: Cfce Commontoealt!) of apaggadjiwttg DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Pursuant to the provisions of law the fifth annual report of the Department of Public Works for the fiscal year ending Nov. 30, 1924, is submitted. The organization of the Department in two divisions is set forth in chapter 16, General Laws. The personnel during the year ending Nov. 30, 1924, was as follows : — Commissioner of Public Works, William F. Williams. Division of Highways. Associate Commissioner, James W. Synan. Associate Commissioner, Frank E. Lyman. Division of Waterways and Public Lands. Associate Commissioner, Jesse B. Baxter. Associate Commissioner, Richard K. Hale. Executive Secretary for the Department, Frederick N. Wales. Division of Highways. Chief Engineer, Arthur W. Dean. Project Engineer, Franklin C. Pillsbury. Construction Engineer, Raymond W. Coburn. Maintenance Engineer, George H. Delano. District Engineers District No. 1, Berkshire County, George A. Curtis. District No. 2, * Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties, H. D. Phillips. 2 District No. 3, Hampden and Worcester counties, John A. Johnston. District No. 4, Middlesex County, F. D. Sabin. District No. 5, Essex and Suffolk counties, D. H. Dickinson. District No. 6, Norfolk and Bristol counties, H. 0. Parker. District No. 7, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties, H. C. HOLDEN. Recording Secretary for the Division, Mary A. Riley. Financial Secretary for the Division, Fred Fair. Division of Waterways and Public Lands. Senior Assistant Engineer, for Boston Harbor, John N. Ferguson. Senior Assistant Engineer, for harbors and waterways outside Boston Harbor, Francis L. Sellew. Recording Secretary for the Division, Edna F. Townsend. Financial Secretary for the Division, Cora I. Allen. Registry of Motor Vehicles. Registrar, Frank A. Goodwin. Deputy Registrar, Anthony A. Bonzagni. Chief Clerk, Charles R. Gilley. Chief of Inspection Force, Albert S. Olsson. A detailed report is presented herewith, covering the activities for the year of the Division of Highways, the Division of Waterways and Public Lands, and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. WILLIAM F. WILLIAMS, Commissioner of Public Works. Dec. 1, 1924. 1 With the exception of five towns, which are included in District No. 3. 2 Including Brimfield, Holland, Monson, Palmer and Wales, those remaining being in District No. 2. : 2' P.D. 54. Appropriations. Chapter 126, Acts of 1924, making appropriations for the maintenance of depart- ments, boards, commissions, institutions and certain activities of the Common- wealth, etc., is, in part, as follows : — Service of the Department of Public Works. Item 599. For the salaries of the commissioner and the four associate commissioners, a sum not exceeding thirty-one thousand five hundred dollars $31,500 00 600. For personal services of clerks and assistants to the commis- sioner, a sum not exceeding eighteen thousand dollars . 18,000 00 601 For traveling expenses of the commissioner, a sum not exceed- ing two thousand dollars 2,000 00 Division of Highways (the following appropriations for the operation and maintenance of this division, except as otherwise provided, are made from the receipts from motor vehicle fees) 602. For the personal services of the chief engineer, engineers and office assistants, including certain clerks and stenogra- phers, a sum not exceeding fifty-five thousand two hun- dred dollars 55,200 00 603. For traveling expenses of the associate commissioners, when traveling in the discharge of their official duties, a sum not exceeding twenty-five hundred dollars . 2,500 00 •604. For services other than personal, including printing the annual report and necessary office supplies and equip- ment, a sum not exceeding thirteen thousand dollars . 13,000 00 605. For the care, repair and storage, replacement and purchase of road-building machinery and tools, a sum not exceed- ing two hundred thousand dollars 200,000 00 605a. For the suppression of gypsy and brown tail moths on state highways, a sum not exceeding fifteen thousand dollars . 15,000 00 606. For the construction and repair of town and county ways, including the sum of one hundred ten thousand dollars to cover the cost of the work authorized by chapter five hundred and eighteen of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-two, a sum not exceeding one million one hundred ten thousand dollars 1,110,000 00 607. For aiding towns in the repair and improvement of public ways, a sum not exceeding six hundred fifty thousand dollars . _ . -. • . • 650,000 00 608. For the maintenance and repair of state highways, including care of snow on highways, and payment of damages caused by defects in state highways with the approval of the attorney general, a sum not exceeding three million eight hundred thousand dollars 3,800,000 00 609. For the maintenance and operation of the Newburyport bridge and the Brightman street bridge in Fall River and Somerset, in accordance with the provisions of existing laws, a sum not exceeding twenty thousand dollars 20,000 00 610. For the purpose of enabling the department of public works to secure federal aid for the construction of highways, a sum not exceeding one million seven hundred ninety thousand dollars in addition to any other funds which the department has available for the purpose . 