USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1917 > Part 3
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
Article 3 was laid on the table.
Article 6 was taken up (Town Ways, Highways and Bridges).
31
TOWN RECORDS
Voted: That the Town Ways, Highways and Bridges be re- paired during the ensuing year under the direction of the Board of Public Works.
Article 8 taken up (Selectmen, agents of the Town).
Voted: That the Selectmen be appointed agents of the Town to institute and prosecute action in favor of the Town, and appear and defend suits and legal proceedings against or in- volving the interests of the Town, with power to employ counsel therein, and when necessary, in all other legal matters and busi- ness appertaining to Town affairs during the year commencing March 1, 1917.
Article 18 taken up (Authority of Tax Collector).
Voted: That the Collector of Taxes be authorized to use all means of collecting taxes for the year 1917 which the Town Treasurer may use when appointed a Collector of Taxes.
Article 19 taken up (Block System for Assessors).
Voted: On recommendation of the Committee that.no action be taken.
Article 23 taken up (Town Treasurer to Borrow).
Voted (two-thirds vote): That the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, be and hereby is authorized to borrow money, from time to time, in anticipation of the rev- enue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1917, and to issue a note or notes therefor payable within one year. Any debt or debts incurred under this vote to be paid from the revenue of said financial year.
Article 30 taken up (Park Commissioners' Authority on Small Parks):
Voted: That the Town devote for park purposes, and place under the jurisdiction of the Park Commissioners, the following parcels of land: Triangle at junction of Florence Avenue, Apple- ton Street and Paul Revere Road; Wellington Park at the junction of Lowell Street and Massachusetts Avenue; triangle on Medford Street at junction of Warren Street, and strip in center of Orvis Road.
Article 37 taken up (Finance Committee of Twenty-one) :
Voted: That the Moderator of this meeting, together with the Chairman and Secretary of the present Finance Committee of Twenty-one are hereby appointed a committee to nominate
32
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
and report to this meeting a Finance Committee of Twenty-one citizens representing all sections of the Town, to serve until the end of the annual meeting of 1918, fourteen members to be selected from the present Committee, provided they will serve, the other seven to be newly appointed. That no person holding an elective Town office shall be eligible to serve on said Com- mittee. To this Finance Committee are hereby referred all articles in any Town warrant issued during its term of office. Said Committee shall, after due consideration of the subject matter of said articles, report thereon in print or otherwise to- the Town meeting with such recommendations as it shall deem best. Said Committee shall choose its own officers and have power to fill vacancies. The following citizens were nominated and elected to serve on the Finance Committee in accordance with the foregoing vote: Luther H. Bateman, 33 Robbins Road; Foster P. Doane, 243 Lowell Street; Carl H. Bunker, 81 Hillside Avenue; Charles B. Devereaux, 8 Wellington Street; James P. Donnelly, 57 Brattle Street; H. E. W. Ekmark, 16 Windsor Street; Frank A. Adams, 11 Upland Road; Frederick W. Hill, 226 Massachusetts Avenue; William G. Hadley, 20 Pond Lane; Charles H. Higgins, 7 Swan Street; Arthur A. Lawson, 13 Ravine Street; W. Dean Sawyer, 105 Bartlett Avenue; George O. Russell, 55 Jason Street; Ralph E. Condor, 20 Milton Street; Clarence A. Moore, 81 Walnut Street; Frank A. O'Brien, 75 Bartlett Avenue; William C. Scannell, 14 Marion Road; Ed- ward S. Crockett, 15 Wachusett Avenue; Walter A. Robinson, 36 Jason Street; C. W. Tilton, 32 Oakland Avenue; Francis J. Whilton, 259 Mystic Street.
Article 38 taken up (Chapter 19, Section 37, Revised Laws) :
Voted: That the subject matter of this article be indefinitely postponed.
Article 39 taken up (Acceptance of Chapter 293, Jitney Act) :
Voted: That the Town accept Chapter 293 of the General Acts of 1916.
Article 40 taken up (Hemlock Street) :
Voted: That the Town change the name of that part of Sum- mer Street from Brattle Street to 88 feet north of Lansdowne Road, to Hemlock Street.
Article 50 taken up (Park Commissioners to transfer land) :
33
TOWN RECORDS
Voted: That the Selectmen be empowered on behalf of the Town to petition the Legislature for the necessary authority to transfer from the lands of Meadow Brook Park to the Cemetery Commissioners that parcel of land described in Article 50 of the Town Warrant and upon obtaining such authority that the Town authorize the Park Commissioners to transfer to the Town through its Cemetery Commissioners for cemetery purposes, a parcel of land adjoining Mount Pleasant Cemetery, more par- ticularly described in the Town Warrant, and now controlled by the Park Commissioners.
