USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Rutland > Annual report, City of Rutland, Vermont, 1917 > Part 43
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1
Additions to houses
15
Piazzas
16
Additions to piazzas
5
Sleeping porches
4.
Changing house into tenement and bakery
1
Addition to bakery
Poultry houses
12
Additions to poultry houses
2
Barns
11
Moving barns
4
Additions to barns
4
Sheds
14
Additions to sheds
3
Moving shed
1
Private garages
66
Additions to private garages
3
Changing poultry houses into garages
3
Changing barns into garages
3
Changing basement of house into garage
1
Changing shed into garage
Z
Moving garage
7
Fublic garages
3
Auto repair shop
1
Addition to paint shop
1
Restaurant
1
Changing house into restaurant
1
Store
7
Additions to stores
3
Store front
1
148
ANNUAL REPORT
Addition to factory
1
Workshop
1
Upholstering shop
1
Moving shop
I
Moving school house
1
Storehouses
2
Addition to milk plant
2
Addition to milk plant
1
Addition to office
1
Coal pockets
4
Ice house
1
CHARLES G. NOYES, Inspector of Buildings.
Report of City Weigher
To the Honorable City Council :
I respectfully submit the following statement of weighing done on the City scale during the year 1921:
Paid the City Treasurer for 1833 weights $183 30
Weighing fees
91 65
Net $91 65
Number of loads of coal, etc., weighed for the school build- ings, City and Memorial Halls free of charge, 603, making the total number of weights, 2436.
Respectfully submitted,
H. B. WHITTIER,
City Weigher.
Rutland Hospital
Statement of the number of patients cared for at the Rutland Hospital for the year 1921, and the total expense to the hospital, as shown by report filed with the City Council.
Total number of patients for the year 70
Total number of days' service 1,487
Total expense of patients
$4,122 31
Board and care $3,473 00
Operating room
171 00
Medicines and supplies
124 81
X-ray service
227 50
Laboratory service
126 00
$4,122-31
Weekly average expenses per patient $19 41 Number of patients remaining in hospital under treatment January 1, 1922 7
Librarian's Report
. To the Officers and Members of the Rutland Free Library Asso- ciation :
The thirty-sixth annual report is herewith respectfully. submitted :
Number of volumes in the library Feb. 1, 1921 .... 439
24,478
Increase by purchase 78
Increase by gift
Increase by binding periodicals 139
Books added from Duplicate pay collection 113
769
25,247
Number of volumes withdrawn
165
Number of volumes in the library Feb. 1, 1922 25,082
Number of volumes rebound in 1921 246
Number of volumes worn-out and replaced, 1921
32
Number of volumes lost and replaced, 1921 10
Circulation of books for 1921 74,070
Circulation of books for 1920 67,926
Increase for 1921 6,144
Circulation of pictures for 1921 524
Circulation of foreign books, 1921
343
Circulation of volumes of music, 1921 133
:
Number of new cards issued during 1921 817
Number of new cards issued to children during 1921 247
152
ANNUAL REPORT
Number of books drawn on Teacher's cards 8,996 Number of books drawn on subscription and special cards 8,270
1
Number of books drawn by children, 1921 18,188
Number of volumes of fiction drawn by children, 1921 11,016
Number of volumes of non-fiction drawn by children 1921 7,172
Number of volumes repaired at library, 1921 904
Number of days the library has been open
303
Largest daily delivery, Nov. 12, 1921
551
Smallest daily delivery, Sept. 8
78
Average daily delivery 244
Amount received from fines, 1921 $336 71
Amount received from Association fees
83 00
Amount received from subscriptions
33 00
Total
$452 71
Number of periodicals subscribed for during 1921
69
Number of periodicals received by gift 50
--
Total 119
LUCY D. CHENEY, Librarian.
Library Treasurer's Report
To the Officers and Members of the Rutland Free Library Asso- ciation :
I herewith submit my annual report as treasurer for the year from Feb., 1921, to Feb., 1922.
RECEIPTS
Cash on hand Feb. 1921
$634 47
Appropriation-City of Rutland $4,000 00
Appropriation-Town of Rutland
100 00
Fines and subscriptions
369 71
Tabard Inn (Book Acct.)
230 00
Association fees
83 00
Interest from Cramton-Cutts legacy. ..
657 28
Interest from Smith Fund (Book Acct.)
