USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1920 > 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
At the last annual Town Meeting the members of the Planning Board were appointed a committee, with authority to arrange for the erection of a Roll of Honor, to be paid for by popular subscription. An accurate list of names for this is not yet obtainable. Meanwhile the American Legion has been organized and any expression of the wishes of the local post would seem to be worthy of serious consideration. A committee from that body has suggested the delaying of final action until the records have been completed. Also the desirability of con- sidering that the permanent expression of the appreciation of the Town might take the form of a memorial to those who paid the supreme sacrifice, the location to be determined later in connection with that of the permanent home of the Post.
In deference to the above, this committee feels justified in asking that the Town will accept this report in place of any definite action, and recommends that at the proper time a
32
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
special committee shall be appointed or such other action taken as will best fulfill the desire of the community to pay honor to its citizens who responded to their country's call.
For the Committee,
HOWARD B. S. PRESCOTT, Chairman.
The report was received, accepted and ordered filed.
On motion of Frank A. O'Brien, acting under Article 4, it was
Voted (On the submission by the Finance Committee of a printed report) : That the various articles in the warrant be now taken up and that the recommendation of the Finance Commit- tee under the articles in their report be considered as now before the meeting, to be voted upon without further motion, sepa- rately, and in the order in which they appear in said report. Article 4 was then laid on the table.
Article 19 (Extension of Storm Drains) taken up. On recommendation of the Finance Committee no action was taken under this article.
Article 23 (Repairs on Highways, Bridges, etc.) taken up.
Voted, That the town ways, highways and bridges be repaired during the ensuing year under the direction of the Board of Public Works.
Article 24 (Selectmen appointed agents of the Town) taken up.
Voted, That the Selectmen be appointed agents of the Town to institute and prosecute actions in favor of the Town and appear and defend suits and legal proceedings against or involving the interests of the Town with power to employ counsel therein and, when necessary, in all other legal matters and business appertaining to town affairs during the year com- mencing March 1, 1920.
Article 25 (Transfer of overlayings) taken up.
Voted, That the Auditor be authorized to transfer to the 1919 overlay account the available balance of the 1917 and the 1918 overlayings.
Article 26 (Authority of Treasurer to borrow) taken up.
33
TOWN RECORDS
As the authority asked for under this article had been granted to the Treasurer at a previous town meeting no action was taken.
Article 27 (Authority of Collector of Taxes) taken up.
Voted: That the Collector of Taxes be authorized to use all means of collecting taxes for the year 1920 which a Town Treasurer may use when appointed a Collector of Taxes.
Article 28 (Appointment of Finance Committee) taken up.
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 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 1921; 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 committee. 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 this committee in accordance with the foregoing vote : William E. Adams, 221 Lowell Street; Elliott R. Barker, 26 Lombard Road; Elmer Buckley, 151 Massachusetts Avenue; Wentworth C. Carr, 35 Bartlett Avenue; Wilson D. Clark, Jr., 25 Wellington Street; Anthony J. Connolly, 70 Norfolk Road; Nelson B. Crosby, 10 Davis Avenue; Arthur D. Dickson, 2 Upland Road; Cyrus L. Doe, 48 Linden Street; Herbert M. Dutcher, 28 Walnut Street; Walter K. Thayer, 16 Windsor Street; Wilder N. Hodgkins, 7 Melrose Street; William A. Isele, 1020 Massachusetts Avenue; John Z. Lawson, 10 Milton Street; Henry E. Merrill, 45 Robbins Road; Arthur B. Peirce, 24 Academy Street; Walter A. Robinson, 36 Jason Street; Frank W. Russell, 16 Avon Place; Earl A. Ryder, 31 Norfolk Road; Paul M. White, 26 Cliff Street; George A. G. Wood, 119 Hillside Avenue.
34
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Article 29 (Hours of Labor) taken up. Action under this article not being necessary, the committee recommended, and it was so,
Voted, That no action be taken under this article.
Article 30 (Limited Town Meeting Committee) taken up.
Voted, That a committee of fifteen citizens, representing all sections of the Town, be appointed by the moderator to consider the "Limited Town Meeting," so called, and that said committee be directed to report at the first meeting of the Town . to be held after October 1, 1920, a draft of legislation to pro- vide for limited Town Meetings.