Article 51 taken up (Building Rules and Regulations) :
Voted: That the further consideration of these rules and regu- lations be laid on the table pending a further report from the Committee appointed to revise them.
Article 53 taken up (Sale of lot in Mount Pleasant Cemetery) :
Voted: That the Town authorize the Cemetery Commis- sioners to sell for burial purposes a lot in Mount Pleasant Ceme- tery to Robert H. Treadwell, a non-resident of the Town.
Article 4 taken up (Appropriation for Robbins Library) :
Voted: That there be appropriated the sum of $5,200.00 in addition to the dog tax, the receipts for fines and the sale of catalogues for the maintenance of the Robbins Library for the year 1917, same to be expended under the direction of its Trustees.
Article 5 taken up (Appropriation for Schools):
Voted: That the sum of $140,844.70 be appropriated for the public schools for the year 1917, $3,000.00 to be expended for general repairs, $750.00 for the maintenance of Spy Pond Ath- letic Field, $250.00 for the extension of the home garden work, $600.00 for tuition of pupils in State aided technical schools and $300.00 for school physician, and the balance to be expended for the maintenance of said public schools, all to be expended under the direction of the School Committee. The sum of $3,504.70 to meet unpaid bills of 1916 is to be taken from unexpended balances now in the treasury and $137,340.00 to be raised by general tax.
Voted: That the vote whereby it was voted to continue the consideration of the various articles in the Warrant in the order
34
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
in which they appear in the report of the Committee be recon- sidered.
That Article 3 be laid on the table.
Article 47 taken up (Crusher Lot):
This article was debated by a number of citizens. Pictures of the proposed building were shown on the screen and after an hour's consideration of the question, the check list was called for and a vote taken. The result of the vote was announced at 12.30 A. M. as follows: Yes, 151; No. 181, and declaration was made that the motion was lost.
Voted: That when this meeting adjourns, it adjourn to meet Monday evening, March 26, 1917, at 7.30 o'clock. Meeting ad- journed at 12.25 A. M. Number attending meeting as deter- mined by the Constables in charge of the turnstiles was 539.
A true record. Attest:
THOMAS J. ROBINSON, Town Clerk.
Arlington, March 26, 1917.
Pursuant to adjournment, the citizens of Arlington, qualified to vote in elections and Town affairs, met in the Town Hall in said Town, on Monday, the twenty-sixth day of March, 1917, and were called to order by the Moderator, Jacob Bitzer, at thirty minutes after seven o'clock in the evening.
The Moderator stated that at the time of the adjournment of the meeting, March 19, the vote was declared under Article 47. No other business coming under said Article 47, the article was declared disposed of.
Mr. Phinney requested unanimous consent of the meeting to present certain resolutions. Unanimous consent being given, the following resolutions and votes were passed unanimously by a rising vote:
Resolved: "Whereas the German Imperial Government has, as the President said, forbidden to our people the exercise of their peaceful and legitimate errands on the high seas, and
"Whereas, in consequence, the President of the United States has severed diplomatic relations with Germany,
"Be it resolved by the Citizens in Town Meeting Assembled
35
TOWN RECORDS
this twenty-sixth day of March in the year one thousand nine hundred and seventeen,
"First, That they commend the President for his uncompro- mising stand in severing diplomatic relations;
"Second, That they rely upon the President to protect Ameri- can citizens in their acknowledged rights on the high seas;
"Third, That they urge upon the President the necessity of making immediate preparations against the contingencies of war;
"Fourth, That while they desire peace, they desire peace only with honor, and call upon the President to regain at this time the honor of the American people."
On motion of H. A. Phinney, it was unanimously
Voted: That it is the sense of the citizens of Arlington, in Town Meeting assembled, that any employee of the Town, in any department desiring to enlist in the service of our country, shall be granted leave of absence for such time as his enlistment may require.
Upon the expiration of his enlistment he shall be reinstated in the position occupied by him at the time of the granting leave of absence.
Voted, unanimously on motion of William A. Muller:
That a Committee of Fifteen be appointed by the Board of Selectmen to be known as the "Public Safety Committee, " said Committee to work in conjunction with the Public Safety Com- mittee appointed by the Governor of the Commonwealth.
The Chairman of the Board of Selectmen shall act as Chair- man of this Committee, and said Committee shall have power to increase its number and to fill vacancies.
On motion of Mr. Marsh, chairman of the Finance Com- mittee, it was
Voted: That Article 9 be now taken up, and that the subse- quent articles of the Warrant be taken up without further mo- tion, separately and in the order as printed in the Finance Com- mittee Report.
