USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1950 > Part 13
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Two men worked two weeks on Poison Ivy eradication. This work is proving very satisfactory. About seventy-five per cent of the Poison Ivy has been eliminated from the roadside.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank the men of this department and all others who have assisted me in the past year.
Respectfully yours, MAURICE H. DONEGAN
Tree Warden
REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen
Town of Reading, Massachusetts
Gentlemen:
I hereby submit my report as Inspector of Animals for the year Jan- uary 1, 1950 to January 1, 1951.
Seventy-five dogs were quarantined and released for biting or scratching people, an increase of six dogs over the previous year.
The annual inspection of all livestock in the town carried on by re- quest of the Division of Livestock Disease Control, showed a slight var- iation over last year. There are at present, 83 neat cattle, 147 swine, 51 sheep, 13 goats, and 34 horses. No Contagious infectious diseases were noted during the inspection.
Respectfully submitted,
GARDINER A. LESTER, D.V.M. Inspector of Animals
144
1950 Year of an Important Acquisition
83rd Annual Report
of the Board of Trustees
and
Librarian
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY
Some Facts About Your Public Library
Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Saturday mornings, 10 to 12. Every day (except Sunday) 2 to 9.
Borrowers:
Any resident of Reading, 14 years or older, is eligible for a borrower's card in the adult room. Any child may have a card in the children's room after entering school - and with parent's consent. Non- resident cards are available at $2 a year.
Borrowing Restrictions:
Any reasonable number of 14-day books available on adult card; no limit unless the topic or author is very popular. Only one seven- day book on a card. Date stamped on the card is the date the book is due back in the Library. Special vacation borrowing privileges are available.
Renewals:
All books can be renewed unless there are reservations in for them. Renewals may be made by mail or phone as well as by visit to the Library. Books are renewed usually but once.
Fines:
When books are kept more than the allotted time there is a charge of one cent a day on 14-day books and two cents a day on seven-day books. Sundays and holidays are not included in the charges.
Special Sections:
Stacks on main floor and mezzanine floor are open to borrowers at all times.
New books are in a special section.
Genealogical books are in a section in the basement.
Bound file of the Reading Chronicle is in a special room.
Back numbers of magazines are available for borrowing. Current number must be used in the Library.
Special assignments for High School pupils are in a special section. Books are catalogued according to the Dewey decimal system.
146
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY
Annual Report
Board of Trustees and Librarian
Photos by Bishop
In the 1949 report your Board of Library Trustees accounted briefly for a "year of transition," a state which continued through 1950.
The construction is finished and, except for some furnishings, the change has been made with the new stack wing complete. Structurally, we feel that the town has invested its money well. On the aesthetic side we are pleased that the result could possss such eye appeal. A complete financial accounting will be possible after all of the furnish- ings have been secured and the bills actually paid.
It is of public interest to report, however, that the Trustees have kept within the appropriation of $135,000 and, while so doing, have secured other betterments to the property which, more soon than late, would have been required. It is our belief that unit costs of these items would have been greater if special appropriations were asked for later.
Among the exterior changes was the necessity to remove the ivy vines that covered the walls and then it was found that window casings in the original structure were not taking kindly to the clinging vines' close attentions. So some timely repairs were made. The bricks of the original building were cleaned to match the new look of the addition.
But the exterior view was not the chief aim. What was needed was more shelf room and a return to the original space set apart for the reading room.
It took considerable time to get the new wing built, first because of ledge encountered in excavation and second because of a delay in get- ting the steel. It was not possible to order the shelves and steel flooring
147
until construction was authorized by the town. Since the plates were custom made from the architect's drawings, it was necessary to wait for the entire order to be fabricated and shipped.
Those who watched slow progress in the early stages of the work now can see great changes.
The cramped quarters, once used for an office, disappeared and in place is a glass-partitioned room where privacy in official matters can be observed.
The new entrance to the children's room is conveniently located beside the new stack wing. This change has allowed the removal of the stairs within the room and gives more space for this growing department. Some new furnishings, applications of paint, and modern fluorescent lighting have greatly improved the room.
In the entry way to the children's room there is a depository for books which borrowers might wish to return when the Library is closed.
Comparative views of the exterior and interior of the building show an almost unbelievable change and the report of the Librarian reflects a favorable public reaction. The reading room will be more attractive and convenient when the new tables arrive. The fireplaces have been refurnished and the pair of old andirons will be preserved at the Parker Tavern by the Reading Antiquarian Society, since they were made by our former fire chief, Orville O. Ordway.
