USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1928 > Part 6
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To the Honorable, Law Committee of the Town of Reading, Reading, Mass. Gentlemen :
(I beg to submit my report as Town Counsel for the year ending December 31, 1928.
Much time has been spent in the usual routine, consultations, render- ing of opinions, preparation of votes and papers of various sorts, among which may be mentioned, for example, services in connection with the con- tract and lease relative to the new building built for the occupancy of the Municipal Light Department, the rules and regulations of the Board of Public Works relative to projections over highways, the revision of the con- tract relative to transportation of school children, and an opinion to the Board of Selectmen relative to the jurisdiction over traffic beacons.
The construction of the new Mineral Street bridge required services in connection with the proceedings before the County Commissioners.
During the past year the proceedings, which had been earlier insti- tuted in the Land Court for the foreclosure of certain tax titles, were car- ried through to completion. These proceedings related to six parcels having assessed values of a total of something over $45,000. Three parcels having a total assessed value of $2,475 were not redeemed, and the title of the
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Town thereto was perfected by decree. Three parcels were redeemed, re- sulting in the collection by the Town of back taxes, interest and costs (in addition to costs of the Land Court proceeding) amounting to over $10,500.
Under your supervision the claim of the heirs of Willard Bancroft for damages due to the laying of a water pipe through land on Longwood Road was settled by the payment of $50.00 and a deed and release taken.
Certain claims for and against the Town arising out of the business of the Municipal Light Department were disposed of in the ordinary course. There is one claim pending arising from the fall of a branch of a tree al- leged to be due to the action of lighting' wires, but this claim has not been made the subject of suit.
There is pending a suit by Richard M. Cutts with an ad damnum of $1000 for injuries arising from an alleged defect in Salem Street. Counsel for the plaintiff has been advised, in accordance with your instructions, that the Town denies all liability.
There is pending a Bill in Equity brought by William H. Killam against the Town arising from the existence of a public sewer running through certain premises purchased by him from the Town and to which it derived its title through tax title foreclosure.
An important matter which has arisen during the past year is the matter of the apportionment of the cost of the Northern Artery. Under Statute 1924, Chapter' 489, Section 3, as amended by Statute 1927, Chapter 315, Section 3, a board of three commissioners have been appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court to determine the proportion in which cities and towns "specially benefited" by this improvement shall contribute to its cest .. This commission sent out notices, not only to the cities of Cambridge and Somerville, in which the work is located, and to neighboring munici- palities, but also to cities and. towns of northern Middlesex and of Essex Counties. There have been several hearings, at which the opposition of Essex and northern Middlesex cities and towns to being assessed for the cost of this improvement was strongly developed, and at the last hearing the hearings were adjourned until early in March to afford time for the incoming legislature to qualify and restrict, if it so desired, the question of "special benefit." This is a matter of considerable importance. The cost of the work, while the exact figures are not yet ascertainable, has been very large, and the assessment upon the Town of a small percentage might amount to a considerable sum.
The progress of the matter before the legislature should be followed with care.
Respectfully submitted,
MELVILLE FULLER WESTON,
Town Counsel.
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REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF WIRES
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen :- I herewith submit my report for the year ending December 31st, 1928.
Number of inspections, 542; old buildings wired, 33; new buildings wired, 76; old buildings in which the wiring is uncompleted, 3; new buildings in which the wiring is uncompleted, 19; buildings rewired, 5; number of additions to wiring, 121: electric ranges, 14; hot plates, 3; oil burners, 15; refrigerators, 35; battery chargers, 2; water heaters, 6; air compressors, 3; motors, 11; signs, 7; recording meters, 1; permits given for temporary wiring, 3; complaints received and investigated, 14; changes ordered made to unsafe or improperly installed wiring, 38; services to buildings cut off during fires, 2; inspections made to wiring damaged by fire, 8; wiring condemed, 3; number of permits given to connect services, 147; complaints made to State Examiners of Elec- tricians, 7; hearings attended before the State Examiners of Electri- cians, 3; electricians' licenses revoked as result of hearings, 2; electri- cian's license suspended as result of hearings, 1; cases pending, 1.
In general the electricians have installed wiring in a careful and workmanlike manner. Those who have not done their work in a safe and proper manner have been ordered to correct same and an inspection has been made to see that this is done.
There is need of a town by-law to govern the installation of wires.
All wiring should be reported to the Inspector of Wires by the electrician.
The public is warned against the unlicensed and unreliable electricians.
I wish to thank the public for their co-operation with me in my work.
Respectfully submitted, HUGH L. EAMES,
Inspector of Wires.
REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS
To the Honorable, Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen :
I herewith submit my report for the year ending December 31, 1928.
The building construction for the past year was as follows: 80 new one-family dwellings at an approximate cost of $465,500.00; 32 alterations
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and additions to dwellings at an approximate cost of $41,670.00.
25 new one-car garages, 20 new two-car garages. 6 alterations and additions to garages, 5 new greenhouses, 1 new boiler house, 2 new gasoline filling stations, 2 new showrooms. 1 new block of seven stores, 8 new poultry houses, 4 new road-side stands, 1 new blacksmith shop, 2 new storage sheds, 1 new barn, 1 new tool house, 12 alterations and additions to various build- ings.
The above buildings were built at an approximate cost of $117,260.00.
The total cost of all new and remodelled buildings the past year, amounts to approximately $624,430.00
Respectfully submitted,
A. RUSSELL BARNES, Inspector of Buildings ..:
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH
-
To the Citizens of Reading
There were sixty-eight (68) contagious cases reported during the year 1928.
Scarlet Fever, 19; Chicken Pox, 7; Measles, 28; Malaria, 1; Whooping Cough, 7; Tuberculosis, 6; Total, 68.
Number of deaths, 94-Male, 44; Female, 50; 3 were over 90 years of age; 18 were between 80 and 90 years; 25 were between 70 and 80 years; 16 were between 60 and 70 years; 10 were between 50 and 60 years; 3 were between 40 and 50 years; 5 were between 30 and 40 years; 3 were between 20 and 30 years; 2 were between 10 and 20 years ; 2 were between 1 and 10 years; 1 was under 1 year; 6 still births.
Respectfully submitted, E. M. HALLIGAN, M. D., C. H. PLAYDON, M. D. V., C. F. ATKINSON,
Board of Health.
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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF APPEAL
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen :- Eight petitions for relief from various provisions of the Zoning By-Law were presented to the Board of Appeal during the year 1928, on all of which public hearings were held as required by the By-Law.
Three of these petitions were for variation of the By-Law, to allow use of premises for business purposes in residential zones. All were denied.
Two petitions were for extension of non-conforming use. Both were granted.
One petition was for the erection of private garage nearer to the party line than than allowed by the By-Law. Granted.
One petition was for permission to construct an addition to a residence, bringing the building wall nearer to the lot line than per- mitted by the By-Law. Denied.
One petition was for the erection of a two apartment house, "one over one," in a zone restricted to two-family semi-detached houses. Denied.
To summarize, of the eight petitions presented to the Board during the year, three were granted, and five were denied.
There is occasionally an apparent misconception on the part of some of the townspeople, as to the powers and authority of the Board of Appeal. The Board under the Zoning By-Law, may grant excep- tions to the application of the By-Laws only when denial of relief would "involve practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship," and (not or) when such exceptions can be allowed "without substantially dero- gating from the intent and purpose of the By-Laws, but not otherwise."
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY Q. MILLETT, Chairman, FRED L. NUTTER, Secretary, CHARLES A. DAMON,
Board of Appeal.
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REPORT OF BOARD OF ASSESSORS
To the Citizens of Reading:
We herewith submit our report on work under our jurisdiction during the year 1928 :
Valuation of Taxable Real Estate : Buildings, excluding land
$ 9,688,925.00
Land, excluding buildings
3,774,855.00
Total Taxable Real Estate
$ 13,463,780.00
Taxable Personal Real Estate
1,573,345.00
Total Taxable Real and Personal Estate assessed
April 1, 1928
$ 15,037,125.00
Building increase over 1927
474,650.00
Land increase over 1927
117,465.00
Total increase on Taxable Real Estate $ 592,115.00
Increase on Personal Estate 67,861.00
Total gain on Taxable Property over 1927 $ 659,976.00
Tax on Real Estate
$ 451,039.67
Tax on Personal Estate
52,712.61
Tax on Polls
5,544.00
Tax on Real Estate for Moth 967.00
Tax on Real Estate for Sewer
2,580.57
Tax on Real Estate for Sidewalk
177.71
Total Tax April 1, 1928 $ 513,021.56
Taxable Personal Estate assessed December 1928
$ 300.00
