USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1915 > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
Whole number registered . 2958
Whole number of men. 2802
Whole number of women 156
Total. 2958
Total assessed polls December 31, 1915. 4088
EBEN F. DEWING, Chairman
EDWARD N. LACEY
DANIEL F. AHERN
THOMAS J. ROBINSON, Clerk
Registrars of Voters.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE ROBBINS LIBRARY.
To the Town of Arlington:
The Trustees of the Robbins Library submit their annual re- port. The circulation shows a gain of 3,999 with a total of 54,598 as compared with 50,599 in 1914. The Children's Room shows a loss of 1,119 with 14,371 as against 15,490 in 1914.
The attendance in the Reading Rooms shows a gain on week days of 7,993 - 27,526 as against 19,533 in 1914, with a gain on Sundays of 98 - 2,198 as against 2,100 in 1914.
The daily attendance in the Children's Room has risen from 9,836 to 10,567 - a gain of 731 with a gain of 2 in Sunday at- tendance - 1,922 as against 1,920 in 1914.
There is a gain of 5,348 in books taken from the Stack Room - 39,259 as against 33,911 in 1914. The use of periodicals also shows an increase - 3,468 as against 3,218 in 1914, a gain of 250. Seven hundred and eighty new cards were given out in 1915 as against 808 in 1914 - a falling off of 28, but not a loss. The Postal Reserve system shows a gain of 197 - 846 using it in 1915 as against 649 in 1914.
Three thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven books and periodicals were loaned from the Arlington Heights Branch as against 4000 in 1914, and we note a corresponding loss in books and periodicals sent from the Center to the Heights, 968 in 1915 as against 1,198 in 1914. This may be due to the fact that the Branch at the Heights does not serve the purpose of a Reading Room, owing to the smallness of its size, and does not attract as many people as formerly.
We wish to draw attention to the fact that during August of 1915 the Library was opened for regular hours and liberally patronized.
Owing to the rapid growth of the eastern end of the Town, an effort has been made by the Trustees to establish a Branch Library in that section. By agreement with the School Committee, we have secured a large and well-lighted room in the basement of the Crosby School, which, by the expenditure of $1000, can be admirably fitted for the purposes of a Reading Room. In addi- tion to this preliminary expenditure we must ask the Town for an annual increase of $1000 for the maintenance of this proposed branch, but we feel that the end in view will justify the outlay.
115
116
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
The function of a library is not to store books, but circulate them, and the larger their circulation, the better it is for the Town.
The Library has been enriched the past year by the gift of books from Miss M. L. Pendleton, Miss M. J. Jacques, Mrs. James A. Bailey, Mrs. Samuel A. Fowle, Mr. D. L. Tappan and others. The editors of the Advocate have continued to send us a file of that paper, and Mr. G. B. C. Rugg sent us photographs of scenes connected with the European war.
We have had made for the Library by Doane, a beautiful volume of photographs of the Arlington Pageant of 1913, which will be of great and increasing value in the future.
Exhibitions of photographs, etc., have been given in addition to those reported hitherto.
January and February. No. 172. Manufacture of Iron and Steel.
February and March. No. 173. North Wales.
March and April. No. 174. Renaissance Doorways.
April. No. 175. Village Homes of England.
May. No. 176. Lumbering, Mining, Quarrying, Pottery and Glass.
June. No. 177. Fisheries Around the World.
June and July. No. 178. Examples of Japanese Textile Fabrics in Color. Part II.
July and August. No. 179. Cattle and Dairy Products.
August. No. 180. Forestry.
September. No. 181. Balloons and Aeroplanes from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century.
September and October. No. 182. Dante, 1265 to 1321.
October and November. No. 183. Algiers.
November. Joan of Arc, 1412 to 1431.
December. No. 185. Märchen-Brunnen, or Fairy-Tale Foun- tain in Berlin.
December and January. No. 186. The Great War in Europe, begun August 1, 1914.
Respectfully submitted, SAMUEL C. BUSHNELL, CYRUS E. DALLIN, CHARLES A. KEEGAN, WILLIAM A. MULLER, JAMES P. PARMENTER, ARTHUR J. WELLINGTON, Trustees.
117
TRUSTEES ROBBINS LIBRARY
LIBRARIAN'S STATEMENT. LIBRARY HOURS.
Open daily, except Sunday, 10 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Children's Room, 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Sundays, except in August, for readers only, 2.30 to 5.30 P.M. Closed on holidays.
LIBRARY HOURS, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS BRANCH.