Mr. Birch offered an Amendment, which was accepted:
"That when Articles 33, 34 and 35 are reached they be taken up, as follows: Articles 35, 33 and 34.
36
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Article 9 taken up (Memorial Day) :
Voted: That the sum of $250 be appropriated for the proper observance of Memorial Day, the same to be paid to the Quartermaster of Francis Gould Post 36, G. A. R., and to be expended under the direction of 'officers of Francis Gould Post, 36, G. A. R.
Article 17 taken up (Street Lighting):
Voted: That the sum of $15,300 be appropriated for street lighting for the ensuing year.
Article 20 taken up (Gypsy and Brown-tail Moths) :
Voted: That the sum of $5,500 be appropriated to be expended during the year ending December 31, 1917, under the direction and control of the Selectmen, in suppressing the gypsy and brown-tail moths in the Town of Arlington, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 381 of the Acts of 1905, and Amendments thereto."
Article 21 taken up (New Trees) :
Voted: That the sum of $1,250 be appropriated for planting of new trees and the care of trees, to be expended under the direction of the Tree Warden.
Article 10 taken up (Fire Hydrants, etc.) :
Voted: That the sum of $7,000 be appropriated and paid to the Water Works Department, for water used for fire hydrants, street watering, and public buildings for the year 1917.
Article 11 taken up (Extension of Water Mains) :
Voted: That the sum of $10,000 be appropriated for the extension of water mains, that $2,000 of said sum be raised by general tax of 1917, and for the purpose of raising the balance, $8,000, there be issued four serial notes of $2,000 each, payable respectively 1918, 1919, 1920 and 1921. Said notes to be issued in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 616 of the Acts of 1910 and Amendments thereto, and to be designated on the face thereof, "Water Loan of 1917," and to bear interest at a rate not to exceed four per cent per annum, payable semi-annually.
Article 12 taken up (Permanent Sidewalks):
Voted: That the sum of $3,965.52 be appropriated for
37
TOWN RECORDS
the construction and repair of permanent sidewalks, such work to be done under the provisions of the Sidewalk Act, Section 43, Chapter 49, of the Revised Laws, or any act in addition thereto or amendments thereof. That $1,465.52 of said sum be used to reimburse for sidewalks installed in 1916.
Article 13 taken up (Maintenance of Sewerage System) :
Voted: That the sum of $3,000 be appropriated for the maintenance of the Sewerage System.
Article 14 taken up (Extension of Sewerage System) :
On motion: The consideration of this Article was laid on the table until after action was taken under Article 35.
Article 15 taken up (Repairs and Care of Highways) :
Voted: That the sum of $80,581 be appropriated for the maintenance and construction of highways during the year 1917. That the Street Railway and Excise Tax, now in the Treasury, amounting to $12,709.73 be appropriated toward the payment thereof, and that the balance, $67,871.87 be raised by general tax.
Article 16 taken up (Street Sprinkling, etc.):
Voted: That an appropriation of $5,000 be made for street sprinkling and treatment for the prevention of dust.
Article 24 taken up (Snow and Ice):
Voted: That an appropriation of $7,068.61 be made for the removal of snow and ice from the highways, $6,000 to be raised by general tax and $1,068.61 to be taken from the unexpended balance of 1916 now in the Treasury to meet the overdraft of 1916. This sum to be expended under the direction of the Board of Public Works.
Article 25 taken up (Engineering Department) :
Voted: That the sum of $3,500 be appropriated for Town Engineering, $1,500 of which is to be expended for the salary of the Town Engineer.
Article 26 taken up (Extension of Storm Drains):
Voted: That the sum of $3,000.00 be appropriated for the extension of storm drains.
Article 29 taken up (Maintenance of Park Lands) :
Voted: That the sum of $1,000.00 be appropriated for the maintenance and improvement of the public parks of the
38
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Town, to be expended under the direction of the Park Com- missioners.
Article 7 taken up (Town Expenses, Interest, etc.):
Voted: That the sum of $5,350.00 be appropriated to be expended under the direction of the Board of Health, $2,500.00 of said sum to be for the care of contagious diseases and $2,850.00 to be expended for the general use of the Department.
Voted: That the sum of $14,550.00 be appropriated for the Sinking Fund. That $3,000.00 be taken from the receipts of the Water Department and the balance $11,550.00 be raised by general tax.
Voted: That the sum of $38,000.00 be appropriated for the payment of interest during the year 1917. That for this purpose the sum of $11,057.50 be taken from the receipts of the Water Department, $933.78 from the receipts of the supplementary taxes and the balance $26,008.72 be raised by general tax.
