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of Plattsburgh shall also, by virtue of his office, possess all the powers and authority of overseers of the poor of the several towns of the state in relation to the support and relief of indigent persons, the binding out of children, the care of habitual drunkards, the support of bastards and proceedings to charge the fathers and mothers of such bastards and shall have such other powers as are conferred upon overseers of the poor in the respective towns of this state, and shall be subject to the same duties, obligations and liabilities. It shall be the duty of the commissioner to visit the poor of said 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 or medical attendance. No physician other than the city physician shall be employed by the commissioner of charities to attend the poor of said city, unless otherwise authorized or directed by the common council. 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 relative to the maintenance and support of the poor, the city of Plattsburgh shall be deemed one of the towns of Clinton county. The commissioner shall issue written orders for all meals, provisions and supplies furnished to the poor of said city. No claim for exp 'itures on account of the poor of said city shall be audited or paid, unless such expenditures shall have been made pursuant to a written order of such commissioner.

§ 121. Monthly report of commissioner. The commissioner of charities, at the first regular meeting of the common council in each month, shall under oath report in detail to the common council all appropriations, expenditures, temporary relief, medical attendance, and allowance 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 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 and lodgings have been furnished, the number of said meals and lodgings, from whom obtained, or whom furnished, and the cost of the same. Said report shall be filed with the city clerk.

§ 122. Common council to audit accounts. All charges and accounts against said city for services rendered, acts done or meals, provisions or supplies furnished under the direction of the commissioner 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, if approved, 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.

§ 123 Commissioner not to be interested in purchases. The commissioner of charities shall not, directly or indirectly, furnish to any person, any groceries, provisions, food, medicines or property belonging to himself, or in which he shall have an interest or be interested, 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 or articles or relief furnished. For any violation of the 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 each violation.

(Note.

Port Jervis, Orange County.

Commissioner of charities appointed by the common council for a term of one year. Salary fixed by common council.)

Chapter 753, Laws of 1907.

ARTICLE IX.

Department of Charities.

Section 160. Appointment of commissioner of charities.

161. Powers and duties of the commissioner of charities.
162. Monthly report of commissioner of charities.

163. Common council to audit accounts.

164. Commissioner of charities not to be interested in

purchases.

7

§ 160. Appointment of commissioner of charities. The common council shall during the month of January in each year appoint a commissioner of charities, who shall hold his office for one year from the first day of February following his appointment. No member of the common council shall be a commissioner of public charities. Neither shall any person be appointed to the office, who, at the time of such appointment, shall be engaged or interested in business as a grocer, a saloon keeper, or hotelkeeper, or in any wise concerned in the manufacture or sale of spirituous or malt liquors, ale or beer, and in case any person appointed to the office, shall, during his term, become engaged or interested in either of the occupations above specified, his term of office shall thereupon cease, and the office become vacant, and the mayor shall forthwith appoint another in his place.

$161. Powers and duties of the commissioner of charities. Except as provided by this act, the commissioner of charities of the city of Port Jervis shall, within the city of Port Jervis, have and exercise 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 Port Jervis shall also by virtue of his office, possess all the powers and authority of overseers of the poor of the several towns of the state in relation to the support and relief of indigent persons, the binding out of children, the care of habitual drunkards, the support of bastards and proceedings to charge the fathers and mothers of such bastards, and shall have 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. It shall be the duty of the commissioner of charities to visit the poor of said 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 or medical attendance. 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 relative to the maintenance and support of the poor, the city of Port Jervis shall be deemed one of the towns of Orange county. The commissioner shall issue written orders for all meals, provisions and supplies

and for all permanent and temporary relief or medical attendance furnished to the poor of said city.

§ 162. Monthly report of commissioner of charities. The commissioner of charities, at the first regular meeting of the common council in each month, shall under oath report in detail to the common council all appropriations, expenditures for temporary relief, medical attendance, and allowance 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 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.

§ 163. Common council to audit accounts. All charges and accounts against said city for services rendered, acts done or meals, provisions or supplies, furnished under the direction of the commissioner 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, if approved, be audited by the common council and paid from the poor fund of said city.

§ 164. Commissioner of charities not to be interested in purchases. The commissioner of charities shall not, directly or indirectly, furnish to any person, any groceries, provisions, fuel, medicines or property belonging to himself, or in which he shall have an interest or be interested, 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 or articles or relief furnished. For any violation of any provisions of this section, said commissioner shall be removed from office by the common council and he shall forfeit to said city a penalty of one hundred dollars for every such violation.

Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County.

(Note. Commissioners of charities appointed by the mayor for a term of three years. President of board receives a salary of $100.)

Chapter 425, Laws of 1896.
TITLE X.

Of the Support of the Poor.

§ 170. The city of Poughkeepsie shall not hereafter be subJected to taxation for the support and maintenance of the poor and the relief of indigent persons of or in the towns of the county of Dutchess, nor shall the towns of the county of Dutchess be taxed or required to contribute for the support of the poor and the relief of indigent persons of or in the city; but such city 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 indigent persons, shall be a separate and distinct district, except as hereinafter provided.

§ 171. The board of charities of the city of Poughkeepsie shall consist of six members who shall be styled commissioners of charities. Upon the expiration of the terms of office of the present commissioners of charities, and annually thereafter, the mayor shall appoint two commissioners of charities to serve three years. The almshouse of said city shall hereafter be known and designated as the city home. (As amended by chapter 204 of the Laws of 1901.)

§ 172. The commissioners of charities shall meet at the board rooms on the first day of January, in each year, unless it be Sunday, and then on the next day, and organize a board by the name of "the commissioners of charities of the city of Poughkeepsie," which shall possess the usual powers of a corporation for public purposes, for the year, by electing one of their number president. If a president of the board shall not be elected on or before the fifth day of January, in any year, the mayor shall forthwith designate one of the commissioners as, and he shall be, the president for the year. After the thirty-first day of December, nineteen hundred and one, the president of said board shall receive an annual

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