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. - 1.30 to 6, 7 to 8.30 P.M. August. - Open on Saturdays only.
Closed on holidays.
Books left at the Branch on Tuesday and Saturday, between the hours of 1.30 and 3.30 P.M., will be exchanged, and books will be ready for delivery from 7 to 8.30 P.M. of the same day.
A limited number of books are kept at the Branch and may be circulated from there.
STATISTICS.
Annual Library report for year ending December 31, 1915. Robbins Library, Arlington, Mass. Free for lending and reference.
Number of branches.
1
Days open during year (Central Library)
304
Hours open each week for lending (Central Library).
66
Hours open each week for reading (Central Library).
69
Adults
Children
Total
Number of volumes at beginning of year 23,633
4,141
27,774
Number of volumes added by purchase .
535
102
637
Number of volumes added by gift.
102
1
103
Number of volumes replaced or found .. .
4
8
12
Number of volumes lost or withdrawn. .
58
33
91
Total number at end of year . 24,216
4,219
28,435
Number of volumes fiction lent for home
use.
27,249
11,367
38,616
Total number volumes lent for home use 40,227
14,371
*54,598
Single numbers of periodicals lent for home use . 3,438 30
3,468
Largest delivery in one day, November 6. .
423
Number of new borrowers registered during the year
780
* Includes 968 sent to Branch.
118
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Number of copies of newspapers and periodicals cur- rently received. 117
Number of persons using Library for reading and study ... 41,384
Attendance in Reading Rooms on week days. 27,526
Attendance in Children's Room on week days 10,567
Attendance in Reading Rooms on Sundays. . 2,198
Attendance in Children's Room on Sundays 1,922
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS BRANCH.
Number of volumes at beginning of year 1,168
Number of volumes added during year by purchase 49
Number of volumes added during year by gift.
2
Number of volumes lost or withdrawn during year
1
Total number at end of year. 1,218
Number of books lent for home use from Branch.
1,738
Number of periodicals lent belonging to Branch.
2,029
Number of books and periodicals received by basket from Central Library in 1915. 968
Number of copies of newspapers and periodicals currently received. 29
Receipts From
Payments For
Unexpended balance
Books. $715.91
Local taxation. . $4,000.00
Periodicals 315.27
Endowment funds. . . 2,692.26
Binding. 418.08
Fines and sale of pub-
Salaries, library serv- ice, janitor service. 4,287.06
lications 342.74
Other sources 573.53
Heat. 454.77
Light. 537.76
Other expenses.
873.96
Total. $7,608.53
Balance on hand. -
5.72
Total
$7,608.53
119
TRUSTEES ROBBINS LIBRARY
LIST OF PERIODICALS.
A. L. A. Booklist. American Boy.' American Cookery. American Forestry.
American Review of Reviews.
Architectural Record. Arlington High School Clarion. Atlantic Monthly.
· Bird Lore. Birds and Nature. Book Buyer .* Book Review Digest. Bookman. Boys' Life. Century. Christian Endeavor World. Congressional Record .* Countryside Magazine. Craftsman. Current Opinion. Delineator. Education. Educational Review. Etude. Forum. General Federation Magazine. Good Housekeeping. Good Roads Magazine. Harper's Bazar. Harper's Monthly. Harvard Theological Review. Harvard University Gazette .* Hibbert Journal. Home Needlework Magazine. Home Progress. House Beautiful. Illustrated London News. * Donated.
Independent. Indian's Friend. International Journal of Ethics. International Studio.
John Martin's Book.
Keramic Studio. Ladies' Home Journal. Library Journal. Life.
Lippincott's Magazine. Literary Digest. Little Folks. Living Age. McClure's Magazine.
Massachusetts Magazine.
Mayflower Descendant. Medford Historical Register.
Munsey's Magazine.
Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin .*
Musical Courier.
Musician. Nation.
National Geographic Magazine. New England Historical and Genealogical Register.
New England Homestead.
Nineteenth Century and After. North American Review.
Official Gazette, U. S. Patent Office .*
Our Dumb Animals .* Outing. Outlook. Photo Era. Pictorial Review. Pilgrim Notes and Queries. Popular Mechanics.
120
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Popular Science Monthly.
Practical Engineer.
Public Libraries.
Raja-Yoga Messenger .*
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature.
St. Nicholas.
Unpopular Review.
School Arts Magazine.
World's Work.
School Review.
Youth's Companion.
Scientific American.
LIST OF NEWSPAPERS AND OTHER PERIODICALS.
Arlington Advocate.
Arlington Weekly News.
