The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-02-07
AN INVESTIGATION
OF POOR ACCOUNTS
HAS BEEN ORDERED

| SAID Unat DlliS already incurred would
require about $400 He further stated
that Montpelier's poor bill had just been
made public. Her expenses for the year
were little under $4,000, but it must
be remembered that she pays $1,000 a
year to Heaton hospital and has the
use of five beds, which are nearly al
ways filed. BY good right this should
be added to the expenses of Montpel-
ier's poor department. Montpelier has
the best poor house, Barre the poorest,
/ in the state. He courted the closest
inspection OF his accounts.
Alderman Albiestti thought it funny
so many were critieising the poor de-
partment You don't hear so much crit
ieism of the money spent on streets
or on the water system. These people
would take the bread out Of the poor
peoples mouths. He thought it damn
shame
Mayor Barclay said no one objected
to helping the poor, but what the people
/ did object to was helping those who do
I not deserve help.
/ Mr.. Smith said he wished to challenge
that statement, and the mayor to name
any unworthy person who had been
/ helped.
Later in the session, the mayor did
/ name two, Woolhouse and Venner, whom
he said Ind been aided Smith had
Z given assistance to Woolhouse, and the
latter only a few days later came into
/ city court and paid a fine Of S29 for
/ being drunk. Assistance shouldn't be
given to such persons.
A warrant for 1925 in favor Of the
overseer of the poor was ordered paid.
The following communication from
Overseer Of the Poor G. a. Smith was
read:
Gentlemen: In consideration Of
the statements and insinuations
contained in the auditors report
respecting any work III the Office
Of oyerseer Of poor and as city
assessor / respectfully request that
you viii direct an investigation
which may determine the facts and
the means OF fairness and justice
shown in these statements.
&C. A. Smith
The city clerk had no more than
concluded the reading Of the communi.
cation, when Alderman Robins offered
the following resolution, which was
unanimously adopted:
Whereas, it appears by the re-
cent report Of the city auditors
that the accounts Of the overseer
Of the poor have not been properly
kept, and that some Of his accounts
have not been properly Youched for,
and that some Of his expenditures
| have been extrayagant; and where
| as, the report OF the charity com
/ u a. - - D..A
| ober to investigate the methods of
the overseer does not seem to have
been founded on facts. Therefore,
be 1t resolved that the mayor be
instructed to appoint special com
mittee of three to make thor
ough investigation Of all expendi-
| lures and all matters connected with
the support of the poor for the
| last nine months, and report to
the city council their findings as
soon as possible. Said committee
/ to be composed of men not mem
bers Of the city council"
The resolution was adopted without
debate.
/ John y. Cassalini addressed the coun-
Gil in regard to the case of Mrs. Rosa
Maneastroppa, about whom stories were
being circulated on the street and which
he said had been criticised by the au-
| ditors. He said she was IN a pitiful
condition from inaammatory rheuma-
tism, and that she received but $3.50
! month from the city for her rent. He
said bis wife was sick and a great ex-
pense to him and he could not care for
Mrs MancastToppa himself.
| Unlsi..a eIsr1 oltos4 thn ffrada rf ctraQf
\ oil that had been furnished for her, and
what had been paid for It, but the price
was not stated,
| Auditor 0. j. +. Mathews, who was
present, said the auditors did not criti-
else any particular case. but Mr. Smiths
laccounts were criticised.
Mr.. Smith said just word Of ex-
planation was needed regarding the
statement OF the auditors about the
assessors. He said they had been au-
thOrized by the city council to employ
/ extra clerks in 1908, and IN 1904 were
told hy the council they did not need
4 that authority to do it. He said ii
was true S4l2 had been added to the
grand list otter the regular work OF the
assessors closed, but only the assessors
could make those additions He ad
E UlttLtU iiolt lllAotStktS5 af1Q OttU IDA0t
+ in the past two years than should have
been. He referred to his holding two
offices, saying Il was by vote Of the
people and the courtesy Of the city
council, and he cited other places where
such was the case. He said IL was
true he had charged full time as asses
sor for April and May, but If he lost
any time, he made il up. He put in
CROUCH extra hours to make up the
time lost doing the work Of oyerseer
81 tho poor. Mr.. Smith declared the
4 motive back Of the TRADE Of the audi
tors was purely personal, and if the
council cared to brook the implied in
suit to them in this report, he had moth
ing to say 1t was good stuff for a
newspaper story, but printed in the city
report 1t is part Of your history as
q city council.
DR.. j. w. jackson called the attention
Of the council to the meeting of the
state tuberculosis commission Thursday
evening in the opera house
1t was voted to instruct the ianitof
to open the front doors To the city
building few minutes before 10 o'clock
on Sunday mornings
A petition for q street light on Pros
pect street near Mrs. Beattie's was re-
ferred to the lighting committee with