fuel, to be delivered at certain times, at the storerooms provided as herein authorized for said overseer of the poor, and at such other places as the common council of said city shall specify, or in the case of fuel, at the houses, of said poor. Said common council shall have the power and authority to provide said overseer of the poor with a suitable building or rooms for the storage of provisions and articles obtained by the said common council for the temporary relief of the poor of said city and such offices and waiting rooms, books and furniture necessary for the proper discharge of the duties conferred upon said overseer of the poor by the provisions of this act. And said overseer of the poor shall furnish such provisions, articles and fuel to the poor of said city in such manner as he shall be directed to do by the common council of said city. (As amended by chapter 551 of the Laws of 1899.)

§ 45. Said overseer of the poor, in performing the duties of his office under the provisions of this act and the laws of this state, shall not furnish to any person whatever, groceries, fuel, medicines or other supplies belonging to himself or in which he is interested, nor shall he be interested in any contract for the purchase thereof from any other person, or receive any commission on the sale thereof, or be in anywise benefited by the furnishing of any such groceries, provisions, fuel, medicines, supplies or temporary relief, and shall each month make oath to that fact and present the same to the common council with his account. For a violation of this section the overseer of the poor may be removed from office by the common council after an opportunity to be heard in his defense. The common council is hereby prohibited from auditing any account or claim to such overseer for anything furnished in violation of this section after proof of such violation.

46. Said overseer of the poor shall have power to examine under oath any person applying to him for relief, and false swearing during such examination shall be deemed willful perjury. He shall have the same power to settle bastardy cases within said city, as is now conferred upon superintendents of the poor. He shall receive an annual salary of eight hundred dollars.

Section 140. Appointment of commissioner.- On or before the first day of February after the passage of this act and in each alternate year thereafter, there shall be appointed in the manner provided by this act a commissioner of charities, who shall hold office for two years from the first day of February following his appointment.

141. Powers and duties of the commissioner of charities.Except as provided by this act, the commissioner of charities of the city of Cortland shall, within the city of Cortland, have and exercise the same powers and discharge the same duties, to the exclusion of any other officer, as overseer of the poor in towns. The commissioner of charities of the city of Cortland 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 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 Cortland shall be deemed one of the towns of Cortland county. The commissioner shall issue written orders for all meals, provisions and supplies furnished to the poor of said city. 142. 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 or lodgings have been furnished, the number of such meals and lodgings, from whom obtained, or whom furnished, and the cost of the same. Said report shall be filed with the city

clerk.

§ 143. 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.

§ 144. Commissioner 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 of relief furnished, or on any orders given by him for any such goods, articles or relief. For any violation of any provision 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.

DUNKIRK, CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

(Note.- Board of police and excise performs usual duties of overseers of the poor.)

Chapter 396, Laws of 1885

TITLE XXV.

§ 8. Hereafter all moneys received by the board of police and excise from the board of supervisors of said county, as provided in section seven of this title, and from all other sources including all fines and penalties and all excise moneys received by said board for the granting of licenses, shall be deposited with the city treasurer of said city by the said board and thereupon become a part of the general fund of said city. The sole care and mainte nance of all poor and indigent persons residing within the limits of said city and town, and all such persons within said city and town limits as are now usually looked after and cared for by the overseer of the poor of the town of Dunkirk, shall hereafter de volve upon the board of police and excise of said city and town. Hereafter all the rights, powers and duties heretofore imposed or conferred by law upon the overseer of the poor in said town and said city shall, within the bounds of said city and town of Dunkirk, be vested in and become a part of the duties of the board of police and excise commissioners, which board shall be the excise commissioners of said town. The office of overseer of the poor of the town of Dunkirk is hereby abolished. Said board of police and excise commissioners, in the performance of its duties in caring for the poor of said city and town hereafter, shall have the power of employing the police of said city to assist them with reference thereto, and also such other persons as they shall deem necessary, and all necessary bills incurred by said board for the care of poor and indigent persons and all necessary expenses arising on account thereof and by reason of the performance by said board of its said duties, together with all salaries of said policemen, members of said police and excise board and all other necessary expenses of said board shall be paid monthly by the common council of said city, as the same shall be certified to by said board. In