USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1940 > Part 12
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Case Loads and Expenditures
The entire cost of the Emergency Unemployment Com- mittee is met by the Town of Arlington, through appropria- tions made at Town meetings.
The case loads and total expenditures for unemploy- ment relief from 1932 to 1939 are as follows :
Year
Case Load
Expenditures
1932
498
$26,268.94
1933
210
14,370.58
1934
206
22,298.06
1935
253
21,759.11
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TOWN RECORDS
1936
238
31,497.26
1937
232
42,028.32
1938
840
83,018.80
1939
486 (av. 157)
84,819.49
The sudden rise in case load and expenditures for 1938 was due to the hurricane, $10,195.19 being spent for clear- ance of debris.
Weekly Report by Executive Secretary
Every Monday evening the Executive Secretary takes up new applications with the Board of Selectmen, and also submits a written report which shows the number of per- sons working on Unemployed projects, the amount of the original appropriation, the amount spent for labor to date, and the unexpended balance. In this way, the Unemploy- ment Committee is able to be at all times in touch with every project.
Private Employment
The original Emergency Unemployment Committee and the one which followed spent most of their time trying to find private jobs for their registered clients. From 1930 to 1932, noteworthy results were accomplished, but in 1933 an almost unbroken decline in the number of jobs they could find began.
A number of factors may be cited in explanation of the Committee's increasing difficulty in finding jobs. Before 1933, the responsibility for making work was felt to be a private one. With reserves less depleted, businesses were readier to take on men for temporary work; and many householders answered President Hoover's request to make work by having painting, carpentry, and other repairs done. With the granting of large sums of Federal money, the pic- ture changed. Moreover, it can scarcely be denied that the desire to find private employment has, on the whole, become less. Not only is work relief often pleasanter and more se-
174
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
cure, but also the pay (considering the amount of work done) is frequently greater. While this last statement is more applicable to work on the W. P. A. than on the Unem- ployment Committee projects, it must be remembered that many men on the latter are waiting to be certified for the former. Unemployment figures for the country have shown no long-sustained decrease in the last five years, having fluctuated between 8 and 11 million (the present figure is thought to be between 8 and 9 million) .
From 1933 to 1938, the Unemployed department twice a year canvassed private industries in Arlington and near- by cities and towns for jobs for its clients. Individuals who had given temporary work were also approached. Because he felt that the results were not commensurate with the time and money spent, the secretary discontinued these ef- forts in 1938.
The following figures show the number of men and women placed in private employment by the Committee during the past seven years :
1933 - 296
1936 - 63
1934 - 157 1937 - 38
1935 - 80
1938 - 20
1939 - 23
Preparation of Projects
At the beginning of each year, the Executive Secretary compiles a list, based on the current case load and the needs of the preceding year, of projects for various Town de- partments. He is in constant touch with the heads of Town departments which use Unemployed labor.
Types of Projects
No such detail as the W. P. A. requires is necessary in the planning of Unemployed projects. In the first place, the Committee's primary object is to establish work relief. In the second place, only Town money is involved, and no ac-
175
TOWN RECORDS
count has to be made to outside authorities. The only re- quirement, therefore, in selecting work for the unemployed is that it be on Town property. It would be superfluous to list here all the projects undertaken by the Committee since 1931 (they can be found in the annual Town Reports). A brief resume, however, of the 1938 projects follows. The list for 1939 is given in the Appendix of this report, with the costs of material and labor.
1938 Project Summary
Charities Total wages - $19,009.66
Solicitors canvassed the Town for donations of furni- ture, clothing, and household goods. Seamstresses, working at the Old Town Hall, repaired the clothing, and also made quilts and mattress covers to be distributed among the needy. The furniture and household goods were repaired on a W. P. A. project. Workers were assigned to assist in the distribution of Federal surplus commodities. Matrons were assigned to look after the women employees at the Old Town Hall. Just before Christmas, this department coop- erated with other agencies in distributing toys to the chil- dren of needy families. Several workers were employed at the Town Yard cutting hurricane wood, which was also given away.
"White Collar Work" Total wages - $6,937.83
Clerks and typists compiled extensive data and reports on relief activities in Town, and served various Town de- partments on frequent special assignments. Investigators were appointed to make house visits to W. P. A. workers and applicants, as required by Federal regulations, and also to the Unemployment Committee workers and applicants.