Voted: That the sum of $70,950.00 be appropriated for the payment of bonds and notes maturing in 1917. That for this purpose the sum of $23,520.30 be taken from unexpended balances now in the treasury, $15,500.00 to be taken from the receipts of the Water Department and $31,939.70 to be raised by general tax.
Voted: That the sum of $12,475.00 be appropriated for salaries of elective and appointive officers of the Town for the ensuing year, to be paid to the following officers in the amounts specified as follows:
Selectmen, six hundred fifty dollars $650.00
Town Clerk, fees and twelve hundred dollars
1,200.00
Treasurer, seven hundred dollars
700.00
Collector, fourteen hundred dollars
1,400.00
Auditor, twelve hundred dollars
1,200.00
650.00
Board of Public Works, six hundred fifty dollars. . Assessors, two thousand dollars
2,000.00
Board of Health, four hundred dollars
400.00
Tree Warden, one hundred dollars 100.00
Inspector of Buildings, seven hundred fifty dollars 750.00
Town Physician, two hundred dollars
200.00
39
TOWN RECORDS
Registrars of Voters, two hundred twenty-five dollars $225.00
Superintendent of Wires, one thousand dollars 1,000.00
Inspector of Animals, one hundred fifty dollars . . 150.00
Sealer of Weights and Measures, two hundred dollars 200.00
Town Counsel, two hundred fifty dollars 250.00
Secretary Finance Committee, fifty dollars 50.00
Inspector of Plumbing, seven hundred fifty dollars 750.00
Inspector of Milk, four hundred dollars 400.00
Inspector of Slaughtering, two hundred dollars 200.00
The following amounts were then appropriated for the pur- poses indicated : . .
Outside Poor, nine thousand dollars . 9,000.00
Board of Survey, five hundred dollars 500.00
Cemeteries, twenty-five hundred dollars 2,500.00
Fire Department, nineteen thousand dollars 19,000.00
Health Department, seventeen thousand six hun- dred dollars
17,600.00
Incidentals :
Selectmen, five thousand five hundred dollars 5,500.00
Assessors, one thousand four hundred twenty-five dollars
1,425.00
Auditor, one hundred twenty-five dollars
125.00
Co lector, one thousand one hundred seventy-five dollars
1,175.00
Town Clerk, eighteen hundred dollars
1,800.00
Treasurer, four hundred fifty dollars
450.00
Insurance, thirty-five hundred dollars
3,500.00
Planning Board, three hundred dollars
300.00
Police Department, twenty thousand six hundred seventy-six dollars 20,676.00
Soldiers' Relief, four hundred dollars
400.00
State and Military Aid, two hundred fifty dollars 250.00
Town House (new), forty-five hundred dollars
4,500.00
Town House (old), eleven hundred dollars
1,100.00
Wire Department, three thousand eight hundred eleven dollars
3,811.00
Reserve Fund, three thousand dollars 3,000.00
Voted: That the sum of $38,442.50 be appropriated from
40
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
the income of the Water Department during the year 1917 for maintenance and extensions including Metropolitan water assessments, $15,500.00 for notes due in 1917, $3,000.00 to the Sinking Fund and $11,057.50 for interest on water debt.
Article 22 taken up (Additional Appropriation for Widening Massachusetts Avenue) :
Voted: That the sum of $485.24 be appropriated to cover expense of widening Massachusetts Avenue between Water and Central Streets, this sum to be taken from unexpended balances of 1916 now in the treasury.
ยท Article 27 taken up (Free Bed in Hospital) :
Voted: That the sum of $500.00 be appropriated for the maintenance during the year 1917 of a free bed in the Symmes Arlington Hospital in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44 of the General Acts of 1915.
Article 28 taken up (Voting Precincts):
Voted: That the Board of Selectmen be and hereby are directed to prepare a division of the Town into convenient voting precincts in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 560 of the Acts of 1907.
Article 31 taken up (Tax Title Account) :
Voted: That the sum of $248.98 be appropriated to reim- burse the Tax Title account for money expended in the purchase of tax titles at Collector's sales, said Titles having been offered at public auction without buyers.