76 05
Interest from Harris Fund (Book Acct.)
24 24
Interest from Seaver Fund (Book Acct.)
12 12
Gifts from Clubs
20 00
Other sources
5 16
$5,577 56
Total receipts
$6,212 03
DISBURSEMENTS
Books and magazines
$1,422 22
Binding
432 92
Salaries
2,637 20
Lighting
137 58
Fuel
258 62
Telephone
39 15
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ANNUAL REPORT
Supplies and furnishings
220 50
Janitor 360 00
Printing and postage 58 37
Incidental expenses
44 60
$5,611 16
Cash on hand
600 87
$6,212 03
STATEMENT OF TRUST FUNDS
Theo. L. Smith Fund
$1,000 00
Accrued interest to Jan., 1922 113 33
$1,113 33
Interest transferred to general account
76 05
Amount of Fund to date
$1,037 28
Harris Fund
.$600 00
Accrued interest to Jan., 1922
24 24
$624 24
Interest transferred to general account
24 24
Amount of Fund to date
600 00
Seaver Fund
$300 00
Accrued interest to Feb., 1922
12 12
$312 12
Interest transferred to general account .. Amount of Fund to date
12 12
300 00
Caroline A. Rust Fund
$500 00
Accrued interest to Jan., 1922
49 28
$549 28
Amount of Fund to date
549 28
155
CITY OF RUTLAND
Y. M. C. A. Auxiliary Fund
$275 62
Accrued interest to Feb., 1922 11 09
$286 71
Amount of Fund to date
286 71
Total amount of Trust Fund & accrued interest. ..
$2,773 27
SPECIAL FUNDS
Calendar Fund $1,408 27
Accrued interest to Feb., 1922 56 88
Amount of Fund to date $1,465 15
Cramton-Cutts Legacy
Amount of Fund Feb., 1921 $12,210 19
Accrued interest for year 1921-22. . 657 28
$12,867 47
Interest used for running expenses
657 28
Amount of Fund to date $12,210 19
ELLEN B. CRAMTON,
Treasurer.
I have examined the above accounts and find them cor- rect as stated.
MRS. C. O. PERKINS,
Auditor.
Report of the Board of School Commissioners
To the Mayor, City Council and Citizens of the City of Rutland:
The Board of School Commissioners herewith submits the Report of its administration of the schools for the past year, together with its suggestions and recommendations for the year ensuing.
That the importance of maintaining our schools at the high- est possible standard is thoroughly recognized, has been demon- strated many times in the past through the generous support accorded by the citizens of Rutland, and it seems unnecessary to use space in this report to reiterate what has been so many times stated through the medium of the annual reports of our predecessors.
Our citizens have ever been ready to furnish the necessary funds to carry on this important and essential department of government, when its requirements have been fully understood and appreciated.
Previous to this year, the City Council was limited by the terms of the charter to an appropriation not to exceed fifty cents on the dollar of the grand list for the support of the schools, except when authorized by the legal voters of the city to exceed that amount.
For some years it has been impossible to maintain the schools on an appropriation of fifty cents on the dollar of the grand list, and therefore it was necessary for an additional sum to be voted each year. In 1920, owing chiefly to necessary and wholly warranted increases in the salaries of our teachers, an additional tax of twenty-five cents in excess of the fifty cents provided in the charter, was voted.
157
CITY OF RUTLAND
To meet the requirements for 1921, it was early apparent that an appropriation based on a tax of seventy-five cents would be insufficient. The continued increase in the unit cost of practically everything required for the schools, such as supplies, text books, fuel and the many necessary repairs to school prop- erty, together with the normal annual increases provided under the salary schedule, left the board with no other alternative than to ask for a total appropriation of eighty-five cents on the dollar.
In order to obviate an annual vote for this appropriation, the board in conjunction with the City Council, procured an amendment to the charter increasing the amount which the council is authorized to appropriate without an express vote, to eighty-five cents on the dollar of the grand list; and it is primarily due to the whole-hearted, unhesitating and emphatic manner in which the people of the city responded to our appeal last March, and ratified this amendment to the charter that we have been able to close the year's work with an exceptionally good financial showing.
