SOLDIERS’ RELIEF DEPARTMENT. JoBN E. GILMAN, Soldiers’ Relief Commissioner. Appointed annually. Salary, $3,500. The Soldiers' Relief Department was created as a department of the City of Boston by Chapter 441 of the Acts of 1897, and is under the charge of a commissioner, who is appointed by the Mayor. He exercises all powers and duties for the distribution of State and City aid to soldiers in the City of Boston, such as were formerly vested in the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, by certain acts of the Legislature of previous years. The Board of Aldermen determine the amount of relief in individual cases. STATISTICS DEPARTMENT. STATISTICS TRUSTEES. LAURENCE MINOT, Chairman. EDWARD M. HARTWELL, Secretary. This department is in charge of a board of six members, one of whom shall be the City Engineer, ea officio, whose duty it is to collect, compile and publish such statistics relating to the City of Boston and such other statistics of other cities, for purposes of comparison, as they may deem of public importance. The department publishes Special Publications from time to time and also a Monthly Bulletin of municipal statistics. The MUNICIPAL REGISTER is compiled by the department. STREET DEPARTMENT. JAMES H. DOYLE, Superintendent of Streets. Appointed annually. Salary, $5,000. By Ordinance, approved February 14, 1906, repealing Chapter 38 of the Revised Ordinances of 1898, the Superintendent of Streets was given charge of the construction of all streets, with discretionary power as to the grades, materials and other particulars concerned in the construction of streets and sidewalks, and through a Deputy Superintendent, to be appointed by the Mayor, of the care, maintenance and management of the Ferries owned by the City. The Superintendent of Streets is authorized to regulate the numbering of buildings and to issue permits for various purposes, e.g. : opening, occupying and obstructing the streets, laying water pipes and erecting lamps. He is required to issue permits to persons authorized by the Board of Aldermen to place vaults and coal holes under the streets ; to move buildings through the streets ; to lay railway tracks in the streets, or wires or conduits under the streets; or to erect poles for the support of wires. He is also required to perform all the duties prescribed by Statute for the Superintendent of Streets. FERRY DIVISION. The Deputy Superintendent of this division is especially charged with the care and management of the ferries owned by the City ; makes necessary repairs on all ferry-boats, slips, drops, tanks and buildings used for ferry purposes, and pays all moneys received from tolls and other sources to the City Collector. STREET CLEANING AND WATERING DEPARTMENT. The Superintendent of this department is charged with keeping the streets clean and in wholesome condition, keeping all sidewalks in front of City buildings free from snow and ice; with the watering of streets, squares and public ways, and with the care and maintenance of the City teams and stables and of all appliances and apparatus used in connection with the cleaning and watering of streets. STREET LAYING—OUT DEPARTMENT. [R. L., Chap. 48, §§ 88–90; Stat. 1870, Chap. 337; Stat. 1888, Chap. 397; Stat. 1891, Chap. 323; Stat. 1895, Chap. 449, § 23; Stat. 1896, Chap. 204; Rev. Ord. 1898, Chap. 39.] BOARD OF STREET COMMISSIONERS. SALEM D. CHARLEs, Chairman. COMMISSIONERS. WILLIAM E. HANNAN. Term ends in 1909. Salary, $4,000. SALEM D. CHARLEs. Term ends in 1908. Salary, $4,500. JAMEs A. GALLIVAN. Term ends in 1907. Salary, $4,000. The Street Laying-Out Department is under the charge of the Board of Street Commissioners. One member of the board is chosen by popular vote at the annual municipal election to serve for a term of three years from the first Monday in January. By Section 23, Chapter 449, Acts of 1895, the duties and powers of the Board of Survey were transferred to the Board of Street Commissioners. SUPPLY DEPARTMENT. [Ord. 1906, Chaps. 1 and 3.] MICHAEL J. MITCHELL, Superintendent of Supplies. Salary, $3,000. It is the duty of the Superintendent of Supplies to supply all the material, apparatus and other supplies required for the special use of the Street, Bridge, Sanitary, Sewer and Street Cleaning and Watering Departments; and such material for other departments of the City as may be asked for by requisition signed by the head of such department. Furniture and stationery are not included in the supplies furnished by the Superintendent of Supplies. TREASURY DEPARTMENT. [Rev. Ord. 1898, Chap. 40.] CHARLEs H. SLATTERY, City Treasurer. Appointed annually. Salary, $6,000. The City Treasurer has the care and custody of the current funds of the City, of