county poor are such persons as are required by law to be relieved or supported at the expense of the county; and the state poor are such persons as are required by law to be relieved or supported at the expense of the state.

§ 3. County superintendents of the poor.-The county superintendents of the poor shall:

1. Have the general superintendence and care of poor persons who may be in their respective counties.

2. Provide and keep in repair suitable alms-houses when directed by the board of supervisors of their county.

3. Establish rules and by-laws for the government and good order of such alms-houses, and for the employment, relief, management and government of the poor therein; but such rules and regulations shall not be valid until approved by the county judge. of the county, in writing.

4. Unless a keeper be appointed by the board of supervisors employ suitable persons to be keepers of such houses, and ph sicians, matrons and all other necessary officers and servants, and vest such powers in them for the government of such houses, and the poor therein, as shall be necessary, reserving to such poor persons who may be placed under the care of such keepers, matrons, officers or servants, the right of appeal to the superintendents.

5. Purchase all necessary furniture, implements, food and materials for the maintenance of the poor in such houses, and for their employment in labor, and use, sell and dispose of the proceeds of such labor as they shall deem expedient.

6. Prescribe the rate of allowance to be made for bringing poor persons to the county alms-house, subject to such alterations as the board of supervisors may by general resolution make.

7. Authorize the keepers of such houses to certify the amount due for bringing such poor persons; which amount shall be paid by the county treasurer on the production of such certificate, countersigned and allowed by the county superintendents of the

poor.

8. Summarily decide any dispute that shall arise concerning the settlement of any poor person, upon a hearing of the parties, and for that purpose may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses, with the like powers to enforce such process, as is given to a justice of the peace in an action pending before him; their decisions shall be filed in the office of the county clerk within

thirty days after they are made, and shall be conclusive and final upon all parties interested, unless an appeal therefrom shall be taken, as provided in this chapter.

9. Direct the commencement of suits by any overseer of the poor who shall be entitled to prosecute for any penalties, or upon any recognizance, bonds, or securities taken for the indemnity of any town or of the county; and in case of the neglect of any such overseer, to commence and conduct such suits, without the authority of such overseer, in the name of such superintendents.

10. Draw on the county treasurer for all necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties, which draft shall be paid by such treasurer out of the moneys placed in his hands for the support of the poor.

11. Audit and settle all accounts of overseers of the poor, jus tices of the peace, and all other persons, for services relating to the support, relief or transportation of the county poor; and draw on the county treasurer for the amount of the accounts which they shall so audit and settle.

12. Furnish necessary relief to such of the county poor as may require only temporary assistance, or are so disabled that they cannot be safely removed to the county alms-house, or to the county poor who can be properly provided for elsewhere than at the county alms-house at an expense not exceeding that of their support at such alms-house.

13. Render to the board of supervisors of their county, at their annual meeting, a verified account of all moneys received and expended by them, or under their direction, and of all their proceed ings in such manner and form as may be required by the board.

14. Pay over all moneys remaining in their hands, within fifteen days after the expiration of their terms of office, to the county treasurer, or their successors.

15. Administer oaths and take affidavits in all matters pertain ing to their office, and elicit, by examination under oath, statements of facts from applicants for relief.

§ 4. Apportionment of superintendent as keeper of almshouse. The board of supervisors of any county may, by resolu tion, appoint as keeper of its county alms-house one of the superintendents of the poor of such county, who shall hold such office until the expiration of his term as superintendent or until the board of supervisors, by resolution, shall determine that he shall

no longer act in such capacity. The board of supervisors may fix the compensation such superintendent shall receive for acting as such keeper, and such compensation shall be a county charge. While a resolution of the board of supervisors directing such superintendent to act as keeper of the county alms-house is in force, the superintendents shall not employ a keeper thereof.

§ 5. When they may direct overseers of the poor to take charge of county poor.-Whenever the county superintendents take charge of the support of any county poor person, in counties where no alms-house is provided, they may authorize the overseers of the poor of the town in which such poor person may be, to continue to support him, on such terms and under such regulations as they shall prescribe; and thereafter no moneys shall be paid to such overseers for the support of such poor person, without the order of the superintendents; or the superintendents may remove such poor person to any other town, and there provide for his support, in such manner as they shall deem expedient.

§ 6. Idiots and lunatics. The superintendents of the poor shall provide for the support of poor persons that may be idiots or lunatics, at other places than in the alms-house, in such manner as shall be provided by law for the care, support and maintenance of such poor persons.

