Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-04-23
PUBLIC ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1919

and empowered to administer oaths ant
afhrmations To any and all persons ap
: pearing as witnesses before them, ant
: false swearing III any matter or proceed
ing shall be deemed perjury and shall
be punished as such,
Sec L. The fire marshal and deput,
fire marshal. or either Of them, upoi
complaint duly made. shall have author
ity at all reasonable hours i'll the per
Torrance OF the duties imposed upor
them by the provisions OF this act 10,
the purpose of examination, to cntel
into and upon all buildings and premise.
within their jurisdiction
Sec. 10. Whenever the state fire mar
shall or deputy fire marshal. or either
of them. find any building or structure
which, for want of repair or by reason
of age or dilapidated condition or fol
any other cause is especially liable tc
fire, and which is so situated as to en-
danger other buildings and property
and whenever they. or either of them
find in any building or upon any
premises, any combustible or explosive
material, or conditions dangerous to the
safety of said building or premises, they
shall have power to make reasonable
orders for the repair of said building
or buildings and the removal of said
combustible or explosive material, and
the remedying of any dangerous condi-
tons, and such order shall be forthwith
complied with by the owners or occu-
pants of said premises or buildings.
| Provided, however. that a municipality
that has building inspection and fire
limits ordinances, nothing herein shall
be construed to affect such local regu-
lation, but the jurisdiction of the state
fire marshal shall in such case be con-
current with that of the municipal
authorities
Sec. ID. An owner or occupant of
buildings or premises who fails for ten
days to comply with any reasonable
order issued under the preceding Sec
| ton shall forfeit to the state ten dol
lars for each days neglect to be recov-
cred in an action of tort on this statute
brought by the fire marshal or the deputy
fire marshal, before a city or municipal
or county court having jurisdiction in
the municipality or town where said
premises or buildings are situated and
in such proceedings the appellant may
put in issue the reasonableness of the
order of the fire marshal or the deputy
fire marshal in question, and unless such
order shall be found by such court to
be reasonable the appellant shall have
judgment for his costs. the same to be
paid out of the special fund provided for
by this act.
Sec. IS. Any officer referred to in
section three of this act who wilfully
neglects to comply with any of the re-
quircments of this act shall be fined not
more than one hundred dollars nor less
than ten dollars.
Sec. To. The deputy fire marshal shall
receive an annual salary of eighteen
hundred dollars and shall devote his
entire time to the duties of his office.
The fire marshal shall be authorized to
employ stenographer or clerk and
incur all other expense that may be
necessary in the performance of the
duties imposed upon him by this act,
including necessary travelling expenses.
The total expense of the department of
the state fire marshal shall not exceed,
including salaries, such sum as may be
paid into the state treasury in the man
her hereinafter provided
Sec, II. For the purpose of maintain
ing the department of state fire mar
shall and paying all the expenses Incl
dent thereto, every fire insurance COM
pany doing business in the state shall
pay into the state treasury within thirty
days after the passage of this act and
on or before the first day of March an
nually thereafter in addition to the
taxes now required by law to be paid
by such company, a fourth of one per
cent on the net premium receipts or
assessments of such companies on all
business done in the state during the
year next preceding, as shown by their
annual statements under oath to the in
surancc department. The money so re-
ccived shall be set aside as special
fund for the maintenance of the Office
of state fire marshal. The state shall
not be liable in any manner for the
salary of the deputy fire marshal. or for
the maintenance of the office of fire mar
shall or any expense incident thereto
other than as provided by this section,
and the same shall be payable only from
the special fund provided for by this
act.
Sec. IS. Whenever there shall accum-
ulate in such special fund surplus suffi-
cient to maintain the department of the
state fire marshal for the period of one
year, then, in the discretion Of the in
surance commissioner, the foregoing
special tax for such year may be omitted,
Sec. 10. The insurance commissioner
shall file in the office of the auditor of
accounts an itemzed statement of ex-
pcnses incurred by the department of
the state fire marshal, which shall be
by the insurance commissioner
and shall be allowed and paid out of
funds provided for in section seventeen |
of this act in the same manner as other |
claims against the state.
Sec 20 The deputy fire marshal
shall annually submit detailed report
of his official acts to the insurance COM
missioner, which shall be included in the
annual report of the insurance commits
sioner to the governor.
Sec Fl. There shall be paid to the
chiefs of fire departments fifty cents for
each report of each separate fire re-
ported to the state fire marshal under
the provisions of this act, and there
shall be paid to the president of an in
village in which no paid fire
department exists or to the chairman of
the board of trustees in case there is
no president and to the first selectman
If each town whose duty under this act
it shall be to make investigation of fires,
outside the limits of cities and incor-
poratcd villages. mileage at the rate of
len cents per mile for each mile travelled
to and from the place of fire and
further sum not to exceed two dollars
and fifty cents per day for each day
IL. - Ill