USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1936 > Part 9
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Several paths were loamed and seeded this season. Next year this work will be completed and all gravel paths will have the appearance of a green lawn. Three hundred and eighty-four stepping stones and eight hundred cement markers were made and several were replaced in lots.
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The dump truck purchased this season has given wonderful service and eliminated considerable expense of the old truck.
This covers in detail the work in Laurel Hill in 1936. The financial statement will appear in the report of the Town Accountant. Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM P. PIERPONT,
Superintendent.
FOREST GLEN CEMETERY REPORT 1936
To the Board of Cemetery Trustees,
Town of Reading, Mass.
Gentlemen :
In addition to the regular maintenance work, three hundred loads of filling were hauled to the northwest section of the cemetery. A stone drain was also built to take care of the drainage at this point.
Numbers were set in thirty-eight additional four grave lots. All corner markers and numbers were replaced where needed and six hy- drants were made for the extension of water. We sold one lot and had one interment. One sunken grave was repaired and one marker foun- dation built.
Forest Glen shows improvement each year with its trees and shrubs, ivy plantings along the wall; and its beautiful landscape makes an ideal spot for a Cemetery. While the lots in this Cemetery have been selling slowly, in the near future all lots purchased will be here, as very few lots are left to sell in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
A W. P. A. Project was started on November 13th, to dig over the land south of the Main Entrance at Pearl Street, including two areas of 2,620 square yards to a depth of five feet below finished grade; building two macadam avenues eighteen feet wide, one running east and west and the other north and south, and the laying of a water main.
While digging over the land with a gas shovel, many large bould- ers were removed to the road bed and considerable ledge was encount- ered. This had to be drilled and blasted, which slowed up the progress of the work. When this section is completed, it is the intention to extend the project to the hill where land will be set aside for the burial of War Veterans. It is hoped that the War Memorial will be erected on this hill.
This Project will also include further extension to the west bound- ary, then directly north to complete land that has been filled in, making a distance of five hundred feet on the west boundary to Forest Glen Road. When this work is completed, approximately one-half of the Cemetery will be developed. This seems to be an opportune time to do this, while the relief work is being carried on by the Federal Gov-
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ernment; and it will be a great saving to the Town, as no further de- velopment will be needed for a great many years. It will also improve the Cemetery to such an extent that lots will be much more salable.
The financial statement will appear in the report of the Town Accountant.
Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM P. PIERPONT, Superintendent.
REPORT OF BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Dispensing of relief by Boards of Welfare in Massachusetts 1s made under three heads, namely, Old Age Assistance, Aid to Depend- ent Children and General Relief, usually referred to as Aid, Board and Care.
In reviewing the activity of the Reading Board for the past year it is necessary to keep in mind these divisions, since the laws of the Commonwealth vary considerably regarding them. New Federal legis- lation also has a very important bearing on Old Age Assistance and during the coming year such legislation will also affect Aid to Depen- dent Children, previously known as Mother's Aid.
Mr. Harnden has had charge of Old Age Assistance and has made a report which, if read, should satisfy taxpayers that expenditures for aged people have been wise and helpful. It should be noted that the actual cost to the town has been only about $9,300 though a much larger amount was expended. Under new Federal laws towns are re- imbursed to a considerable extent for expenditures for Old Age As- sistance and such receipts must be used by us for that kind of relief only. Therefore in preparing the budget for the coming year, after determining expenditures which the town must make it is possible to estimate certain reimbursements which can be used to offset probable expenditures and reduce the appropriation called for to a figure con- siderably less than that which will be actually spent. Authorities are very strict in determining the eligibility of cases and in checking ac- counting practices, and the fact that our claims for reimbursement from the Government have been allowed practically in toto during the past year would appear to indicate that relief has been legally and properly administered. Of the amount expended by the Department which is not reimbursed by the Government, a considerable portion is paid back by the State, but this amount is not available during the year, or later, for expenditure for relief, but becomes a general receipt which goes into the Town Treasury and is considered by the Assessors in figuring the tax rate. In figuring $9,300 as the cost for Old Age Assistance for
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the year this amount received from the State has been used. The im- portant fact for taxpayers to remember is that in no other Department of the town is it necessary to figure on an appropriation which actually exceeds to a large extent the net amount which the town itself has to pay out. So when welfare appropriations loom large at the Town Meeting bear in mind that much of the money called for will come back to you either from the United States or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Recent Federal legislation has provided Government reimbursement also for amounts expended for Aid to Dependent Children, formerly known as Mother's Aid. Thus the appropriation called for in this Department has been decreased below the amounts which will be ex- pended as a result of estimated receipts from the Government. Re- ceipts from the State on account of these expenditures also go into the general treasury and do not permit a reduction in the appropria- tion although it is fair to say that the net cost to the town is much less than the appropriation figures.