FINANCES
The detail of the receipts and disbursements in this depart- ment will be found annexed to this report. Reference thereto will show that the increased revenues for the current year on account of the additional tax of ten cents on the dollar were offset to some extent by the falling off in revenue from some other sources, notably in the rebate from the State for industrial training, and the decrease in the cash balance carried forward into the 1921 account from the cash balance on January 1, 1920. The actual increase in receipts, including cash balances brought forward, amounted to $10,759.10. A comparison of the dis- bursements of 1921 with 1920, follows :
158
ANNUAL REPORT
DISBURSEMENTS
Account
1921
1920
Increase
Salaries
$87,041 41
$82,437 55
$4,603 86
Printing, Adv. and Ins.
538 90
669 63
(130 73)*
Repairs
3,668 94
2,836 20
832 74
Supplies
4,829 45
4,197 46
631 99
Text books
3,974 48
2,532 21
1,442 27
Fuel, Light & Power, 10,231 56
9,020 35
1,211 21
Rent and Furniture
141 50
90 00
51 50
Sundries
1,440 51
1,384 91
55 60
$111,866 75
$103,168 31
$8,598 44
Cash balance forward 2,103 97
43 21
* (Represents decrease).
Substantially all of this increase results from the normal salary increases, and the increased cost of text books and fuel.
The financial statement of any year connot be wholly com- plete without calling attention to a condition which always exists at the end of the year. Certain expenses, the amount of which cannot be known when the books are closed for the year, are incurred in the latter part of the month of December, and come up in the month of January for payment, and consequently are charged into the expenses of the succeeding year.
There was incurred in this manner in the month of Decem- ber, 1920, expenses amounting to $650.76 which are charged up in the items of disbursement in the year 1921. This year the board was able to get in for payment practically all of its December obligations, so that only the sum of $217.27 was carried into the 1922 account. Could these bills have come in for payment in December we could have paid the entire expense of the operation of the schools for the year, have paid the balance of $650.76 left over from the proceding year, and would have had left a balance of $1,886.70 to our credit, clear of all expenses, which we believe to be a remarkably fine showing and one that has not been equalled in many years.
159
CITY OF RUTLAND
SCHOOL PLANT
Your attention has been directed many times in the past to the fact that we have outgrown our school plant. Hardly an annual report either from the Board of School Commissioners or the Superintendent, has been made for years in which greater or less emphasis has not been given to the matter of the over- crowded condition of our schools and the absolute necessity of evolving some plan to relieve the consequent congestion. The time has now arrived when some action must be taken to provide additional facilities for our pupils, or some of them will have to be denied the opportunity for an education, which is guaranteed them by the law.
(a) Grade Schools.
In the grades there has been not only the normal increase in the number of pupils entering school but owing to the use of two old school buildings having been abandoned some three or four years ago, and the necessity of giving up the use of the attic room in the Kingsley Building as a school room early last year, places for these pupils had to be found in the other buildings. The result has been that in the month of December, 1921, there were upwards of forty pupils each in 19 of the 42 grade school rooms. This not only exceeds the proper capacity of the rooms, but it places upon the teacher a load greatly in excess of what she ought properly to carry, and seriously inter- feres with her ability to get the best results with her class. Under these conditions, it is almost certain that places cannot be found to take care of the expected increase in attendance at the opening of the next fall term.
Some relief for the grades is expected to result through the action of the board in eliminating the ninth grade. In carrying out this action it is planned to absorb this class into the high school in two sections, so that after the end of the next school year, this grade will have been entirely eliminated. This will not by any means solve the problem which we are facing in the
160
ANNUAL REPORT
grade schools. In fact it tends to increase our difficulties in the high school, to which I shall refer a little later. It is however an wholly unnecessary grade and one which has been done away with in practically every town in the State.
This situation has been given careful, thorough and studious consideration, and there seems to be only one solution which can be worked out at this time.
(b) Plan Proposed for Relieving Congestion in the Grade Schools.
There is a great deal of waste space in the Longfellow Building that can and should be utilized for school room pur- poses. By making certain alterations in the interior of the building, two additional rooms can be secured which will help materially in taking care of the surplus.
This will make the Longfellow School a ten room building, in which the board strongly recommends that there be established an intermediate school, to be made up of the seventh and eighth grades under the supervision of a man principal, such a school will take care of all of the pupils in these two grades, with the exception of two classes in the seventh grade, which can be pro- vided for in two other buildings without difficulty.