The exhibition room has wall space for pictorial and similar dis- plays and also will contain a glass case which can be used to protect various special exhibits.
148
In the course of the work it was found that some landscaping would be in order. Where the old entrance to the children's room was removed this was, of course, necessary. A small knoll on the front lawn was removed and the tree there was lowered by the Tree Warden's depart- ment. New shrubbery has been planned for the grounds around the building.
It was found that the gutters and conductor pipes connected to the roof badly needed repair and replacement. Tree roots had fouled the sewer connection and repair was needed and would have to be made within a short time. The wall at the corner of Lowell and Woburn Streets needed repairs and the brick walk called for replacement to protect the townspeople from accident and the town from litigation. A cement walk was laid.
With the change from hard to liquid fuel, a tank was installed between the Library and the Municipal Building.
The parking area in the rear of the Municipal Building had to be reached from Lowell Street after the old driveway to Woburn Street was closed by the Library addition and it was ruled that the expense should come from the appropriation for the new wing. Thus the original plan for reaching the parking area was put into effect. The hard surface on the parking area came from the Library's building appropriation. It was necessary, too, for the surveying, grading, and drainage to be financed by the Library's building fund.
The Library budget for 1951 is necessarily larger. With more area to keep up, it will require more labor and, for that reason, we are considering hiring a full-time janitor. The part-time arrangement
149
previously in force did not give enough of the janitor's time to the Library. With a larger building, that arrangement appears even less satisfactory.
Expenses are normally higher for 1951, with cost-of-living pay increases being given generally throughout all town departments. Book purchases and rebindings have not been up to our normal needs because of the construction work but now it is hoped that vacancies on the shelves can be filled. Prices, however, are up so that new books and repairs will cost more.
The need for extra part-time librarians will, of course, depend upon the amount of patronage the library receives. If people are careful about their browsing about the book shelves, it should not be difficult to keep the books in reasonable numerical order. Lack of such care, however, may mean the hiring of an extra clerk. The Trustees do not feel that the public should be barred entirely from the storage stacks.
Those who like to keep up with the new books can watch the display of book jackets in the exhibition room. Paper and pencil will be found so that reservation requests can be made and left at the desk.
The exhibition room is showing regularly the "Pictures of the Month" selected from the workshop exhibitions of the Camera Club, sponsored by the Pearl Street School Parent-Teacher Association. A new set of selections will appear each month during the club season.
All of this was done under the town's vote for a new stack wing and appropriate appurtenances to the Library.
Within the building, other adjustments and repairs were made to bring the Library up to a state of repair consistent with the physical excellence of the new wing.
150
A few months ago the patrons of the Library found the reading room even more crowded by the building operations that were going on behind the temporary partitions. The greatest inconvenience, however, was visited upon the Library personnel and this may have been further reflected in the service available to the public. If it were so, the public has been most indulgent and the Board of Trustees now wants to express its complete satisfaction with the working staff for its performance under trying conditions.
William J. Tonks Chairman
C. Nelson Bishop
Katherine C. Pierce
Eve S. Henderson Secretary
Sydney M. Hodson Neil C. Robinson
Form of Bequest
I hereby give and bequeath to the Town of Reading the sum of to have
and to hold, the income only of which shall be used for
for the Reading Public Library.
151
Librarian's Report
to the
Board of Trustees
The past year has been one of confusion and change, calling for constant readjustments on the part of the Library staff. We have found it a stimulating experience, in spite of many minor inconveniences, to have been privileged to share in the work during this period of expansion.
It is not surprising that we have lost, throughout the year, as far as circulation is concerned.
Some of this can be traced to the construction problems. It was necessary to shift the location of the charging desk a number of times, which somewhat confused the public in spite of signs. The stacks were open to borrowers all year, except for one week in July when we moved the books. The necessity of having the reading room closed for three months upset the library habits of a good many persons, and it has taken some time for them to become accustomed to using the Library again. We also felt the effects of not being able to do any reference work with the school children through September and October, due to the lack of the reading room.
We are seriously feeling the effects of television, but that is the very general report of libraries.
The books were moved from the old reading room into the stacks by all the librarians and part-time workers, with the assistance of a number of boys. Our plans worked out very well and we have found the new arrangement in the stacks quite satisfactory.
152
The public makes many comments of surprise and approval at the appearance, comfort, and quiet of the reading room. Many have asked "Are the fireplaces new?" - never having noticed them in the original room. More people are coming to sit and read every week and the study room is popular with several men who use it quite regularly.