Recreation Total wages - $ 5,854.23
Schools and School Playgrounds Total wages - 5,020.76 Town Buildings, Grounds and Equipment
Total wages - 2,968.73
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Police Department
Total wages - - 360.50
Fire Department
Total wages
141.75
Sanitation
Total wages
12,472.04
Highways
Total wages
9,153.35
Sealer of Weights and Measures Total wages 402.00
Miscellaneous
Total wages
6,215.12
Hurricane
Total wages -
- 10,195.19
A detailed account of the work done under these head- ings may be found on pages 445-450 of the 1938 Town Re- port.
UNEMPLOYMENT PROJECTS-1939
Description
Labor
Materials & Equipment
Total
Town Bldg. & Grounds
Robbins House Driveway
$ 524.67
$ 927.52
$ 1,452.39
Police Department
Cleaning Station
108.00
108.00
Fire Department
Clerks
627.00
627.00
Painting
541.83
541.83
Sanitation
North Union Street Brook
93.30
93.30
Sweeping Streets
1,854.64
1,854.64
Dickson's Swamp
2,761.82
2,761.82
Library
Robbins Library Grounds
39.60
39.60
Highways
Traffic Signs and Lines
1,308.00
1,347.29
2,655.29
Schools
Brackett School-wall
2,481.31
240.89
2,722.20
Clerks-Jr. H. S. West
87.00
87.00
Clerks-Adminis. Office
651.00
651.00
Junior High School West
6.00
6.00
Recreation
Parks
5,355.50
5,355.50
Arlington Hts. Playground
1,359.73
472.50
1,832.23
Arlington Hts. Beach
609.00
609.00
Arlington Hts. Beach Raft
424.80
748.39
1,173.19
Crosby School Playground
2,836.68
3,373.15
6,209.83
Cutter School Playground
121.50
4.50
126.00
Florence Ave. Playground
157.30
31.50
188.80
Thorndike Street Playground
979.22
254.25
1,233.47
Spy Pond Field
39.00
39.00
Miscellaneous
Clerks-Bldg. Department
9.00
9.00
Clerks-Registrar
1,212.00
1,212.00
Clerks-Sealer Wts. & Measures
366.00
366.00
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TOWN RECORDS
Description
Labor
Materials & Equipment
Total
Clerks-Selectmen
27.00
27.00
Clerks-Tax Collector
478.50
478.50
Clerks-Town Accountant
33.00
33.00
Clerks-Town Clerk
318.00
318.00
Clerks-Treasurer
42.00
42.00
Clerks-Welfare Department
480.00
480.00
Clerks-Wire Department
37.50
37.50
Investigators
1,548.00
106.77
1,654.77
Wood Distribution-Hurricane
4,025.89
615.50
4,641.39
Supervision
1,590.00
1,590.00
Auto Expense
330.00
330.00
Administration
3,640.00
3,640.00
Totals
$36,773.99
$8,452.26
$45,226.25
In addition to the money spent for labor and materials for Unemployed projects listed above, additional money from the unemployment appropriation was spent to sup- plement certain W. P. A. projects. These figures are shown in the Appendix of this report.
Findings
The Committee finds that between the welfare re- cipients on the one hand and the W. P. A. workers on the other, there is a large group of needy individuals, who can- not qualify for these two categories of relief. These are the persons who are aided by the Unemployment Committee. To the question, "Is there need for the Unemployment Com- mittee ?", we would answer, "Yes, and there will continue to be need for it." We have a number of reasons for this be- lief :
(1) A great many workers for the Unemployment Committee are waiting to be certified for W. P. A. work. Sometimes there is a wait of several weeks before the certification is completed. In the meantime the family is in actual need. If the applicant is turned over to the Welfare Depart- ment and is an employable person, he would have to work in return for a certain part of his aid. Since the supervision of this work pre-
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
sents a considerable problem, it would seem to be cheaper and more efficient to have one sepa- rate department to handle it.
(2) The supervision of able-bodied welfare recip- ients.
(3) Perhaps the most important reason why there is need for the Unemployment Committee is that the Selectmen have the right and duty re- quired by law to employ the poor. The Unem- ployment Department supervises all work relief in the Town of Arlington.
For these reasons, therefore, the Committee believes that there is actual need for a Town department which will grant assistance to those classes of its citizenry who cannot receive aid elsewhere, and to supervise the work of relief recipients.