§ 7. Pestilence in alms-house. Whenever any pestilence of infectious or contagious disease shall exist in any county almshouse or in its vicinity, and the physician thereof shall certify that such pestilence or disease is likely to endanger the health of the persons supported thereat, the superintendents of the poor of such county shall cause the persons supported at such alms-house or any of them, to be removed to such other suitable place in the same county as shall be designated by the board of health of the city, town or village, within which such alms-house shall be, there to be maintained and provided for at the expense of the county, with all necessary medical care and attendance, until they can be safely returned to the county alms-house from which they were taken, or otherwise discharged.

§ 8. Accounts of county treasurer with towns.- In counties where there are town poor, the county treasurer thereof shall open and keep an account with each town, in which the town shall be credited with all the moneys received from the same, or from its officers, and shall be charged with the moneys paid for

the support of its poor. If there be a county alms-house in such county, the superintendents of the poor shall, in each year, before the annual meeting of the board of supervisors, furnish to the county treasurer a statement of the sums charged by them as herein directed, to the several towns for the support of their poor, which shall be charged to such towns, respectively, by the county treasurer in his account.

§ 9. Annual apportionment of town expenses. In counties having an alms-house, and where there are town poor, the superintendents shall annually, and during the week preceding the annual meeting of the board of supervisors, make out a statement of all the expenses incurred by them the preceding year for the support of town poor, and of the moneys received therefor, exhibiting the deficiency, if any, in the funds provided for defraying such expenses, and they shall apportion the deficiency among the several towns in proportion to the number and expenses of the town poor of such towns respectively, who shall have been provided for by the superintendents, and shall charge the towns with such proportion; which statement shall be by them delivered to the county treasurer.

§ 10. Tax levy on towns.-At the annual meeting of the board of supervisors, the county treasurer shall lay before them the account kept by him; and if it shall appear that there is a balance against any town, the board shall add the same to the amount of taxes to be levied and collected upon such town, with the other contingent expenses thereof, together with such sum for interest as will reimburse and satisfy any advances that may be made, or that may have been made, by the county treasurer for such town, which moneys, when collected, shall be paid to the county treasurer.

§ 11. Expense of county poor.- The superintendents of the poor shall annually present to the board of supervisors, at their annual meeting, an estimate of the sum which, in their opinion, will be necessary during the ensuing year for the support of the county poor; and such board of supervisors shall cause such sum as they may deem necessary for that purpose, to be assessed, levied and collected, in the same manner as other contingent expenses of the county, to be paid to the county treasurer and to be by him kept as a separate fund, distinct from the other funds of the county.

§ 12. Superintendents' report to the state board of charities. The superintendents of the poor of every county shall, on or before the first day of December in each year, make reports covering the year ending September thirtieth, to the state board of charities in such form as the board shall direct, showing the number of the town poor and of the county poor that have been relieved or supported in their county the year preceding October first; the whole expense of such support, the amount paid for transportation of poor persons, and any other items not part of the actual expenses of maintaining the poor, and the allowance made to superintendents, overseers, justices, keepers, matrons, officers and other employes of the superintendents; the actual value of the labor of the poor persons maintained, and the estimated amount saved in the expense of their support in consequence of their labor; the sex and native country of every such poor person, with the causes, either direct or indirect, which have operated to render such persons poor, so far as the same can be ascertained; and shall include in such report a statement of the name and age of, and of the names and residence of the parents of, every poor child who has been placed by them in a family during the year, with the name and residence of the family with whom every such child was placed, and the occupation of the head of the family, together with such other items of information in respect to their character and condition as the state board of charities shall direct.

§ 13. Supervisors may direct as to temporary or outdoor relief to poor. The board of supervisons of any county may make such rules and regulations as it may deem proper in regard to the manner of furnishing temporary or out-door relief to the poor of the several towns in said county by the overseers of the poor thereof, and also in regard to the amount such overseers of the poor may expend for the relief of each person or family, and after the board of supervisors of any county shall have made such rules and regulations, it shall not be necessary for the overseer of the poor of the towns in said county to procure an order from the supervisor of the town, or the sanction of the superintendent of the poor to expend over ten dollars for the relief of any person or family, unless the board of supervisors of such county shall so direct, but this section shall not apply to the counties of New York and Kings.