Taxable Real Estate assessed December, 1928
2,900.00
Additional Polls
110.00
Tax assessed as supplementary on Real Estate, Decem- ber 1928 97.15
Tax assessed as supplementary on Personal, Estate, December 1928
10.05
Total Taxable Personal Estate 1928 1,573,645.00
Total Taxable Real Estate, 1928. $ 13,466,680.00
Total Taxable Property, Real and Personal, 1928 $ 15,040,325.00 State Tax, 1928 18,105.00
State Highway Tax, 1928
3,469.05
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County Tax, 1928
19,063.77
County Tax, T. B., Rutland, 1928
2,048.37
Metropolitan Sewer Tax, 1928
12,679.35
Municipal Lighting Tax, 1928
102.89
Fire Prevention Tax, 1928
118.71
Total State and County Tax, 1928
$ 55,587.14
Total State and County Tax, 1927
59,168.85
Decrease from 1927
$ 3,581.71
Amount appropriated for Town Purposes
$ 534,942.65
Amount to be paid for State Taxes
55,587.14
Amount of Overlay
3,766.49
Total Assessments, 1928
$ 594,296.28
Estimated Receipts
$ 85,000.00
2772 Polls @ $2.00
5,544.00
90,544.00
Amount to be raised
$ 503,752.28
Tax Rate for 1928, $33.50
Number of persons assessed on property April, 1928 3,663
889
Number assessed in December, 1928
3
Number additional polls
55
Total assessed on property, 1928
3,666
Total assessed on polls only, 1928
944
Total number separate assessments, 1928
4,552
Polls assessed in 1927
2,707
Polls assessed in 1928
2,827
Increase in polls
120
Number of horses
108
Number of cows
· 187
Number of neat cattle
13
Number of swine
120
Number of fowl
12,906
Number of dwellings
2,275
Number of acres of land
5,770
Value of Town property
$ 1,365,810.00
Value of property exempt
537,035.00
Total non-taxable property
$ 1,902,845.00
Total taxable property
15,040,325.00
Total valuation, 1928
$ 16,943,170.00
.
Number assessed for poll only
Assessors' Report of the Survey of Land Under the Block System
We have now completed 65 plans which contain 3,393 separate lots.
Appropriated 1928
Expended $ 100.00
Davis & Abbott, correcting plans, 1928 53.00
Balance $ 47.00
We would advise that the sum of five hundred dollars be appropriated for the coming year that the work of the Block System be continued.
GEORGE E. HORROCKS, J. FRED RICHARDSON, ALVAH W. CLARK,
..
Board of Assessors.
REPORT OF CEMETERY TRUSTEES
The report of the Superintendent of Cemeteries, William P. Pierpont, covering in detail the work of the Department and approved by the Trust- ees, is appended.
Mr. Galen A. Parker, who has been a member of this Board for thirty-eight years and has served the last thirty-six years as Chairman, re- signed on March 30th. The Board accepted this resignation with deep re- gret and wish to include in the records of the Town their sincere apprecia- tion of the long and faithful service rendered by Mr. Parker.
Mr. Winthrop D. Parker was subsequently appointed to serve the un- expired term of his father.
Owing to his removal from Reading, Mr. Chester P. Eeles resigned November 1st from the Board and Mr. Harold F. Davis was appointed to serve the balance of his term.
Mr. Philip H. Tirrell, who had served the Board for several years as Secretary, was elected Chairman, and Mr. Clarence C. White was elected Secretary.
On March 2nd, Alfred E. Goodwin resigned as Superintendent of Cemeteries and William P. Pierpont was appointed Acting Superintendent, and subsequently appointed Superintendent.
The terms of Winthrop D. Parker and Clarence C. White expire, and
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their associates are pleased to state that they will be candidates for re-élec- tion. "
Most respectfully,
PHILIP H. TIRRELL, Chairman. CLARENCE C. WHITE, Secretary. HAROLD F. DAVIS, FRANK LEE EDGERLEY,
FRED L. NUTTER, WINTHROP D. PARKER, Board of Cemetery Trustees ..
LAUREL HILL CEMETERY REPORT 1928
Board of Cemetery Trustees, Reading, Mass.
Gentlemen :.
The regular maintenance work has been kept up during the year, the avenues have had some repairs and Maple Avenue had a seal coat from the Main Street entrance to Lotus Avenue, which was much needed.
Forty-eight new lots have been completed, nine eight-grave" lots, eight six-grave lots, thirty-one four-grave lots and forty-three single graves, which are all ready for sale. We have sold seventeen lots and six single graves during the year, nearly all with perpetual care. Fourteen lots have had perpetual care placed on them outside of the new lots sold with per- petual care during 1928. All lots are now sold with perpetual care. We have had ninety-one, interments during the year. The Trustees voted, at the recommendation of the State Auditors, to have all work done in the Cemeteries prepaid.
