USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Hamilton > Town of Hamilton Annual Report 1914 > Part 4
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SECT. 8. It shall be the duty of the selectmen to cause to be audited the account of the collector at least once in two months. It shall be their duty to examine the account of the treasurer at the close of each municipal year, and as much oftener as they deem expedient, and for this purpose they shall have access to all books and vouchers in his posses- sion, or in the possession of any other officer of the town, and they shall in all cases report to the town the result of their examination.
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. TOWN REPORT.
SECT. 9. The selectmen shall appoint a chief of police who shall serve during their pleasure, and in case the office becomes vacant, they shall appoint a successor.
SECT. 10. The selectmen shall appoint a Town Account- ant every three years, and in case the office becomes vacant, they shall appoint a successor.
SECT. 11. The selectmen shall furnish the Finance Committee with a copy of every warrant calling a Town · Meeting as early as the day on which said warrant is posted.
TOWN TREASURER.
SECT. 12. All money belonging to the town shall be deposited in the name of the Town of Hamilton in any National Bank or trust company which shall be approved by the selectmen, and the treasurer shall sign all checks and drafts on deposits.
COLLECTOR.
SECT. 13. The collector of taxes shall exhibit his account to the selectmen at least once in two months. The collector shall pay the treasurer all money received on account of taxes at least once in each week. He shall strictly comply with the tax commissioner's rules for the collection of taxes.
NEGLECT OF DUTY.
SECT. 14. If the collector neglects or refuses to comply with the requirement of the rules established by the town, or if on examination by the selectmen or Town accountant his accounts are found not true and correct, or not clearly and intelligently kept, or if the collector commit any breach of his official bond, the selectmen shall remove him from office and appoint another collector.
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TOWN REPORT.
TREE WARDEN.
SECT. 15. The tree warden, except in case of emergency, shall give the owner of any land abutting a highway at least twenty-four hours notice of his intention to trim any shade tree on the highway abutted by said land.
BOARD OF HEALTH.
SECT. 16. The board of health shall be elected as required by law and shall make a full and comprehensive statement of its doings for the year preceding, with a review of the sanitary condition of the town, which shall be printed in the town report.
ASSESSORS.
SECT. 17. The Assessors shall cause to be printed and distributed among the voters of the town every five years the Valuation and Assessment of Taxes, commencing with that for the year 1915.
ARTICLE VI.
CHIEF OF POLICE.
SECT. 1. The Chief of Police shall receive and investi- gate complaints against all persons violating any law in the town, prosecute offenders and attend in behalf of the town the trial of offenders.
He shall enforce all orders, regulations and by-laws of the town and shall obey and execute all lawful orders and commands of the selectmen. He shall keep'a record of all offences committed and of all prosecutions.
The Chief of Police shall receive such compensation as the selectmen determine.
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TOWN REPORT.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.
SECT. 2. The Finance Committee shall elect one of its members, Chairman, and shall elect a Clerk who shall keep a record of the doings and expenses of the Committee.
The Committee shall notify the Moderator of any vacancy caused by death, resignation or removal of legal residence from Town.
They shall investigate and consider any and all munic- ipal questions, each estimate furnished and each article in every warrant, especially those looking to or calling for the expenditure of public money, giving hearings to peti- tioners and others if necessary, and shall report the facts ascertained and their recommendations, and offer a properly worded motion upon each article as it shall be taken up in Town Meeting. They shall make an annual report in print, and, so far as possible it shall be made a part of the Annual Town Report.
All officers and heads of departments shall confer with the Finance Committee, and furnish required information regarding their various departments, upon request of said Finance Committee. The Finance Committee shall be allowed the use of the Selectmen's room when not required by that body, or other suitable room and accommodation in the Town Hall Building, for its meetings.
The vocation of the Finance Committee shall be civic and non-political and its labors, patriotic and honorary ; its members shall therefore serve without pay, except that the Clerk (if a.member of the Committee) may receive money compensation ; but necessary incidental expenses shall be allowed and charged to the Town appropriation for said
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Committee, but it shall in no case expend or contract to expend (the salary of the Clerk included ) in excess of $25.00 in any one year without special authority in advance from the Town Meeting.