This plan further so relieves the other schools that all of the pupils below these grades can be accommodated without any congestion and with an average load of about 36 or 37 pupils per teacher.
Should it be determined in the future to erect a new High School Building, or add to the present one, and establish therein both a Junior and Senior High School, the Longfellow Building will be available to take care of all normal increases in grade pupils for many years to come.
It is a particularly opportune time in which to carry out this plan from a financial standpoint as well.
The old furnaces which have been serving this building ever since it was built over thirty years ago, must of necessity be replaced within a year or two. The floors, both on the first and
161
CITY OF RUTLAND
second stories have begun to sag to such an extent that a large expenditure must be made this summer in getting the floors back to a level and putting in supports to keep them there. The building badly needs redecorating throughout its entire interior.
We are further advised that the market for building mate- rials necessary for this work is particularly favorable at this time; steel and iron work and lumber having reached the lowest point in years and it is not anticipated among builders that there will be any further decrease in the cost of such materials. We also believe that whenever possible, public works should be undertaken in times of depression, thereby aiding as far as may be in solving the problems of unemployment of labor.
From careful estimates which we have caused to be made, we find that these alterations can be made, the two rooms added and equipped, new and modern heating apparatus installed, the floors levelled and properly supported, and the entire interior renovated and redecorated at a total expense of about $30,000.00.
Weican conceive of no other plan of meeting the situation which will give us such beneficial results, that would not entail an expenditure many times in excess of this sum.
(c) High School.
Conditions as to congestion in the High School are, if it be possible, even worse than in the grades. The high school has a seating capacity of approximately 390. At the present time it has an average membership of about 480. A careful estimate for next year indicates an enrollment of 550 pupils, with an average attendance for the next school year of about 535. By utilizing all available space in the building, including the use of the large assembly hall as a study room, the school has managed in one way and another, to get along during the past two or three years. This has been done by putting anywhere from 125 to 150 pupils in the assembly hall, and also by using one class room immediately adjoining a room in which typewriting classes are held. The difficulty both for teacher and pupils of
(11)
162
ANNUAL REPORT
conducting a class when in the very next room over twenty type- writers are being operated simultaneously, leaves nothing to the imagination.
Nor can it be expected that any beneficial results can be achieved in a study hall of the size of the assembly room with anywhere from 125 to 175 pupils occupying movable desks and seats, with the inevitable and constant noise and confusion that attends every movement; while it is beyond the physical endurance of any teacher, no matter how strong and capable he or she may be, to maintain proper discipline under such conditions.
It is very apparent that the board must provide accommo- dations elsewhere for a considerable number of high school students until such time as the city is able to construct a new high school building. This is a matter which every citizen should be considering, as it must be provided in the near future. For the present some arrangement can doubtless be made to hire rooms in the near vicinity of the present high school building to care for this excess population.
REPAIRS
It has been the aim of the board to keep the school properties in a reasonable state of repair, but owing to lack of funds, and the abnormal cost of both material and labor for the past few years, a good many things which ought to have been done were passed along from year to year, until the present board found itself with an accumulation of various needed repairs on its hands.
Through the able and untiring efforts of the committee on buildings, all absolutely essential repairs, including the installa- tion of additional lighting in the Longfellow Building, were made at a minimum cost. Upon the recommendation of the building committee, a plan was adopted to be followed so far as prac- ticable, of thoroughly renovating and painting, redecorating and putting in first class shape one building each year, with the
163
CITY OF RUTLAND
hope that by so doing, our school plant would present a better appearance than it would by trying to utilize the funds available in cleaning up and painting one room in each building every year.
Accordingly, in addition to the general repairs mentioned, we have thoroughly renovated the Madison Street building, painting and redecorating it both outside and inside, so that it not only presents a very much improved appearance to the passerby, but the school rooms have been made attractive to both teachers and pupils, while the life of the building has been extended for many years, and all at an expense of only about nine hundred dollars.
SUPERINTENDENT
Early in the summer it became necessary for the board to select a successor to Mr. David B. Locke, who had served the city with marked ability as superintendent of schools for the past sixteen years. Out of something over twenty applicants we selected as his successor, Mr. William W. Fairchild, whose qualifications for the position seemed to us to place him far in the lead of any other of the candidates for the office. Although Mr. Fairchild has been with us only a few months, his manifest executive ability, his thorough and exhaustive knowledge of school problems, and the results which he has already accomplish- ed, have many times justified the wisdom of our choice, and we confidently predict that under his wise and efficient leadership the public schools of our city will in the near future be acknowl- eged by all as the finest in Vermont.
