Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-06

satlslactorlly explained, showing great irregu
larlties, to say the least, in the manner il
which the accounts of the farm have beer
kept.
Successive city governments have been Law
lsn IN their expenditures to promote the use.
iulness OF this department. The buildings
have been made models of their kind. and fo,
the purposes for which they are designed
Labor is always cheap and abundant; stock.
tools and manure are to be had for the asking
and the hauling. During the last ten years
many of the greatest discoveries in agricul
tural science and in mechanical art, have been
applied to lessen the labor and increase the
productiveness of agricultural industry. Yet
can lind no evidence to sustain the common
| assertion, that our city farm has at all i'm.
proved in fertility or productiveness, during
that period. On the contrary, it has not kept
pace with the farms of our progressive and in
telligent farmers.
The number of persons supported at the
almshouse has not materially changed for
many years. In 1853 the average number was
80; in 1860, 81; in 1861, SO; and in 1862,
". 1t is fair to suppose that under every ad-
ministration the overseers have not permitted
any of the products of the farm to be sold that
could be advantageously consumed upon the
premises, and that the home consumption has
been, therefore, nearly uniform. The best
evidence of the productiveness of the farm,
then, will be found in the cash sales of its an
nual surplus products. In 1858, during the
administration of Mr.. Knowlton, and under
the management of Mr.. Harrington, their
cash sales amounted to 1928 3d. In 1857 the
first year after Mr. Drury took the firm, they
were 1856 II. Four years after, in 1861.
they were but $346 92 and in 1862 thew
have only been 1888 3S.
The neatness and general appearance of
the farm is highly creditable to the superin-
tendent and the city.
The expenditures on account of the aims house and
farm during the year, have BEEN. 100 IS
lash receipts. ......................... 759 IS
IT, Net cost. .s2,s5O 81
Inc general expenditures OH account of the
poor not connected with the aims house
- ha.s peen.'..'. S6,SSS 10
Receipts from various sources. .......... 1880 OF
~, Net expense. .......................s45 10
The appropriation for the department was 900 90
hecelpts from all other sources. 3l20 So
Total resources. .....................sl 100 IS
Total expenditures. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1897 95
Unexpended balance. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 2l22 60
The whole number of persons who have
received assistance during the year is 1908,
OF whom 1913 were outside, and 65 in the city
aims house.
The amount of food, fuel, clothing, medi-
cines, &C., distributed among these 1913 appli-
cants for relief, has been at its money value.
$500 81, making an average of 81, 68 to each
individual The other, and necessarily much
the larger part of the expenditure in this de-
partment, was for the support of the aims
house with its sixty-fiye inmates, for the sup
port Of patients in the hospital, for salaries,
transportation and burial of paupers, and
various other items Of less Importance ANY
change which shall make the amshouse and
farm self-sustaining, and thus leave more of
our charity to be directly applied to the relief
OF those, who, needing aid, are yet not so I'M
fortunate as to be compelled to rely wholly
on the public forsupport, will be a real reform.
mere mas been paid during the year, and
charged to the current expenses, the sum Of
81 ,099 for the support of paupers in the state
lunatic hospital, covering charges dating back
as far as May, 1859, and through the interven-
ing years.
There is still demand against the city for
1924, Is due to the state reform school.
HOPE CEMETERY.
During the last year, forty-fourl lots in Hope
cemetery have been sold for the sum of $597.
The receipts from the sales of these lots have
been annually paid into the city Treasury,
".
will not fall much short of the total appropria-
tons by the city for the purchase and prepare
ton of these grounds. The debt created on
account Of the cemetery, if it has been con-
sidered such, is now about iquidated. As it
is neither expected nor desired that this prop
erty should be made source of income to the
city, would venture to suggest that the usual
annual appropriation for this object be omit
ted, that the present lot account with the
treasury be closed. and that bencefortb tbe
proceeds from the sale of these lots be created
into fund 70 no exnended under nroner linn
itations. by the commissioners for the mainte-
nance and establishment of this consecratcd
spot.
THE POLICE.
The reorganization of the police is of ne
cessitv the most delicate and most difficult
duty of the executive branch of the govern
ment. II can never pertorm satisfactorily the
duties reouirod of il while it is regarded as the
nrize of the successful marty in our local cleo
lions. To he more useful and efficient the no.
lice must he a more permanent bod. and to
no moro nermanent II must he so constituted
as To command the general confidence of the
nnbI;c in The character md motives If those
" ~ ~,
VINO compose. IL. win rare exceptions OF
80 ~ ss;, o.,.o"'ioI H. ,,,,oaso,.,,
ehSe' anu liai'inS, are SoPeSiaiy neoe9S"iJ
BILE police officer. If my course at the outset
snaii seem IN measure 10 cohtraact tnese
principles, IL is because the pracuce OF tne
past has left me so little foundation to build
upon. The sympathy of all right minds be-
longs to, and should always be with, the Off
GERS OF the law, anu UOL WIFI JUS LTaHSBrCSSOTS.