ARTICLE VII.
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES.
SECT. 1. All boards and committees shall make a record of their meetings and proceedings thereat, which record shall be open to public inspection.
SECT. 2. All officers shall transmit to their successors in office, at the expiration of their term of office, all books, papers, documents, plans and other properties in their custody belonging to the town.
The officers of all departments shall turn over to the town clerk all valuable books, papers, documents, plans and records belonging to the town and not necessary for the immediate use of their respective departments, and these shall be deposited in the town clerk's vault.
ARTICLE VIII.
STREET COMMISSIONER
OR SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
SECT. 1. The street commissioner or superintendent of streets shall keep an accurate account of all money expended, and all work done upon the streets and squares of the town, and a daily record of number of men and teams, and the extent and nature of the work done, and the amount expended on each street, way or square, and also the time spent in making such repairs.
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SECT. 2. A pay roll shall be kept of the employees of the street department and of the owners of teams employed thereon, and parties furnishing material therefor, the time for which payment is to be made; the rate of wages; the amount and cost of material furnished, and the amount due in each case.
Payment shall be made in each case to the party to whom it shall be due, or his agent or attorney authorized in writing to receive the same.
The superintendent or commissioner of streets shall furnish an annual report of the street department to be printed in the annual town report.
SECT. 3. When permanent or macadam roads are built with money especially appropriated for the same by the town, whether said work is performed by street superintendent or special contract, all such work shall be commenced not later than September 1st, and it shall be the duty of said Super- intendent or contractor to properly mark all dangerous places or piles of material while the road is in process of construction, that no person may sustain damage thereby. All work on aforesaid permanent or macadam roads shall be completed on or before December 1st, and it shall be the duty of said Superintendent or contractor to leave the road in safe condi- tion for travel.
ARTICLE IX.
The Town Accountant shall furnish the Finance Com- mittee with a list of estimates of all probable expenditures as early as January 1st each year.
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TOWN REPORT.
ARTICLE X.
STREETS.
SECT. 1. The streets and public ways of the town hereafter to be established are to be not less than fifty feet in width, and in laying out or accepting all such streets and ways (excepting those that have houses erected on them at the time of the acceptance of this order) the selectmen are directed to hold this in mind as the fixed policy of the town.
ARTICLE XI.
PECUNIARY INTEREST OF OFFICERS.
No town officer or member of a committee, chosen by the town or appointed, nor any agent of such officer or com- mittee, shall have any pecuniary interest in any contract made or approved in behalf of the town, by himself, by any board or committee for which he may act as agent, or where his vote is necessary to award him or his agent such contract by a majority vote of said board or committee.
ARTICLE XII. SALE OF PROPERTY.
All money received by any department, board or committee from the sale of any material or property belong- ing to the town, or received from the settlement of any demand or claim due to the town, shall be at once turned over to the treasurer.
ARTICLE XIII.
VAULTS AND SAFES.
The combination to the vaults of the town shall be known only to the town clerk, board of selectmen and Town
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Accountant ; provided, however, that whenever persons, other than the clerk, are engaged by authority of the town, index- ing the records, the town clerk may in such case make known the combination to some one person only, who may be so engaged. The combination to the safe in the selectmen's room shall be known to them and to the Town Accountant. These combinations shall be changed whenever a change shall occur in either of the above offices.
ARTICLE XIV.
TOWN HALL.
The use of the town hall shall be allowed free of expense for political meetings, for purposes connected with the public schools, whenever recommended by the school com- mittee, and for charitable purposes. For all other purposes there shall be a charge of not less than one dollar nor more than ten dollars, as the selectmen may decide. The cost of services by the janitor shall in all cases be paid by the town.
ARTICLE XV. CEMETERIES.
SECT. 1. Lots in the cemeteries of Hamilton shall be used only as burial places for the dead. All burials therein shall be subject to the regulations established, or that shall be established, by the Town of Hamilton, or any Board of Cemetery Commissioners chosen by the town; and said town, or said commissioners with the approval of said town, shall have the power at any time to establish or alter its regulations respecting the same.
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ARTICLE XVI.