all moneys, properties, and securities placed in his charge by any statute or ordinance, or by any gift, devise, bequest, or deposit; he pays all drafts and all checks and other orders directed to him from the Auditing Department for the payment of bills and demands against the City; he pays all executions against the City when duly certified as correct by an officer of the Law Department, even if the appropriation to which the execution is chargeable is not sufficient. He pays the principal and interest of the City debt, as the same becomes due, and has charge of the issue, transfer, and registration of the City debt. He receives and invests all trust funds of the City, and holds the income thereof subject to expenditure for the purposes designated in the gift. He disposes of the balance remaining at the end of each financial year as the City Council may direct. The City Treasurer is also County Treasurer and Treasurer of the Sinking-Funds Commissioners. (See pp. 101 and 87 respectively.) The Treasurer publishes reports yearly. Since 1882 he has published monthly statements. WESSELS AND BALLAST DEPARTMENT. Office, 175 Commercial street. [R. L., Chap. 66, §§ 8–16; Rev. Ord. 1898, Chap. 41.] EDWARD HUGHES, Chief Weigher. JAMEs J. NEvil LE, Weigher. Appointed annually. This department is under the charge of the Weighers of Wessels and Ballast, two in number, one of whom is designated by the Mayor as chief. They receive the fees, after payment of expenses, as compensation for their services. WATER DEPARTMENT. WILLIAM J. WELCH, Water Commissioner. Term ends in 1907. Salary, The first water document published by the City of Boston appeared in 1825. The public introduction of water from Lake Cochituate took place on October 25, 1848. The history of the Boston Water Works up to January 1, 1868, has been written by Nathaniel J. Bradlee; from 1868 to 1876, by Desmond FitzGerald; of the “Additional Supply from Sudbury River,” by A. Fteley. In addition to the annual reports on the Cochituate supply, from 1850, and of the Mystic supply, from 1866, there are numerous special reports. By Chapter 449, Acts of 1895, the Boston Water Board, the Water Income Department, and the Water Registrar were abolished, and the Water Department created, a single commissioner being intrusted with all the powers previously exercised by the Boston Water Board and the Boston Water Registrar. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES DEPARTMENT. Office, basement of Old Court House, Court square. [R. L., Chap. 62, § 18; Stat. 1882, Chap. 42; Rev. Ord. 1898, Chap. 43.] HENRY B. LovERING, Sealer. Appointed annually. Salary, $3,000 per annum. MAN ASSEH E. BRADLEY, JEREMIAH. J. CROWLEY, TIMOTHY W. CROWLEY, DANIEL J. MOYNIHAN, JR., JEREMIAH BROSNAHAN, HUGH J. QUINN, JOHN E. ANSELL, JAMES A. SWEENEY, JAMES J. SWEENEY, CHARLEs E. WALSH, Deputy Sealers. Appointed annually. Salaries, $1,600 each per annum. This department is under the charge of the Sealer. The Sealer and Deputy Sealers are appointed also to seize illegal charcoal measures. (R. L., Chap. 57, § 93.) The standards in use are supplied by the Commonwealth, and are determined by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D.C. The office was authorized by the statute of February 26, 1800. Annual reports have been published since 1868. WIRE DEPARTMENT. Office, 11 Wareham street. [Stat. 1890, Chap. 404; Stat. 1894, Chap. 454; Stat. 1895, Chap. 228; Stat. 1898, Chap. 249; Stat. 1898, Chap. 268; Rev. Ord. 1898, Chap. 44.] PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Commissioner of Wires. Term ends in 1909. Salary, $5,000. The office of Commissioner of Wires was established August 4, 1894. The department issues annual reports; the first was issued February 1, 1895. The duties of the Commissioner of Wires are as follows: To have all unexempted electric wires, cables, and conductors in the City north of Dover and Berkeley streets, and between the Charles river, the harbor and Fort Point channel, placed, maintained, and operated underground, and to remove all unexempted poles and structures in the streets within the above-named district; to supervise and inspect all wires, cables, and conductors, whether underground or overhead; to designate the distances between overhead electric wires, cables, and conductors; to regulate the direction in which such wires, cables, or conductors shall be run, and the keeping and maintenance of all structures, especially those placed upon any roof, for the support of electric wires or cables in a safe and satisfactory condition, and to prevent, abate, or remove any electrical danger; to decide upon requests for exemption of wires and cables from going underground, and of poles, sup |