The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-03-20
WHOSE MONEY Is IT.

In giving their "rcasons" for the
dismissal Of Mrs. Currier rs one OF
the local agents Of the Thompson
fund "for the relief and support OF
moor seamsiresses, needle women and
shop girls who may be in temporary
need from want of employment, sick
ness or misfortune the trustees give
notice 10 the benefciaries that they
have no right TO representation IN the
matter Of how this money shall be ex'
pended. The trustees are Of the opin-
ion that all applications for aid should
be investigated "by someone who is
their direct representative and owes
her position to them" In other words
they believe that the women 10 whom
this money was left should be obliged
to apply for help through one whose
Job depends upon her ability to view
matters as the trustees view them.
And anybody who has had anything to
do with the Thompson fund knows the
attitude of the trustees.
We wonder sometimes whether the
trustees ever stop to think whose mon
ey it is that they are handling. We
wonder if they ever stop to consider
what Thomas Thompson meant by the
phrase quoted in the foregoing para
graph. Or by his expressed wish that
the fund be used "for the immediate
relief of the suddenly needy whether
from casualty, imprudence or improvi
dence."
In view of the policy of procrastina
ton which the trustees seem to be
lieve is in line with the wishes OF the
testator; in view of their repeated at
tempts to avoid spending any OF the
fund g income in direct aid to benef
Charles by taking advantage OF any
technical loop-hole; in view Of then
recently expressed opinion that the
persons to whom Thomas Thompson
left this money should have nothing tt
say about its expenditure-we are go
ing to print again an extract from the
will, with no further comment thar
that given by the bold faced type:
And after the decease Of my sale
wife to apply the net income OF thu
trust fund, after making the deduc
tions aforesaid, for or toward the re
lief and support of poor seamstresses
needle women and shop girls who ma!
be in temporary need from want o.
employment, sickness or misfortune IL
the towns of Brattleboro, VT, ant
Rhinebeck, Duchess county, N. Y.
the amount being equally divided be
tween the two towns, and l direct ant
empower my said trustees to employ
from time to time such agents as the,
Judge best for the practical applica
ton of the income of the trust fund
whether town officials of said town
or corporations, associations or indi
viduals resident in said towns or else
where, it being my wish that sucl
agents shall be selected if practicable
as will serve gratuitously, and L EN-
power my said trustees, il the who'll
income appropriated to either one O.
the said towns is not needed for tn
relief of the class of persons allow
named in that town for one year, tt
apply the surplus to the relief of TIN
same class in the other town, if need
ed, and if not, to apply such surplus t.
such kindred charitable purposes il
said town or elsewhere, but not how
ever in the city Of Boston, as shall b.
determined by my said trustees or II
their discretion to be added to tn
capital, and it being my wish that tn
fund shall be for the immediate relic
of the suddenly needy whether iron
casualty, imprudence or improvidence
7 direct that there shall be as speed.
action taken upon all applications a
NAV be consistent with ascertalnln'
the realty of the alleged need OF as
sistance, and in order that the atten
ton of the persons to be benehtte'
NAV be called to this course OF relic
I direct my trustees to publish thre
times a year and in that newspape
which has the largest circulation
therein among the working classes tn
facts of the existence of this trus
fund. its object and the means to b.
taken to obtain relief from 1T and II
addition to take such measures Tor ex
tending the knowledge of it and IN
creasing it's usefulness as may seem t.
nv said trustees best.