I feel that the service we could give to the townspeople would be increased a great deal if our funds permitted us to be open every morning from 10 to 12 o'clock instead of three mornings a week. Every day we have a number of reports about people who tried to come in on mornings when we were closed. It would aid people's memories to have the hours more uniform and would be of considerable convenience to them if they could come into the Library when they are downtown shop- ping. I know that we cannot do this on our present Library appropri- ation, but I feel strongly that the Library Board might consider such an increase in the Library hours if the funds were available.
At present there is use of the Library on Saturday evenings but, with the arrival of daylight saving, many patrons will be away and the Library will be very quiet through the summer months on that evening. If we begin closing at 6 o'clock on Saturday when daylight saving begins, I believe people would be accustomed to it by next winter, and not be discommoded at its continuance.
We all felt that it was a very special pleasure that we were able to rearrange the children's room and open it before Book Week in No-
153
1
vember. The response of the schools to our invitation to visit the Library during that week was particularly satisfying. More than 1,000 children came from the public and parochial schools to see the room, hear about some of the new books, and become acquainted with the arrangement of the books on the shelves. That week was an exceedingly busy one.
Miss Appleton is very much pleased with the children's room in its present condition. The light is good, the arrangement is proving con- venient and the color scheme is very attractive.
I speak for the staff, as well as for myself, when I express my sincere appreciation for the staff room included for our comfort. It is very convenient and attractive as well as restful and adds every day to our pleasure in working here.
This year has been one that required great thought from all of us. I am proud of the way my staff has cooperated in meeting our problems.
A. Rebecca Turner
154
L ..
Librarian's Financial Account
Salaries Appropriation
$ 9,799.00
Librarian
$ 2,365.00
Assistant Librarian
1,874.00
Assistant Librarian (Children's)
1,720.00
Janitor
1,040.00
Library Clerical
1,475.57
Help in moving and cleaning
240.35
$ 8,714.92
Balance returned to the Town
$ 1,084.08
Maintenance Appropriation
$ 4,420.00
Telephone
$ 90.30
Fuel
969.79
Electricity and Gas
95.92
Water and Sewer
21.66
Printing and Supplies
252.30
Maintenance
271.24
Books and Periodicals
2,146.06
Binding
525.85
Miscellaneous
38.91
$ 4,412.03
Balance returned to the Town
$ 7.97
Receipts
Children's Room Fines
$ 199.40
Adult Room Fines
678.79
Fees from Out-of-Town Borrowers
17.00
Total paid to Town Treasurer
$ 895.14
155
Librarian's Circulation Report
Volumes in the Library, December 31, 1949
29,195
Volumes purchased 1950 Adult fiction
371
Adult non-fiction
353
Total adult
724
Juvenile fiction
210
Juvenile non-fiction
39
Total juvenile
249
Reference
23
Total number purchased
996
Gifts
223
Total number added
1219
Withdrawn during year 1950
553
Total added
666
Volumes in Library, December 31, 1950
29,861
Circulation
Adult fiction
37,653
Adult non-fiction
13,423
Adult periodicals
6,732
Total adult circulation
57,808
Juvenile fiction
17,401
Juvenile non-fiction
3,277
Juvenile periodicals
817
Total juvenile circulation
21,495
Total Library circulation
79,303
School circulation
4,588
Inter-library loan
100
Total circulation in 1950
83,991
Total circulation in 1949
95,505
Loss in circulation in 1950
11,514
New Borrowers registered
Adult
461
Juvenile
295
Out-of-town borrowers
9
Total
765
156
288
Average adult circulation, daily
200.72
Ave. juvenile circulation, daily
74.63
Total daily average
275.35
Inter-library loan
Borrowed
90
Loaned
10
Total
100
Special Service Lacks Users
Your Public Library has a special service which, to date, has had little use. It is available, however, for any who need and desire it.
The Reading Lions Club has presented to the Library a specially made projector with which filmed books can be thrown on the ceiling in large letters so that a bed patient can read them easily. All that is necessary is for the patient to push a button to advance the film through the machine.
The machine itself can be set up quickly by a member of the family or other attendant, after brief instructions.
The physicians of the town have been told of this apparatus and there has been publicity in the Reading Chronicle about it but there has been very little request for its use. There are some interesting filmed books available with it and others can be purchased, but we hesitate to make purchases before the machine gets more general use.
The projector may be borrowed from the Library on the same basis that books are borrowed. Requests should be made of the Librarian.