Board of Selectmen as Emergency Unemployment Committee :- Under the law, we believe, the Board of Se- lectmen has the right to act in the capacity of the Emergen- cy Unemployment Committee, because it is chargeable with the employment of the poor. The law with regard to the type of employment is very broad, and therefore the em- ployable needy are used on all kinds of projects, repairing and improving Town property. We believe, however, that the Selectmen acting in this capacity should exercise per- sonal selection as to who should be given aid in this depart- ment, and the number of days' employment in each case. We do not believe that the Executive Secretary of this depart- ment should be given the responsibility of putting men to work in this department without the approval of the Select- men. For some time prior to 1939 the Executive Secretary did have the right to put persons to work on the Unem- ployed, perhaps because the Selectmen had confidence in his judgment, or because the Board had so many other duties
179
TOWN RECORDS
that it could not give the Committee the attention it de- served. The Selectmen now pass on each case and decide the number of days' work to be given each applicant.
Personnel: The Committee is aware of the fact that the administrative staff is rather large; but since it serves both the Unemployed Department and the W. P. A., probably all the present workers are necessary. We are of the opinion, however, that it should be maintained at the barest mini- mum. The Unemployed Department was created as an emergency measure, and the Selectmen should be careful not to do anything toward making it a permanent part of the Town government. If a general rise in business started to absorb some of the relief workers in this department and a sufficient number of others could be transferred to the W. P. A., the department should be dissolved.
The Committee is of the opinion that the Executive Secretary of the Unemployed Department is a competent official, and that this department is conducted in an econom- ical manner.
Private Employment: We recommend that a project be created whereby all business houses in Arlington of any kind or nature be visited by men or women selected by Mr. Peters to take a census, and to explain to the men in charge the purpose of the Unemployed Department with a request that if at any time they need employees they will contact the department.
WORKS PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
Chapter X
HISTORY OF THE LOCAL WORK RELIEF PROGRAM
1933: The first of the Federal work relief agencies was known as the Civil Works Administration, or the C. W. A. On November 24, 1933, the Board of Selectmen was
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
notified that the Federal government had set aside for the Town of Arlington a grant of $85,000.00 for direct imme- diate relief of the unemployed. The Board, the Town En- gineer, the Executive Secretary of the Unemployment Com- mittee, who was appointed Assistant Administrator of this work, and other Town employees, worked almost unceas- ingly to prepare and submit projects, active work on which began three days later. These included: Painting the in- terior of schools, the police station, the fire stations, and the Robbins House; constructing sewers, etc.
1934: On March 31, 1934, the C. W. A. was sup- planted by the E. R. A. (Emergency Relief Administra- tion), and on the second of the following month, Mr. Pet- ers was appointed administrator. There were more definite eligibility requirements, but the principle was the same as that of the C. W. A., the relief of unemployment. From April to December 31, 1115 workers were assigned to these projects. The Town Engineer's office drafted 241 projects under the C. W. A. and the E. R. A. during the year. Ex- penditures for 1934 were as follows (including both types of work relief) : Federal government, for wages, $272,978 .- 96; Town of Arlington, for wages and materials, $3957.96 and $49,700.44 respectively.
1935: During this year, the Federal work relief pro- gram was still in the process of change, for the E. R. A. was displaced by the Public Works Administration, and a short time later by the Works Progress Administration (now known as the Works Projects Administration). The Town Engineer's office drafted 225 projects under the E. R. A., 3 (none of which was approved) under the P. W. A., and 183 under the W. P. A. The Federal government spent $434,370.19 for wages, and the Town spent $115,053.67 for materials. The average monthly employment was 700.
1936 to 1939: The fundamentals of the W. P. A. have not changed greatly from 1936 to the present time. The in-
181
TOWN RECORDS
creased case load and expenditures for 1938 were due to a general rise in unemployment.
Right of the Town to Cooperate with the W. P. A.
The Town of Arlington each year makes a contribution consisting of materials and equipment for W. P. A. pro- jects. The authority for making this appropriation is de- rived from Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40, Sec- tion 5, Clause 9.
Purpose
The purpose of the W. P. A. is to assist communities by a Federal grant for the wages of unemployed men and women for work on projects of a public nature. These pro- jects are planned by the communities and submitted for ap- proval to the Federal government. The Town's contribution is the cost of the material and equipment used on the projects, and the salaries of the administrative staff. The Federal government sets up certain rules regarding certi- fication. Apparently the theory behind the act was that in addition to relieving unemployment it would keep local wel- fare costs down.
