Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-04-19
QUESTION OF eENEFIcIARIEs.
Claim That the Benefits Of the Thompson
viii Fund Are Not Being Extended as
Widely as Testator Intended.

After debating the subject some time.
the BrattlebOTo Society Of Seamstresses,
Needlewomen and Shop Girls has engaged
Haskins q Schwenk to take such meas
ures as may seem best for securing a
proper observance OF the rights Of the
beneficiaries under the will of Thomas
Thompson, which bcqueath the income of
an estate which now amounts to upwards
of a million and a quarter of dollars to
the above named classes in Brattleboro
and Rhinebeck, n. y. Congressman Kit
redge Haskns has taken up the case in
earnest. To a Herald representative yes
terday Col Haskins said the girls employ
ing him had no disposition to overthrow
the decree of the Supreme court of Mas
sachusetts, in which state the will was
probated. but that they simply sought to
secure the benefits Of the will to all those
for whom 1t was intended. He is con-
WINGED that the benefits of the estate are
not being extended as widely as the tes
tator intended, and that many young
women such the testator had in mind
are being excluded without right from
the list of those whom the trustees have
classed as beneficiaries
The income of the estate was TO be
divided equally between the towns of
Brattleboro and Rhinebeck, to be applied
for or towards the relief and support of
poor seamstresses, needlewomen and shop
girls who may be in need of temporary
help from want of employment, sickness
or misfortune" and il was also provided
| that If the whole income was not need
! ed for the purpose named, the trustees
/ should apply the surplus 10 such kindred
| charitable purposes in Brattleboro, Rhine
! beck or elsewhere as the trustees might
determine The will was contested by
| heirs but compromise agreement was
! reached whereby the heirs received a stp-
| ulated sum and the balance was made
| available for the purpose named in the
| win. But the income was not divided
! equally between the towns of Brattleboro
| and Rhinebeck. A decree of the court gave
Brattleboro o-thirds of the income and
! Rhinebeck one-thrd, 1t appearing that
| there was greater need of the money in
| Brattleboro than in Rhinebeck. The de-
cree also allowed the erection of a hos
pital and the maintenance of free kim
dergarten. Brattleboros share of the in
come under the decree amounts to from
$27 900 to $4,000 a year.
| The hospital has been built and the
| kindergarten has been established, but
the girls find no fault with that. In pre-
pairing a list of benfciaties the trustees.
Laurence Minot and Richards Bradley of
| Boston, excluded the sttchers in the over
| all factories, not classifying them as
| seamstresses needlewomen or shop girls.
| They made a distinction between a hand
stitcher and a power stitcher, likewise
between a factory girl and shop girl.
! II now appears nOWtNNlt mat bClOiN TIC
decree of the Massachusetts Supreme
court was issued the attorney general OF
the state of New York sent a representa-
tive to Brattleboro and this representa-
tive was taken to the overall factories in
order that he might get an idea of the
number of benefciaries Of the will in
Brattleboro. Being impressed with the
idea that this town needed a larger share
of the income of the fund, wholly through
his visit to the factories, he consented &c
the division on the basis which was finally
made.
The trustees some time ago published G
notice that no additions would be made
to the list of benehciaries. AS bearing
upon the question of whether the trustees
are carrying out the wish of Thomas
Thompson, Congressman Haskins called
the attention of the Herald representative
to a section of the will which shows {
spirit not at all in accord with the spiri
! manifested by Mr.. Thompson. IL reads
I'm order that the attention Of the per
sons to be benefited may be called t
this source OF relief direct my trustees