1,790,000 00 ^612. For administering the law relative to advertising signs near highways, a sum not exceeding fifteen thousand dollars, to be paid from the general fund 15,000 00 360,000 00 : 4 P.D. 54. Item 625. For the operation and maintenance of the New Bedford state pier, a sum not exceeding fifteen thousand dollars . $15,000 00 626. For the compensation of dumping inspectors, a sum not ex- ceeding two thousand dollars, to be paid from the Water- ways Fund 2,000 00 627. For expenses authorized by chapter four hundred and fifty- three of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-three, relative to access to great ponds, a sum not exceeding five hundred doUars 500 00 628. For continuing the work in gauging the flow of water in the streams of the commonwealth, a sum not exceeding three thousand dollars 3,000 00 629. For supervision and operation of the commonwealth stores, a sum not exceeding twenty-five hundred dollars to be paid from the port of Boston receipts .... 2,500 00 Specials 630. For the construction of streets, railroads and piers for the development of land at South Boston and East Boston, a sum not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars, to be paid from the port of Boston receipts, the same to be in addition to any unexpended balances of appropriations heretofore made for this purpose 25,000 00 631. For expenses of dredging channels and filling marsh lands, a sum not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars, to be paid from the port of Boston receipts, and to be in addi- tion to any amount heretofore appropriated for the purpose 25,000 00 632. For dredging minor channels in Boston harbor, a sum not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars, to be paid from the port of Boston receipts, and to be in addition to any amount heretofore appropriated for the purpose . 25,000 00 Miscellaneous. 652. For maintenance of boulevards and parkways, with the approval of the metropolitan district commission, a sum not exceeding two hundred twenty thousand five hundred dollars, representing the state's portion or one- half of the estimated cost of maintenance, to be paid from the receipts from motor vehicle fees . 220,500 00 Metropolitan District Commission. 661. For maintenance of boulevards and parkways, a sum not exceeding two hundred seventeen thousand five hundred dollars, the same to be in addition to the amount appro- priated by item 652 217,500 00 662. For the construction of sidewalks in the Blue Hills Parkway, a sum not exceeding six thousand dollars, of which sum three thousand dollars is to be paid from Metropolitan Parks Maintenance Fund, Boulevards, and three thou- sand dollars from item six hundred and fifty-two . 3,000 00 Chapter 510, Acts of 1924, in addition to the general appropriation act making appropriations to supplement certain items contained therein, and for certain new activities and projects, is in part, as follows: — Claims. Payments for certain claims authorized by the following appropriations shall be certified by the comptroller of the Commonwealth only upon the filing of satisfactory releases or other evidence that the payments are ac- cepted in full compensation on the part of the common- wealth in respect thereto: : : P.D. 54. 5 Item 237b. For Gertrude A. Steele, an employee in the office of the registrar of motor vehicles, as reimbursement for the loss of a coat, the sum of forty-five dollars, from receipts in the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund $45 00 237c. For Arthur L. Devens of Boston, for damages to his auto- mobile in consequence of its being run into by a motor truck of the commonwealth, the sum of three hundred dollars, from receipts in the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund . 300 00 237d. For William Donohue of East Boston, for damages to his automobile due to an accident caused by a defect in the roadway of the state highway in the city of Revere, the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, from receipts in the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund 150 00 237e. For Harold C. Knapp of Boston, for damages sustained as a result of a collision with an automobile operated by an employee of the department of public works, the sum of four hundred and seventy-five doUars, from receipts in the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund 475 00 237f. For Harold F. MacWilliams of Newburyport, for damages sustained as a result of a collision with an automobile operated by an employee of the department of public works, a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, to be paid on receipted vouchers and to be paid from receipts in the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund 500 00 237j.