The moderator appointed the following citizens to serve on this committee: John G. Brackett, James A .. Bailey, J. Howell Crosby, S. Frederick Hicks, Philip A. Hendrick, Frank V. Noyes, Willis P. Howard, Thomas J. Donnelly, Arthur J. Wellington, Henry S. Adams, Timothy F. Collins, William A. Muller, Nelson B. Crosby, Michael F. Lane and Paul M. White. Messrs. James A. Bailey and J. Howell Crosby declined to serve on the committee and Warren A. Peirce and Jacob Bitzer were elected to fill these vacancies.
Article 31 (School building on Crusher Lot) taken up. The Finance Committee recommended that no action be taken and made an explanation in the printed report submitted by the committee. The subject matter of this article was discussed by various citizens and a motion being made that the further con- sideration of the matter be referred to an adjournment of this meeting the following vote was passed, 369, yes, 215, no.
Voted, That the subject matter of Article 31 together with the report of the Committee of Fifteen on School Buildings and the recommendations therein contained be referred to an ad- journment of this meeting to be taken up with the report of the Finance Committee of Twenty-One.
Article 33 (Selectmen authorized to acquire land on Tufts Street) taken up.
Voted, That the Board of Selectmen be and hereby are authorized to acquire by purchase or otherwise for municipal purposes a certain parcel of land situated on Tufts Street con- taining 13,291 square feet and more particularly bounded and described in Article 33 of this warrant.
35
TOWN RECORDS
Article 34 (Selectmen authorized to dispose of land on Tufts Street) taken up.
Voted, That the Selectmen be and hereby are authorized to dispose of the rear portion of the lot of land acquired for municipal purposes as the interests of the Town may require; said land being situated on Tufts Street containing 21,555 square feet and more particularly bounded and described in Article 34 of this warrant.
Article 35 (Acceptance of Oxford Street to Broadway) taken up.
Voted, That the Town accept and establish as a town way, under the provisions of law authorizing the assessment of better- ments, the private way known as Oxford Street from Raleigh Street to Broadway as laid out by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works. Said way as laid out is more par- ticularly described in Article 35 of this warrant.
Article 36 (Acceptance of Harlow Street to Broadway) taken up.
Voted, That the Town accept and establish as a town way, under the provisions of law authorizing the assessment of better- ments, the private way known as Harlow Street from Raleigh Street to Broadway as laid out by the Joint Board of Select- men and Board of Public Works. Said way as laid out is more particularly described in Article 36 of this warrant.
Article 37 (Acceptance of Raleigh Street) taken up.
Voted, That the Town accept and establish as a town way, under the provisions of law, authorizing the assessment of betterments, the private way known as Raleigh Street, from Oxford Street to Grafton Street, as laid out by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works. Said way is more particularly described in Article 37 of this warrant.
Article 38 (Action on Rawson Road) taken up.
The Committee recommended and it was so
Voted, That no action be taken under this article. Article 39 (Action on Amherst Street) taken up. The Committee recommended and it was so Voted, That no action be taken under this article. Article 40 (Action on Bowdoin Street) taken up. The Committee recommended and it was so
36
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Voted, That no action be taken under this article.
Article 5 (Appropriation for Robbins Library) taken up.
Voted, That there be appropriated the sum of $7500 in addition to the dog tax, the receipt of fines and the sale of catalogues, for the maintenance of the Robbins Library for the year 1920, the same to be expended under the direction of its Trustees.
Article 6 (School appropriation) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $241,809 be appropriated for the public schools for the ensuing year, that for this purpose $10,000 be taken from the unexpended balance now in the Treasury and the balance, $231,809 be raised by general tax, the same to be expended under the direction of the School Com- mittee, as follows: Salaries, $201,454; Bills, $33,605; Repairs, $6000; Spy Pond Field, $750.
Article 7 (Appropriation for Memorial Day) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $400 be appropriated for the proper observance of Memorial Day, $300 to be expended under the direction of Francis Gould Post 36, G. A. R., and the balance, $100. under the direction of the Spanish War Veterans.
Article 8 (Water for public purposes) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $7000 be appropriated and paid to the Water Works Department for water used for fire hydrants, street watering and public buildings for the year 1920.