The writer, as a new member of the Board, has been particularly impressed during the first year by the fact that definite laws of the State govern procedure in respect to the dispensation of relief to aged people and to dependent children and if the laws be obeyed consider- able amounts must be spent. There is no alternation. The Board must and does give a great deal of time to the consideration of cases to prove them worthy, but once this has been determined, the money must be spent if the law is lived up to. In return for following the laws carefully a very large amount of the money is returned to the town. While of course National and State taxes provide the money for reimbursement the town budget is not affected to the full extent of the appropriations asked for.
The third important department of the Welfare Department is that of Aid, Board and Care. There is no Federal reimbursement pro- vided for these expenditures, which are made for unfortunate persons and families due to unemployment and other adverse conditions, but about one dollar out of three is repaid to Reading by home towns of recipients settled elsewhere. Recipients in many cases work out their relief on a basis of 30 cents an hour on painting and repairs to build- ings, wood cutting and distribution, furniture moving, distribution of supplies, and during the past year raising and harvesting of farm prod- ucts. Every case receives the consideration of the entire Board and at practically every meeting during the year the entire Board has been present. Mr. Powell's report provides more detail regarding Mother's Aid, and Aid, Board and Care.
In Reading there are no large industries to take people out of un- employment quickly under improving business conditions. Furthermore, towns nearer Boston have the benefit of a ten cent carfare to that city
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which enables unemployed to get in touch with possible sources of em- ployment more easily. Thus, if unemployment exists as it surely does, it may take a longer period to effect adjustments than it would in large industrial centers. The tendency of other Town Boards in Reading to employ welfare men when possible has been very evident during the past year and is greatly appreciated.
We have spent in 1936 about $10,000 less than the appropriation made in March for Aid, Board and Care and we are asking for a still smaller amount for 1937. If cases continue as they are at present this will not be sufficient. Your Board expects further improvement in con- ditions, however, and this, together with a careful review of cases, should result in our keeping within the appropriation unless unforseen adverse conditions arise. We always welcome constructive criticism and sug- gestions. If your attention is called to expenditures which do not appear to be warranted please advise any member of the Board and your in- formation will be treated confidentially and investigated.
Under present conditions it is absolutely necessary that a staff of employees be used. There are no inefficient members and they work long hours. Without the efforts of this faithful group it is quite certain that wasteful expenditures would occur which would more than offset the comparatively small amounts paid them for their efforts.
EDWARD F. PARKER,
for Board of Public Welfare Reading, Mass., January 1, 1937
REPORT OF THE WELFARE SUPERINTENDENT
To the Board of Public Welfare :
I herewith submit the following report for the year 1936 :
The Welfare Department handled 295 cases representing 1122 persons during the year. The classification is as follows :
General Aid
211 Family Cases 70 Single Cases
Representing 997 persons Representing 70 persons
Mother's Aid Representing 55 persons
14 Cases
The report concerning Old Age Assistance is given elsewhere by it's Director, Mr. Edward E. Harnden.
