kttMb Vr 7% Public Document No. 118 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT Commission on Waterways and Public Lands. Consolidating Harbor and Land Commission and Directors of the Port of Boston. For the Year 1916. BOSTON: WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 32 DERNE STREET. 1917. 'WEALTH. Publication of this Document approved by the Supervisor of Administration. Stye Comtnontoeoltt) of Jtla00acl)U0ett0. REPORT. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts. The Commission on Waterways and Public Lands, pursuant to the provisions of law, respectfully submits its first annual report, covering the period from Aug. 3, 1916, to Nov. 30, 1916, and including the doings of the Directors of the Port of Boston and of the Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners from Dec. 1, 1915, to Aug. 3, 1916, to whose powers and duties the Commission succeeded under the provisions of chapter 288 of the General Acts of 1916. In presenting this report it would seem not out of place to briefly review the organization of the different departments of public service which have been consolidated under the present Commission. The Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners, created under chapter 263 of the Acts of 1879, provided in itself a consolida- tion of the departments of service which had, under the titles of Board of Harbor Commissioners, Board of Land Commis- sioners, and other agencies, exercised the powers and duties with which they were charged with respect to the lands, rights in lands, flats, shores and rights in tidewaters belonging to the Commonwealth up to that time. The personnel of the original Board of Harbor Commis- sioners, established by chapter 149 of the Acts of 1866, was such as to create a viewpoint from which not only that Board worked out wisely and efficiently the important functions en- trusted to it, but likewise a viewpoint from which the later Boards and Commissions have worked out problems that have come in the succeeding years. 4 WATERWAYS AND PUBLIC LANDS. [Jan. The various members of the Board of Harbor and Land Com- missioners during the period 1879-1916, inclusive, were: — Albert Mason (chairman), 1879-1882 Willard P. Phillips, 1879-1881 Francis A. Nye, 1879-1883 Henry L. Whiting, 1881-1884 John E. Sanford (chairman), . ' . 1882-1891 John I. Baker, 1883-1897 Joseph K. Baker, 1884-1886 Charles H. Howland, 1886-1898 Henry W. Swift (chairman), . 1892-1894 Woodward Emery (chairman), 1894-1906 Clinton White, 1897-1901 Charles C. Doten, 1898-1905 George E. Smith (chairman 1906-1911), 1901-1913 John J. Flaherty, 1905- Henry J. Skeffington, 1905-1908 Samuel M. Mansfield, 1906-1912 Heman A. Harding, 1908-1911 Charles C. Paine, 1911-1916 William S. McNary (chairman), 1912-1916 George M. Harlow, 1914-1916 Beginning with the discharge of its duties, which in 1879 were largely confined to dredging operations in Boston Harbor; the reclamation, improvement and development of the terri- tory commonly known as the South Boston Flats; the sale, following reclamation, of the Back Bay lands in Boston; and other important transactions, the scope of this Board's work, by legislative enactments and otherwise has been consider- ably increased, and its jurisdiction, originally limited almost exclusively to projects previously defined above, extended, up to the establishment of the Commission on Waterways and Public Lands, to the Connecticut River; to the non- tidal part of the Merrimac River; to great ponds belonging to the Commonwealth; to the allotment of funds placed at its disposal by the Legislature for river and harbor improvements, and to other matters. Chapter 748 of the Acts of 1911 sets forth in detail the or- ganization and laws controlling the creation of the Board 1917.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 118. 5 serving from that time until 1914 as the Directors of the Port of Boston. Section 1. The governor, with the advice and consent of the council, shall appoint three persons, and the mayor of the city of Boston shall appoint one person, and the four persons so appointed, with the chairman of the harbor and land commissioners, ex-officio, shall constitute a board to be known as the Directors of the Port of Boston, hereinafter called the directors. The terms of office of the persons first appointed by the governor shall be so arranged and designated at the time of their ap- pointment that the term of one member shall expire in three years, one in two years and one in one year from the first day of July, nineteen hundred and eleven, and the term of office of the member appointed by the mayor shall expire in three years from the first day of July, nineteen hundred and eleven. Annually thereafter the governor shall appoint one member to serve for three years, as the term of any member appointed by him shall expire; and at the expiration of the term of the member appointed by the mayor, the mayor shall appoint a member to serve for three years. Any vacancy occurring among the directors shall be filled for the