Boston Daily Advertiser.
Boston Evening Transcript.
Cambridge Chronicle.
Christian Register .*
Springfield Weekly Republican.
Christian Science Journal .*
Unitarian Advance .*
Universalist Leader .*
Watchman-Examiner .*
Living Church .*
Woman's Journal .*
Missions .*
Woman's Protest Against
New York Times Book Review. *Donated
Woman Suffrage .*
We have received reports or bulletins, or both, from the public libraries of the following places: Andover (Memorial Hall Li- brary); Baltimore, Md. (Enoch Pratt Free Library); Belmont; Boston; Brookline; Canton; Chelsea; Concord; Everett (Shute Memorial Library); Fairhaven (Millicent Library); Hartford, Conn .; Lancaster; Louisville, Ky .; Malden; Manchester, N. H .; Massachusetts (Free Public Library Commission) ; Milton; Natick (Morse Institute Library); New York; Newton; Northampton (Forbes Library); Providence, R. I .; Quincy (Thomas Crane Public Library); Salem; Somerville; Stoneham; Taunton; Wake- field (Beebe Town Library); Wilkes-Barré, Pa. (Osterhout Free Library); Winchester; Woburn; Worcester.
Respectfully submitted, ELIZABETH J. NEWTON, Librarian. ARLINGTON, December 31, 1915.
Scientific American Supplement Scribner's Magazine. Something-To-Do.
Spectator.
Survey.
Theosophical Path .*
Remonstrance Against Woman Suffrage .*
Sacred Heart Review .*
Somerville Enterprise .* Somerville Journal.
Christian Science Monitor .* Current Events.
121
TRUSTEES ROBBINS LIBRARY
TRUSTEES ROBBINS LIBRARY.
ART FUND. 1915.
Principal of Fund $23,817.25
Accumulated income to January 1, 1915 . 2,823.63
$26,640.88
Receipts.
Interest on
$8000 Water Bonds of 1912, June and December
$320.00
8000 Water Loan of 1913, June
170.00
6000 Water Loan of 1913, December
127.50
4000 Schouler Court Land Purchase of 1914
160.00
6000 Water Loan of 1914 Notes.
240.00
500 Turkey Hill Land Purchase
20.00
Town of Arlington Tax Note, $1,077.50
40.00
Savings Bank 17.35
$1,094.85
$27,735.73
Expenditures.
Rent of Safety Box
$10.00
$27,725.73
Balance.
Principal of Fund
$23,817.25
Accumulated Income to date
3,908.48
$27,725.73
Investments. Seven Water Bonds of 1912, dated De- cember 2, 1912, due serially commencing December 2, 1916 $7,000.00
Three Water Bonds of 1913, dated June 30, 1913, due serially commencing June 30, 1916 6,000.00
122
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Four Schouler Court Land Purchase of 1914 Notes, dated April 30, 1914, due serially commencing January 1, 1925 Two Water Loan of 1914 Notes, dated November 1, 1914, due serially com- mencing November 1, 1916 4,000.00
$4,000.00
One Turkey Hill Land Purchase of 1913 Note, dated November 1, 1914, due November, 1918 500.00
One Town of Arlington Tax Note, dated July 1, 1915, due July 1, 1916 2,000.00
One Street Loan of 1915 Note, No. 163, dated December 1, 1915, due December 1,1917 2,000.00
Deposit in Arlington Savings Bank. 2,225.73
$27,725.73
SAMUEL C. BUSHNELL, CYRUS E. DALLIN, CHARLES A. KEEGAN, WILLIAM A. MULLER, JAMES P. PARMENTER, ARTHUR J. WELLINGTON, Trustees.
MYRON TAYLOR, Treasurer.
GEORGE McK. RICHARDSON, Auditor.
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR 1915.
To the Inhabitants of the Town of Arlington:
Following the precedents of previous years, the report of the School Committee hereby submitted undertakes nothing more than to outline briefly the principal events which have developed in the administration of our school system during the year 1915 and to embody such suggestions and recommendations for future action as shall enable us to keep abreast of the ever-growing demands of school requirements.
The year 1915 stands out conspicuously in the annals of our school history by reason of three events of unusual importance: namely, the completion and opening of the new High School Building on Massachusetts Avenue, the establishment of a Junior High School in the old High School Building on Academy Street, and the increase of the appropriation by the Town for school purposes to a sum in excess of one hundred thousand (100,000) dollars.