TELEGRAPH, TELEPHONE AND ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER COMPANIES.
SECT. 1. All companies, corporations and persons to whom is granted permission to erect poles and fixtures and to maintain electric wires shall before proceeding to act there- under execute an agreement in writing satisfactory to the selectmen, agreeing to accept location and conditions of granting same to make upon thirty days notice all changes in location or otherwise requird by the Selectmen and to save the town harmless from any and all claims whatsoever by whomsoever made, for damages, costs, expenses, charges, or compensation for or on account of, or in any way growing out of erection, maintenance or use of said poles, fixtures, wires, apparatus or the transmission of electric current by means thereof. Said agreement, after its approval by the selectmen, shall be filed with the town clerk, and no certificate of such permit shall be issued until said agreement is so filed.
BY-LAWS.
CHAPTER I:
STREETS.
SECT. 1. No person, unless authorized by law, shall erect on any street in the town any staging for building, or place thereon any lumber, brick or other building materials without a written license from the selectmen. Any person intending to erect or repair any building upon land abutting
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upon a street shall give notice to the selectmen, who may, at the owner's request, set apart such portion of the street as they may deem expedient for such use. Such person shall, before the expiration of his license, remove all rubbish and restore such street to its former condition, to the satisfaction of the selectmen; and every person who, when so licensed, shall obstruct or render unsafe any public street or sidewalk, shall guard the same by a proper fence or railing and by lights during the night time in such manner as the selectmen shall approve.
SECT. 2. If any person shall dig a cellar or other cavity in the ground near to or adjoining any street, he shall, so long as the selectmen may require, keep a railing or fence on or near the line of such street, sufficient to protect travelers from falling into the place so dug, or being injured thereby.
SECT. 3. No person shall place or maintain over any street or sidewalk any sign, awning, shade or other obstruc- tion unless the same is safely and securely supported and not less than six and one-half feet from the ground at its lowest part. No person shall erect or maintain a post in any street or sidewalk for the support of an awning or for any other purpose without permission from the selectmen.
SECT. 4. No person shall suffer his building to shed water upon any street or sidewalk in the town, to the injury or inconvenience of passengers, nor allow any sink water or other impure water to run from the house, barn or lot occupied by him or under his control, into any highway or or public place.
SECT. 5. No person shall place or cause to be placed or deposited upon any street, sidewalk, or other public place
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in the town, merchandise, ashes, shavings, house dirt, glass, filth, offal, rubbish, or any other materials which shall in any way obstruct or disfigure the same, nor suffer his wood or coal to remain unneccessarily on the street or sidewalk. And no person shall, without license from the selectmen, distribute on any of the public streets or grounds of the town any handbills, advertising cards, flyers, or other printed slips of paper for advertising purposes.
SECT. 6. No person shall place or keep any table, stall, booth or other structure on any street or sidewalk, nor place or keep the same on any of the public grounds of the town for the sale of fruit or other things without permission of the selectmen.
SECT. 7. No person shall tie or fasten any horse, mule or team of any kind to any ornamental or shade tree, shrub or vine, or to any fence or other structure erected for the pro- tection of such tree, shrub or vine, in any street or public place in the town, or in any way injure or deface the same.
SECT. 8. No person, being the owner, keeper, or hav- ing the custody of any horse, cow or other animal, shall per- mit or suffer the same to pasture, with or without a keeper, upon any street, sidewalk or any public ground in the town, or go at large therein, nor suffer such horse, cow or other animal to go, be or to remain upon any sidewalk in the town.
SECT. 9. No person shall stop with any team car- riage or motor vehicle across any street in the town in such manner as to hinder or obstruct the travel over such street, nor at the side of or so near another team as to obstruct public travel.
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SECT. 10. No person shall be or remain upon any side- walk or street, or upon any doorstep or other projection from any dwelling house or other building within the town, so as to annoy or disturb any person, or shall obstruct passage to the same or the appurtenances thereto; and any person so being or remaining as aforesaid, when ordered by any constable, police officer or watchman, or by the owner or occupant of such dwelling house or other building, shall immediately and peaceably depart and stay away therefrom.
