The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-10
\ Suggested PIN Ct Actfon.

In considering the foregoing outline of
the Thompson trustees position the people
of Brattleboro must bear in mind that
there il no longer any legal question as
to the right of the trustees To spend where
they think best Except in BOSTON, any
surplus not needed for the direct benefic-
iarieS. This question was definitely set
tied January 26 of this year when Judge
Charles +. Jenney of the supreme judicial
court of Massachusetts decreed that the
trustees are not obliged to limit their ex
penditureS of such surplus to kindred
charitable purposes in said towns of Brat
tleboro and Bhinebeck."
This being the ease. the question to be
considered is solely one of cooperation
with the trustees, for it is obvious that
only through cooperation can the bene-
fits of the fund be retained. IF The Re
former interpretS the trustees letter cor
rectly it means just this: That they are
willing to spend the surplus income of the
fund in Brattleboro in cooperation with
the townSpeOple but not through any ar
rangement which places upon the fund
responsibilities which the town would have
to bear if the fund did not exist.
They are willing, for example. to con-
tribute toward the support of the Memo
rial hospital. but only on condition that
the people of Brattleboro take upon them
selves the responsibility of placing the
hospital on an efficient basis, and look
upon it as an institution of their own
instead Of one that can draw upon an
outside source for any money that is
needed.
They are willing to help Brattleboro to
help itself. but not to do things which they
consider Brattlebor0 ought to do itself.
Whether or not one is inclined to APP
prove of the trustees attitude, it certainly
merits very careful misunderstanding in
mind always that there is no longer any
question as to their legal authority in the
circumstances
Forgetting about the Thompson Fund
and its past controversies for the moment,
let us suppose that Brattleboro were to
receive an offer from an outside source
to spend from So, 900 to $4,000 a wear
here to back n necessary enterprise pro-
4, vIded a satisfactory and feasible plan
We're worked out and presented. In that
event there is no doubt that a committee
representing the best business judgment of
the community promptly would be put on
the job, and every effort would be made to
formulate plan that would meet the pre-
scribed conditions.
That seems to be what is needed to meet
the conditions required by the Thompson
Fund trustees. In the past they have
started and helped maintain a number of
different enterprises-the hospital the
Mutual Aid. the free kindergarten, etc
each of which has had the support and in
terest of a few local people but the work
as whole has had the interest and sup
port of scarcely anyone outside the trus-
tees themselves. In consequence. there
has been more or less duplication of effort,
and the loss of efficiency that is sure to
develop from such duplication.
The Reformer believes the Thompson
fund trustees are sincere when they state
they prefer to spend the funds surplus in
Brattleboro and vicinity, but it is obvious
that they are convinced that a new plan
must be evolved to ensure a dollars return
from every dollar spent
The Reformer is convinced that the only
feasible plan is one that contemplates put
ting all the activities that have had the
support Of the fund under the general
supervision of one central organization,
with a committee competent to formulate
and oversee . program under which the