Municipal Improvements – Boscawen NH

Description

SELECTMEN’S REPORT
To the Citizens of Boscawen:
That the people of Boscawen, may more fully comprehend the financial assistance the town has received for W. P. A. Projects and what was accomplished by obtaining such projects, we submit the following report: When allotments were available, every effort was made to get our town’s share, and the town’s resources, such as the gravel bank and power shovel, were carefully utilized with the money raised for W. P. A., to make the Sponsor’s Contributions, necessary to obtain such allotments. The town of Boscawen received for the Projects, the sum of $23,032.18.

Local private employment in town, has been no better this year, and the Relief Situation has been even worse, as a great many last year were receiving Unemployment Compensation, and having received their full amount, were left without any income.
This sum of money coming into town, not only permitted us to accomplish many permanent improvements, but has given employment to so many that there is scarcely a person in town, who has not, either directly or indirectly received some benefit. The benefit may have been from direct employment, permitting the majority to be self supporting or from purchases made by those employed. It may have been through lower taxes, from improved sewer systems, improved roads and roadsides, or from the general clean up and fire prevention resulting from the hurricane disaster, of which a large portion would necessarily have had to be left undone.

Under our sewer project we have laid 1360 ft. of new pipe and have relieved situations that have needed attention for some time. All hand labor was paid for by W. P. A., the town furnishing only new material and what little truck hire needed. Under our road project, we have put out nearly 9000 cubic yards of grade and gravel and have cut the brush and wood from both sides of 16 miles of highways. T. R. A. (Town Road Account) money, of which the State contributes “four to one”, was used jointly with W. P. A. funds to construct a larger number of feet on Corn Hill road, than was possible with T. R. A. alone. Under Project No. 2010, Forest Fire Hazard, we have cleared all brush and branches from fallen timber, 50 feet back from edge of road, along 16,972 feet of highways.

We have also cleared 934 acres of land, covering areas extending 200 feet around road side stands and other areas subject to public travel. This project commenced Nov. 11, 1938 and to Jan. 31, 1939, had a payroll of $4,766.00 of which no contribution was required from the town. Under Project No. 1755, known as Parks and Playgrounds, the S. O. S. club sponsored and supervised, with no expense to town, from July 24 to November 8, 1938, a W. P. A. project with a payroll from W. P. A. amounting to $2,518.00. Work consisted of cleaning up park and construction of Tennis Court.
During the tornado, the timber on the town lot was blown down and in salvaging, about $1,300.00 was spent. The cost was minimized by the low bidding for mill operation and logging. The cutting and loading was done with W. P. A. labor, bringing the net cost of putting the lumber on the sticks to $6.25 per thousand feet. About 200,000 feet were salvaged. We estimate to realize a net income from the sale of the lumber of about $3,500.00 and recommend that it be applied to our town debt. Had we paid in cash for chopping and loading this lumber, it would have equaled a large proportion of the town’s money spent for W. P. A. projects for the entire year.

The securing of W. P. A. projects was in the hands of your town officers, also when and where it was to be applied, but the regulations were stipulated, and whereas some things might seem to some of us, as unnecessary and expensive, failure to comply meant withdrawal of funds and abandonment of project.

Respectfully submitted,
CLYDE G. FAIRBANKS,
HOWARD L. HOLMES,
GEORGE C. SUMNER,
Selectmen of Boscawen.