may deem advisable for said board and to add the same to the next tax levy.

§ 169. The superintendent shall be the executive officer of the board of charity and shall carry into effect all directions of said board evidenced by a resolution entered upon the minutes thereof. He shall have only such powers as are conferred upon him by resolution entered upon the minutes of the board.

§ 170. All payments from the charity fund shall be made by warrants drawn upon the city treasurer, signed by the president of said board, the city clerk and the superintendent of charities, stating in every instance the name of the person to whom payable, the amount thereof and what the payment is for, with a reference to the resolution authorizing the same, giving the date thereof.

§ 171. Nothing in this act contained as to the qualification of city officers shall be construed to prevent the appointment of women as commissioners of charity, and the mayor is hereby empowered to appoint not more than two women of full age, who are residents of the city of Watertown, as commissioners of charity.

§ 172. The said board shall have power to appoint some competent physician whose duties shall be, under the direction of the board of charity, to give medical attendance to the poor of the city and to perform such duties as the board of charity may prescribe. The said board shall recommend to the common council the salary to be paid to such city physician, and upon the determination of the salary the said board shall be authorized to select a city physician who shall hold office during the pleasure of the board. Nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent the "health officer" of the city from being appointed city physician by the said board.

WATERVLIET, ALBANY COUNTY.

(Note.-Commissioner of charities appointed by mayor and common council for a term of two years at a salary of $500.)

Chapter 905, Laws of 1896.

TITLE X.

THE COMMISSIONER OF CHARITIES.

Section 1. Powers and duties of the commissioner of charities. 2. Monthly report of commissioner.

3. Common council shall audit and pay accounts.

4. Commissioner not to be interested in purchases.

Section 1. Powers and duties of the commissioners of charities. Except as otherwise provided by this act, the commissioner of charities of the city of Watervliet shall have and exercise within the city of Watervliet the same powers and discharge the same duties, to the exclusion of any other officer, as overseers of the poor in towns. The commissioner of charities of the city of Watervliet shall, by virtue of his office, also possess all the powers and authority of overseers of the poor of the several towns of this state in relation to the support and relief of indigent persons, the binding out of children, the care of habitual drunkards, the binding out and contract for the service of disorderly per sons, the support of bastards and proceedings to charge the fathers and mothers of such bastards, and all such other powers as are conferred on overseers of the poor in the respective towns of this state, and shall be subject to the same duties, obligations and liabilities. The commissioner of charities shall receive an annual salary of five hundred dollars, and he shall keep his office in some central and convenient part of the city, to be approved by the common council. It shall be the duty of the commissioner to visit the poor of the city at their several places of abode and examine into their circumstances, and ascertain to what extent they are or may be in need and entitled to permanent or temporary relief. The said commissioners shall require all persons making application for relief, to make such application in writ ing, which shall be preserved by said commissioner, and at the end of each month all such applications made during the month shall be filed with the city clerk. The commissioner of charities

shall have power to administer oaths to, and examine under oath any person applying to him for relief, and false swearing during such examination shall be deemed wilful perjury. For all purposes relating to the maintenance and support of the poor, the city of Watervliet shall be deemed one of the towns of Albany county. The commissioner shall issue written orders for all means, provisions and supplies furnished to the poor of said city. He shall not employ any physician other than the city physician appointed by the board of health.

§ 2. Monthly report of commissioner. Said commissioner shall, at the first regular meeting of the common council in each month, report to the common council under oath, in detail, all appropriations, expenditures, temporary relief and allowances made by him as such commissioner during the month preceding, which report shall specify the name and place of abode of each person relieved, the quality, quantity and price per pound, or otherwise, as the case may be, of each article furnished or ordered, and from whom obtained; said report shall also contain the names and places of abode of all persons to whom meals or lodgings have been furnished, the number of such meals and lodgings, from whom obtained, or by whom furnished, and the cost of the same. Said report shall be filed with the city clerk.

§3. Common council shall audit and pay accounts.-All charges and accounts against said city for services rendered, acts done, or means, provisions or supplies furnished under the direc tion of the commissioners of charities of said city under the provisions of this act, or otherwise, shall be made out in items, duly verified, by the persons entitled to the payment therefor, and presented to the common council at the first regular meeting of said council in each month, for all claims and demands incurred, or which may have accrued during the preceding month. All such claims, accounts and charges shall be audited by the common council and paid from the poor fund of said city by the chamberlain upon the warrant of the mayor, countersigned by the clerk.

§ 4. Commissioner not to be interested in purchases.-The commissioner of charities shall not, directly or indirectly, fur nish to any person, any groceries, provisions, fuel, medicines or property belonging to himself, or in which he shall have an in

terest or be interested, nor shall he be interested in any contract for the purchase of such groceries, provisions, medicines, fuel or property; nor shall he receive any commission upon, or for any goods or articles or relief furnished, or on any orders given by him for any such goods, articles or relief. For any violation of any provisions of this section, said commissioner shall be removed from office by the mayor, and he shall forfeit to said city a penalty of one hundred dollars for every such violation.

YONKERS, WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

(Note.-Commissioner of charities appointed by mayor and common council for a term of four years. Salary fixed by common council at not less than $1,000 nor more than $1,500.)

Chapter 635, Laws of 1895.

TITLE X.

OF THE POOR.

Section 1. All laws now in force not inconsistent with the provisions of this act, applicable to overseers of the poor in towns, shall apply to the commissioner of charities, and such commissioner of charities shall have and possess all powers which overseers of the poor of towns now have, or which may hereafter be conferred upon them.

§ 2. The common council may by ordinance prescribe the duties of such commissioner of charities in relation to the temporary aid and assistance to the poor and may appropriate such moneys for such purpose as it shall deem proper and may also appropriate a sum, not exceeding five thousand dollars per annum, for the care of sick and disabled poor in hospitals. (As amended by chapter 207 of the Laws of 1903.)

SPECIAL STATUTES RELATING TO THE CARE OF THE POOR IN CERTAIN TOWNS OF NEW YORK STATE.

TOWN OF HERKIMER, HERKIMER COUNTY.

AN ACT to secure the better application of funds for the relief of the poor in the town of Herkimer in the county of Herkimer.

Chapter 181, Laws of 1883.

Section 1. The supervisor of the town of Herkimer shall, on the first Monday in May next, appoint four freeholders of said town, two of whom shall belong to each of the two political parties casting the largest vote at the last general election in said. town, who shall constitute a board of alms of said town, and be known as the "board of alms of the town of Herkimer." The board of alms so appointed shall meet on the second Monday in May in each year at the town room, and by a majority vote appoint a freeholder of said town, to be known as the overseer of the poor of said town, and who shall hold his office for one year. The town clerk shall attend all meetings and keep the minutes of their proceedings, which shall be recorded in the books of record of said town. (As amended by chapter 414 of the Laws of 1895.)

§ 2. At the time of their appointment the said supervisor shall designate one of the persons so appointed by him to hold, and who shall hold his office for one year; another to hold and who shall hold his office for two years; another to hold and who shall hold his office for three years; another to hold and who shall hold his office for four years. The supervisor shall thereafter annually on the first Monday in May at the town room appoint one member of the said board of alms who shall be a freeholder of said town and shall hold his office for four years and until his successor shall be appointed. Vacancies in the office shall be filled for the unexpired term, and shall be from the same political party as the outgoing members. (As amended by chapter 414 of the Laws of 1895.)