It will be noticed by referring to the report of the Superintendent for 1935 (426 cases representing 1431 persons), that the case load for 1936 is much less. One reason is that Old Age Assistance cases, num- bering 83 in 1935, are not included in the above figures. There was, of course, a general decline in cases during the year. This may be ac- counted for in two ways. First, the steady employment of former wel-
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fare recipients on the W. P. A. resulting in a fairly certain income each week. It was therefore possible for this Department to close the small family cases where previously it had been necessary to issue emergency aid to tide these cases over until such time as their checks came through. Second, there was much more seasonal work during 1936 than in 1935. Many welfare recipients secured this type of work and some were able to secure other private employment, thus making it possible to close more cases.
Much of the relief granted during 1936 was in the form of supple- mentary aid to large families whose only income was about $13.00 a week from W. P. A. Since this amount of income is insufficient for large families to live on, it was necessary to supplement that income with some welfare aid. Approximately 81 families representing 435 persons were aided in this way. This is actually nearly one-half of the total number of persons aided. It has been quite noticeable that as cold weather approached, many of those who went into private employment earlier in the year were laid off and due to orders from the W. P. A. headquarters in Boston, these people were unable to get back on the W. P. A. again and therefore had to apply for welfare aid.
As has been the policy in the past few years, all recipients of wel- fare aid were required to work in return for their aid. The other Boards, especially the Board of Public Works, which is the largest employer of labor, has shown a fine spirit of co-operation and recogni- tion of civic opportunity in employing for a considerable part of the year men who otherwise would have had to call upon the Town for aid. It will be noted that most of this work has a great utilitarian value to the recipients of welfare relief. The Welfare labor classi- fication is as follows :
Town Department
Man Hrs. Val. of Aid Given
Town Dump
487
$
146.10
Fire Dept .- hydrant sprinklers
268
80.00
Cemetery
5421/2
162.75
Town Building
321/2
9.75
Town Forest
48
14.40
Washington St. Playgrounds
7
2.10
Public Works
1818
545.40
W. P. A. Commissary
541
162.30
W. P. A. Canning and Odd Jobs
393
117.90
Welfare Garden
70861/2
2,125.95
Welfare Wood Yard
14273
4,281.90
Build'g Wall and Grading around Wel. Bldg.
1555
466.50
27051
$ 8,115.30
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Throughout the summer the Welfare Department operated the garden with Welfare labor and under the supervision of a very com- petent foreman, Frank H. Powell, who has had much experience in raising of garden produce. That the garden proved successful is shown by the following list of products raised :
Tomatoes
35520
pounds
Beans
18711
pounds
Beets
10861
pounds
Carrots
3834
pounds
Swiss Chard
3975
pounds
72901
Tot. pounds, or 361/2 Tons
Out of the above amount over 23000 cans were put up in the W. P. A. canning project. As the project was very late in starting, it was necessary to give out quite a lot of the products fresh from the gar- den. All these products are of course of direct benefit to the tax- payers as most of them go to recipients of Welfare aid.
Another item of work carried on by the Welfare Department during the year has been the repairing of shoes. In the past it has been usual to give an order on some local store to repair shoes of welfare recipients. Early in the year an experiment was tried whereby we bought the stock and a welfare recipient who knows how to do that kind of work was able to work out his aid at the type of work he was best fitted to do. From the beginning, shoe repairing by a welfare recipient was very satisfactory and a real saving. Over 227 pairs of shoes were repaired during the year at an average cost of .58c per pair_ This may be compared with an average cost of .95c per pair outside.
The Department wishes to express its appreciation to many prop- erty owners in Town who have so kindly given trees to be cut down and the wood given to needy families. Fuel is an expensive item in connection with the giving of relief and when it is possible to give wood, the Department does so. Over 230 cords of wood were cut and delivered by the Department during the year. Since all this wood was given to the Department, a very material saving to the tax-payers re- sulted.