The history and development to completion of the new High School Building is too well known to every citizen to require here any extended remarks. It is sufficient to state that the School Committee appreciates the efforts that have been made by the Building Committee of the Town to furnish a building adequate and adapted to the needs of a modern High School, and that no pains have been spared to make the structure not only practical for the purposes for which it is intended, but an effective addition to the number of splendid public buildings which the municipality already possesses.
Coincident with the opening of the new High School Building, the Junior High School came into existence as a part of the school system. The reasons which prompted your Committee to establish such a school were fully set forth in the report of the Superintendent of Schools for the year 1914. The brief period of its existence, however, has been insufficient to determine
123
124
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
accurately its usefulness and efficiency, but that it is founded . upon a sound theory it is impossible to deny. The membership of this school comprises the eighth and ninth grades from all sections of the Town, numbering approximately 425 pupils, and while the transportation problem bears somewhat heavily upon those pupils living at the extremities of the Town, your Committee felt that the establishment of the school was justified not only because of its belief in the added advantages to pupils educationally but because it offered almost the only opportunity to relieve the crowded condition in several of the congested school centers of the Town.
SCHOOL EXPENDITURES.
Regarding the question of expenditures for school purposes, which in 1915 passed the $100,000 mark an intelligent discussion of the causes which have led to the steady increase in the ap- propriation for this purpose during the past ten years involves a study of the growth of the Town and the school population, as well as other conditions during the same period.
An examination of statistics discloses that the population of the Town in 1905 was 9,672, while the school population in the same year is given at 1861. The census of 1915 places the number of inhabitants in the Town at 14,860, while the total enrollment of pupils this year in the schools is 3,176. By comparing these figures and the appropriation for schools in 1905, which was $54,840, with an appropriation in 1915 of $100,519, it can be seen that the increase in school appropriations has not been seriously out of proportion to the growth in school population. Add to this the fact that during this period, the cost of living has increased more than forty per cent, involving a necessary increase in the largest single item of school expense, the salaries of teachers, janitors, etc., as well as the increase in the cost of books, supplies, fuel, etc., and the fact that the percentage of pupils attending the High School, where the cost of education is practically double that of the grades, has steadily advanced and we begin to have some appreciation of the impossibility of pre- venting constant growth in the size of the appropriation, unless we are prepared to allow our schools to sink to the level of second rate institutions.
It must furthermore be borne in mind that in every rapidly
125
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
growing community adequate school accommodations necessitate the frequent erection of new buildings as well as the addition of units to structures already existing, and it follows that the expense of the department is thereby further augmented by the constant increasing outlay incident to the care and maintenance of school property.
In this connection, it may also be stated that among the many matters which have received the Committee's attention during the past year, the question of fire hazard has been seriously considered. A special subcommittee was appointed to examine into and report upon the condition of each building, and as a result, certain minor alterations were made and additional fire prevention apparatus provided, and in the case of one building, that of the Russell School, a sprinkler system installed. The equipment thus provided and added to, with some further changes which it is proposed to make, will in the opinion of your Committee afford all reasonable protection to pupils and teachers against danger arising from the breaking out of fires in the school buildings.
HOUSING FACILITIES.
The matter of providing sufficient school accommodations is a . problem which must be faced and constantly dealt with in every growing center of population, and the fact that the growth in school population in Arlington has been exceptional in the last ten years affords no opportunity to relax our vigilance in this direction.
If we examine the records for the last ten-year period we will find that the increase in the average membership of pupils was 64.5 per cent, the gain being greatest in the later years of the period as is evidenced by the fact that the total enrollment has jumped from 2,600 in December, 1913, to 3,070 in 1915. To accommodate this large number of pupils, the Town possesses seven buildings, six of which are available for grammar school purposes. These comprise the Locke School building, situated at the Heights, the Crosby, located at the east end of the Town, and the Cutter, Russell, Parmenter and old High School buildings, the latter now being used for the Junior High School. At the present time, the Cutter, Parmenter and Junior High are fully occupied, while the Locke and Crosby schools have each one room
126
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
not in use. There is little doubt, however, that the maximum capacity of the last two buildings mentioned will be required to take care of the school attendance in September, and a condition will then be presented which will require the complete use of every school building in Town with the exception of the Russell to satisfy.
