CHAPTER XXXII.
THE POOR-COMMITTEE AND OVERSEER OF POOR.
Sec. 571. Committee on poor.
The Committee on Poor shall have the general control and direction
of the public charities of the city, and shall see that those
persons now receiving, or making application to receive, assistance
from the poor fund of the city are worthy cases. The committee
shall have power to remand such cases to the county poor house
as they may deem proper.
Sec. 572. Overseer of the poor—his election, term and
compensation.
The Council shall elect a qualified citizen of the city to the office
of Overseer of the Poor, whose term of office shall be for two
years, unless sooner removed for cause, or elected to fill a vacancy,
and shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the Council.
Sec. 573. Same—duties.
It shall be the duty of the Overseer of the Poor, on the application
by or on behalf of any person or family unable to support
himself or themselves, or if he or they have a legal settlement in
the city, to provide for or assist such person or family, but no
person shall be deemed to have a legal settlement in the city until
he has resided therein for one year, nor if he has migrated into the
state within three years unless, at the time of migrating, he was
able to maintain himself.
Sec. 574. Non-resident paupers coming into the city.
When it shall come to the knowledge of the Overseer of the
Poor that any person has come into the city who is likely to become
chargeable thereto it shall be his duty to report such cases
to the Mayor for removal to the district or county where they were
last settled.
Sec. 575. Aid to destitute non-residents.
In cases in which a person who has not lived in the city for a
year is in the city sick and destitute, or not in a condition to provide
for himself or herself, he or she may be aided from the poor
fund until recovery, or in a condition to provide for themselves.
But the overseer with the concurrence of the committee may
discontinue the aid at any time. If a person is in the city sick and
destitute, or if any female or children, unable to provide for themselves,
are in the city and likely to become chargeable to the city,
the overseer with the consent of the committee may send such
persons to their homes, and the expense of so doing shall be paid
out of the poor fund.
Sec. 576. Quarterly reports.
The overseer shall each quarter make a report to the Council,
setting forth the number provided for during the preceding quarter,
how many were white and how many were colored, the name
of each, and for what length of time and where each was provided
for or assisted, together with the total amount expended for the
quarter.
Sec. 577. Burial of paupers.
Any person dying in the city may be buried at the expense of
the poor fund, upon an order from the Overseer of the Poor, when,
in the opinion of the said overseer, the estate of the deceased is
not sufficient to pay the expenses of said burial. Said burial shall
in all cases be in the pauper section of the cemetery.