157
Average circulation
Number days library was open
Memorial Books for 1950
Presented by relatives and friends in memory of late Reading residents
Janet Bird MacDonald
Layman's Guide to Modern Art (Rathburn & Hayes) Art and Live in America (Larkin )
Jemima L. Wellman
Ilooked Rug Design (Kent)
Spring Flowers (Davids) Rock Plants ( Davids)
America's Garden Book (Bush-Brown ) Complete Book of Pottery Making (Kenney )
Bertha P. Gay
Etta A. Wylie
Lucille D. Hallock
Lincoln Finds A General ( Williams )
William H. Benjamin
Complete Book of Home Repairs (Popular Mechanics)
Clarence J. Stalliday
Insurance Principals and Practices (Riegels & Miller ) Frederick P. Hill
Yankee Wander World (Johnson)
Alice A. Barrows American Mind (Commager) Ancient Maya (Morley )
Herbert T. Schoppelry Antique Reproductions for the Home Craftsman ( Yates) Mildred R. Babcock
Elizabethan Lyrics (Ault) Dolls of Yesterday (St. George) Index of American Design (Christensen )
Howard L. Rogers The Law ( Wormser)
Mrs. Charles Godfrey Italy (Ogrizec )
Orville O. Ordway Natural History of Trees (Peattie)
Jessie Grouard Cut and Engraved Glass ( Daniel)
Mary H. Barr Complete Garden Book (Simon et al.)
Harry B. Wiley Great Outdoors (Godfrey & Dufresne)
Edith Bancroft Gospel in Hymns (Bailey)
158
Doris B. Hitchcock A Garden For You (O'Donnell) Technique of Oil Painting (Taubes) Maybelle B. Webster Harvard Dictionary of Music (Apel ) Mrs. George F. Dow Handbook of Designs and Motifs (Thomajin) Lester S. Riley
Menaboni's Birds (Menaboni) Indian Art of the Americas (Appleton)
Y IS A JOY FOREVER . ITS LOV
N TUM LI . A THING OF
OVLINESS INCREASES . SSANON GO -
IN
L NEVER PA
IN MEMORY OF
READING PUBLIC LIBRARY
This bookplate was designed by Eve Henderson for use in the books of the Memorial Collection of the Reading
Public Library. The growing collection will be kept in a special
case in the remodeled
reading room.
159
FIFTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
MUNICIPAL LIGHT BOARD
for the year ended
December 31, 1950
MUNICIPAL LIGHT BOARD
JOSEPH H. REED, Chairman FRANK D. TANNER, Secretary ALFRED H. DOLBEN
Term expires 1953
Term expires 1952 Term expires 1951
Manager CLARENCE L. THOMAS 25 Haven St., Reading, Mass.
MANAGER'S REPORT
To the Municipal Light Board:
Gentlemen:
Before presenting the financial statements and summaries a few of the most significant facts and figures are briefly set forth below.
PEAK LOAD: 8459 Kilowatts. A sharp increase in demand head- lined all developments last year by the addition of 1490 kilowatts of load which amounts to 21.3 percent over the 1949 peak load of 6969 kilowatts. The station peak period load has doubled since the end of the war in 1945.
ENERGY PURCHASED: 25,957,879 Kilowatt-hours. Energy purchased increased 14.1 percent as compared with 1949. Unit cost increased from 1.45 cents during the previous year to 1.54 cents in 1950 as the result of the Boston Edison rate schedule that became effective on November 1, 1949.
ENERGY SOLD: 23,044,095 kilowatt hours. Last year's record ac- tivity in residential building and a growing acceptance of electrical appliances accounted for a 12.4 percent increase in energy sales.
CUSTOMERS: 9149. Last years record breaking addition of 578 new service connections greatly exceeded the four previous post-war yearly average of 353 new connections.
ADDITIONS TO PLANT: $79,145.33. Most of this sum was expended on the enlargement of overhead distribution facilities as can be seen from the following itemized list of total additions to plant.
Poles, Conductors, etc.
$ 42,797.07
Line Transformers
15,074.55
Meters
11,767.21
Underground Conduits, etc.
5,124.32
Street Lighting Equipment
2,312.53
Power Station
1,607.40
Structures
.
462.25
162
COST ANALYSIS: A cost analysis based on 1949 operations was made by William S. Leffler, Engineers Associated, whereby costs were deter- mined of rendering service to the several classes of customers within Reading, and also to the individual outside towns.
APPLIANCE DEPARTMENT: Gross income from merchandise sales in 1950 was $98,339.78 which was an increase of $12,691.66 over 1949.