The Department has exerted every effort during the year to assist welfare recipients to secure private work. Many of them have been successful in gaining private employment not only in Reading, but many of the surrounding places such as Stoneham, Woburn, Andover, Wakefield and Malden. The Board also assisted one recipient in get- ting his furniture and family to a place as far away as Syracuse, N. Y., where he had secured permanent employment. Another recipient was assisted in getting to Mobile, Alabama, where a job was ready for him, and for which the recipients are reimbursing the Town. It is felt
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by the Board that here again is a chance to save the tax-payers more money, for if these people were not assisted in this way it would very likely cost far more to continue giving the man or family relief if they did not accept the chance for employment in these distant places. The situation in Reading is materially different than in other places where they have large industries. Employment has to be casual.
Mother's Aid
There were 14 Mother's Aid cases handled during the year, an increase of three cases over December, 1935. One case was closed during the year as there appeared to be sufficient resources to carry the family along for several months without aid. The year closed with 13 active cases.
It is interesting to note the difference between Mother's Aid and General Aid. The latter fluctuates continuously throughout the year depending almost entirely upon employment conditions. A case might be closed and reopened several times during the course of the year. In Mother's Aid, a mother with dependent children under 16 years of age is extended aid only after a very thorough investigation and fair certainty that the case will continue for at least a year. Therefore, most Mother's Aid cases when once opened, stay so until such time as all the children reach the age of sixteen or the family becomes self-sup- porting. An effort is made to keep these cases on a high level in order that the children may early learn the importance of proper household management and endeavor to assist their mother to become self-support- ing.
Under new legislation passed by the 1936 Legislature, to go into effect on January 1, 1937, Mother's Aid will henceforth be known as Aid to Dependent Children. The law has been broadened consider- ably so that all aid must be given in cash and the Federal government has set up certain standards to be followed in order that the Town may benefit from the Federal grants for this type of aid. Although in the past aid could be given only to a mother and her dependent children, the new laws extends the provisions so as to now include "a dependent child (or children) under the age of sixteen who has been deprived of parental support or care by reason of the death, continued absence from home or physical or mental incapacity of a parent, and who is living with his father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sis- ter, stepfather, stepmother, stepbrother, stepsister, uncle or aunt in a place of residence maintained by one or more of such relatives as his or their own home." This will have a tendency to increase the number receiving this type of aid and will increase the administrative work in connection with it as the Federal government makes many demands that must be strictly adhered to. However, the work is well worth the time as the Federal grants and the State reimbursements will tend to keep the net cost of this aid down.
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Administrative
It would take a great deal of time and space to enumerate the vast amount of work which is accomplished by the administrative force. There are two visitors, Helen A. Brown and Mary F. Daniel, in the Wel- fare Department. A total of 2315 visits were made by these visitors dur- ing the year, covering Welfare, Mother's Aid cases and special investi- gations for the W. P. A. Were it not for these visits it would be prac- tically impossible for the Superintendent or the Board to keep posted on the various cases. The life of a visitor is never dull for there are no two days alike. New probiems continually arise, new cases in which the visitor must assist the family to work out a budget to cover the necessary needs of the family. Sickness, family difficulties, house- hold management, unruly children, nutrition, and many other problems confront the visitor every day. She must be prepared for any emergency.
The clerical work is very efficiently done by the office secretary, Gladys M. Lane. The work includes the itemized accounting of all welfare transactions, the posting of the thousands of items to the ac- counts of the recipients, the making of weekly pay rolls and vouchers, checking thoroughly all bills before being vouchered, the making of all bills to other cities and towns and to the State for aid rendered on their account, the making of weekly and monthly reports as required by the State and Federal Government, and much other routine work.
The Welfare Board has given a great deal of personal attention to the work of the Department. They have visited many of the recipients in their homes, giving freely of their knowledge and advice when occa- sion arose. All applicants are personally interviewed by the Board. Each case is carefully considered before being passed upon in order that in no event shall the tax-payer's money be wasted, or relief given where it is not actually needed.
Respectfully submitted, STERLING W. POWELL, Welfare Superintendent.
REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF OLD AGE ASSISTANCE
To the Board of Public Welfare
Bureau of Old Age Assistance
I submit the following report of the administration of Old Age Assistance in Reading for the year ending December 31st, 1936:
Early in the year a thorough survey was made of the entire Old Age Assistance situation. The history of this form of assistance was reviewed from its beginning in 1931, pending legislation was carefully studied and probability of enactment canvassed, and all available infor- mation was gathered which had any bearing on the inevitable increase
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in the number of cases, the additional appropriation involved, and the increased scope of administrative facilities needed. The deductions which the elective board made from the assembled data, some of which could not be obtained until the very day of the March town meeting, were ex- tremely accurate. The board showed its grasp of the matter when it made a voluntary recommendation in town meeting that $7,000 be cut from its already approved estimate of $34,000 for Old Age Assistance, an action practically without precedent so far as the writer can recall. Your administrative force has worked to the best of its abilities through- out the year, many times in a whirlpool of rapidly changing conditions, and feels that the good interests of the recipient and the town itself have been served to advantage. Great credit, however, belongs to the elective offices of the Board of Public Welfare and to the newly estab- lished Bureau of Old Age Assistance. Their wise foresight at the be- ginning of the year and their effective co-operation in every way pos- sible have been of high value to everyone concerned.
It is now a matter of record that the number of Old Age Assistance recipients did actually double in 1936, that the Federal grants material- ized as was hoped and believed, and that the anticipated complexity of conditions brought about by new legislation was within the scope of the plans made to care for it.
I am aware that reports of executive officers usually carry para- graphs complimentary to their respective boards at their conclusion, but because of the important bearing the early work of the elective board had on the proper operation of the Old Age Assistance Bureau through- out the year I believe comment on it belongs in first place. Further- more, it is a statement of fact and not a nosegay.
Starting the year with 69 cases, we have handled 87 new ones, more than half of these being approved after the amended law became effec- tive on September first. The detail involved in the relatively large num- ber of cases coming in during the last four months of the year would have swamped us to temporary demoralization if it had not been dis- counted by preliminary investigation in earlier months where possible and by such other preparation as was practicable.
Federal grants of money mean Federal interest in what is done with it. Larger proportion of reimbursement by the state calls for amplified detail to be furnished. Both these agencies now require a very strict certification as to an applicant's Age, Citizenship, Residence within the Commonwealth for the required time, and Need. The question of need means thorough inquiry into the ability of children to contribute toward the support of parents, this being a legal liability resting on them to the extent of their capacity. All these things require constantly increasing work.
It is, however, a labor of value because the information accumulated furnishes the only possible basis for a sound administration of the Old
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Age Assistance law, the intelligent observation of its effects, and the clarity of vision into the future of the whole matter of assistance to the aged which is becoming of ever-increasing importance.
We paid out $34,000 in assisting aged persons in Reading during 1936. Beyond any reasonable doubt this figure will go to $58,000 in 1937. These are substantial amounts and a very natural inquiry is, just what is it costing the Town of Reading. In the Town Accountant's report of the financial doings of the town the amounts paid out on account of Old Age Assistance and the amounts received by the town on account of Old Age Assistance appear on schedules which are of necessity many pages apart. We submit a schedule which brings the income and the outgo together for comparison, using round figures.
Total O. A. A. expenditures during 1936. .
$34,000.00
Receipts on account of O. A. A. during 1936.
From the State :
From bills rendered
$8,600.00
From liquor fees (Chap. 438) 5,000.00
From other cities and towns From bills rendered
1,100.00
From Federal grants
10,000.00
Total receipts
$24,700.00
$24,700.00
Difference, Reading's portion
$9,300.00
This clearly shows that Reading was able to distribute $34,000 in Old Age Assistance at a cost to itself of only $9,300, or 27%. The Federal grants come directly into the Old Age Assistance account and are paid out again in the form of assistance. The other amounts re- ceived go into the town's general receipts and are taken into considera- tion by the assessors in computing the amount necessary to be raised by taxation. As more than 75% of the town's expenditures have to be raised by taxes on real estate any amount that comes in otherwise is of pleasant interest to the property owner.
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