unexpired term by the governor or by the mayor, accordingly as the vacancy occurs among the members originally appointed by the governor or by the mayor, respectively. In all cases a member shall continue to serve until his successor is appointed and qualified. The governor shall designate the chairman, who shall receive an annual salary of fifteen thousand dollars, and shall devote his whole time to the work of the directors. The other directors, including the chairman of the harbor and land commissioners, shall each receive an annual salary of one thou- sand dollars. Said sum of one thousand dollars shall be in addition to the annual salary of the chairman of the board of harbor and land com- missioners as chairman of said last named board. Section 2. The Directors of the Port of Boston shall be the ad- ministrative officers of the port, shall cause to be made all necessary plans for the comprehensive development of the harbor, shall have im- mediate charge of the lands now or hereafter owned by the common- wealth upon or adjacent to the harbor front, except lands under the control of the metropolitan park commission or of the metropolitan water and sewerage board, and of the construction of piers and other public works therein, shall administer all terminal facilities which are under their control, shall keep themselves thoroughly informed as to the present and probable future requirements of steamships and shipping, and as to the best means which can be provided at the port of Boston for the ac- commodation of steamships, railroads, warehouses and industrial es- tablishments. The directors shall appoint such engineers, clerks, agents, assistants and other employees as they may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this act, and shall determine the duties and compensation 6 WATERWAYS AND PUBLIC LANDS. [Jan. of such employees. The appointment of employees shall be subject to the laws relating to civil service in the commonwealth, so far as they are applicable. Section 3. The directors shall have an office in the city of Boston in which they shall keep maps, charts, plans and documents relating to the lands and waters in their charge. The board of harbor and land commissioners shall deliver to the directors such maps, charts, plans and documents now in the custody of said board relating to the waters and lands in charge of the directors as may be practicable; and the directors shall at all times have access to any other maps, charts, plans and docu- ments relating to said waters and lands, in the office of said board or in the office or custody of any other public board, commission or official. Section 4. All the rights, powers and duties now pertaining to the board of harbor and land commissioners in respect to such lands, rights in lands, flats, shores, waters and rights belonging to the commonwealth in tidewaters and land under water as constitute that part of Boston harbor lying westerly and inside of a line drawn between Point Allerton on the south and the southerly end of Point Shirley on the north, or as adjoin the same or are connected therewith, and any other rights and powers heretofore vested by the laws of the commonwealth in the board of harbor and land commissioners in respect to any part of said area, are hereby transferred to and hereafter shall be vested in and exercised by said directors. There shall also be transferred to and vested in the di- rectors the right to expend any unexpended funds heretofore appropriated to be expended by the board of harbor and land commissioners in the area above designated, and the right which the board of harbor and land commissioners has heretofore exercised in regard to moneys paid to the commonwealth in accordance with the provisions of section twenty- three of chapter ninety-six of the Revised Laws. Said directors shall also assume and take over, on behalf of the commonwealth, any rights, powers and duties of the board of harbor and land commissioners under any contracts heretofore made for the improvement, filling, sale, use or other disposition of the lands, fiats or waters of the commonwealth within said area, including any structures now existing or being built therein or thereon. Section 5. With the consent of the governor and council, the di- rectors may take or acquire by purchase or otherwise, and hold, such real property and such rights and easements therein as the directors may from time to time consider necessary for the purpose of constructing, or securing the constructing or utilizing of, piers and, in connection there- with, highways, waterways, railroad connections, storage yards and sites for warehouses and industrial establishments, and may lay out and build thereon and upon such other lands as under section four of this act are under its jurisdiction such piers, with buildings and appurtenances, docks, highways, waterways, railroad connections, storage yards and public warehouses as, in the opinion of the directors, may be desirable : provided, 1917.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No.