Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-08-19
FORTY TOWN CLERKS
State Organization Formed in
BrattIeboro Yesterday
the TWO Veterans, Present-Paper by
John E. Gale.

EN-GoN. Pln9ree ana william D. NeWtou1 |
the Two Veterans, Present-Paper by |
John E. Gale.
An organization to be known as the
Vermont Town Clerks association was |
formed yesterday morning in a meeting |
of about 40 town clerks from Bennington |
Windsor and Windham counties, who met !
in the office of Town Clerk william s. |
Newton at 10 o'clock and adjourned to |
Festival hall. These officers were chosen
Chairman, Carl S. Hopkins, assistant
town clerk of Brattleboro; sec. and treas,
John Z. Gale, town clerk of Guilford;
exec. com, Carl S. Hopkins, John E. Gale
and NJ L. Lawrence, town clerk of
Springfield. Some of the duties and
liabilities of Vermont town clerks" was
the subject Of a paper read by Mr.. Gale
of Guilford and is published herewith.
Ex-Governor Pingree of Hartford who
has seen over so years of service, and
Judge William S. Newton of this town.
who has served nearly 80 years, both were
present, and are probably the two Oldest
town clerks living in Vermont
A committee was chosen to draft a bill
to be presented to the coming legislature
providing for the readjustment of town
clerks fees and salaries upon basis
commensurate with the time and labor
required and the responsibility involved.
The question of municipal payment of
the expense of surety bonds required of
town officers and the subject of uniform
ity of style of blanks for deeds mortgages
and other conveyances was considered at
length.
Mr.. Gales Paper.
Before he can do any official act the
town clerk must be sworn, and must file
a bond to the satisfaction of the select
men. If written by a surety company
the town clerk pays the billiard it comes
every year.
He must deposit a certificate of his
election with the county clerk, also
copy of his official OATH with a certificate
of the magistrate administering the same.
He must appoint an assistant town clerk
and assume full responsibility for all his
acts, make a record of the appointment
and file a copy of the same with the
county clerk.
He must record the warning for every
town meeting and election before it is
posted keep a record of all votes and
resolutions passed, the names of all per-
sons elected to town office, and copy
the same into the town books
He must record the bonds which the
law requires of town officers. For re-
cording deeds, mortgages and other pa
pers he receives ten cents for each 100
words, a price fixed many years ago,
when labor was worth one dollar per day.
For neglect or failure to record instru-
ments presented for record he is liable to
a fine of twenty dollars
Among the papers which he must record
are advertisements of tax sales, surveys
and alterations in highways, attachments
of real and personal property, appoint
ments of jailers and town officers, warn
ings for town meetings and elections, pro-
ceedings of the same at length, certifi-
Gates of administration of freemen's
oaths, appraisements, articles Of associa-
ton and Incorporation, assessments, by
laws certificate chatel mortgages, liens,
bonds, bills of sale, covenants, decisions,
DEGREES of foreclosure, deds mortgages,
discharges, assignments, leases, dover set
out fence divisions, fire district proceed
ings. dog licenses, marriage licenses, liq-
uOr licenses, oaths and bonds of town
officers, returns on sales on execution
tax sales, etc. powers OF attorney, pro-
bate proceedings, wills telephone line
permits, and sundry and divers other pa
pers and returns.
He must keep an index of all his rec
ords and Is responsible on his official
bond for all mistakes in his records and
copies.
ham county town clerk paid 800 dam
ages resulting from the omission of a
single line from chattel mortgage rec
ord.
For failure to keep his index properly
he may be fined 500.
He must make licenses for all the dogs
in town. turn the funds over to the
treasurer and make an annual report OF
the same. Each license Is made In dupli-
cate and the clerk gets ten cents per
dog; transfers of licenses on dogs brought
in from other towns must also be record
ed
He must receive and verify the annual
appraisals and grand list books. go
through all the computations OF the lis
ters and send a certified abstract or the
corrected list to the secretary of state
within the time limit Penalty for ne
glect, 500.
He must annually before a certain date
send to the state treasurer the names OF
sundry town officers, or is liable to s6C
fine.
He must attend meetings Of the board
of civil authority and keep a record OF
the proceedings.
He must send a list of Jurors chosen
to the county clerk within five days afteI
their election.
He must receive, file and arrange in al
phabetical order all voters certificates OF
intention. attend check list caucuses ano
keep the record.
He must receive and file all certificates
of births. marriages and deaths, complete
birth certificates, make full copies and
return the same to the secretary of the
state board of health twelve times each
YER. or is liable to a fine of $40.
lie must annually, in the first week II
January submit a statement or al
births and deaths received by him during
the previous year, to the town treasurer
or may be fined $40.
He must issue marriage licenses to per
sons entitled thereto, but unless he close
" follows the law he may be fined $50.
He may issue burial permits but Il