USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1905 > Part 10
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Several books in the reference library are made use of in the topical treatment of various portions of the ground covered.
Additional material of this sort could be used to advantage and we hope in time to see the equipment in reference books more complete.
LANGUAGE
It may be easily inferred from our statements regarding read- ing and number work in the first grade that our chief attention is given to language.
We aim to give the child a large vocabulary and teach the meaning of words through their association in the sentence as well as by the sound and by the association of the spoken word with the visible object.
The Passaic Method by making use of selections to be memo- rized makes use of this idea of gaining a knowledge of the mean- ing of words from the context, and gives an opportunity to intro- duce good models of sentences from selections of good literary merit.
As soon as the pupils have mastered a sufficient number of words they are allowed to copy sentences from the book or the board. In all their work they are trained to give correct oral expression, and are led to do their best in written work.
In the third grades the past year quite a rivalry has been going on by use of letter writing, in connection with which envel- opes of their own make have been used and a letter box made at the manual training room.
In the fourth, fifth and sixth grades the work is carried on according to the plan of the Webster-Cooley series of language books, which have been in the hands of the teacher until recently when the books were provided for the pupils.
This plan treats of selections from our standard writers in a way to give the pupils good ideas of what constitute good style in
194
composition, while at the same time the technical terms of gram- mar are gradually introduced in the course.
In seventh grade the pupils are given Saye's Practical Gram- mar which deals with "Evangeline" in a way to bring out the beauties of the narrative, the fine points of diction, and an ever increasing knowledge of grammatical structure of the language.
With regular constructive work in composition in seventh and eighth grades and still more difficult work in grammar in eighth grade our pupils are found well fitted to undertake the college requirements in English in the High School while those who cannot attend High School have a little experience in a proper method of getting enjoyment from the reading of good literature.
In all the grades careful attention is given to the spelling of such words as come in the daily work of the school, but with the frequent change of teachers in our grammar schools, it is well nigh impossible to carry on this part of the work with proper system. I therefore recommend the use of a spelling book in grades beyond the third.
PHYSIOLOGY
The course follows the recommendations of the Committee of Twelve, with such modifications as our other work requires.
MUSIC
Our work follows in general the plan of the Normal Music Course, but more and more individual work is required in all grades with the result that all chorus work is improved with the resulting independence in singing, of each pupil.
DRAWING
This work is carried along according to three distinct general lines, drawing from natural objects, using the brush with ink or water colors; mechanical drawing, calling for measurements ; constructive work, ranging from the toys and other simple objects of first grade to the complex designs of the upper grammar grades and of the High School.
195
With increased facilities in the new building I urge the necessity of giving more attention to drawing in case of those who intend to enter Normal Schools or any of the Technical Schools.
MANUAL TRAINING
With paper cutting and pasting in the primary grades, card- board construction for the next two grades, sewing for sixth, seventh, and eighth grades for the girls, and sloyd work for the boys, we have the means for developing much of the natural talent that otherwise would remain undiscovered, and in addition have found a solution of the problem of getting the slow and backward pupils interested in all school work.
With time taken from the three R work we continually find that the three R work grows better, more power to fix attention upon the thing in hand is gained, more interest in all that pertains to school life.
SCHOOL GARDENS
Again our pupils put forth great effort to show a well kept garden at home, and in spite of the difficulties of the season they made a very creditable display in the fall.
We appreciate the efforts of the Woman's Club to encourage those who made the attempt.
It is only by a hearty cooperation of all who are interested in this work that it can be carried to its highest success.
HUMANE EDUCATION
Besides the effort to instil right purposes and right motives in living by means of suitable selections of literature and by taking advantage of current events, we make special endeavor to give our pupils an insight into the claims of the dumb animals about us for kind and humane treatment.
The schools organized as Bands of Mercy give from time to time programs to illustrate the almost human characteristics of some of our domestic animals, and the information thus gained without doubt has led most of our boys to treat these animals with much greater consideration than they otherwise would.
196
The fact that a few of the 1150 pupils do not yield to all these good influences thrown around them simply shows that the home and the school are not yet cooperating in these matters so as to secure the most desirable results. Let parents and teachers draw nearer.
