The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-02-14

sible benefciaries with information so
far as practicable as to their circum-
stances and probable needs. At the same
time notices were given to beneficiaries
of the existence of the committee and |
their desire that all cases of need be |
made known to them. In the course of |
this work many difficult questions have |
necessarily arisen.
IAN important question was the status |
Of women working as stitchers in the
overall factories; the trustees being ad-
vised that these were not exactly the
occupations that the testator had in
view. 1t appeared, however, that. these
employees were either young unmarried
women, not likely to want aid except in
emergencies that would come under the
head of hospital eases, or that they were
women with families dependent on their
work, who would in case OF sickness or
distress be sufficiently good subjects for
help under the kindred uses provision
in the will. 1t did not therefore appear
to be worth while to go into this ques
ton of comparative rights to assistance.
The matter is worth mentioning, how
ever, since it is possible that some man
ufactory may be started in the town
employing numbers of stitchers, and in
indefinite expansion of this use of the
! fund be of disadvantage to the present
benefcaries.
1T has been found inadyisable to use
! the fund in such way that in giving
aid to the new beneficiaries it would
cause an increase in the number of sew
ing women in the town. Such use
would of course, by bringing in others
/ L. ,f-,s hn
an injury to those for whom it was in
tended to be an especial benefit. 1t will,
therefore, be necessary in order to car
ry out the intent of the testator and in
order to protect those who are now sew
| ing women, to make a distinction be-
tween those who are now beneficiaries
and those who may hereafter take up
this occupation or who may come into
the town as sewing women from outside,
and to have this generally known. 1t
will therefore not be to the interest of
AMY woman to change her occupation
or to come into Brattleboro with the idea
of benefiting from the Thompson trust.
1T has of course been difficult always
to have the fact fully understood that
he especial thought of the testator was
for those habitually self-supporting
women who might require temporary
aid in serious emergencies, and that any
aid given to those permanently depend
ent was merely possible kindred use.
This permanent aid the trustees are not
under obligation to give unless that aiC
} should prove to be the best use to which
the fund could be put.
a similar chance for misunderstood
ing has occurred in the cases OF few
| women mourning small expenses due t
e slight illness or other causes, which or
binary thrift should enable them It,
meet The money of the fund is not in
tended for this purpose, 1t being in
tended to meet real need and seriou
? emergencies The trustees have not trie
to make up for every few days or los
4 wages in case of slight illness, nor, o.
the other hand, have they been willin
q when properly informed to allow the III
dustrious and thrifty TO expend all thei
savings and be reduced to the verge q
I perjury before giving help in case of seri
! Gus trouble. 1t is almost unnecessary t
[ say that what constitutes serious troubl
o must necessarily depend on the crcum
; stances of the sufferer as we'll as upon til
I nature of the complaint A widow wit
e a family OF children to support Nigh
! often need help where an unmarried gil
: could take care of herself.
e "The trustees have not considered a
cases of need those who have children {
$ other near relatives capable of renderin
$ aid in case of emergency. This fund
p not intended, nor will it be used, to tax
u the place of those obligatio betwee
/ people of the same blood that have bee
: recognized in every age and by people {
le every religion. 1t is to the honor
> the town that few applications for tn
Ie kind of use have been made, and we b.
Is leve that those few have come only fro
= a mistaken view of the nature of tn
= bequest. 1t is the belief of the truste,
y that no greater injury could be done
y the community than to turn this fur
J away from actual needs to uses viii,
y would weaken the foundations of cha
acter and of family life
y From time to time various we'll mea
= ing persons have taken upon themselv
" to encourage certain sewing women in i
u curing bills on the ground that SUI
=, liabilities would be met by the trustee
u The improperly of this course is eN
- dent, and it has in some cases caused har
- ship to the women who have been
;, HiiSlcu. Nollce mas Dtei gwen WHcIeN
= possible that the trusees would not
- liable for the bills of other peop
=, whether beneiciaries or not, and t
M authorized agents of the trustees ha
=; always been ready to give accurate
~ formation as to the administration
the trust.
to 'There have fortunately been f,
les women to whom it has been neeessa
ees to say that as a matter of right tn
re- could net call on this fund for perm
III nent support; there have, however, be
a number of the aged and helpless who
Jed needs have been readily met, as one
RS. the best uses to which the money col
in be put.
m 'The report of Mrs. Tyler and NJ
uld Wells, given below, is probably the b.
cad form in which to show what has be