on or before said day and hour of meeting.
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Given under our hands at said Arlington, this eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirteen.
FRANK V. NOYES, HERBERT W. RAWSON, JACOB BITZER, Selectmen of the Town of Arlington.
CONSTABLE'S RETURN.
Arlington, December 22, 1913.
MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
By virtue of this Warrant I have notified and warned the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, qualified to vote in elections and Town affairs, to meet at the time and place and for the purposes herein named, by causing a printed attested copy of the same to be left at every dwelling house in Town, and also by posting an attested copy of said Warrant on the doors of the Town Hall, in said Arlington, seven days at least before said day of meeting. A notice of the time, place and object of said meeting was published in the Arlington Advocate.
(Signed) WILLIAM T. CANNIFF, Constable of Arlington.
In pursuance of the foregoing Warrant the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, qualified as the Constitution requires, to vote in elections and Town affairs, met in the Town Hall, on Monday evening, December 22, 1913, and were called to order at thirty minutes after seven o'clock by the Town Clerk, who read the Warrant calling the meeting and the return thereon of the Constable who served the same upon the inhabitants.
Article 1 taken up. (Choice of Moderator.)
John G. Brackett was the unanimous choice of the meeting for Moderator, and he was sworn to the faithful performance of his duties by the Town Clerk.
Article 2 taken up. (Reports of Committees.)
Under this article William G. Peck offered the following motion which was unanimously
Voted: That this meeting desires to express its sense of
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TOWN RECORDS
gratitude to those citizens who have served upon various committees appointed to consider ways and means for pro- viding better High School accommodations. The meeting realizes the difficulties encountered by these committees in their work and appreciates the time and efforts they have given to the service of the Town, and that a copy of this vote be spread upon the records.
It was then
Voted: That all committees heretofore appointed for the pur- pose of considering ways, means, and sites for providing better High School accommodations be honorably discharged.
On motion of Truman L. Quimby it was then
Voted: That Article 3 and subsequent articles in the Warrant be now taken up and that the recommendations made by the Committee of Twenty-one, under these articles, so far as they appear in the printed report, be now considered as before the meeting, to be voted on without further motion, separately, and in the order in which they appear in said report.
Article 3 taken up. (Action of Selectmen in granting permit to Arlington Gas Light Company.)
Mr. Quimby, Chairman of the Committee of Twenty-one, offered the following resolution:
Resolved: That whereas the Board of Selectmen have issued a permit to the Arlington Gas Light Company to erect a plant for the manufacture of water gas, on a location off Grove Street, in said Town of Arlington, said location being adjacent to the Symnies Arlington Hospital, now be it resolved that said action of the Board of Selectmen in granting a permit be, and is, hereby approved.
It appears that the Selectmen acted under the advice of the Town Counsel in this matter, and for them to have refused to issue a permit would have laid the Town liable to an action at law which might result in an expensive litigation. It is the opinion of the Committee, after hearing legal opinions for and against the action of the Selectmen, that the issue, at best, is doubtful, and that the Selectmen took the proper course to safeguard the interests of the Town.
James P. Donnelly, of the petitioners, under this article offered a substitute resolution to the effect that the granting of such
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
a permit was detrimental to the interests of the Town, and embodying a motion that the same powers now held by the Selectmen in the prosecution of suits for or against the Town be conferred on the Board of Health. This part of the motion was ruled out of order by the Moderator and the question came on the resolution offered in substitution of the resolu- tion offered by the Committee of Twenty-one.
Frank V. Noyes, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, at the request of Timothy O'Leary, explained to the meeting the reasons why the Board had granted the permit, and called upon the Town Counsel, Philip A. Hendrick, to present to the meeting the legal side of the question and the opinion given by him to the Board as to the rights and authority of the officials of the Town in the premises.
Mr. Hendrick then gave an exhaustive review of the law governing the authority of municipal officers in dealing with public service corporations, and gave numerous citations in support of the advice he had given the Selectmen - that the refusal of the Board to grant the permit would lead to expen- sive and useless litigation.
The question was then discussed by Messrs. Maguire, Moore and Phinney, and on the question being called for, the resolu- tion as offered by the Committee of Twenty-one was adopted.
Article 4 taken up. (Edwin S. Farmer bequest of $5000 for Poor Widows.)
Voted: That the Town accept the bequest of the late Edwin S. Farmer of the sum of $5000, as provided in his will, and hereby establish a fund to be known as "Edwin S. Farmer Poor Widows Fund," said fund to be administered by the Trustees of the Pratt Fund until the election of Trustees at the next annual meeting, the income thereof to be paid over by the said Trustees to the Overseers of the Poor, and to be expended under their direction for the assistance of worthy widows living within the present limits of the Town of Arlington.
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