Personnel
As we stated in our chapter on the Emergency Unem- ployment Committee, the two departments are closely con- nected, the entire administrative staff of each doing more or less work for the other. Mr. Peters, the Executive Secre- tary of the Committee, is local Coordinator of the W. P. A. However, it should be borne in mind that the W. P. A. is part of the Federal program and the Committee strictly a local affair. Each has its own appropriation from the Town and its own projects, although occasionally the Committee finishes a project for which Federal funds are exhausted (see below). Besides Mr. Peters, the staff consists of the following employees :
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
E. L. Needham
Weekly Salary $10.00
Office manager and accountant (also does some work for the Town Accountant's office and for the newly- formed Retirement Board)
Employed since January 10, 1936
Principal duties :
The making of charts, graphs, reports, etc.
John M. Carney $30.00
Purchasing Agent
Employed since December 1, 1935
Principal duties :
(1) Receiving orders from supervisors for purchase of materials used on W. P. A., Unemployment, and N. Y. A. projects ;
(2) Contacting dealers and firms on prices and ma -- terials ;
(3) Completing the record of all purchase orders for signature of Mr. Peters as W. P. A. Coordinator or Secretary of the Unemployment Committee;
(4) Compilation and calculation of bills received for materials, service charges, rental of trucks, rental of equipment;
(5) Listing a weekly voucher of all bills of purchase for reference to the Town Accountant for pay- ment ;
(6) Entering an itemized summary of the voucher in the project registry, allocating and charging items to each respective project and warranty ;
(7) Contacting clerk of the Board of Selectmen and Public Works Department for comparison with purchase prices of these departments as an economic consideration ;
183
TOWN RECORDS
(8) Consultation with and approval of the Town Ac- countant on all purchases exceeding $25 each ;
(9) Obtaining from supervisors and foremen receipt for direct delivery of material to project, said receipt to be attached to the bill;
(10) Submitting a monthly itemized record of ex- penditures incidental to rental of trucks.
Joseph P. Commins $30.00
Payroll Clerk
Employed since December 1, 1935
Principal duties :
(1) Tabulation and recapitulation of duplicate week- ly time reports submitted by W. P. A. Field Timekeepers ;
(2) Consultation with Time Control Supervisor in- volving classifications, total man hours, ratings and earnings ;
(3) Supervision of individual card record listings by office clerks of earnings and classifications by projects ; this card is used for reference in the preparation of registrations for transfer of workers, and concerning the frequent and varied inquiries that arise with reference to in- dividual earnings ;
(4) Preparation of a weekly balance sheet listing the W. P. A. projects in operation, the original appropriation, number of workers on each proj- ect, the balance of funds yet available and the approximate number of weeks to the project expiration date :
(5) Consultations daily with the W. P. A. Field En- gineers as to transfers, and assisting workers to recover adjusted or additional wages resulting
W. P.A. ORGANIZATION CHART
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
W.P.A. COORDINATOR NEIL S.PETERS
SPONSORS AGENT ENGINEER JAMES M. KEANE
PURCHASING Div.
OFFICE Div
SOCIAL DIV
WORK PROJECT DIV.
NEW PROJECT Div
ENGINEERING PROJECTS
SUPERVISOR
PURCHASING AGENT JMCARNEY
OFFICE MER ACCOUNTANT EL NEEDHAM
ASSIGNMENT CLEAR
TJWATERS
F. KEVILLE.
SUPERVISOR
EQUIPMENT CLERK
PAYROLLS PROJECT RECORD J. Commin
INVESTIGATORS
A GARDENIA
TRUCK DRIVE R
-EL Needham-
184
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
ENGINEER
SUPERVISOR TCRFEDON
FNICKSAY
Typists
185
TOWN RECORDS
from inadvertent shortages through the pro- cesses of the W. P. A. Finance and Disbursing Division ;
(6) Contacting all projects periodically and furnish- ing First Aid Men with proper and adequate medicinal supplies and keeping a detailed record of disbursements in this regard.
Francis Keville $30.00
Assignment Clerk
Employed since December 1, 1935
Principal duties :
(1) Interviewing applicants for W. P. A., unem- ployed, and N. Y. A. work;
(2) Completing application and certification forms and cancellations ;
(3) Compiling alphabetical index of applications and occupational file ;
(4) Contacting W. P. A. and N. Y. A. Labor Schedul- ing Divisions relative to possible assignments and cancellations ;
(5) Compiling diverse reports as called for intermit- tently by W. P. A. and N. Y. A. labor divisions.