From the above facts, it must be apparent that if we are to prepare for the annual increase in the number of pupils, additional school accommodations must be provided by September, 1917, and the question naturally arises as to where such provision shall first be made. In the study of this question, your Committee has conferred with the Town Planning Board and has come to the conclusion that relief from congestion should first be provided at the Cutter School. This school building is now being used to its full capacity and it is reasonable to anticipate that from now on the growth in this district will be distinctly shown in an increase in school membership. The original plans of the Cutter building contemplated a sixteen-room structure. By duplicating the eight rooms already existing, sufficient accommodation can be provided to take care of the growth in the district and postpone, for a short period, the necessity for additional school buildings at the Heights. Preliminary steps should immediately be taken, looking to the erection of this unit so that the same will be ready for occupancy not later than the fall of 1917.
The extremities of the Town, particularly the Crosby district, will next demand our consideration. Here the development in recent years has been most rapid and is likely so to continue for some time to come. Geographically, the present school building seems to be well located to serve this area and needed housing facilities can be provided for this section either by adding to the present structure or erecting another building sufficiently near to be operated in conjunction with it. Relief here can be deferred scarcely longer than in the Cutter district.
As to the Heights section, it is perhaps too early to form definite conclusions. The present development seems to lean toward Crescent Hill, and with the opening of Summer Street as a boulevard, building operations may be so stimulated that it will be found the part of expediency to carve out a new district and erect a school building considerably north of Massachusetts
127
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Avenue. However the question shall be decided, it will doubtless be determined within the next five years.
GENERAL CONDITIONS.
Any extended statement of the general efficiency and use- fulness of our schools, their aims and standards, need not be attempted in this report as the academic side has been dealt with in the past by the Superintendent and is further discussed in his report of this year, which will be found in the School Report printed by the School Committee, copies of which will be furnished to citizens upon request. It is desired to emphasize, however, that the reputation of the schools of Arlington has not suffered during the past year and that the policy which has given her a leading place among the municipalities of the state in the quality of her schools has not changed. Your Committee is further firmly of the opinion that a fair comparison of the school ad- ministration of Arlington with that of other similar school centers will disclose that the Town is receiving in this department a maximum of efficiency at a minimum of expense.
Respectfully submitted,
ALTON F. TUPPER
Chairman.
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The Board of Health respectfully submits the following report for the year ending December 31, 1915.
The Board, consisting of Dr. Laurence L. Peirce, Dr. Guy E. Sanger. and Alfred H. Knowles, held its first meeting March 4, 1915, at which time Dr. Sanger, having been re-elected for a term of three years, was sworn to the faithful performance of his duties by the Town Clerk.
Dr. Peirce was re-elected Chairman, and John E. Robinson was appointed Clerk.
The sanitary conditions of the Town are extremely satisfactory, but, while it is natural that there should be complaints, the num- ber have been comparatively few, and have in all cases been promptly attended to.
For several weeks conditions were ripe for a serious epidemic of scarlet fever in the Town. The State Board of Health through its inspector investigated the cause of the outbreak and reported as follows:
WOLLASTON, MASS., October 18, 1915.
Board of Health, Arlington, Mass.
Dear Sirs: As you know, I have recently been in consulta- tion with Dr. Pratt, the physician to your Board, in regard to the scarlet fever situation in your Town, Dr. Simpson, the Health Officer in charge of your district, being absent on his vacation.
Dr. Pratt and I saw all the cases and investigated all the con- ditions in the Crosby School, about which the outbreak seems to center. We made a partial examination of the children who might be expected to have been exposed to the disease in the school, and Dr. Pratt will continue to make such examinations for some days to come.
One thing struck me as we made our investigation, and that was that a number of cases had not been reported by the physi- cians in charge at the proper time. In one house the first patient was not reported at all. In another instance, one case was re
128
129
BOARD OF HEALTH
ported from a household, while three or four other cases which were suspicious, to say the least, were not reported to the Board of Health.
I feel that the physicians practicing in Arlington are not suffi- ciently alive to the need of prompt reporting of cases of communi- cable diseases to the local Board of Health. I would suggest that a circular letter be sent to all of the physicians in Arlington and to those who are in the habit of coming into Arlington to practice, urging upon them the extreme importance of prompt and accurate reporting of communicable diseases.
Yours very truly, MERRILL E. CHAMPION, M.D., District Health Officer.
LOWELL, MASS., December 30, 1915.
Board of Health, Arlington, Mass.
Dear Sirs: I made a study of the scarlet fever situation in your Town with your physician, Dr. Pratt. You had eleven cases during the month of November, and twelve scattered through December. They are located in different sections of the Town, are attending different schools, and have no milkman in common. Several of them are members of the same family. Some are rela- tives to other families, and three or four were attendants at the High School. There is some indication that quarantine is not well observed, and that members of a family supposed to be in quarantine are attending public gatherings.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.