twenty-five hundred dollars to be paid to the Home of Saint Giles the Cripple; three thousand dollars to be paid to the Bushwick Hospital; fifteen hundred dollars to be paid to the dispensary of the Methodist Episcopal Hospital; twenty-five hundred dollars to be paid to the Low Maternity; fifteen hundred dollars to be paid to the Brooklyn Hospital Dispensary; * two thousand dollars to be paid to the Stone Maternity of Brooklyn; twenty-five hundred dollars to be paid to the Maternity of the Long Island College Hospital; fifteen hundred dollars to be paid to the Twenty-sixth Ward Homeopathic Dispensary; such several sums of money to be paid to the several institutions in consideration of their contracting to render and rendering medical and surgical aid and treatment to the poor of the county of Kings who may apply to them therefor; such contract to be in writing, executed on behalf of the city by the mayor and comptroller and also by the executive officers of said associations respectively, and to be approved by the counsel to the corporation of the city, to be filed annually on or before the thirty-first day of May, in the office of the city clerk. 24. * * The board of estimate and apportionment may in any year, and from time to time, increase or diminish, the sum authorized to be paid to any institution, association, corporation or society included in the tenth paragraph of this section. The final estimate shall specify each institution by its corporate name and the sum to be paid thereto, with a reference to the laws authorizing the appropriation, and the comptroller is authorized to pay the sum to such institution upon its appearing to his satisfaction in such manner as he shall prescribe that the expenditure thereof by the institution is lawful and proper. No appropriation shall be made under this section to any corporation unless the mayor of the city, or the president of the borough in which the chief office of such corporation is situated, be notified of all meetings of its board of management, and be empowered to attend the same or designate in writing some person to do so in his behalf; but this shall not be construed as impairing any existing powers of visitation vested in the supreme court or the state board of charities, or any provisions of law requiring statements by such corporations as to their affairs. THE POOR LAW. AN ACT in relation to the poor, constituting chapter 27 of the general laws. Chapter 225, Laws of 1896, as amended by Chapters 48, 222 and 507, Laws of 1897; 337 and 536, Laws of 1898; 83 and 462, Laws of 1899; 24, 345 and 475, Laws of 1900; 103 and 664, Laws of 1901; 117, Laws of 1902, 96 and 340, Laws of 1903. Article I. County superintendents of the poor. (§§ 1-14.) III. Settlement and place of relief of poor persons IV. Support of bastards. (§§ 60-75.) V. Soldiers, sailors and marines. (§§ 80-81.) VI. State poor. (§§ 90-104.) VII. Duties of state board of charities; powers of state charities aid association. (§§ 115-121.) VIII. Miscellaneous provisions. (§§ 130-142.) IX. Laws repealed; when to take effect. (§§ 150-151.) ARTICLE I. COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE POOR. Section 1. Short title. 2. Definitions. 3. County superintendents of the poor. 4. Appointment of superintendent as keeper of almshouse. 5. When they may direct overseers of the poor to take charge of county poor. 6. Idiots and lunatics. 7. Pestilence in almshouse. 8. Accounts of county treasurer with towns. 9. Annual apportionment of town expenses. 10. Tax levy on towns. 11. Expense of county poor. 12. Superintendents' report to the state board of chari ties. 13. Supervisors may direct as to temporary or outdoor relief to poor. 14. Penalty for neglect or false report. Section 1. Short title.-This chapter shall be known as the poor law. § 2. Definitions.-A poor person is one unable to maintain himself, and such person shall be maintained by the town, city, county or state, according to the provisions of this chapter. In counties having but one superintendent of the poor, the term superintendent" or "superintendents of the poor," when used in this chapter, means such superintendent; and in towns or cities having but one overseer of the poor, the term "overseers" or overseers of the poor," when used in this chapter, means a town or city overseer of the poor. An "almshouse" is a place where the poor are maintained at the public expense. 66 The popular meaning of the word "almshouse" is, of course, well understood, but the revisers and the legislature have not confined us to the popular meaning. They have given to the word a much wider and more comprehensive definition than it has in popular usage. That may properly be termed the statutory definition which is found in the second section of the Poor Law. It is there defined as a "place where the poor are maintained at the public expense." It is not necessary that it should be a public building or that there should be but one place. The People er rel. John B. French as Overseer of the Poor of the City of Ithaca, respondent, v. James S. Lyke, as Superintendent of the Poor of the County of Tompkins, appellant, 159 N. Y., 149. The town poor are such persons as are required by law to be relieved or supported at the expense of the town or city; the county poor are such persons as are required by law to be relieved or supported at the expense of the county; and the state poor are such persons as are required by law to be relieved or supported at the expense of the state. § 3. County superintendents of the poor.