Article 32 taken up (Purchase of Land on Tufts Street):
Voted (by a two-thirds vote): That the Selectmen be and hereby are authorized and empowered in the name and behalf of the Town to acquire by purchase, by taking, or otherwise for municipal purposes a certain parcel of land fronting on Tufts Street, bounded and described as follows: Easterly by Tufts Street three hundred fifty (350) feet, northerly by land of Perlow and of Allen about three hundred fifty (350) feet, and westerly by land of Allen three hundred and fifty (350) feet and southerly by lands of Allen and of Fisher 350 feet containing about 124,000 square feet. Said land is owned, or supposed to be owned by the Estate of John P. Wyman, in part, and the estate of William H. Allen, in part. And the sum of $13,000 is hereby appro-
41
TOWN RECORDS
priated for the purpose of paying for said property, $3,000 to be taken from tax levy of 1917, and for the purpose of raising the balance, $10,000, that the Treasurer is hereby authorized and empowered, in the name and behalf of the Town, to issue four serial notes therefor, of $2,500 each, one being payable in 1918, and the remaining notes to be payable one in each of the suc- ceeding years thereafter. Said notes to be signed by the Treas- urer and countersigned by the Selectmen, and to bear interest not exceeding four per cent, payable semi-annually, and to be designated on the face thereof, "Tufts Street Purchase of 1919."
Article 35 taken up (Proposal to Enlarge Town Yard Prop- erty) :
The motion offered by Mr. Birch "that the Selectmen be authorized to purchase or acquire lands to enlarge this prop- erty" was discussed by various citizens. Mr. Birch showed by means of stereopticon views what he proposed to do with the development of this property. The question was raised as to the rights of the Town to enter this property, and a vote being called for, Mr. Birch's motion was declared not carried. It was then
Voted: That no action be taken under Article 35.
Article 14 was then taken from the table.
Article 14 taken up (Extension of Sewerage System) :
Voted: That the sum of $25,000 be appropriated for sewer extension, $4,195.44 to be taken from sewer assessments now in the Treasury, $804.56 from the Revenues of 1917 and for the purpose of raising the balance, $20,000, there be issued 20 serial notes of $1,000 each, two payable in each of the years 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, inclusive. Said notes to be issued in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 616 of the Acts of 1910 and Amend- ments thereto, and to be designated on the face thereof "Sewer Loan of 1917" and to bear interest at a rate not to exceed four per cent per annum, payable semi-annually.
Article 33 taken up (Almshouse Property): The Committee recommended and it was so voted: That no action be taken under this Article.
Article 34 taken up (Development of Town Yard): The Com-
42
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
mittee recommended and it was so
Voted: That no action be taken under this Article.
Article 36 taken up (Increase in Wages of Laborers):
Voted (unanimously): That the Town vote to grant the em- ployees of the Highway, Water, Sewer, and Health Depart- ments, an increase of 25 cents per day.
Article 41 taken up (Schouler Court) :
The Committee recommended and it was so voted: That no action be taken under this Article.
Article 42 taken up (Acceptance of Hopkins Road) :
Voted: That the Town accept and establish as a Town way the private way known as Hopkins Road, as laid out by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works, under the provisions of law authorizing the assessment of better- ments, said way being more particularly described in Article 42 of the Warrant.
Article 43 taken up (Acceptance of Park Avenue Extension) :
Voted: That the Town accept and establish as a Town way the private way known as Park Avenue Extension, from Bow Street to the northerly line of land of Richard Barry as laid out by the joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works, under the provisions of law authorizing the assessment of bet- terments, said way being more particularly described in Article 43 of the Town Warrant, and that the appropriation under Article 44 shall include the cost of land takings from land of Barry, land of Dugan, and land of Abbott within the limits herein described and the construction of the street within said limits.
Article 44 taken up (Acceptance of Fairmont Street) :
Voted: That the Town accept and establish, as a Town way the private way known as Fairmont Street, as laid out by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works, under the provisions of law authorizing the assessment of betterments, said way being more particularly described in Article 44 of the Town Warrant.
Voted (by a two-thirds vote): That the sum of $11,000 be appropriated for the construction of Hopkins Road, Park Avenue Extension, and Fairmont Street in accordance with the
43
TOWN RECORDS
vote under Articles 42, 43 and 44, inclusive, of the Town War- rant. That $1,000 be raised by tax in 1917 and for the purpose of raising the balance, $10,000, there be issued four serial notes of $2,500 each, payable one in each of the years 1918, 1919, 1920, and 1921. Said notes to be issued in accordance with Chapter 616 of the Acts of 1910, and Amendments thereto, and to be designated on the face thereof "Street Loan of 1917," and to bear interest at a rate not to exceed four per cent payable semi-annually.
Article 45 taken up (Proposed Purchase for Park Purposes) :
The Committee recommended and it was so voted: That no action be taken under this Article.
Article 46 taken up (Proposed Purchase for Park Purposes) :
The Committee recommended and it was so voted that no action be taken under this article ..
Article 49 taken up (Observation Tower):
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.