The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-02-09
THE COUNTY POOR HOUSE.

county, recently introduced into the House OF
Representatives at Harrisburg
AN ACT,
To erect into and constitute the district Of The
| poor Of the township of Bloom in the Coun-
yV Columbia, the poor district of Cbium-
5id county.
SECTION |. Be IL enacted, de-,
That the district of the poor of the town
ship Of Bloom, in the County of Columbia,
be and the same is hereby erected into and
constituted the poor district of Columbia
county, and shall be body polite and corpo-
ration in law, forever, to all intents and pur-
poses whatsoever, relative to the poor of said
county, and shall have perpetual success
sion, and may sue and be sued, plead and be
impleaded, by the name, style and title of
the directors of the poor of Columbia coun-
| ty," and by that name shall and may receive,
take and hold any lands, tenements and here
ditaments, not exceeding the yearly value of
six thousand dollars, and any goods or chat
tels by the gift, alienation or bequest Of any
person or persons whomsoever, for the bene-
fit of the poor of said district, to take and
hold any lands and tenements within said
county, in fee simple or otherwise, as may be
donated to said district by deed or otherwise,
aud dispose of the same as deemed conducive
to the comforts of the inmates; to provide all
things necessary for the lodging, maintenance
aud employment of said poor to repair and
keep in proper condition such buildings as are
now erected upon the lands of the said dis
trct Of the poor of the township of Bloom ;
to erect and keep in proper condition such ad-
ditisnal buildings as may be deemed necessa-
ry Tor the reception, use, accommodation and
employment of the poor of said county. And
| hn harab ab,,a raI IN
use one common seal in all business relating
to said corp p'ration, and the same at their
| pleasure to alter AMI renew.
| SECTION 2. That the present directors of
| the poor Of the township Of Bloom aforesaid,
shall continue fin office during their present
term and shall act as directors OF the poor of
| Columbia county until the expiration of their
present term of office, or until their success
sors are duly chosen and qualified that at
the next general election the qualified electors
of said county shall elect three persons to be
directors of the poor for said poor district of
| Columbia county, whose term of service shall
commence on the first day of January next
following their election and continue three
years.
SECTION 8. In all elections of said direc-
| tors, whether for regular terms or to fill va
cancies, each voter may distribute his votes to
may bestow them all upon one candidate, and
| when three directors are to be chosen he may
| give one vote and half to each Of two candi-
dates. In all cases the candidates high
est in number Of votes shall be chosen. Re
| turns of election in the several election dis
| tricts shall be made to the court of quarter
sessions Of the peace Of Columbia county, as
| in the case of the election of township Off
GERS, and the clerk of said court shall, within
ten days after an election, add up the several
returns filed in his office, ascertain the result
Of the election and transmit written notices
of their election to the persons who shall ap-
pear to be chosen the said clerk, for his ser
vices so performed, shall receive the sum of
one dollar for each Of the persons elected, to
| be paid by the said directors and to be charg.
ed among the expenditures of the district
Provided, That, whenever u single vacancy
shall occur or exist in said board Of directors,
| the court of quarter sessions of the peace of
Columbia county shall fill the same for the
whole remaining part of the unexpired term
in question, by appointing some fit and COM
petcnt person from among the electors of said
| poor district who shall have voted for the di-
rector whose place is to be filled.
SECTION 4. That the said directors shall be-
| fore entering upon the duties of their office,
be duly sworn or affirmed to faithfully dis
| charge the duties Of said Office, and in the
month of January in each year, the directors,
or majority of them, shall appoint treasurer,
a collector or collectors of poor taxes, q stew
| ard, physician, and such other assistants as
they shall deem necessary, none Of whom shall
be directors of poor district, to serve for one
year and until their successors are appointed
and duly qualified; the said treasurer and
collector or collectors, to give bonds with
g., &ho ga II
performance of their respective duties, in
such sum as the directors may require, and
the bond Of said treasurer SHALL before the
treasurer enters upon the duties of his Office
be approved Of by the president judge of the
court OF quarter sessions of Columbia county,
both as to amount and sureties. Any of said
| officers or assistants may be removed by said
directors for neglect Of duty, or for improper
conduct n Office, and the vacancies, as well as
all other vacancies which shall otherwise oc-
cur, to be.filled by them.
SECTION 5. That the said directors, any
two Of whom shall constitute a quorum for
the transaction of business, shall have power
annually, as soon after the returns of the an
nual assessments in said county as is practical
bic, to lay rate or assessment Of tax, not
exceeding five mills on the dollar in any one
year, upon all real and personal estates within
| chasing additional real estate for said poor
district, if deemed necessary, and for erecting
and keeping in repair such additional build
ings as may be needed, and for maintaining
the poor of said district, which shall be the
same rate per centum in each borough and
| township, after the indebtedness of such bor-
ough and township is equalized as hereinaf-
| ter provided, and said tax shall be levied upop
the basis Of the last adjusted valuation made
| for regulating county rates. and levies, and
shall have caused fair duplicates of such rate
| or assessment by them laid to be made, which
shall be signed by them, and shall issue their
warrant to the collector or collectors of such
tax, therein authorizing and requiring him or
them to demand, receive and collect from ev-
cry person therein named, the sum wherewith
such person stands charged, in the manner and
by the same process AS poor taxes are
now by law collectablc and the said directors
| shall exercise and perform all the powers and
duties which overseers OF the poor may and
are now required to exercise and perform, in
the. said county of Columbia, except so far as
such acts, duties and powers are herein ex-
pressly prescribed and limited.
SECTION G. That the said directors are
hereby authorized to provide work and EN-
ploymsnt for such poor persons as may be
able to perform any labor or pursue any en-
ployment, and if any poor person, unless by
reason of age, infancy, disease, inirmity, or
other disability, shall refuse to perform such
reasonable labor or service as shall be allotted
to or required OF him or her by said directors,
! suoh person or persons shall not be entitled
| to or receive any relief or assistance during
such refusal, and shall Immediately upon
such refusal be discharged from said poor
house that said directors are further author
lied to bind out apprentices so that such APP
premiership may expire, if males, at or be-
fore the age of twenty-one, if females at or
before the age of eighteen years. Provided,
That no child shall be bound out for lon ger
time than until he or she arrives at the age
of eighteen years, unless he or she be bound
out to a trade other than that of a farmer.
Propided also, That no child be apprenticed