Article 9 (Permanent sidewalks) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $5000 be appropriated for perma- nent sidewalks and curbstones.
Article 10 (Sewerage maintenance) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $4800 be appropriated for the maintenance of the sewerage system for 1920, the same to be expended substantially as follows: Brattle Street Pump, $1000; Grove Street Pump, $1,200; Care and repair of mains, $1500; care and repair of particular sewers, $650; tools, etc., $450.
Article 11 (Sewerage extensions) taken up.
Voted, unanimously, That the sum of $22,980 be appro- priated for sewer extensions, $3,587.06 to be raised by general tax, $3,392.94 to be transferred from sewer funds now in the Treasury and for the balance, $16,000, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, be authorized to borrow said sum and
37
TOWN RECORDS
to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor; said bonds or notes to be payable in accordance with the provisions of Sec- tion 14, Chapter 719, Acts of 1913, so that the whole loan shall be payable in not more than eight years from the issue of the first bond of note or at such earlier date as the Treasurer and Selectmen may determine. Said appropriation to be expended substantially as follows: Newman Way, $1450; Brattle Street, $4550; Gould Road, $1050; Blossom, Bow and Forest Streets, $7930; Pumping Station, Forest Street $3,000; Laying mains in other locations, $5000.
Article 12 (Extension of Water Mains) taken up.
Voted, unanimously, That the sum ot $27,023 be appropri- ated for the extension of water mains and for this purpose $3023 be raised by general tax and for the balance, $24,000, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, be authorized to borrow said sum and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor; said bonds or notes to be payable in accordance with the provisions of Section 14, Chapter 719, Acts of 1913, so that the whole loan shall be payable in not more than eight years from the issuance of the first bond or note or at such earlier date as the Treasurer and Selectmen may determine. Said appropria- tion to be expended substantially as follows: Eastern Avenue, $7072; Highland Avenue, $6,583.50; High Haith Road, $2,577 .- 50; Shawnee Road, $1350; Summer Street, $2040; Gould Road, $1050; Old Mystic Street, $1350; Laying mains in other loca- tions, $5000. .
Article 13 (Maintenance of Highways) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $90,400 be appropriated for the maintenance and construction of Highway during the year 1920. That for this purpose the sum of $5,356.64 be taken from unexpended balances now in the treasury, and that the balance $85,043.36 be raised by general tax; said appropriation to be expended substantially as follows: Care and repair of streets $20,000 tools and equipment $4,000, care and repair of side- walks $5,500, care and repair of catch basins and sewer drains $4,500, prevention of dust $18,000, teaming $3,000, signs $500, temporary tar walks $1,500, care, repair and maintenance of buildings in town yard $2,500 care and repair of permanent
38
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
sidewalks. $900, reconstruction -
of Massachusetts Avenue $15,000, general expense $15,000.
Article 14 (Street Lighting) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $14,165 be appropriated for street lighting for the ensuing year.
Article 15 (Suppression of Moths) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $6,500 be appropriated to be expended during the year ending December 31, 1920, under the direction and control of 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 16 (Planting of new trees) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $1250 be appropriated for planting new trees and the care of existing trees, to be expended under the direction of the Tree Warden.
Article 17 (Removal of snow and ice) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $24,000 be appropriated for the removal of snow and ice from the highways.
Article. 18 (Engineering work) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $4500 be appropriated for the engineering work of the Town.
Article 20 (Care of Public Parks) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $600 be appropriated for the maintenance and improvement of public parks in the Town, to be expended under the direction of the Park Commissioners.
Article 21 (Appropriation for Symmes Hospital) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $500 be appropriated for the main- tenance during the year 1920 of a free bed in the Symmes Arlington Hospital, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44 of the General Acts of 1915.
Article 22 (Pensions of Laborers) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $434.20 be appropriated for the payment of pensions.
Article 42 (Sinking Fund, Interest, Town Debt and Salaries) taken up.
Voted, That the sum of $14,550 be appropriated for the Sinking Fund. That for this purpose $3000 be taken from the
39
TOWN RECORDS
income of the Water Department, and the balance, $11,550 be raised by general tax.
