The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-10-29
THOMPSON TRUSTEES
MAKE THEIR REPORT
For the Year Ending May 10,
1909.
NEARLY 1000 EXPENDED HERE
OF This Amount $16,5O0 Went Toward
the Support of the Memorial Hospital,
While the Amount Used in Direct Aid
Was Less Than $500.

The work Of the Thompson Trust has
been hindered during the past years by
many irresponsible statements by outside
parties as to what the trust was or was
not doing. The trustees have often been
reported as helping persons, whom they
were not helping, or as not helping those
who were being helped.
Moreover, while the great majority of
cases have been settled quietly and with
out question, public attention has often
been held by limited number of cases,
| from some of which there has been much
misrepresentation and abuse Of our agent
This has usually originated with persons
who have failed to get what money they
wished, or from others who have failed
to get it in the form of an absolute gift,
owing to there being either property or
earning capacity in the family.
The real permanent injury from this
misrepresentation comes not to the trus-
tees or their agent, but to the community
and to those for whose benefit the trust
was intended. Where such, statements
are thoughtlessly circulated, and are con-
sequently believed by people. who might
help the trust in it's work, or to whom the
trust might otherwise be of help, much
unnecessary trouble and suffering result.
We therefore ask those who really wish
to know what the trust can and will do,
to find out, if possible, at first hand from
the trustees or their agents, and at any
rate not to base their opinions entirely on
information coming from sources that are
necessarily prejudiced and are sometimes
either mistaken or irresponsible.
This request to find out directly and not
at second hand applies especially to class
of persons whom the trustees have been
glad to consider as within their field of
helpfulness, namely, families or persons
who have some small resources, but are
not in a position to make use OF what they
have for their immediate needs. Such
cases are often proper subjects for loans
rather than gifts, and sometimes for loans
payable after the death of the persons re-
ceiving them.
As instances: An elderly woman may
have savings bank deposit on which she
fears to draw, dreading that it may be all
used up before she dies. Another family
may be in practically the same trouble
from having all its savings, in piece OF
real estate. Another may have an insur-
ance policy, good enough after DEATH, but
something of burden during the years
when the family needs to draw on past
savings. Sometimes the best resources of
a poor woman may be children who need
to be fitted to support the mother during
her declining years. The number of cases
of the above kinds that can be helped is
of course limited, but sometimes a quiet
talk with the agent of the trustees will
show how the trouble may be helped with
out injustice to other claims on the fund.
Following is the financial statement for
the year ending May 10, 1909:
Gross income .e. .$82, 512.26
Expenses $2l 91674
Trustees charges: adv
=. Minot. ...s. So. 748.7S .s-M
g. M Bradley I,374,87 54,la3,1s 26,039.66