(6) Serving as an alternate advisor when Mr. Peters' duties summon him from the office.
Thomas J. Waters $45.00
Supervisor of W. P. A. projects Employed since December 1, 1935 Principal duties :
This supervisor is actually the Town representative or agent in all matters pertaining to the physical completion of the projects. His work involves daily conferences with the Town Engineer and the W. P.
186
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
A. Field Engineer and the Public Works Department, estimating the equipment and supplies necessary, supervising the use of such equipment and supplies, to see that waste and inefficiency are reduced to a minimum. He directs the operation of trucks and ob- serves that each project is completed according to the legal requirement and specifications insofar as the interest of the Town of Arlington may be in- volved.
William Ryan $30.00
Supervisor of Unemployed and W. P. A. projects Employed since October 18, 1938
Principal duties :
Same as Mr. Gardella's, with whom he alternates. (See listing under "Augustus Gardella" in the chap- ter on the Unemployment Committee.)
C. Lindberg $20.00
Investigator
Employed since October 20, 1938
Principal duties :
Making periodic home visits to check the needs of applicants for work on the Unemployment Commit- tee, and also the W. P. A.
A. Larson $20.00
Investigator
Employed since September 8, 1938
Principal duties :
Same as Mr. Lindberg's (see above).
Project Preparation
The Board of Selectmen acts as the Sponsor of W. P. A. projects in Arlington. They have appointed James M. Keane, the Town Engineer, as Sponsors' Agent. As such, it is his duty to prepare and submit all W. P. A. projects. He
-
187
TOWN RECORDS
has served in this capacity ever since the Federal work pro- gram was instituted in 1933.
All projects are first approved by the Sponsors; then the Engineering Department makes a complete analysis of the materials, equipment, and personnel that will be needed ; and plans of specifications, etc. (form #301). This is similar to a contractor's plan.
The project is submitted to the Boston W. P. A. office, where it is reviewed and checked, and then forwarded to Washington for the President's approval. When work on a project is ready to begin, the Sponsors request the Boston office that funds be set aside. Notification is given through form #701, which carries a Work Project number, a Treas- ury Department symbol, a statement of the amount of Federal funds, the Sponsors' pledge, together with a de- scription of the project.
When this form is received, the workers are selected from active projects or from the waiting list, and assign- ment slips are issued by the Boston office. This takes about seven days. The appropriation is then entered in our local project register, in which all transactions, by the Federal government and the Sponsors, pertaining to that project are recorded.
Town Engineer's Participation: A great part of the Town Engineer's time is spent in creating and preparing new W. P. A. projects. As it is practically impossible to tell in advance the number of projects that will be required for a year-the number of W. P. A. workers fluctuates because of changes in the quota-it is necessary to have projects which have been approved ready for actual operation at all times.
There are no rules or regulations governing the type of projects, except that the work must be done on public prop- erty.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
The engineer's office has drawn up more than 324 separate projects since 1933. Frequently the detailed work required in drafting these projects must be entirely redone because the Federal government does not approve of some phase of it.
Two members of the Town Engineer's staff give all their time to this work, helping prepare projects and super- vising; and four others give half their time.
Certification and Assignment of Workers
An applicant for W. P. A. work must first obtain from the Cambridge branch office of the Social Security Board either his Social Security number or a paper showing that he has none. Then he reports at the office of Mr. Peters, who is the local W.P.A. coordinator and the certifying officer for this district. Here he must present a birth certificate and, if he is not a native-born citizen, his naturalization papers. An application blank, setting forth the family re- sources and history, is filled out and signed; this informa- tion is verified by a house investigation and, if it seems ad- visable, by a further check-up. The applicant is then advised whether he is eligible for assignment under the existing Federal regulations. In borderline cases, information con- cerning eligibility is withheld pending a decision from the W. P. A. Intake and Certification Division at 600 Washing- ton Street, Boston. This division passes upon all certifica- tions submitted, and has the right to overrule the decision of the local certifying officer in all matters involving eligibility.
The regulations provide for the submission of certifica- tions in the following order :
(a) Veterans whose status has been verified by means of honorable discharge papers ;
(b) Cases receiving direct relief from the local com- munity among those families who have at least one able-bodied worker. (This class also includes
189
TOWN RECORDS
those applicants who are receiving unemployment relief from the community through a special article of appropriation for this type of relief) ;
(c) All other applicants who receive no direct relief from any source. Selection may be subdivided as follows :
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