Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-01-11
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.

~
v Augusta, held at the Courthouse OF said county,
on Monday, the 9th day of December 1852
The Committee heretofore appointed to investigate
affairs connected with the administration of the Poor
! Fund, this day made their report in the words and
| figures following, to wit
To the County Court of Augusta.
1u obedience to an order of your Worshipful Court
appointing them to investigate matters at the Poor
house, and other affairs connected with the admins.
traton of the Poor Fund of this county, your Com
mittee beg leave to report
"That they have given the matter careful and very
| thorough inVestigauon-they have taken the fiscal
year ending June LIST, 1858, as fair average year,
and find that there was levied in june 1857, for the
support OF the poor. ................... $375000
Which has been paid out and disbursed as
follows
There are 65 persons listed as paupers who
are supported at their homes, for the
greater part of whom annual appropria-
TONS are made, amounting in the aggre-
, gaze 10 TIE sum of.............. $lSOO00
Paid District Physicians, ..... 10000
Pad Salary of Superintendent, .. $4,000
rad to Lawyer, Clerk and AGENT. 5000
Paid for expenses at Poor.house in
clothing, feeding, physicians bills,
medicines, furniture, &C., there
| being an average of As persona. 1889 Ak
Paid for incidental expenses put up.
| on house, for collins, burying dead,
bread, meat, nursing, &C., (occa.
| sionally, for persons, poor, but
To pay for overseer 20 in number)
for services per day, attending 8
regular meetings, at IS per day,
and for services In the country at
!: per day, say,................ $500
| To amount paid for spoutng, &C.,
| new building, which should have
| been paid out of county leyy,.... 2s.s2 S709.27
Excess of levy over expenses,...... s4O7s
This statement, of course, only approximates the
true state OF the case for there are accounts of the
former year which have doubtless been brought into
the year selected and accounts of the latter which
will be paid out of the levy for the succeeding year.
but they think may be relied on az fair exhibition
of the annual expenses.
There is not brought into this estimate the value
OF the of the crops raised on the farm which
under the contract with the Steward belongs to the
Oyerseers OF the Poor. The Steward has not been re-
CURED to keep, and has not kept an account of the
crops raised This item cannot however amount to
much as from the character Of the farm they believe
an annual rent OF $3.50 would be high
The steward receives for the services of hmselfand
wife salary OF $3.50, and tenant of the farm the
rds of the crops raised. supporting his own family
He also gets the grass, but in lieu furnishes the milk
and vegetables for the paupers.
The labor derived from the paupers is very incon-
siderable, hardly worth the trouble used in getting
them at IT. the greater portion of the inmates being
old crippled, idiotc Or young, and consequentyunf
From the statistics of their foregoing statement the
Court will perceive that
The listed paupers out OF the Poor.house cost per
heao, ............... $1,000
The paupers at the Poor house. for entire suDDort ex
Guiding salary and rent, cost per head 800 $2337
The paupers at the Poorhouse, including salary and
From which ae the Gonrt mus, coma n, ~:
that, considering the size of the county, the poverty
OF the farm ITSELF and the number of persons in want
of help, that the 0yerseers of the Poor have admins
tered the trust confded to them with economy, and
generally wisely and to have spent less, the county
might be charged with a want of charity and human
ity for Its suffering and needy poor.
The committee visited the Poor-house since their
appointment, and from thorough examination were
only confirmed in the opinion they had before enter
tanned, and as all unpreudiced persons, they believe
must entertain who enquire into the administration Of
its affairs, that there is no just ground of COM
plant at that point The Steward and his wife are
admirably adapted to their respective positions in
telhgent sober, honest and Industrious; attending
with parental to the wants and necessities Of the
paupers keeping them clean and comfortably cl ad;
seeing that their cottages in ORDER aud making
them behave themselves with propriety. And while
your Committee give this general endorsement to the
Steward and his wife, they desire to mention with
very special commendaon tic acife her place, they
fear, when vacated will be hard to dill they have no
doubt, from her watchfulness and her knowledge Of
diseases and their remedies, that money is saved to
the countryside Is maron, DOCTOR nurse and friend,
all combined
Your Committee recommend that the Board in their
next letting require the Steward to keep and report
the annual products of the farm. that they the
Court may inspect il whenever they may desire
/ Your Committee find from examination Of the
records that the annual levy for the support of the
poor for period of years past has ranged between
so and 90 cents per tithable:-that in 1919 it
was So cents, IN 1854 (onlyl II so cents. and is
now 50 centsthat the amount has fuctuated in pro-
portion the increase dninutlon Of the tithabes
than from any other cause; except that for the
years 1856 and 1856 the levy put down SO cents
per tithe making the aggregate sum for 1885, $3.50,
aud for 1856, SS000-and they are informed and be-
eve that the levy for these years reduced be-
low the requisite for the necessities of the parish
in consequence of the fact that there appeared be
large balance due from the late Sheriff, ST. H. McCue,
which they believed, when collected and added to the
levy, would be ample for the wants of the Board; but
it has turned out upon partial settlement and the al
owance by the Board of orders and credits which the
Sheriff entitled to, but had failed to produce at
his settlements, that the apparent deficit has been
almost entirely reduced and discharged, and the
result Of course is that the Board Of Overseers are
now somewhat in arrear; TO meet which, we'll as to
add something to putting the land in better plight
and do necessary repairs to the cottages, your
Committee recommend an increased levy at the next
June County Court. r-
Your Committee are satisfied that, generally, the
Board is composed ofintegent, faithful and trust
worthy gentlemen; actuated by selfish purposes,
but devOtng their time. when necessary to the duties
of their Offices. They found several matters the ad-
mnistration of the affairs which require in the opn.
ion of your Committee reform and chan ge-First the
importance of requiring at least annual settlements to
be made by each member of the Board. neglect of
this has resulted in the books showing considerable
balances against several Of them balances which, how
ever they say they reduce by Offsets and vouchers
not yet produced. Secondly, of requiring each men,
Der to keep book of hts transactions aud your Com
mittee having recommended these and several less
important matters the attention of the Board they
have to report that they have adopted and are carry
inp into operation the recommendations"
D. e(,t1. .lat,tf