Four stone posts were removed from the upper Main Street entrance, which makes it much easier driving' in or out. Several cement hydrants and several hundred stepping stones have been placed.
The Old Cemetery on Lowell Street was mowed and cleaned up. With additional money further improvements could be made.
The Trustees voted to set aside, for ornamental purposes only, the plot of land at the Main Street entrance and call it "The Galen A. Parker Oval" in honor of Mr. Galen A. Parker, who served on the Board for thirty- eight years. It has been graded and sowed down, and during this year rhododendrons and shrubbery will be set out.
All the land in Laurel Hill has been developed except a portion pur- chased from the Clapp Estate, which will be laid out in lots this year.
This next year it will be necessary to have a new truck to replace the one we now have, as it is beyond repair. The fence at the north side and west side of the Cemetery should be replaced, as it is in bad condition. A portion of Elm Avenue should be repaired, between Locust Avenue and
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Oak Avenue, and a catch basin is needed at the north entrance.
The financial statement will appear in the report of the Town Ac- countant.
Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM P. PIERPONT, Superintendent.
FOREST GLEN CEMETERY REPORT 1928
Board of Cemetery Trustees, Reading, Mass.
Gentlemen :
We have placed the markers and numbers for all the lots that have been so far laid out, and also over three hundred stepping stones. The lots have all been fertilized and kept mowed.
The ledge at one side of the Pearl Street entrance was removed and the entrance graded.
During this next year the wall should be extended to the boundary line on Forest Street, and should be capped for the preservation of the wall, preferably with a blue stone cap. We expect to finish putting in the rest of the stepping stones during 1929. The main entrance could be beautified by setting out some shrubs and the appearance of the Cemetery would be improved by a few scattered trees.
The financial statement will appear in the report of the Town Ac- countant.
Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM P. PIERPONT, Superintendent.
CUSTODIAN OF SOLDIERS AND SAILORS GRAVES
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
Gentlemen :
I herewith submit my annual report for the year 1928 as Custodian of Veteran Soldiers' and Sailors' Graves.
One man has been employed a part of each working day. throughout the growing season, caring for the Veterans' lots.
During the early fall, the worker's time was devoted to raking leaves and regrading sunken graves.
On account of the increasing number of graves and the settling of some of the older ones, requiring regrading, I recommend an appropriation of $600 for 1929 in place of $500, the appropriation for 1928.
Respectfully submitted, WALTER I. SWEETSER,
Custodian of Soldiers' and Sailors' Graves.
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REPORT OF PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Trustees of the Public Library submit the following report for the year ended December 31, 1928 :
ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD
The Board organized for the year by the election of Mr. Mansfield as Chairman and Miss Bancroft as Secretary. Standing Committees were appointed as follows :
On Accounts : The Board of Trustees.
On Books: Mr. Mansfield, Miss Bancroft and Mrs. Lucas.
On Buildings and Grounds : Messrs. Keneely, Morton and Doughty.
On Work with Children: Miss Bancroft, Mrs. Lucas and Mr. Keneely.
EXPENSES OF THE LIBRARY
The condensed financial statement is as follows :
Appropriation, direct tax, 1928
Salaries
$ 4,230.00
Maintenance
3,200.00
Total
$ 7,430.00
Other Income :
Refunds
4.81
Transfer from Special Fund
50.00
$7,484.81
Expended
Salaries : Librarian, Assistants and Janitor
$ 4,207.66
Books and periodicals, including rebinding
1,993.41
Printing, stationery, etc.
138.85
Fuel, light, water, sewerage
472.44
Repairs and furnishings
513.21
Miscellaneous
108.42
Total
$ 7,433.99
Balance unexpended :
On Salaries
$ 22.34
On Maintenance
28.48
Total
$ 7,484.81
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Receipts
Lost book paid for
$ 4.00
Fines collected (for over detention of books)
392.64
Waste paper sold
1.90
On hand December 31, 1927
23.46
$ 422.00
Paid to Town Treasurer
422.00
Balance on hand December 31, 1928
0.00
Statistics
Volumes in the Library December 31, 1927
14,339
Volumes bought, including duplicates and replacements :
Adult fiction
283
Adult non-fiction
254
537
Juvenile fiction
254
Juvenile non-fiction
76 330
Reference
3
870
Received by gift, Mass.
11
Received by gifts, others
144
155
15,364
Withdrawn during year
498
Total number of volumes, Dec. 31, 1928
14,866
Circulation for home use, adult
37,813
Circulation for home use, Juvenile
18,833
Total
56,646
Increase over previous year
3,878
Largest monthly circulation, March 5,706
Smallest monthly circulation, August 3,963
285
New borrowers registered, Juvenile Total 537
Total borrowers registered
3,068
Number of days on which Library was open
301
Average daily circulation, Adult
125
Average daily circulation, Juvenile
62
Volumes deposited in schools
317
No record is kept of the circulation of these books.