STAMP SAVING
In these days when thrift is so necessary to enable one to meet. the responsibilities of life successfully, it is a good thing for chil- dren of school age to be given the opportunity to learn how to say NO to many of the temptations to spend their pennies for trifles, and so learn early in life that self-denial in small matters is the key to future happiness so far as it depends upon having at hand the necessary money to meet important needs.
The interest in this work still continues and our pupils have saved $247.45 since the opening of the schools in September or $614.91 for the entire year Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1905.
Again we are glad to acknowledge our indebtedness to the members of the Woman's Club who have rendered us valued assistance during the year.
In all these ways we endeavor to bring the children into vital contact with nature about them, with the best in the lives of their ancestors as they read and study Literature and History, with the best of human kind we can secure for teachers, who have a true ideal of their mission and the skill to arouse the response that. means soul growth for the child.
Again I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to the teachers for their hearty cooperation and staunch loyalty, and to- you, members of the committee, for your support and kindly encouragement.
Respectfully submitted,
MELVILLE A. STONE,
Superintendent of Schools.
REPORT OF THE TRUANT OFFICER
FROM JAN. 1, 1905, TO JAN. 1, 1906
To the Superintendent :
Number of cases reported to me
53
Number found to be truancy
28
Number claimed to be cases of illness
11
Number insufficiently clad
3
Number kept at home
10
Number over 14 years of age
2
Number induced to return to school
51
Respectfully submitted,
A. A. SMITH,
Truant Officer.
GRADUATING EXERCISES
READING HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 1905
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 21
AT 7.30 O'CLOCK
199
PROGRAM " Row not Drift"
PRAYER
REV. WILLIAM H. PARKER
MEMORIES OF OLD BOSTON (Salutatory)
FLETCHER NICHOLS ROBINSON
THE NATION OF THE TWO EXTREMES LULU BEEBE GOULD
THE LOST CHORD Sir Arthur Sullivan
HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS
THE CHARLES RIVER BASIN
LESTER KIMBALL PRATT
THE RELIGIOUS AWAKENING OF WALES MARION FLINT BUCK
THE MILLER'S WOOING Faning
HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS
CHILD LABOR JAMES HENRY CONNELLY
AN ARTIST ARTIZAN
GLADYS SEWALL NICHOLS
DAMASCUS MARCH Costa
HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS
THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY RAYMOND BARRUS TEMPLE
THE LEGEND BEAUTIFUL (Valedictory )
RUBY WILLIS
GOOD NIGHT, FAREWELL Garrett
HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS
BENEDICTION
REV. WILLIAM H. PARKER
200
GRADUATES 1905
COLLEGE COURSE
Marion Flint Buck Fletcher Nichols Robinson Ruby Willis
SCIENTIFIC COURSE
Sidney Freeman Brown Roy Howard Hoffman
Harold Raymond Johnson
Robert Emerson Parker
Ralph William Stone Raymond Barrus Temple Laurence Somerby Winchester Loring Frost Wilcox
NORMAL COURSE Marjory Bond
GENERAL COURSE
Harry Ardine Allen Laura Amanda Barr
Agnes Frances Barrett
Elmer Willard Barrett
Harold Hewes Boardman Walter MacDonald Brennan
Charles Norman Bruorton Bertha Gould Buckle Elva Myrtle Claggett James Henry Connelly Genevra Herbertine Danforth Grace Maude Eaton Helen Alberta Francis
Frederick Hanson Gear Sydna Harwood Gill Grace Isabel Gowing Alice Valpey Gould Lulu Beebe Gould Sarah Alice Griffiths
Mildred Davenport Haley Emily Grace Hay
Fred Conrad Herbolzheimer Alice Ercle Hunt Fannie Josephine Ide Nellie Cordelia Jones Florence May Lovejoy
Mabel Lavinia MacKay Flora Young Milbury Deborah Briggs Nash Gladys Sewell Nichols Inez Wood Nichols William Francis O'Brien Ruby Amelia Oxley Lucia Hastings Parker Lester Kimball Pratt Mary Magdelene Riley Rose Elvira Stone Agnes Church Tucker Maisie Hammal Tucker Teresa Frances Wall Mildred Arleta Wood
A
201
GRADUATES OF THE HIGHLAND SCHOOL, JUNE, 1905
BOYS
Abbot, Lyman E.