Voted, That the sum of $38,000 be appropriated for the payment of interest during 1920. That for this purpose the sum of $10,230 be taken from the receipts of the Water Depart- ment, the sum of $858.89 be taken from the unexpended balance now in the treasury, the sum of $4800 from Sewer Funds now in the treasury, and the balance, $22,111.11, be raised by general tax.
Voted, That the sum of $59,500 be appropriated for the payment of bonds and notes maturing in 1920. That for this purpose $13,000 be taken from the receipts of the Water Depart- ment, the sum of $16,000 be taken from the unexpended balance now in the treasury, and the balance $30,500 be raised by general tax.
Voted, That the sum of $15,150 be appropriated for the salaries of the elective and appointive officers of the Town for the ensuing year. The salaries of the elective officers to begin with the March election, and those of the appointive officers to begin in April. The officers and the salaries voted are as follows:
Selectmen $650; Board of Public Works $650; Board of Health $400; Assessors $3000; Registrars of Voters $300; Town Clerk, fees and $1200; Collector of Taxes, fees and $1800; Treasurer, $1200; Auditor $1300; Town Physician $200; Town Counsel $250; Tree Warden $100; Superintendent of Wires $1000; Sealer of Weights and Measures $200; Secretary of Finance Committee $50; Inspector of Buildings (including expenses) $1000; Inspector of Animals $150; Inspector of Slaughtering $300; Inspector of Milk $400; Inspector of Plumb- ing (including expenses) $1000.
The following appropriations were then made for the purposes indicated as follows: Incidentals (Selectmen) $2000; printing town reports $2000; elections and town meetings $2200; settlement of legal claims $2000; Assessors incidentals $1800; Finance Committee $300; Planning Board $300; Town Clerk incidentals $2300; Treasurer $500; Collector $1650; Auditor, including clerk hire, $650; Board of Survey $700; Reserve Fund $7500; Town Insurance $8,792; Town Hall (new) $5000; Town
40
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
House (old) $900; Police Department $31,800; Fire Department $27,500; Wire Department $2001.28; Wire Department, salary of deputy electrician, nine months, $1,368.72; Board of Health $8,470; Outside Poor, reimbursements and $14,500; Soldiers' Relief $450; State and Military Aid $400; Cemeteries $4000; Health Department $33,680.
Voted, That the sum of $46,770 be appropriated from the income of the Water Department during the year 1920 for maintenance and extensions, including Metropolitan Water Assessments; $13,000 for notes due in 1920; $10,230 for interest on water debt and $3,000 for the sinking fund.
Mr. Willis P. Howard, chairman of the committee ap- pointed "To investigate the question of the advisability of the Town carrying its own insurance" submitted the following report:
Arlington, March 20, 1920.
The committee appointed at the January Town Meeting "to investigate the question of the advisability of the Town carrying its own insurance" submits herewith its report. The committee has confined its investigation to fire insurance and has given the matter much careful study, realizing that the. question under consideration is a very important one.
First, let us review the record of fire losses and premiums paid in the past.
In 1906 a report was made by the Selectmen showing the fire losses for twenty-seven years, including 1906 which report showed that the losses by fire in the Town during that time were $5540, while during the same period the Town had paid premiums of $20,013.32
In 1907 premiums paid $1350.00
Losses none
In 1908 premiums paid 1368.00
Losses none
In 1909 premiums paid 1579.00 Losses none
In 1910 premiums paid 2381.06 Losses none
In 1911 premiums paid 3154.17
Losses none
In 1912 premiums paid 2409.23
Losses none
In 1913 premiums paid 2877.67 Losses none
In 1914 premiums paid 1128.11 Losses none
In 1915 premiums paid 1973.77
Losses none
41
TOWN RECORDS
In 1916 premiums paid 4408.46
Losses $124
In 1917 premiums paid 1188.00
Losses none
In 1918 premiums paid 2917.20
Losses none
In 1919 premiums paid 1954.43
Losses none
From the above figures it will be seen that during the past forty years the Town has paid in premiums for fire insurance $48,602.42 and during the same period received for losses $5,664.
The Town is now carrying fire insurance amounting to $967,000 on its various buildings and contents, under a blanket form of policy, divided into twenty items, the rate being $12 per thousand dollars for a term of five years, the premiums on same amounting to $11,604 or $2800 per year if divided equally.
