stances and ascertain to what extent any of them are or may be in need and entitled to permanent or temporary relief. The commissioner shall require all persons requesting relief to make application in writing, which shall be preserved by the commissioner. The commissioner shall have power to administer oaths in the performance of his duties, and to examine under oath any person applying to him for relief; and false swearing during such examination shall be deemed willful perjury. The commissioner shall issue orders for all means, provisions and supplies furnished to any of the poor of the city. The city shall continue to be the owner of all articles or supplies furnished to any poor person or applicant, until the same are consumed, and if any person to whom articles or supplies shall be furnished shall sell or exchange the same for money or intoxicating liquors, or in any way dispose of the same other than in the manner directed, such conduct shall be deemed a misdemeanor. If it shall appear to the commissioner that any person applying to him for relief requires only temporary relief, or is so disabled that he cannot safely or conveniently be removed to the county almshouse, such commissioner may pay, or contract to be paid or expended, such sum for the temporary or other relief of such poor person as the circumstances shall require, which sum shall be a city charge and shall be paid to such commissioner of charities out of the city poor fund when such poor person is a city charge, but if a county charge, the commissioner shall be entitled to receive the amount thereof from the county treasurer, to be by him charged to the county; but no greater sum than twenty dollars shall be contracted for, expended or paid by the commissioner for any one poor person or family without the written approval of the superintendents of the poor of the county of Tompkins. The commissioner may employ a city physician for the purpose of medical care and attendance of the poor of the city who are a city charge, for a period not exceeding one year and not beyond his own term of office, and at a salary to be fixed by the common council not exceeding the rate of five hundred dollars per year, which shall be a city charge and paid out of the city poor fund. The commissioner shall, whenever requested by the mayor or common council, make his report under oath, in detail, specifying all appropriations, expenditures, temporary relief and allowance

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made by him as such commissioner, during such period preceding as shall be specified in the request, which report shall give the name and place of abode of each person relieved, and such statistical information relating to the causes of poverty as the mayor may require. Also the quality, quantity and price per pound, or otherwise, as the case may be, of each article ordered or furnished, and from whom obtained, and the amount, by items, of all moneys which have been expended by him, for whom, when and for what purpose; which report shall be filed with the city clerk. At the end of each fiscal year a full and detailed report under oath shall be submitted to the common council and filed with the clerk. All charges and accounts against the city for services rendered, acts done or means, provisions or supplies furnished under the direction of the commissioner of charities, pursuant to the provisions of this act, shall, upon approval by the common council, be paid from the poor fund of the city. The commissioner shall not directly or indirectly receive any profit from money, groceries, provisions, fuel, medicines, property or supplies furnished for any poor person or family, nor shall he be interested in any contract for the purchase of supplies of any character to be used for the relief of any of the poor of the city; and for any violation of this provision the commissioner shall be removed from office by the mayor and he shall forfeit to the city a penalty of one hundred dollars for each violation, to be recovered by action in the city court or any other court having jurisdiction. His compensation and terms of payment shall be fixed by the common council.

JAMESTOWN, CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

(Note. Overseer of the poor elected for a term of two years. Salary fixed by the common council.)

Chapter 387, Laws of 1907.

TITLE IV.

§ 149. Overseer of the poor.- The overseer of the poor shall possess in said city all the powers and authority of overseers of the

poor in towns of Chautauqua county, and shall be subject to the same duties, obligations and liabilities, except that in giving relief to the poor of said city and the expenditure of moneys for such he shall in all things be subject to the provisions of section one hundred and seventy-three of this act and the control of the common council.

purposes,

§ 150. Poor fund. The moneys collected and received by the treasurer of said city under the liquor tax law, shall be by him placed in a fund known as the poor fund, to be used for defraying the expenses of local relief to the poor of said city, and any portion of such moneys not used for such poor relief or otherwise specifically appropriated by law, may be added to the general fund of the city. The common council shall have the power to raise by tax, in each year, such further sum as may be necessary in addition to the moneys received under the liquor tax law, to defray the expense for the local relief of the poor of the said city by the overseer of the poor. The salary of the overseer and his assistants shall be paid out of the poor fund.

§ 151. Administering oaths by overseer of the poor. The overseer of the poor and his assistants shall have the power to examine under oath any person applying for relief.

§ 152. Reports by overseer of the poor. He shall make a report at least monthly to the common council, in writing and duly verified, containing a statement of all expenditures made under his direction or upon his requisition; and at least ten days prior to the first day of April in each year, he shall make a written report, with such information and recommendations as he may deem proper.

§ 153. False representations by applicants for relief.— Any fraud practiced, or false representation made, by an applicant for city aid or relief, or by any person, to procure aid or relief to be given by said city, or any wilful act of any city officer or other persor designed to impede or in any way to interfere with the just and proper administration of this department, shall be a misdemeanor.

(Note.

JOHNSTOWN, FULTON COUNTY.

Commissioner of charities appointed by the mayor for

a term of two years at a salary of $240.)

Chapter 593, Laws of 1905.

§ 251. City physician and health officer. The city physician shall, under the direction of the commissioner of charities, visit such of the poor of the city as may be ill, at their places of abode, and give them medical attention and care, and supply them or cause them to be supplied with such medicines as their condition may require. He shall be allowed for all medicines furnished by him to the poor of the city. All medicines furnished by other persons upon his order or the order of the commissioner of charities, shall be audited and paid from the poor fund of the city. The city physician shall be the health officer of the city and as such shall have the powers and perform the duties prescribed by law.

§ 252. Powers and duties of the commissioner of charities.Except as otherwise provided by this act, the commissioner of charities of the city of Johnstown, shall have and exercise within the city of Johnstown the same powers and discharge the same duties, to the exclusion of any other officer, as overseers of the poor in the several towns, except the town of Johnstown, in Ful ton county. The commissioner of charities shall have 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 persons, and the same powers as overseers of the poor and county superintendents of the poor have in relation to the insane, 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 town3 of this state, and shall be subject to the same duties, obligations

and liabilities. He shall keep his office in some central and convenient part of the city, to be approved by the common council. He shall 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. He shall require all persons making application for relief to make such application in writing, 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. He may administer oaths to and examine under oath any person applying to him for relief. For all purposes relating to the maintenance and support of the poor, the city of Johnstown shall be deemed one of the towns of Fulton 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 common council, except where immediate surgical relief is required.

§ 253. Expenditures for support of poor.- All the expenses for the support and relief of the poor persons of the city of Johnstown incurred under the provisions of this article, and all expenses properly chargeable under any other act against the city for the support and relief of poor persons shall be paid out of the poor fund, and no other expenditures shall be made therefrom except as otherwise provided in this act.

§ 254. Mon...ly reports 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 ordered or furnished, 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 lodg ings, from whom obtained, or by whom furnished, and the cost of the same. Said report shall be filed with the city clerk.