The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-28
THE SUPPORT OF RUTLANp,s POOR

THE SUPPORT OF RUTLAND's POOR.
II wo may judge from the statement ol
the overseer of the poor himself, the ugly
rumors which have been aflOat relative tr
his management are facts, not fancy. He
was called upon, Tuesday, by the town
treasurer, acting under directions of the
selectmer, and required to file with that
officer statement of the aggregate amour,
of the orders drawn by him thus far during
the year. This he utterly REUSED TO d.
His excuse was, that such statement
"would place him in bad light" unless
he should accompany the same by long
and detailed explanation. He, subsequent
ly, interviewed" us, and, in response to
our request for similar statement, made
like refusal. He says that he does not
know the aggregate amount of orders
drawn that nc has not kept Tie account
30 as to give it that he did not, and does
not, intend TO give il until he makes a final
report in February or March but that his
accounts are open to inspection, and the
selectmen, or anyone else, can, if they
wish, 20 over to West Rutland, examine
them for themselves and "foot up the
amounis"--hc cannot aud will not do it,
We may say that, upon the face of it,,
this is IN admission that the amount ex-
pended by him is fully up to the mark
placed by us--over ten thousand dollars in
less than FIVE months-and that, even in
his opinion, the amount expended has been
ourageously 10 excess of what it should
be, and can only be accounted for on the
ground that there has been in the manage
ment either reckless extravaganza, sfoss
inoompetency or an utter disregard OF law.
They " would place him in bad light"
he eay, unless explained. But how does
he attempt to explain his extraordinary eX
penditures of the public money, while re-
fusing to disclose to the proper authorities
how much money he has expended, how
much he has involved the town in debt He
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-house and
farm; that he has paid bills incurred by
the fo1mer 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-whle
refusing to give the 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 a
little in detail. lie has expended one thou
sand dollars in the purchase of stock I!
Oxen, hogs, ten cows, horse, ETC., have
been purchased What right has the over
seer OF the poor to expend the towns money
in this way ? 1t is the duty of the over
seer to 'reieve, support and employ" the
needy poor, not to stock fancy farm. If
the town of Rutland wish to Indulge in
fancy farming, if 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, er any other off,
Ger, has no right or power to spend the
towns money, or pledge its credit, for such
purposes. Ii stock was necessary, and
there was any powerto purchase it without
vote of the town, if there is any discre-
tiOn in the matter, that power and discre-
ton is lodged in the selectmen, not in the
overseer, and we much question whether
there is any obligation on the part of the
town 20 pay orders drawn by the overseer
for such purposes, whether the treasurer
has any legal right to pay orders SO drawn.
He has made, he says, large expendi-
lures in improving and repairing the poor
house and farm-he has, he says, carried
out what was commenced by the former
| overseer. What business had he to do it Z
| Who gave him authOrity2 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 ques-
| tion of Town farm was considered, and
the seleclmeu were instructed to ascertain
aud recommend site stating the cost Of hc
'same, 1SiM the necessary Improvements.
At an adjourned meeting held in April, &
committee was appointed, to act in connec
lion with the overseer of the poor and the
seectmen, TO mako provision for the pool
of this town by the sale of the then farm
improvements in the buildings thereon, oi
the purchase of new farm, "but not Il
"erceed .foe thousand dollars in cost TO N
" tOloR" over the amount for which the ole
farm should be sold. The old farm wal
sold, new one purchased and, we quote
from the report, "there was expended
thereon in repairs and additions and i'm
proyements, including furniture, to tn
amount of $2,50S exceeding tn
appropriation by twelve hundred dollars,
The appropriation was exceeded b.
twelve hundred dollars, but the selectmen
overseer of the poor, committee and tn
town itself thought that the new farm wa
too large, and so the town, on the recon
mendatlon of the others, voted to sci
! eighty acres thereof. Now what does th