Bartlett, Annie
Black, Lawrence K.
Bramwell, Maybelle J.
Chase, Roger P.
Campbell, Agnes
Davis, C. Edwin
Chadwick, Ada A.
Davis, Harold F.
Doucette, Frank P.
Eames, Ralph
Cummings, Josephine
Ellison, Guy W.
Davies, Dorothy Doran, Phoebe
Field, Elmer D.
Foote, Ward
Doucette, Florence M.
Doyle, Alberta R.
Eames, Eleanora
Field, Eva L.
Flint, Marion L.
Granger, Zelda
Hamilton, Mildred E.
Hopkinson, Marion
Leavitt, Lena E.
MacDonald, Ethel F.
McIntire, Calvin R.
Muise, William
Murphy, Howard J.
Nichols, Roy R.
McIntire, Emma G.
McKenney, Louise M.
McMonagle, Ruth E.
Michelini, Claudia
Murray, Winnie
O'Brien, Christine F.
Stevens, Thomas W.
Surrette, Leo Talbot, Geo. W.
Pecot, Madeline Robertson, Rose E.
Smith, Elizabeth
Smith, Hermione A.
Stone, Grace E.
Strout, Ethel L.
Wakefield, Helen L. Warner, Nellie
Weafer, Ellen
Welch, Susie W. Wells, Myrtle D. Wickens, Bertha L.
Young, Vera
Cleveland, Mary E.
Cullinane, Nellie F.
Forbes, G. Paul
Gill, Maurice P.
Griffiths, Eleazer H.
Hallett, Howell K.
Hodgdon, Carl A.
Hunnewell, Hillman B.
Jewett, Malcolm W.
Johnson, Leslie F.
Maguire, Joseph
Marr, Natalie Mason, Pearl McCormick, Anna
Ordway, Kyle R.
Parker, Lawrence
Robinson, Harold
Sullivan, Daniel L.
Stembridge, A. Reginald
O'Connell, Mildred Pease, Marion J.
Thorburn, John H. Trenholm, Victor Turner, Fred
Twombly, W. Fletcher
Upton, Harold F.
Warren, Perley S. Webb, James
GIRLS
202
STATISTICS TAKEN FROM REPORT TO THE STATE BOARD IN APRIL, 1905, AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN TOWN BETWEEN 5 AND 15 YEARS
Sept. 1899
832
66
1900
.
.
853
66
1901
890
1902
915
66
1903
967
1904
938
1905
972
NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN TOWN BETWEEN 7 AND 14 YEARS Sept. 1899
648
1900
648
66
1901
. 680
1902
. 636
66
1903
682
66
1904
758
Length of school year, 1904-1905
. 40 wks.
Number of days lost from stormy days, etc.
36.5
Actual length of school year
8 mos. 3.5 dys.
1146 Average number in each of the twelve grades for first four months of school year :
YEAR I II III IV 103 87
108
75
VII 93
68 56
x 46 17 23 5 903
1900
127 136
66 107
89
98 66
82
49 37 36 14 0 907
64 177 102 108 77 105 61 42 28 25 5 978 1901
1902
142 126
90
86
117
87 97 98 100
70
63 79
60 53 54 4 1123
1905
129
118 130 124 105 104 88 100 85
76 45 48 4 1156
V
VI
VIII IX
XI XII Spc. Tot'l
1899
120
102
56 64 34 21 4 1008 1903 127 114 86 109 97 93 61 53 31 9 1050 1904
129
131
103 104 116 116
95 91 109 86
66
1905
698
Number of different pupils enrolled for the year ending June 24, 1904
.