-The county superintendents of the poor shall: 1. Have the general superintendence and care of poor persons who may be in their respective counties. 2. Provide and keep in repair suitable almshouses when directed by the board of supervisors of their county. 3. Establish rules and by-laws for the government and good order of such almshouses, and for the employment, relief, management and government of the poor therein; but such rules and regulations shall not be valid until approved by the county judge of the county, in writing. 4. Unless a keeper be appointed by the board of supervisors, employ suitable persons to be keepers of such houses, and physicians, matrons and all other necessary officers and servants, and vest such power in them for the government of such houses, and the poor therein, as shall be necessary, reserving to such poor persons who may be placed under the care of such keepers, matrons, officers or servants, the right of appeal to the superintendents. (As amended by chapter 340 of the Laws of 1903.) 5. Purchase all necessary furniture, implements, food and materials for the maintenance of the poor in such houses, and for their employment in labor, and use, sell and dispose of the proceeds of such labor as they shall deem expedient. 6. Prescribe the rate of allowance to be made for bringing poor persons to the county almshouse, subject to such alterations as the board of supervisors may by general resolution make. 7. Authorize the keepers of such houses to certify the amount due for bringing such poor persons; which amount shall be paid by the county treasurer on the production of such certificate, countersigned and allowed by the county superintendents of the poor. 8. Summarily decide any dispute that shall arise concerning the settlement of any poor person, upon a hearing of the parties, and for that purpose may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses, with the like powers to enforce such process, as is given to a justice of the peace in an action pending before him; their decisions shall be filed in the office of the county clerk within thirty days after they are made, and shall be conclusive and final upon all parties interested, unless an appeal therefrom shall be taken, as provided in this chapter. 9. Direct the commencement of suits by any overseer of the poor who shall be entitled to prosecute for any penalties, or upon any recognizance, bonds, or securities taken for the indemnity of any town or of the county; and in case of the neglect of any such overseer, to commence and conduct such suits, without the authority of such overseer, in the name of such superintendents. 10. Draw on the county treasurer for all necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties, which draft shall be paid by such treasurer out of the moneys placed in his hands for the support of the poor. 11. Audit and settle all accounts of overseers of the poor, jus tices of the peace, and all other persons, for services relating to the support, relief or transportation of the county poor; and draw on the county treasurer for the amount of the accounts which they shall so audit and settle. 12. Furnish necessary relief to such of the county poor as may require only temporary assistance, or are so disabled that they cannot be safely removed to the county almshouse, or to the county poor who can be properly provided for elsewhere than at the county almshouse at an expense not exceeding that of their support at such almshouse. 13. Render to the board of supervisors of their county, at their annual meeting, a verified account of all moneys received and expended by them, or under their direction, and of all their proceed ings in such manner and form as may be required by the board. 14. Pay over all moneys remaining in their hands, within fif teen days after the expiration of their terms of office, to the county treasurer, or their successors. 15. Administer oaths and take affidavits in all matters pertain ing to their office, and elicit, by examination under oath, statements of facts from applicants for relief. Expenditures by the superintendent of the poor in the administration of his department are subject to the following limitations: The board of supervisors, at its annual meeting, may fix the maximum sum which may be expended by the superintendent, at his discretion, during the next ensuing year, and may provide that expenditures in excess of that sum shall be made only with the written approval of the chairman of the board of supervisors, or of a committee of the board, composed of not exceeding three members. If such limitation is fixed and such provision made, |