New borrowers registered, Adult
252
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A very extended use is made of the reading and reference privi- leges in the Main Library. Often every seat is occupied by an adult reader.
The following table gives data pertaining to the Library for the past five years :
Total Expendi-
Year
Population April 1st
Volumes Borrowed Home Use
No. of Days Lib. Open
Volumes In Lib.
tures
1924
42,954
255
12,441
$4,953.29
1925
8,693
46,520
252
13,170
5,528.94
1926
50,216
290
13,880
6,800.89
1927
52,768
291
14,339
7,188.58
1928
56,646
301
14,866
7,433.99
The cost per book circulated in 1928 was 13.1 cents; the average for the last five years is 12.8 cents; circulation per capita in 1928 of 5.9 books and cost per capita of about 78 cents. (The last two figures are based on a population estimate of 9,500).
The following is in part the report of the Librarian to the Trustees :
Of the books reported withdrawn, nine were destroyed on account of exposure to scarlet fever, one hundred and fifty-five were lost and. the rest worn out. The number lost is much larger than the number reported lost, in 1927 as it represents a gradual loss covering several years which was discovered through a thorough checking up of some of the more popular authors.
The Reading Grange gave fifty dollars again this year to add more books to the Walter S. Parker collection of books for use in the Children's Room, so the Book-House for Children was purchased. This is a set of nine volumes finely bound with many colored illustra- tions which had been considered too expensive to buy for home use but will give many children pleasure while spending their leisure moments in the Children's Room.
In March the Woman's Educational Association loaned the library a set of colored pictures of ancient European costumes which were exhibited in the reading room for several weeks.
In June one hundred and two certificates were presented to pupils at the Highland School who had read and reported on five books on the State Reading List, and twenty-four honor certificates to those who had reported on twenty books.
The work of reclassifying the old non-fiction by the decimal system has been continued. All the mythology, garden and bird books with miscellaneous others have been reclassified but there are still many volumes of biography and travel to do. Progress is necessarily slow as this work can only be done after the regular routine is finished, and besides the cataloging it involves a good deal of shifting
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of books to keep them in the proper order and moving some of the little used books to the basement. The additional shelves put in the basement in the summer have been a great help in relieving some of the congestion in the main room.
During the year a new postal rate on books loaned by one library to another has been passed. To get this much cheaper rate it is necessary to make application through the local postmaster to Wash- ington and such application has been made for the Reading Library.
One effect of this reduced rate has been to increase the number of inter-library loans. The Division of Public Libraries offered in the fall to lend books or give information as to what library could supply the needed books and sent a poster which advertised this assistance. To satisfy some demands for books of non-fiction the library does not own and avoids buying books which might not be wanted after the first borrower had returned them the library has borrowed from the Division of Public Libraries three books; from the Boston Public Library two books; The Boston Medical Library one book; Wakefield two books and one magazine, and Stoneham one book. The library has in turn been glad to lend to Wakefield one book and Stoneham four books and one magazine.
In the main the work of the library has gone on much as usual. The circulation for home use shows an increase which keeps pace with the growth of the town. For the reference work which con- sumes much time and is an important part of the library's usefulness there are no figures to show how much has been done but the fact that twice in the fall the seating capacity of the reading rooms was not sufficient for those who wanted to read or study shows there has been a substantial increase.
In September Mrs. Hilchey who had had charge of the Children's Room since it was opened in 1926, left town and in October her place was filled by Miss Rebecca Turner who had done some substitute work in the library and could carry on the work without further instruction, and has done so satisfactorily.
State Certificates for Reading
The children in the intermediate grades took a great interest last year in working for the state certificates for reading. During a big assembly in the hall of the Highland School last June the chairman of the library trustees, gave out one hundred and twenty-six certificates. Not one of these can stand for less than five books read and many of the pupils had read as many as a hundred. Before a child gets a certificate he must sit down in the presence of an examiner and pass a written test to prove that he not only has read the books listed but knows something about each one.
One of the great duties of the public schools is to give the child the kind of training that will enable him to use his leisure time to
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secure the greatest amount of good to himself and society. The man who loves good books is never at a loss for entertainment. In this important work the librarians are rendering invaluable assistance. In no department of public service is Reading expending money to a better purpose than in the children's department of the public library.
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