TEACHERS' IN SERVICE, WHERE EDUCATED, YEAR WHEN FIRST APPOINTED ALSO ENROLLMENT FOR FOUR MONTHS ENDING DECEMBER 22, 1905
School
Grade
Teacher
Where Educated
Year First
Appointed
Salary
Total
Enrollment
Average
Membership
Average
Attendance
Per cent. of
Attendance
Cases of
Tardiness
Neither Absent
nor Tardy
High
Harry T. Watkins, M. A , Master Colby University
1903
$1,900
267
256.1
241.9 94.5
143
66
Ervin N. Babcock
Bates College
1905
950
48
XI
Jennie F. Currier
Radcliffe Special
1900
750
49
x
Jennie E. Wier
Boston University
1901
750
79
IX
Alice W. English
Wesleyan University
1904
700
87
Natalie A. Smith
Wellesley College
1905
500
4
Mary Gordon
Mt. Holyoke College
1905
700
66
Helen P. Abbott
Brown University
1904
700
.6
Marion G. Richardson
Bridgewater Normal
1880
1,000
51
49.2
47.5
96.5
25
14
VIII
Alice E. Hood
Concord, N. H., Training
1902
500
53
50.8
48.1
94.7
36
7
VII
Wilhelmina Patterson
N. H. State Normal
1904
450
46
45.5
41.9
92.1
21
8
VII
Ethel B. Macomber
Hyannis Normal
1905
450
47
43.5
39.9
87.1
44
3
VI
Edith A. Estes
Boston University
1905
450
54
45.4
42.9
94.5
110
1
VI
Mary F. Osborne
Lewiston Training
1904
425
60
52.9
45.4
85.8
36
6
V
Mary H. Barr
Bridgewater Normal
1904
425
59
52.7
49.6
94.1
35
8
IV
Fannie C. Whittemore
Plymouth, N. H.,and Hyannis
1905
400
54
49.7
46.9
94.4
42
5
IV
Harriet M. Fester
Framingham Normal
1905
425
55
49.7
45.3
91.1
46
Union St.
III
Laura C. Pollard
Salem Normal
1899
550
48
46.5
43.8
94.2
20
2
III
Edith A. Wright
Hyannis Summer School
1904
425
49
45.6
43.2
94.8
15
4
66
II
Ethel M. Flanders
Salem Normal
1905
350
46
42.7
38.6
90.4
58
1
6.
I
Marion G. Morgan
Bridgewater Normal
1904
475
37
31.9
28.6
89.
14
John St.
II
M. Grace Wakefield
Salem Normal
1890
475
43
40.8
37.3
91.4
19
3
Reading High School
1898
425
50
45.9
41.3
89.8
39
0
I
Myra K. Parker
Westfield Normal
1905
450
Worcester Normal
1903
475
44
41.1
38.5
93.6
34
2
Prospect St.
IV-III
Margaret C. Duncan
Lowell Normal
1902
450
46
44.7
41.6
93.1
172
1
II-I
Clara B. Wright
Lowell Normal
1900
425
29
24.3
22.4
92.2
8
III-II-I
Bessie M. Parker
Salem Normal
1905
350
41
38.1
34.6
90.8
96
Drawing
Annie B. Parker
Prang's Normal
1892
425
Music
Leon R. Maxwell, M. A.
Tufts College
1905
500
Sewing
Grace E. Barclay
1904
125
Manual Training
Walter F. Brackett
1902
480
55
51.7
48.6
94.
35
8
Gorham Normal
1901
550
Vassar College
1905
500
Edith R. Clapp, M. A.
Boston University
1904
625
Alice Barrows, Principal
Emma S. Page, Ass't Principal
N. H. State Normal
1899
650
VIII
4
17
29
Special
Highland
-
1
Chestnut Hill Lowell St.
'IV-III-II-I Florence Parker Atwood
1
Special Teachers
V
Delia M. Holman
Summer School
3
Florence E. Babcock
15
XII
5
204
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Appropriations :
General for Superintendent, teachers,
janitors and fuel . $27,000 00
Contingent, for incidentals, books and supplies 5,000 00
Rent
26 00
Overdraft
19 85
Received for tuition
983 00
Received for rebate on insurance of
Sheak building 19 20
Received for repairs
6 23
Received for material sold
2 98
$33,057 26
EXPENDITURES
Paid for teachers, janitors and fuel . $25,105 38 .
Paid incidental expenses
3,048 71 .
Paid for books and supplies
3,008 15 .
Paid Superintendent of Schools
1,200 00 .
Transportation
664 00
Truant Officer
30 00
Total expenses
$33,056 24
Balance
$1 02
General appropriation
$27,000 00
Paid Superintendent
. $1,200 00
Paid teachers
. 20,859 29
Paid janitors
1,918 87
Paid fuel
2,327 22
Paid transportation
664 00
Paid Truant Officer
30 00
$26,999 38
Unexpended balance
.
