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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SELECTMEN.
<br />Again that period of time which denotes a year has
<br />passed. Again, in obedience to the requirements of
<br />the town, we submit a statement of the administration
<br />of the affairs of the town, for the year ending January
<br />31st, 1878.
<br />Again, it is your privilege, and we hope you will
<br />consider it your duty, to scrutinize and carefully exam-
<br />ine the proceedings of those to whom you have con-
<br />fided and entrusted the duties, cares and responsibili-
<br />ties necessarily arising while managing the affairs of
<br />• the town in its several departments.
<br />Believing now as we did one year since, that the
<br />welfare and prosperity of the town is enhanced, to a
<br />considerable extent, by the knowledge the citizens have
<br />of, and the interest they manifest in the appropriations,
<br />and expenditures ; we therefore desire to give a correct
<br />and faithful exposition, not only of the current expenses,
<br />and general expenditures, but also of the various mat-
<br />ters in which the town, has been for the past few years,
<br />and is now involved and interested.
<br />By pursuing a different course in this respect, we
<br />should be disregarding and setting at naught, the many
<br />requests repeatedly expressed that this report should
<br />contain a thorough and minute account, so that every
<br />person in town, could have the opportunity of being
<br />acquainted with the condition of the many subjects in
<br />which the town is reluctantly or otherwise engaged,
<br />and can therefore be better enabled to form a more
<br />correct and judicious course to be pursued.
<br />Probably the three most prominent subjects in every
<br />town, which attract attention, and elicit the most in-
<br />quiry are the grade of the Schools, the condition of the
<br />Roads, and the state of the Treasury.
<br />The grade of our schools will be i'hade known by the
<br />report of the School Commitee.
<br />The condition of the roads in town, can be ascer-
<br />tained by an examination.
<br />As the Treasury of the town is made up principally
<br />from an annual demand upon your individual means,
<br />it would be somewhat remarkable if you did not mani-
<br />fest an interest in its disbursement.
<br />A town debt is an object not at all pleasant to con-
<br />template, unless it can yearly be reduced in its amount.
<br />Thinking it might not be wholly uninteresting to take a
<br />look back for a few years, at our own town debt, we
<br />append the amount of each year since 1867 :—March
<br />1st, 1867, $25,450 ; March 1st, 1868, $26,950; March
<br />1st, 1869, $30,800 ; March 1st, 1870, $28,400 ; March
<br />1st, 1871, $57,400; March ist, 1872, $58,400; March
<br />1st, 1873, $58,400 ; March 1st, 1874, $56,400 ; Feb.
<br />1st, 1875, $51,800 ; Feb. 1st, 1876, $64,800 ; Feb. 1st,
<br />1877, $59,800 ; Feb. 1st, 1878 ; $53,800.
<br />It can be seen by the foregoing statement, that the
<br />largest debt was Feb. 1st, 1876, the increase of the
<br />debt in that year was $13,000, $1o,000 of this sum was
<br />borrowed for the centennial celebration, which is to be
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