Sec. 399. Election of members. At the next annual election after the adoption of such resolution or at a special election legally warned for such purpose, the town shall elect by ballot six electors and taxpayers of said town, who shall constitute the board of finance, two of whom shall be elected to serve until the next annual election and until their successors are elected and qualified, two to serve until the second annual election from such date and until their successors are elected and qualified and two to serve until the third annual election from such date and until their successors are elected and qualified. At each annual election thereafter, the town shall elect by ballot in the same manner as the town officers are elected, two electors who are taxpayers of said town as members of said board of finance to serve for a period of three years and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Town Manager.

Sec. 410. Town may adopt or abandon town manager plan. Any town may by ballot vote to adopt the provisions of sections 408 and 409 at any annual or special town meeting, provided, such town may at any annual meeting, not previous to the third meeting thereafter, vote to abandon the provisions of said sections and re-establish the former town management.

Public Libraries.

Sec. 1102. Appropriations. Any town, city, borough or fire district may annually expend such sum of money as shall be necessary for the proper

maintenance and increase of a free public library within its limits. Any such municipality shall have power at any meeting, duly called for the purpose, to fix by a proper by-law or ordinance the amount which shall be annually expended for the public library therein. The treasurer of such municipality shall thereafter annually pay, upon the order of the officer designated by the directors or trustees managing its public library, the bills incurred for the maintenance and increase of said library, not exceeding in the aggregate the sum specified in said by-law. The town clerk may deposit in a public library within his town any books, other than records, placed by law or otherwise in his custody.

Sec. 1104. Directors. In the absence of any other lawful provision for the management of a public library in any town, city, borough or fire district the said town, city, borough or fire district shall elect a board of directors who shall manage said library. Said board may, from time to time, make by-laws for its own government and may adopt rules controlling the use of the library and the administration of its affairs. Said board shall have the exclusive right to expend according to its best judgment all money appropriated by the town, city, borough or fire district for the library, and shall have control of the library grounds, buildings and rooms.

Sec. 1105. Directors' election. The first election of directors may take place at any meeting of the town, city, borough or fire district called for that

purpose. It shall first be determined by a by-law or ordinance of the municipality, to be adopted at this meeting, what the number of directors constituting said board shall be, such number to be in all cases one divisible by three. One-third of this number shall then be elected by ballot to hold office until the next annual meeting, one-third until the second annual meeting, and one-third until the third annual meeting thereafter. At each subsequent annual meeting of such municipality, one-third of the directors shall be elected by ballot to hold office for three years. No director of a public library so elected shall receive compensation for any services rendered as director.

Town and Borough Tax.

Sec. 1122. Town and borough tax. When fifty legal voters of any town or borough shall present a petition to the clerk of the town or borough, asking that an annual tax be levied for the establishment and maintenance of a free public library and reading room in such town or borough, and shall specify in their petition a rate of taxation, not to exceed three mills on the dollar, such clerk shall, in the next legal notice of the regular annual election in such town or borough, give notice that at such election every legal voter may vote by ballot "for a ........mill tax for a free public library and reading room," or "against a.............mill tax for a free public library and reading room," specifying in such notice the rate of taxation mentioned in said petition; and if the majority of all the votes cast in such town or borough shall be "for the tax for a free public

library and reading room," the tax specified in such notice shall be levied and collected in the same manner as other general taxes of said town or borough, and shall be known as the "library fund." Such tax may afterwards be lessened or increased within the three-mill limit, or made to cease, in case the legal voters of any such town or borough shall so determine by major vote at any annual election held therein; and the corporate authorities of such town or borough may exercise the same powers relative to free public libraries and reading rooms as are conferred upon the corporate authorities of cities.

Schools.

Sec. 854. Classification of school visitors. There shall be in every town, unless otherwise provided, a board of school visitors, composed of three, six or nine members, as such town may determine, divided into three equal classes; the first class shall hold office until the next annual town meeting, the second class until the second annual town meeting, and the third class until the third annual town meeting following, and until others are elected in their places, provided, when said board is composed of only three members, they shall not be divided into classes and shall be elected for three years. Should a vacancy occur, the remaining members of the board may fill it till the next annual town meeting, when vacancies shall be filled in the manner prescribed in section 855, and the ballots shall distinctly specify the vacancy to be filled.

Sec. 855. Election of school visitors. School visitors shall be chosen by ballot. If the number to be chosen be two, four, six or eight, no person shall vote for more than half of such number. If the number to be chosen be three, no person shall vote for more than two; if five, not more than three; if seven, not more than four; if nine, not more than five. That number of persons sufficient to fill the board, who have the highest number of votes, shall be elected. In case of a tie that person whose name stands first or highest on the greatest number of ballots shall be elected.

Sec. 857. Text-books and supplies. Any town at its annual meeting may direct the school visitors, town school committee or board of education to purchase, at the expense of said town, the text books and other school supplies used in the public schools of said town, and said text-books and supplies shall be loaned to the pupils of said public schools free of charge, subject to such rules and regulations as the school visitors, town school committee or board of education may prescribe. Whenever twenty legal voters shall so petition, the vote to determine whether the said school officers shall purchase text-books and supplies as hereinbefore provided shall be by ballot. Those electors who are in favor of directing said school officers to so purchase text-books and supplies shall deposit a ballot with the words "Free text-books Yes" written or printed thereon and those who are opposed shall deposit a ballot with the words "Free text-books No" written or printed thereon. The ballots cast