62
205
Appropriations for incidentals and sup-
plies
. $5,000 00
Received for tuition
893 00
Received rebate on Sheak House Ins.
19 20
Received overdraft .
19 85
Received on repairs
6 23
Received for material sold
2 98
Received for rent
26 00
$6,057 26
Paid incidental expenses
$3,048 71
Paid for books and supplies
3,008 15
.
$6,056 86
Unexpended balance . 40 .
SUPPORT OF SCHOOLS
HIGH SCHOOL
Harry T. Watkins
$2,030 00
W. W. Keyes .
510 00
Ervin N. Babcock
380 00
Jennie F. Currier
750 00
Jennie E. Wier .
750 00
Alice W. English
670 00
Edith R. Clapp
670 00
Marion G. Richardson
610 00
Mary J. Bourne
450 00
Mary Gordon
280 00
Alice I. Mandell
450 00
Florence B. Messer
390 00
Natalie A. Smith
200 00
Helen P. Abbott
200 00
$8,340 00
206
HIGHLAND SCHOOL
Alice Barrows
. $1,000 00
Emma S. Page
650 00
Alice T. Nudd
225 00
Emma E. Morse
327 93
Alice E. Hood
500 00
Wilhelmina Patterson
450 00
Ethel B. Macomber
180 00
Mrs. Abbie P. Granger
89 00
Edith A. Estes
503 97
Mary C. Fowle
1 03
May M. Badger
259 04
Mary F. Osborne
180 00
Elsie Pratt
84
Delia M. Holman
419 82
Mary H. Barr
410 00
Ada R. Evarts
296 25
Bessie M. Parker
8 61
Harriet M. Foster
159 65
Agnes Ordung
10 35
Fannie C. Whittemore
160 00
$5,831 49
UNION STREET SCHOOL
Laura C. Pollard
$550 00
Ruth E. Lane
285 00
Edith A. Wright
170 00
Ethel M. Flanders
134 75
Annie P. Reed
240 00
Mary Wiley
5 25
Marion H. Morgan
460 00
$1,845 00
207
JOHN STREET SCHOOL
M. Grace Wakefield
$462 53
Mary Wiley
33 02
Myra K. Parker
423 41
Mabel Darrah
147 19
Florence E. Babcock
291 65
$1,357 80
PROSPECT STREET SCHOOL
Margaret C. Duncan
$473 22
Bessie M. Parker
1 78
Clara B. Wright
450 00
$925 00
CHESTNUT HILL SCHOOL
Gertrude B. Howard
$240 00
Mary Wiley ·
75
Florence Parker Atwood
409 25
$650 00
LOWELL ST. SCHOOL
Edith A. Wright
$240 00
Bessie M. Parker
140 00
$380 00
SPECIAL TEACHERS
Annie B. Parker, drawing
$425 00
Grace E. Barclay, sewing
125 00
Walter F. Brackett, manual training
480 00
Ernst Makechnie, music
300 00
Leon R. Maxwell, music
200 00
$1,530 00
208
JANITORS
Clement Gleason
$929 34
(Highland )
Charles L. Gowing
400 00
(High and Primaries)
Robert Powers .
100 00
(High and Primaries)
D. Pigueron
148 00
(High and Primaries)
T. Cummings 121 33
(Prospect St.)
Robert E. Parker
72 00
(Chestnut Hill)
Charles F. Bessom
50 00
(Lowell St.)
Frank Headley
77 25
(John St.)
Mary E. Riley
5 00
(Lowell St.)
R. P. Chase
3 50
(Highland)
John Thorburn
12 45
(Highland)
$1,918 87
FUEL
Bancroft, W. & Co.
$1,512 99
Barrows, H. C. .
5 00
Batchelder, A. E.
72 00
Bessom, Chas. F.
12 00
Boston & Maine R. R.
66 45
Chase & Colby
4 20
Cummings, T.
1 00
Downs, E. T.
533 72
Amount carried forward $2,207 36
209
Amount brought forward
$2,207 96
Hanscom, E. C. .
55 50
Killam, J. Warren
2 00
Michelini, A.
12 36
Nelson, C. W.
30 00
Parker, Robert E.
