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poor of Orange county as can now be made by law by overseers of the poor and supervisors of towns.

AN ACT for the better support of the poor in the city of Middle

town.

Chapter 363, Laws of 1903.

§ 1. The city of Middletown in the county of Orange shall hereafter be a separate poor district. Said city shall not hereafter be subjected to taxation for the support or maintenance of the poor of or in any other city or town of the county of Orange; nor shall said city be taxed for or required to pay any part of the salaries of the county superintendent of the poor of the county of Orange, but such salaries shall be a charge against and paid out of the fund provided for the support and maintenance of the poor in poor district number one of the county of Orange. The several cities and towns of the county of Orange other than the city of Middletown are hereby declared to be wholly exempt from all tax, assessments or contributions for the support of the poor of said city of Middletown. The city of Middletown for all the purposes of supporting the poor within its limits and carrying into effect the laws of the state for the support and relief of poor and indigent persons shall be a separate and distinct district and shall be known as poor district number three of said county of Orange.

§ 2. All the provisions of the revised statutes in relation to the settlement of the poor, and their removal from one county, or poor district to another, shall apply to said city of Middletown.

§ 3. The commissioners of charities or the superintendent of. the poor acting under their direction shall have the same powers and authority as overseers of the poor of towns and superintendents of the poor in counties, in the management of the poor affairs of the city of Middletown.

§ 4. The commissioners of charities have power to contract for the care and maintenance of its poor and indigent at any public institution with which it can enter into a contract and they are also authorized to contract with the superintendents of the poor of the county of Orange or any other county and pay the charges agreed upon quarterly. The superintendents of the poor of any

county in this state and the superintendent of any almshouse are hereby authorized to so contract with said commissioners of charities. And the said commissioners of charities are also authorized and empowered to make contracts if they deem it proper and best for the support, care and maintenance of poor and indigent persons from places outside of the city of Middletown.

§ 5. All acts relating to the care, management and maintenance of the poor of the city of Middletown, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

§ 6. The said city of Middletown in its corporate capacity shall have full power to maintain or defend any action provided for by the general poor laws of the state.

§ 7. The supervisors of Orange county shall annually levy upon the taxable property of the city of Middletown such sum or sums of money as may be certified by the commissioners of charities of said city as necessary for the support of the poor for the current year.

Mount Vernon, Westchester County.

(Note. Commissioner of charities appointed by mayor and common council for a term of two years. Compensation fixed by common council.)

Chapter 182, Laws of 1892.

TITLE XI.

Of the Poor.

§ 227. 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.

§ 228. 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.

Newburgh, Orange County.

(Note. Commissioners elected for a term of four years. No compensation.)

AN ACT for the better support of the poor in the town of Newburgh, in the county of Orange.

Chapter 44, Laws of 1853.

§ 1. The city and town of Newburgh shall not hereafter be subjected to taxation for the support or maintenance of the poor of or in the other towns of the county of Orange; nor shall said city and town of Newburgh be taxed for or required to pay any part of the salaries of the county superintendents of the poor of the county of Orange, and after the passage of this act the salaries of such county superintendents of the poor shall not be paid from the "general fund" of the county of Orange, but the same shall be a charge against and paid out of the fund provided for the support and maintenance of the poor of the county of Orange, exclusive of the city and town of Newburgh, and the other towns of the county of Orange shall not be taxed or required to contribute for the support of the poor of or in the city or town of Newburgh; but the said city and town of Newburgh, for all the purposes of supporting the poor within. their respective limits, and carrying into effect the laws of the state for the support and relief of indigent persons, shall be a separate and distinct district. (As amended by chapter 369 of the Laws of 1893.)

§ 2. The town of Newburgh and the city of Newburgh, shall, together, constitute one district for the purpose of providing for support of the poor, in the manner provided by law. The commissioners of said town and city shall be known by the corporate name of "the commissioners of the home of the city and town of Newburgh." The superintendent of the poor shall hereafter be denominated" the superintendent of the home of the city and town of Newburgh." Commissioners of the city and town home to take the place of those whose terms of office shall expire after this act shall take effect, shall be nominated and elected by the electors of the town of Newburgh, in the same manner as other

officers elected by the people, are chosen. Whenever the terms of office of the commissioners of the city and town home heretofore elected in the city of Newburgh shall expire, their successors shall be nominated and elected by the electors of the city, at the annual election, in the same manner as other city officers, chosen by the people, are elected. Any vacancy which may occur in the office by reason of expiration of term or otherwise, shall be filled by appointment by the mayor of the city of Newburgh, in the same manner as other vacancies in office are filled, as provided by section fifteen of title two of this act, as amended. All powers given by law to the police justice in the town of Newburgh in relation to commitment to the custody of the keeper of the city and town home are hereby given to the recorder of the city of Newburgh in all cases arising in said city, and to each of the justices of the peace of the town of Newburgh in all cases arising in said town. Whenever any money shall be borrowed by the commissioners of the city and town home in pursuance of the provisions of said act, the city of Newburgh and the town of Newburgh shall be jointly liable therefor. The annual report required by the said act to be made by the said commissioners, shall hereafter be made in duplicate, one of which shall be filed in the office of the town clerk of the town of Newburgh, and the other shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the city of Newburgh, and said reports shall be open for inspection at reasonable hours by the qualified electors of the city and town of Newburgh. (As amended by chapter 467 of the Laws of 1905, and chapter 203 of the Laws of 1907.)

§ 3. The said commissioners of the almshouse may sue and be sued in their corporate name, in any of the courts of this state. They shall have the sole and exclusive care and management of the poor in the said town, and shall provide for and maintain the persons enumerated in the fourteenth section of the act concerning "the relief and support of indigent persons," in the manner hereinafter mentioned, and for that purpose they shall have and exercise all the powers and authority now vested by

law in the overseers of the poor of towns, and in the superintendents of the poor of counties, not inconsistent with the provisions of this act. They shall also have and possess the powers following:

1. To appoint by a resolution to be entered upon their minutes, an officer, to be denominated "the superintendent of the poor of the town of Newburgh," together with such other agents as may be necessary in order to carry into effect the purposes of this act, which said superintendent and other agents shall hold their offices during the pleasure of the said commissioners, and receive such fixed annual salary, as a compensation for their services, as the said commissioners may direct.

2. To visit the poor of the said town at their several places of residence, and inquire and examine into their circumstances, the number and ages of the members of their families, the places of their former residences, their employments, for what length of time and to what extent they have been dependent on the public for support, their ability to labor, and the causes of their poverty; and the commissioners may direct either permanent or temporary relief to such poor persons, under such rules and regulations as they may from time to time adopt.

3. To contract for, purchase and provide provisions, fuel, clothing and other necessaries for the support of or distribution amongst the poor; and such cattle, stock, furniture and farming utensils for the almshouse and lands hereinafter mentioned, as in their judgment they may deem necessary.

4. To purchase in fee simple, and take a deed of conveyance to the said commissioners in their corporate name, of a farm of land not exceeding one hundred acres, and to erect thereon, if necessary, a building sufficient for the residence and accommodation of the poor of the said town, to be denominated the "almshouse." But the amount of money to be expended by the said commissioners, in the purchase of the said farm and the erection. of the said buildings, shall not exceed the sum of twelve thousand dollars. And until such farm and buildings can be purchased and provided, as aforesaid, the said commissioners may hire a house and lot of ground for a term of time, as a residence for the poor of the said town, at an annual rent not exceeding VOL. 3-32

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