The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-10-10
SELECT MEN WILL
BUILD NEW TOWN
FARM HOUSE
So Instructed at Special Meeting
Last Night
COST LIMITED To $4,000
COST LIMITED TO $4,000
Structure Will BE Built According to
Plans Submitted by VIM.
c. Bull

At the special town meeting held
at the court house Friday evening
the selectmen were instructed to
build house at the town farm at
cost not exceeding $4,000
The attendance at the meeting
was not so large as at the gathering in
August and there was net nearly so
much discussion.
Moderator e. II. Holden called the
meeting to order at o'clock and
Town Clerk +. A. Booth read The
call. Under the articles in the warn
ing the first business to be consid-
cred was the report of the committee
pointment charged with investigat-
to investigate methods of providing
for the town poor and the chairman
of the committee, Rev. George S.
Mills read the following report
which was accepted:
To the Voters of the Town of Ben
nington:
The committee of five by your APP
pointment charged with in vestigat-
ing "the best approved ways of TAX
ing care of the Town poor" have met
several times in conference and by
individual inquiry also have tried to
go into the whole subject carefully
and with thoroughness of detail. We
sent for literature from the national
government, state boards of charities
and kindred institutions, and reports
from almshouses elsewhere that
might in some respects be taken as
model. and what we could obtain was
looked over by the chairman of the
committee Very little was found in
these bulletins and pamphlets, how.
ever, that was of any practical help
in our case. The interest and first
hand information locally of the other
members of the committee have been
our chief guides in preparing this re-
port We are unanimously agreed in
our understanding of the situation at
the present time in respect to the
Bennington Town Farm, and wish to
make the following suggestions with
some definite recommendations
1. We approve the plans that have
been submitted for a new Town Farm
building. Both sets of architects
plan those by Mr. Cooper of Bos-
ton and those by Mr.. Bull of Ben
nington, embody in their main fea.
lures what it seems to us are especi.
ally desirable and most needed-viz..
Cd construction that is substantial
protection against fire: CD separa-
ton of the male and female inmates
in opposite wings, with the home for
the family in the central part of the
building CD suitable sanitary ar
rangements-toilet, baths. etc. i'm the
three parts; ca separate sleeping
rooms for each inmate. with separate
dining rooms, living rooms, and out.
side porches, for the men and wo-
men. 1t is believed that this separa.
tion will be convenient, assist dis.
cipline. and promote propriety and
comfort
.. We disapprove the management
of the Town Farm according to the
contract system, so-called. by which
the Superintendent may supplement
his salary by what he can make off
the farm and save from the inmates
of the house. We believe that this is
not the economical method for the
town, and that it opens a temptation
sometimes to inhumane treatment OF
the poor. We recommend that the
Superintendent shall be paid a fiat
salary, for which he shall take