20 00
$2,327 22
TRANSPORTATION
Borth wick Brothers
$384 00
Boston & Northern St. Ry. Co.
280 00
$664 00
TRUANT OFFICER
A. A. Smith
$30 00
Total General Fund
$26,999 38
CONTINGENT ACCOUNT
Allen, Hall & Co.
$120 00
American Express
9 42
American School Furniture Co.
252 03
Atkinson, Geo. H.
9 00
Babb, Edward E.
1 50
Badger, E. B. & Son
2 00
Bancroft, Lewis M.
29 02
Bancroft, Wendell & Co.
26 96
Batchelder, H. W.
7 92
Bent, L. G.
3 96
Bessom, Chas. F.
8 75
Bosson, H. P.
18 00
Boston & Maine R. R.
2 00
Amount carried forward $490 56
210
Amount brought forward
$490 56
Burgess, R. P.
12 00
Chandler & Barber
12 00
Clapp, R. D.
62 99
Cook, W. F.
21 12
Congregational Church
10 00
Cummings Express
72 52
Cummings, T. J.
16 83
Eames, H. L.
3 65
Eames, L. T.
6 20
Edgerley & Bessom
6 00
Fife, T. C.
55 11
Francis Bros.
383 38
Franklin, A. B.
87 28
Fuller, Seth W. & Co.
11 20
Gleason, J. W.
7 00
Hammett, J. L. Co.
10 88
Hanscom, E. C.
53 40
Hartshorne, W. O.
13 25
Johns, W. H .- Manville Co.
9 95
Johnson, H. R.
162 58
Ladd, Frederick A.
12 25
Lefave, J. A.
3 50
Lefave, Reuben J.
196 33
MacDonald, F. G.
54
Magee Furnace Co.
3 50
Makechnie, Ernst
19 35
Masonic Temple Corporation
12 00
Meehan, P. H.
55 46
Metcalf, E. C.
3 78
Miller, Henry F. & Co.
14 00
Municipal Light Board
29 08
Murphy, J. A.
9 00
Muse, John
21 78
Amount carried forward
$1,888 47
211
Amount brought forward
$1,888 47
Nichols, M. E.
145 00
Ordway, O. O.
5 60
Paine Furniture Co.
22 50
Parker, Asa
3 00
Peoples' Gas & Electric Co.
37 00
Prentiss & Viall
70 80
Quinlan, M. S.
11 30
Reading Police Dept.
10 00
Reading Water Dept.
196 04
Smith, A. A.
40 00
Smith Premier
2 25
Stone, Melville A.
182 24
Thorp & Martin
7 30
Tileston & Livermore
1 75
Twombly, W. E. & J. F.
204 99
Typewriter Exchange
32 00
Ward, S. & Co.
5 50
Watkins, H. T. .
38 57
Weston, J. W. .
1 50
Wightman, W. H.
71 26
Walworth Mfg. Co.
39 13
Zwicker, Jason
33 00
$3,048 71
SUPPLIES ACCOUNT
Allyn & Bacon .
$ 12 72
American Book Co.
296 82
Appleton, D. & Co.
43 45
Atkinson, Geo. H.
33 00
Atkinson, Mentzer & Grover
217 13
Babb, Edward E. & Co.
269 65
Baird, A. F.
10 75
Amount carried forward
$883 52
212
Amount brought forward
$883 52
Bancroft, W. A. & Co.
86 15
Barclay, Grace E.
2 44
Barnard, F. J. & Co.
161 99
Boston Music Co.
3 00
Bradley, Milton Co.
75 94
Burditt & Williams
1 85
Central School Supply Co.
50 00
Chandler & Barber
1 71
Charles, M. F.
3 08
Cook, A. S. & Co.
9 60
Copeland & Co.
52
Dallman, Herbert I.
28 50
Eagle Pencil Co.
36 35
Eimer & Amend
11 32
Frost & Adams
7 00
Ginn & Co.
515 06
Hall, Arthur W. Sci. Co.
37 50
Hammett, J. L. & Co.
52 35
Heath, D. C. & Co.
91 01
Hobbs & Warren
2 25
Holcomb, J. I. Mfg. Co.
39 00
Houghton, Mifflin Co.
