CITY OF MELROSE MASSACHUSETTS Annual Reports 1920 WITH Mayor’s Inaugural Address Delivered January 3, 1920 PriiLlSHKD BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN rXDER THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY’ CLERK AND SPEC T A I. COMMITTEE THE COPLEY PRESS 1921 CHARLES H. ADAMS mayor Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Boston Public Library https://archive.org/details/cityofmelroseann1920melr / Inaugural Address HON. CHARLES H. ADAMS Mayor of Melrose DELIN EKEI) -JANUAHY 3, 1920 Mr. ( hairniaii. Pres^iderit and Members of the Board, and Citizens: Following the World \Var it is indeed good fortune that our City finds itself so comfortable, with a degree of prosperity, high reputation, and good things never befoi'e found here, and in very few places in the world. 1'he gt neral condition of our community, the general prosperity of the people, the \ ast number of contributions to happiness and comfort, make our City most uni(|ue. SiiK'e we met here last year our boys have returned from the \Var. During the past five yeais, in spite of war, we have moved steadily forward. We are among the few cities that have not increased its munici])al indebtedness. In live years our debt has been slightly reduced. We owe $30,000 less tlian we did five years ago. But to acomplish this we have not allowed the City to run down. We have not ceased to grow, or to do things necessary for the progress of the community. In five years we ha\e e.xpended for permanent improvements more than a quarter of a million dollars. We have extended our system of sewers at a cost of $4r),()()(). the water system has been extended to meet the growth of the City to the extent of $(>3,090: our underground drainage system $02,- 000 and ‘to extend our system of granolithic sidewalks and edgestones $97,000. or a total of $2()7.0O0. 'fhese ar<‘ permanent improvements, wliolly outside the curi'ent exj)enses of the City. And yet we find our- sehes owing $30,000 less than five years ago. I hav(> not included in this statement the new streets built or re- built. because streets wear out so rapidly with automobile traffic that such new sti'eets hardly more than make up for the wear of others, but we may rtunind ourselves that we ha\e also built or rebuilt these ,stre<'ts wholly riut'ide o\ir repair work. 4 CITY OF :\JELROSE We have built these new streets under the betterment act: Extension of First Street, Garfield Road, Lynde Avenue, Warwick l\oad, Hopkins Street, Stevens Road, Natalie Avenue, Argyle Street, Lincoln Street and Folsom Avenue, and we ha\e rebuilt a dozen other streets under special appropriations at a cost of $53,000. The net City debt is $503,000 and we ha\e City property to show for it amounting to $2,300,000, or nearly five dollars in property for one of debt. We have met many unusual items of expense, which are of in- terest to the City. We were obliged to spend $12,000 for changes in our school build- ings to make them safe against fire, and put new plumbing in the Mary A. Livermore School at a cost of $2,500. The Fire Department has been equipped with a great motor pumping engine and a motor ladder truck at an expense of $20,000; the Polic-e Department has a new motor ambulance which cost $3,200. We have established and maintained four branches of the Publi(* Library. We have increased the pay of school teachers 26%, amount- ing last year to $20,000. We have increased the pay of laborers from $2.50 to $4 per day; the firemen and police, and nearly all others who work for the City, have had needed increased compensation. We equipped our State Guard Company at a cost of $4,500, said to be the best company in the State, as well as the best equipped. Dur- ing its service in Boston the City spent about $1,800 for its main- tenance, giving them a support which was commended by State officials and the public, as a great contribution to the support of law and order. We paid city employees who enlisted in the War the difference in their pay while in the Service, amounting to $5,000, We held various receptions for the men returning from the War, expending about $3,500. We expended $15,000 in State Aid for families of Melrose men in the Service, and we have erected the portable school house at the Wash- ington School, costing $4,500, and have built the playground at’ the Lin- coln School at a cost of $2,500. While the City improves all the tinm, we have not increased our debts, nor shirked any duty, nor passed along our burdens to the future. Splendid citizens have been good to us. In five years we have re- ceived many gifts for the public welfare. This past year, this Great Memorial Organ, which is destined to make Melrose famous as a center of music and patriotism, the gift of MAYOR'S ADDRESS Mr. John C. F, Slayton; anollier gift from him of SIO.OOO as a fund to insure its upkeep and development. Three years ago ^Ir. Charles ^R Cox gave us two great playgrounds, to furnish for all time ami)le spaees for play and recreation. Mr. Slayton and ?^lr. r\laguire gave some thousands of dollars to de\elop Spot Pond P>rook and to dispose of the unsightly ice houses on t)ur Main Street at hdl Pond. A great gift in aid of the poor by Mrs. A. C. Marie Currier brings in Sl.bOO a year, used for clothing and dinners for the children and. ad- ministered by the Charity Board. Hon. Le\ i S. (tould gave $1,000 to the schools, and Xorman F. Hesseltine, in memory of his motlier ga\e the schools $100. Two wonderful pianos in this building and two great paintings in O. A. R. Hall were also the gifts of iMr. Slayton, and the generous aid of clubs and citizens is gi\ ing to the City a great, generous, beautiful heart and life. These flags were a gift, the clock in the (R A. R. Hall was a gift, (ieorge iMunroe gave some fine engra\ings to our Library. 'ITiis Memorial Building has become a great center of patriotism and music. It is the place best suited for public leadership, public edu- cation, the home of our social and ci\ ic line. It is one of our greatest assets and a great opportunity. The committee in charge of this building has a great responsibility. All that is gathered here must be kept in constant use. We shall need a municipal organist. Like a library or public paik, it will cost something to make it serve its best purposes. It will be a great factor in education. With this organ and our great musical organizations, no child should go through our public s(‘hoo]s without accpiiring a love of fine music, without knowing the works of great composers, without being ac(]uainted with the great oratorios and operas, and the fine tilings in sacred and secular music. This building is a great institution, and here will be gathered all the sou\enirs and memorials of the wars, and the f!rand Army and the Legion will have homes here. Tile Memorial Organ is one of the first great memorials of the men who served in the World War to be established in the Country. Other ^lemorials will follow, whenever our people decide upon what sliall best express their afl'ection. But the immediate work should be to preserve the names of those wlio served from this City. There seems to be no better way than by Bronze Tablets. It was 40 years after the Civil War before the tablets containing the soldiers’ names were ])ut up here. (> CITY OF MELROSE It is 20 years now since tlie War with Spain and no memorial or tablets of any kind are here in honor of the 43 men who went from here, and it is 144 years since the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775, and we liave yet no permanent memorial or the names in bronze or marble of the 18 men who went from old North Malden and served in the War for Independence, 'Fablets are not to be deemed a sufficient “memorial.*’ TaWets are a way of preserving permanently the simple list of names. If there is anything better than bronze, or any better place than here, we ought quickly to find it and not let the years go by and the names be neg- lected or forgotten. We shall need a special memorial of those who died in the War. We ought to provide suitable headquarters for the Melrose Post of the American Legion, just as we have quarters for those splendid heroes of the Civil War. Public Library The increasing circulation of books at the Library and Branches calls for better facilities, and especially at the Highlands. We ought to build a branch library building on Franklin Street on the site of the old Franklin School, on the west side of the track. We have the land. It is finely located. With the library should be also a suitable room or hall for a voting place, and for meetings of the citizens of the Ward. It would be of constant use and convenience, and an ornament to that section of the City.