The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-27

accounts are open to inspection, and the
selectmen, or anyone else, can, it they
wish, go over to West Rutland, examine
them for themselves and "foot up the
amoun,s"-he cannot and will not do 1t.
We may say that, upon the face of 1t,
this is an admission that the amount ex-
pended by him Is fully up to the mark
placed by us-over ten thousand dollars In
less than Ave months-an1 that, even In
his opinion, the amount expended has been
outrageously in excess of what 1t should
be, and can only be accounted for on the
ground that there has been in the manage
ment either reckless extravaganza, gross
incompetency or an utter Disregard of law.
They " would place him in bad light,
he say, unless explained. But how does
he attempt to explain his extraordinary ex
pendtures of the public money, while re-
fusDg to disclose to the proper authorities
how much money he has expended, how
much he has involved the town in debt lie
says that he has expended one thousand
dollars or more in the purchase of stock
that he has made large expenditures in re-
pairing and improving the poor-houso and
farm; that he has paid bills incurred by
the former overseer Of the poor; and
that the expenses for "tramps have been
heavy. All this he states-and this is the
substance of his whole explanation-while
refusing to give tho aggregate amount OF
| all the orders, or the amount expended on
any one class of accounts, except approx
mately the amount expended for the pur-
| chase Of stock.
We propose to examine this matter
| little in detail. He has expended one thou
sand dollars in the purchase of stock
Oxen, hogs ten cows, a horse, ETC., have
| been purchased What right has the over
seer OF the poor to expend the towns money
ia ,his way q? 1t is the duty of the over
seer to "relieve, support and employ the
needy poor, not to stock fancy farm. If
| the town of Rutland wish to indulge in
| fancy farming, ii they wish to purchase
stock by the thousands OF dollars, the vot-
ers will probably give directions to carry
OUT that wish. Without such direction,
the overseer of the poor, or any other on
Ger, has no right or power to spend the
towns money, or pledge its credit, for such
purposes. If stock was necessary, and
there WIS any powerto purchase 1t withou,
a vote of the town, if there is any discre-
| ir m p,at thot apd Aiccra
ton is lodged in the seectmen, not in the
overseer, and we much question whether
there is any obligation on the part of the
town to pay orders drawn by the overseer
for such purposes, whether the treasurer
has any legal right to pay orders 80 drawn.
| He has made, he says, large expendi-
lures in improving and repairing the poor
house ard farm--he has, he says, carried
out what was commenced by the former
overseer. What business had he to do it ?
Who gave him authority? Let US see how
former overseers of the poor, former Sc
lectmen, and the voters and tax payers of
the town have regarded this matter. Al
the annual town meeting in 1875, the qles-
| lion Of town farm was considered, and
the selectmen were instructed to ascertain
and recommend a site stating the cost Of the
same, ciM the necessary improvements.
At an adjourned meeting held in April, a
committee was appointed, to act in connec-
lion with the overseer of the poor and thu
,electmcn, to make provision for the poor
If this town by the sale OF the then farm
improvements in the buildings thereon, OF
the purchase of new farm, "but not t.
"e1ceed fire thousand dollars in cost to III,
tOlon' over the amount for which the ole
farm shou d be cold. The old farm wa
sold, new one purchased and, we quote
rom the report, 'there was expended
thereon in repairs and additions and i'm
provements, including furniture, to tn
'amount of S2,5OS 52'-exceedng tb,
appropriation by twelve hundred dollars.
The appropriation was exceeded by
welve hundred dollars, but the ielectmen
verseer of the poor, committee and tn
own itself thought that the new farm wa
| W ldIRG, anu ~ tuc tONn, vi tuo lCtOlI
nendation of the others, voted to sci
. eighty acres thereof. Now what does thu
present overseer of the poor do e? He set
|, Up his judgment against that of his prede
cessor, the seleclmen, the committee ant
he town itself, and thinks the new farm
90 small, 60 he takes q lease Of additions
an' paying the then leseee-who has nj
urlher Use for the land and desired to &c
I off from his hands-tty dollars NOR
han the rent he was required TO pay
Vas not the leasing of this land illegal
Was not the paying of this fifty dollar
Iddi,i nal rent gross incompetency o
: reckless extravaganza, or an utter disre
ard of lawp Is the town bound to pa,
,uy bills so incurred ? Can the treasure
! his rent
But what business had he TO make ad
itional improvements Who gave hin
uhority 80 to do? He says that III
Rutland poor house toM compare .Japora6l
, 10Th any public house in Vermont. Is tn
own oil Rutland 30 rich, does il find it 8
difficult to spend its vast resources, is it 8
essy to raise taxes, are our citizens sue
siling taxpayers, that we desire 10 lodg
md feed our paupers in first class hotels
md after the manner of those wealthy pei
! 'ons from the city who seek recreation an
/ pleasure in our luxurious Vermont sum
ner hotels2 Can we afford to keep on
O )aupers In better houses than we our
'elyes live inf Will the taxpayers O
D Rutland cheer fully consent to this imposl
t ton Yet such is the manner of poo
= house that our very compclent and human
2 'verseer is providing for our pauprs, an