111 45
Kenney Bros. & Wolkins
30 50
King, Geo. F. & Co. .
82 46
Knott, L. E. Apparatus Co.
283 99
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co.
30 00
Novello, Ewer & Co.
4 02
Old Corner Book Store
3 50
Parker & Page .
54 37
Reading Cooperative Asso.
1 50
Sanborn, Benj. H. & Co.
35 00
Scarborough Co.
5 25
Schmidt, A. P.
1 60
.
Amount carried forward
$2,743 78
213
Amount brought forward
$2,743 78
Schoenhoff Book Co.
16 71
Sibley & Co.
7 57
Silver, Burdett & Co.
30 79
Stone, Melville A.
2 20
Storrs, A. & Bement Co.
8 45
Talbot Co. .
3 00
Thorp & Martin Co.
9 00
Typewriter Exchange
67 30
Wadsworth, Howland & Co.
6 25
Ward, Samuel Co.
25 90
Willis, W. H.
6 81
Winchester, Geo. A.
28 50
Woods, J. M. & Co.
51 89
$3,008 15
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Appropriation ·
.
$900 00
Proceeds of dog tax, 1904
554 23
Minor credits
1 30
EXPENSES
Rent :
Odd Fellows' Building Association $537 50
Light :
Reading Municipal Light Department $44 41
Salaries :
Bertha L. Brown, librarian . $300 00
Clover Granger, assistant 25 25
C. H. Stinchfield, janitor
38 50
$363 75
Books :
W. B. Clarke Co.
.
$23 75
Old Corner Book Store, Inc. 262 83
Chas. E. Lauriat Co. 145 94 .
H. W. Wilson Co. .
18 00
E. B. Hall
14 25
L. C. Page & Co.
1 00
A. W. Danforth (periodicals)
42 60
$508 37
Sundries : W. E. & J. F. Twombly, printing $1 50
$1,455 53 $1,455 53
215
FINE ACCOUNT
Amount on hand Jan. 1, 1905 . .
$142 95
Rec'd from sale of catalogues, cards, fines,
etc.
67 65
$210 60
Paid for expressage and incidentals
14 04
Balance
$196 56
The following volumes have been presented to the Library : NAMES OF DONORS NUMBER OF VOLUMES
U. S. Documents and Reports
33
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
12
Others
4
-
49
Number of new volumes added (Jan. 1 to
Dec. 31, 1905)
288
Total number in library
10,425
Circulation, year ending Dec. 31, 1905
18,136
Largest single month, March
1,828
Smallest, October
1,377
The appropriation made by the Town at its last annual meet- ing was $900, and the proceeds of the dog tax which amounted to $554.23. A minor credit of $1.30 carried the total direct income of the library to $1,455.53. The entire amount has been expended for rent, expenses of maintenance (librarian's service and assistance, and janitor ) books, periodicals, and sundries as appears in detail in the foregoing financial statement.
The total fixed charges of the library as now administered include $300 for the salary of the librarian, $600 for rent, and in addition the cost of assistance to the librarian, janitor's service and electric light, approximately $120. The expense of replacing books
-
216
worn out, the cost of rebinding and repairing, and of necessary stationery such as library cards, book slips, etc., must also be met each year, and none of these fixed charges can be reduced. The margin between such necessary expenses and the limit fixed by the appropriation is not very great and restricts the purchases of books and periodicals to narrow proportions. The demand upon the library constantly increases, and may be expected to do so as the population increases, and especially as the connection between the library and the schools becomes more complete.
The educational side of the library, as distinguished from its merely popular side, is continually becoming more important and might be much further expanded with profitable results, if the means at our command permitted. We alluded last year to certain purchases which had been made to supply the requirements of study classes connected with the Woman's Club. As the work of these classes enlarges, and the interest increases in various other societies in town which are engaged in the study of art, music, or literature the requests for books will become more numerous, and such legitimate requirements as are placed upon the library in this way ought to be met. When the new high school is opened the relation of that institution to the library will be intimate. The field of library usefulness as will be seen is a broad one, and the Trustees desire to cover it fully.
The present librarian, Miss Brown, is interested in her work, is familiarizing herself with what is being done elsewhere, and will, we are confident, endeavor at all times to serve efficiently the wants of those who visit the library.
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