SECT. 11. No person shall wilfully injure, mar, deface or destroy any fence, signboard, guideboard, awning, lamp- post, lamp or lantern in any street or public place in the town, and no person shall light or extinguish any public light in any street or public place except by virtue of a contract with the town or permission from the selectmen.
SECT. 12. No person shall in any way injure any drink- ing fountain or watering trough in the streets and public grounds of the town, or throw or place any substance into the same.
SECT. 13. No person shall make, write or print or post any indecent or obscene marks, words, figures or signs upon any fence, building, post, tree or other object exposed to pub- lic view, nor, without a license from the selectmen first obtained, post any placards, show cards, handbills or posters upon any tree, fence, post or building within any street or public place in the town, or upon any building, structure or lands belonging to the town.
SECT. 14. No person shall walk, stand or lounge upon any portion of any street or public grounds of the town espec- ially prepared and devoted by the officers in charge to the
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growing of grass or flowers, nor in any way dig up, injure or deface said street, public ground, grass and flowers.
SECT. 15. No person shall drive over any hose belong- ing to the fire department with any carriage or other vehicle or remove, injure or in any manner disturb the members thereof, their horses, machines, hose or equipment, when stationed, located or laid in any such street, except under direction of the officer in command.
ROOF COVERING.
SECT. 16. Every building hereafter erected within the corporate limits shall have an incombustible roof covering, and no existing wooden shingle roof, if damaged more than 25 per cent. shall be renewed or repaired with other than incombustible roof covering, provided, however, that the fore- going shall not apply to any building more than three hun- dred feet from the building of another person.
SECT. 17. No person shall fire or discharge any gun or pistol, airgun or other firearm in or across any of the streets or public places within the town ; but this section shall not apply to the use of such weapon at any military exercise or review, under the authority of a commissioned officer of the militia, nor in the lawful defence of the person, family or property of any citizen, or in the performance of any duty required by law, nor to any person firing a salute by leave of the board of selectmen.
SECT. 18. No person shall make any bonfire or other fire in any of the streets, avenues or public ways of the town without the permission of the selectmen or superintendent of streets.
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SECT. 19. Whenever the word street or streets is used in these By-laws it shall be understood as meaning to include lanes, alleys, courts, public squares and sidewalks, unless otherwise expressed.
REGULATING THE DEALING AND KEEPING OF JUNK.
SECT. 20. The selectmen, or a majority of them, may grant licenses to such persons as to them may appear proper and suitable persons to be dealers in or keepers of shops for the purchase, sale or barter of junk, old metal or second-hand articles.
Every dealer or keeper of a shop for the purchase, sale or barter of junk, old metal or second-hand articles, shall keep a book in which shall be written, at the time of the pur- chase of any such article, a description thereof, the name, age and residence of the person from whom and the day and hour when such purchase was made; and such book shall at all times be open to the inspection of the selectmen or any police officer or constable of the town. Every dealer or keeper of such shop shall put in some suitable and conspicuous place on his wagon or shop a sign having his name and occupation legibly inscribed thereon in large letters, and such wagon and shop and all articles of merchandise therein may be at all times examined by the selectmen or officer or constable of the town.
No dealer or keeper of such wagon or shop shall, directly or indirectly, either purchase or receive by way of barter or exchange, any of the articles aforesaid of a minor or appren- tice, knowing or having reason to believe him to be such. No article purchased or received shall be sold uutil at least one week from date of its purchase or receipt has elapsed.
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TOWN REPÓRT.
SECT. 21. Any person who shall violate any of the pro- visions of these orders or By-Laws shall forfeit and pay, for each offence, a sum not exceeding twenty dollars.
The following Acts of the Legislature have been adopted by the Town :-
March 10, 1891, Chapter 347, Acts of the Legislature of 1890, entitled, " An Act to promote the establishment and efficiency of Free Public Libraries."
March 11, 1902, Chapter 122, Acts of the Legislature of 1902, entitled, " An Act to authorize the Town of Hamil- ton to supply itself and its inhabitants with water."
March 11, 1902, Chapter 78, Revised Laws, Sections 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, in relation to a Board of Cemetery Commis- sioners.