Net profit from sale of merchandise was $14,089.79 which was an increase of $3,998.00 over 1949.
Appreciation is herein conveyed to the employees who have effic- iently carried out their duties to customers and to the members of the Municipal Light Board for their helpful co-operation.
In accordance with the provisions of Section 57, Chapter 164 of the General Laws, I submit herewith my estimate of the income and ex- penses of the plant for the year ending December 31, 1951.
ESTIMATED INCOME AND EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR 1951
Estimated 1951
INCOME:
From Private Consumers
$863,876.00
From Tax Levy :-
For Street Lights
17,500.00
For Municipal Buildings
9,069.00
From Miscellaneous Income
1,000.00
Mdse. and Jobbing
10,000.00
TOTAL INCOME
$901,445.00
EXPENSES:
Production
$465,306.00
Distribution
129,250.00
Utilization
16,100.00
Commercial
34,050.00
New Business
250.00
General and Miscellaneous
50,849.00
Depreciation
66,227.00
Bond and Note Payments
9,000.00
Interest on Bonds and Notes
4,514.00
Uncollectible Operating Revenue
1,500.00
Taxes-Outside Towns
15,000.00
163
Interest on Consumers Deposits
750.00
TOTAL EXPENSES
$792,796.00
Excess - Income over Expenses $108,649.00
K.W.H. Purchased
29,059,570
K.W.H. Sold 25,863,020
K.W.H. for Reading Street Lights 570,304
Expense per K.W.H. Sold
3.065c
Cost of Street Lights
$ 17,480.00
Appropriation for Street Lights
$ 17,500.00
A summary of Income and Expense, Total Cost of Plant together with the statement of Assets and Liabilities, the Profit and Loss Ac- count, and the auditor's certificate is appended herewith.
Respectfully submitted,
CLARENCE L. THOMAS, Manager
CHARLES E. STANWOOD & COMPANY
Accountants and Auditors 150 Congress Street Boston, Massachusetts
January 31, 1951
To the Municipal Light Board
Town of Reading Massachusetts
We have examined the accompanying balance sheet of the Mun- icipal Light Department of the Town of Reading, Massachusetts, as at December 31, 1950 and related statements of income and profit and loss for the year then ended, and reviewed the system of internal control and accounting procedures and, without making a detailed audit of the transactions, have examined or tested accounting records of the Department and other supporting evidence, by methods and to the extent we deemed appropriate.
In our opinion said financial statements present fairly the position of the Municipal Light Department as at December 31, 1950 and the results of their operations for the year then ended, in conformity with the "Uniform System of Accounts for Municipal Lighting Plants" as pre- scribed by the Department of Public Utilities of Massachusetts.
Charles E. Stanwood & Company (Signed)
164
REPORT OF THE MUNICIPAL LIGHT BOARD
The report of the Manager as submitted by him with certificate of the auditor is hereby approved by the Municipal Light Board and con- stitutes its report to the town.
JOSEPH H. REED
ALFRED H. DOLBEN FRANK D. TANNER
Municipal Light Board
TOTAL COST OF PLANT as of December 31, 1950
Cost of Electric Plant:
Cost of Land-Ash Street
$ 2,575.80
25 Haven Street 7,459.46
57,959.58
Cost of Structures-Ash Street
25 Haven Street
28,093.90
Cost of Transformers Station and Substation Equip.
257,515.56
Cost of Poles, Fixtures and Overhead Conductors
705,788.84
Cost of Underground Conduits
127,623.53
Cost of Underground Conductors
171,365.52
Cost of Consumers Meters
100,081.10
Cost of Consumers Meters Installations 35,635.94
103,071.43
Cost of Line Transformer Installations
7,723.56
Cost of Street Lighting Equipment Total Cost of Electric Plant
$1,675,818.49
Cost of General Equipment $ 50,739.20
Total Cost of Plant and General Equipment
$1,726,557.69
SUMMARY OF INCOME AND EXPENSE
for the year ending December 31, 1950
REVENUES:
Residence Service
$577,347.53
Commercial Service
112,825.56
Primary Power - Wholesale
34,027.07
Municipal Service
14,764.29
.
62,072.60
Cost of Line Transformers
.
165
Sales to Private Companies and Municipal Plants Street Lighting Service Miscellaneous Income Total Revenues
3,148.18
35,103.76
16,672.70
$793,889.09
EXPENSES:
Production Expenses
$400,283.24
Distribution Expenses
104,693.51
Utilization Expenses
14,316.21
Commercial Expenses
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