TEACHER TRAINING
At the last session of the legislature the school laws were so amended that the State Board of Education was authorized to establish certain teacher training schools providing both a one and two year course. Acting under this legislation, the State Board instituted a teacher training school at the old Castleton Normal School plant, and in conformity with its
164
ANNUAL REPORT
general plan, discontinued the teacher training course which had been conducted in connection with our high school for some years past.
INDUSTRIAL COURSE
The past year has been very disastrous to the industrial course which has been carried on under the provisions of the so called Smith-Hughes act. This course to be successful con- templates a part time study of the theory of mechanics and skilled manual trades, with the remaining time spent in the practical work in the shop or factory. Owing primarily to the business depression, it has been impossible for any number of students enrolled in this course, to get the practical benefit of actual shop work without which the course cannot be successful, and the expense of continuing this course seems to be wholly out of proportion to the beneficial results which can be achieved, at least for some considerable time to come. It is therefore recommended that the course be discontinued at the close of the present school year.
CONCLUSION
In closing, the Board wishes to express to the teaching force its sincere appreciation of the loyal and efficient service ren- dered during the past year. We feel that the city should be congratulated on having a staff of teachers whose primary object in life is, and always has been, devoted to the welfare of our children.
It is well for us to reflect occasionally upon the fact that many of our teachers have given the best years of their lives to our own Rutland schools. At least twenty-eight of the forty- two grade teachers have served us faithfully for more than ten years. Of this number 12 have exceeded 15 years of service ; 3 more than 20 years ; 9 over 25 years and one in excess of 35 years ; while Miss Meldon, for the past few years a teacher in the high
165
CITY OF RUTLAND
school, has devoted 42 years of her life to the education of the youth of our city.
We believe this record of service to be unsurpassed in any school system in Vermont or elsewhere and it is one in which we take a just pride.
Respectfully submitted,
BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS,
Rutland, Vt. By Walter S. Fenton, President.
January 31, 1922.
Financial Statement
For the Year Ending December 31, 1921
RECEIPTS
Balance on hand January 1, 1921
$43 31
State rebate, Supt. of Schools
1,775 00
State rebate, Domestic Science
200 00
State rebate, Repairs
300 00
State rebate, Industrial Course
1,188 48
State rebate, current expenses
136 52
Tuition collected
4,629 00
Books sold
1,263 15
Incidentals
508 31
City appropriation, 85c tax
103,926 95
$113,970 72
EXPENDITURES
Salaries 1921
$87,041 41
Printing, advertising and insurance
538 90
Repairs
3,668 94
Supplies
4,829 45
Text books
3,974 48
Fuel, light and power
10,231 56
Rent and furniture
141 50
Sundries
1,440 51
$111,866 75
Balance unexpended December 31st, 1921
$2,103 97
Respectully submitted,
GEORGE N. HARMAN, BERENICE R. TUTTLE, FRANCES D. TWIGG,
Finance Committee Board of School Commissioners.
Report of the Superintendent of Schools
To the board of School Commissioners, The Mayor, City Council and Citizens of the City of Rutland:
Since my term of service for the Rutland Public Schools began only seven months ago, it will be out of the question for me to deal with the past to any extent. My report will, therefore deal with the present and the future.
Too often there has been a temptation on the part of school officials and in fact whole communities to deal with a school situation as though it were a matter of a year or so. We cannot take any such narrow view of our educational needs. We must consider educational problems realizing that the solution pro- posed must be for a long period of time.
The success of schools depends primarily upon two funda- mental factors of education ; first, a highly trained professionally minded teaching force; second, adequate and comfortable build- ings provided with proper equipment.
SCHOOL PLANT
The building needs of the Public Schools of Rutland have been so well put by Mr. Walter Fenton, President of the Board of School Commissioners, in his annual report that it is un- necessary for me to dwell on that subject. Mr. Edward S. Abbott, Principal of Rutland High School, has this to say regarding congestion in the high school : "It has been my annual custom to refer to the congestion of the school and the necessity of planning to provide added accommodations. This, so far, has made but little impression. We have now reached the point where something must be done immediately or the work of the
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