March 14, 1905, Section 42, of Chapter 49, Revised Laws, relating to expense of grading sidewalks; also Section 26 of Chapter 91, Revised Laws, relating to the use of nets in ponds.
March 12, 1907, Chapter 346 of 1902, that moderators may be elected for one year term ; Chapter 11, Revised Laws, relating to elections ; and Chapter 28, Revised Laws, relat- ing to Public Parks.
March 8, 1910, Section 367, Chapter 560 of 1907, relat- ing to election of certain officers.
March 14, 1911, House bill No. 677, as to taking ceme- tery land for a Public Park.
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July 10, 1911, Chapter 109 of Acts 1911, same as House bill No. 677.
March 10, 1913, Chapter 598 of Acts 1910, as amended by Chapter 706 of 1913, relating to the auditing of Town accounts.
All Orders and By-Laws heretofore adopted are hereby repealed.
LESTER E. LIBBY, GEORGE H. GIBNEY, GEORGE C. DONALDSON,
Committee.
SCHOOL REPORT.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF HAMILTON
1914-1915
MASS
K.
HAMILTON
Al
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ITS.
93.
. INCORP.
21.1
JUI
SALEM, MASS. BARRY PRINTING CO. 1915.
School Committee's Report.
Annual report of the School Committee of the Town of Hamilton for the year 1914-1915.
ORGANIZATION.
GEORGE K. KNOWLTON, Chairman, Term expires 1916
ROBERT ROBERTSON, JR., Secretary, 66
1915
C. AUGUSTUS NORWOOD,
66 1917
GEORGE K. KNOWLTON, Purchasing Agent.
ELDRIDGE SMITH, Superintendent.
JOHN G. CORCORAN, M. D., School Physician.
(3)
4
SCHOOL REPORT.
In making up our annual report to the citizens of the Town we have to say that quite a change has been made in the financial system of the Town since our last report.
This system which is a provisional state law, was adopted by the Town at its last annual meeting. It pro- vides for a town accountant who shall examine and record all financial accounts of the Town, and shall make full annual report of the same.
In view of the submission of such report the committee makes no financial statement as it has done in previous years, the School account being included in the report of the Town Accountant to which we are pleased to refer.
The West School has been closed the present school year, the number of scholars in that district being so small it was thought best to transport them to the South School.
The contract for their transportation was awarded to Mr. John R. Mann, at $2.25 a day for actual service.
It was found to be necessary to put a partition in the commercial room of the High School in order to lessen the noise of the typewriters where the scholars were in study. The contract for this work was awarded to Mr. Frank P. Trussell, at $138.00.
Fifteen new desks have been put into the commercial room completing the number required this year.
A hood has been put into the laboratory for the escape of noxious gases in chemical work.
The contract for painting the South schoolhouse and annex was awarded to Mr. Edward A. Lane, for $300.
Before the opening of the school year in September the committee decided to adopt the new course of study pro- vided by the State Board of Education, and which is
1
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SCHOOL REPORT.
specially prepared for, and required of scholars for entrance to the State Normal Schools.
This course of study required an additional teacher and consequently a larger expenditure of money.
Your committee would call attention to the fact that much is being done by the School department, and a large amount of money is being expended in order that our children may have at least a good common school education. They also have the opportunity to go on to higher education if they wish to do so. We desire the cooperation of all parents for the best interest of their children in our schools.
The committee recommends an appropriation for the financial year, January 1st to December 31, 1915, and exclusive of any previous deficit, of $15,000.
GEORGE K. KNOWLTON, ROBERT ROBERTSON, JR .. C: AUGUSTUS NORWOOD, School Committee.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
To the School Committee of the Town of Hamilton,
GENTLEMEN : -
I have the honor to submit for your consideration my second annual report.
As in other years there have been several changes in the teaching corps. The High School opened with only one of the old teachers on the faculty. Under the leadership of the new principal and with the co-operation of all the teachers the regular work was soon put under way with the result that today your High School is doing better work than ever before. In the elementary schools there was one change. Miss Knapp was granted a year's leave of absence. With the street car accident soon after the opening of school two more teachers, Miss Chase and Miss Maclaren, were lost to the service.
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