Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-06-23
TAX RATE Si.7O AGAIN
here Is No Tercentenary Cele-
bration This Year Either.
Borrd of Charities Reply to Mayors
Charges and Aldermen Appear Sat
isfcd with Conditions mt Poor
Farm--.i Sewer.

was brought mp again. The members Of
The board Of charities replied In writ
ten statement to the charges of Mayor
Burke delivered ut the last adjourned
Meeting. and denied all OF hts allegations
The mayor in reply said that he would
or1nE Witnesses to prove his charges. and
10 also submitted another communication
With more charges The now charges are
lutte similar to the former ones and were
eferrcd to the board of charities.
The board. which appointed itself n
committee to Investigate the matters Mt
he poor farm. also reported az q com
nittcc. The members who had visited
he farm stated that they thought 1t was
conducted In first class manner and
hat they were pleased with the condition
If things found there.
Alderman Dion said that he went from
cellar to attic and that he thought every
hing was IN good condition. Tho in
mates were treated well and stated that
Mr. Harrington was a good man. Alder
nan Sanhorn also reported along the
tame lines. Or. Z. Z, Mcswecney and
Or. J. b. Wheeler, as well as c. T. Smith.
comprising the hoard of charities, also
spoke IN answer to charges made by III"
nissioners was accepted and placed on
lie
Following is the report:
Burlington, Vt, June l6. 1910
70 the Honorable Board of Aldermen:
We have received from the city clerk
copy of a communication given TO YOUR
BOARD by Mayor Burke. with your vote
asking that We make reply to you in
writing within ono week
The board of charities have made vc"y
careful Investigation Of all the charges
made by the mayor. and, answering the
charges in the order IN which they were
made, find first. that the charge which
ne makes against the superintendent Of
the poor farm with reference to the price
paid tho hired girl probably would not
have been made had he taken pains to
Inquire what the terms of the contract
We're when the superintendent was en-
ployed. The following is a copy OF the
'ontract signed by j. w Courtney. T.
icnry Parker and Clinton A. Barber with
u. Harrington dated April % 1856
said comnittee on behalf of said city
aerehT agree to furnish to said Harring-
.un all provisions necessary for the run
mig of the house, viz; TO supply the In
mates of the poor house md the family
Of said Harrington and whatever hired
help may he herein stipulated or found
1cccs~a by said pauper committee or
oy the oVorseer Of the poor of said Bur
Nngton. The said committee further
nErcc TO furnish all farming tools of every
kind whatsoever necessary to run said
farm. They further agree TO pay to said
Harrington for the service of himself
hs Indicated and for the work of his wife
In running the house the sum Of $500 per
year to be paid IN regular monthly INSTALL
m"nts At the end of each month They
In addition agree to ALLOW to him $3.50
per week TO pay hired girl TO aid in
the house work. said sum TO be paid as
shall have accrued at the end Of each
month" The present board of charities
have continued tho above agreement and
given the superintendent to understand
that he was allowed $50 per week for
help in the house and that It was entirely
satisfactory to them for him 20 EMPLOY
suca help as he thought best or to en-
play and pay some of the Inmates If he
preferred TO do so.
The person to whom the MAYOR refers
as "a little eccentric IN her ways. but
able and willing to work is an imbecile
girl who was at the poor farm for about
Fix weeks In the spring Of 1907 and was
gent from there TO the insane asylum at
Waterbury May L If that year. because,
In her mental condition, # was impossible
10 care FOR her properly at the farm She
was kept at the asylum until July 80,
when she was DISCHARGED by the supervi-
ForS OF the Insane. not because she was
cured or materially better but because
they did not consider Il necessary to keep
at the asylum an imbecile who could be
cared for outside without danger to 9TH
Frs on leaving the asylum she returned
to the farm and remained there until
August "a and during this time she cried
almost constantly and refused to eat and
On August "A her father took her from
he farm and boarded her for - weeks at
Mrs. Goros. This exhausted his financial
resources, and the girl again became a
'i'y charge AS she could not be kept at
he farm she was boarded, Mt q a week,
first at Mrs. Williamss Decemher !. 1907.
to June 20 1909 and since then nj Mrs.
Ieros As her condition has somewhat
improved Of late the committee at their
last meeting instructed tho ovcrseer to
orine her back to the farm and she was
brought back June but sho is In no
condition to work She Is hopclessly i'm
>ocile incapable OF anything which rec
4ulres comprehension and will be bur-
ien on the city as long as she lives
The committee does not consider "a a
week q high price TO pay for the board
II one who requires care and watching
IN addition to food and lodging and who
Is not an agreeable inmate of house
hold