On account of the recent increase in the cost of labor and materials, the Selectmen have been asked to increase the valuation to a point more nearly approaching replacement values, on which basis adjustments in case of loss may be based.
While it is true that the fire losses in the past forty years have been very small indeed, yet it must be admitted that this low record is no guarantee that a considerable loss may not occur at any time, hence your committee is of the opinion that the Town should not carry its own insurance until such time as it has accumulated a fund of substantial amount for the purpose.
We unanimously recommend the adoption by the Town, at the earliest possible date, Sections 102 to 105 inclusive of Chapter 576 of the Acts of 1907, which read as follows:
Section 102. Any city or town which has accepted the provisions of Chapter 191 of the Acts of the year 1905, or accepts the provisions of this and the three following sections may establish and maintain a municipal building insurance fund, from which any municipal buildings or other municipal property damaged or destroyed by fire, lightning or otherwise, may be repaired, rebuilt or replaced by other buildings or property to be used in lieu thereof.
Section 103. Any such city or town may raise money for the purposes set forth in the preceding. section, not exceeding in amount in any one year one-twentieth of one per cent of its
42
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
assessed valuation; but no money shall be raised for such purpose while the amount of the fund equals or exceeds one per cent of such valuation.
Section 104. The fund established under this act by any city or town shall be managed and administered as provided in Section 15 of Chapter 27 of the Revised Laws, by the sinking fund commissioners thereof, if such there be, or by any muni- cipal board of commissioners or trustees having charge of its trust or sinking fund; and if in any such city or town such commissioners have not been established, sinking fund com- missioners shall be elected in the manner provided in Section 14 of Chapter 27 of the Revised Laws.
Section 105. The provisions of the three preceding sections may be accepted by any city by a concurrent vote of both branches of the city council and by any town by a majority of the voters present and voting thereon at a meeting duly called for that purpose.
Should this Act be adopted we recommend the appropria- tion of $5000 yearly to the fund.
If a yearly appropriation of this amount be made and the fund invested at 41/2 per cent, at the end of the fifth year it would amount to approximately $28,584; at the end of the tenth year it would amount to approximately $64,206; at the end of the fifteenth year it would amount to approximately. $108,546; at the end of the twentieth year it would amount to approximately $163,915.
Based on an assessed valuation of twenty million dollars the highest allowable amount, of the fund could not exceed two hundred thousand dollars, i. e., one per cent of the assessed valuation.
We further recommend an increase in the present amount of insurance carried of twenty-five per cent, said increase to be apportioned by the Selectmen to the various items in the schedule in such manner as they deem best.
This will call for an appropriation of two thousand eight hundred and ninety-two dollars ($2,892) for policies covering a five-year period, and is in addition to the amount of $2,200 necessary to renew the policies expiring this year.
43
TOWN RECORDS
It is our opinion that this insurance should be gradually reduced when the fund has sufficiently accumulated to warrant so doing.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIS P. HOWARD
CHARLES W. ALLEN
HENRY W. HAYES
JOSEPH C. HOLMES
PETER SCHWAMB
Voted, That the report of the committee be accepted, the recommendations adopted and that the Selectmen be requested to insert an article in the warrant calling the next Town Meeting to act on said recommendations.
Article 32 (Portable school buildings) taken up.
Voted, That the School Committee be and hereby are authorized and empowered to purchase one two-room portable building, suitable for school purposes, at a cost not to exceed $4500 and that the sum of $4500 is hereby appropriated for the purchase of said building, said sum to be raised by general tax and to be expended under the direction of the School Com- mittee.
Article 32 was then laid on the table.
Article 41 (Appropriation for new streets) taken up.
Voted unanimously, That the sum of $15,679 be appropri- ated for the construction of Oxford Street, Harlow Street and Raleigh Street, as described in Articles 35, 36 and 37 respec- tively and that for this purpose $3679 be taken from the tax levy and for the balance, $12,000, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, be authorized to borrow said sum and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor. Said bonds or notes to be payable in accordance with the provisions of Sec- tion 14, Chapter 719, Acts of 1913, so that the whole loan shall be payable in not more than four years from the issuance of the first bonds or notes, or at such earlier date as the Treasurer and Selectmen may determine.
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.