To the Taxpayers of Rutland, 

The division of the town taking effect March 1st, 1887 left Rutland without any poor farm. The selectmen made the best arrangement they could with the new town of West Rutland to take care of those paupers on the farm who belonged in what was left of Rutland, until a proper place could be provided. 

Under this arrangement 19 paupers were kept at the West Rutland town farm until about August 1st, when I moved them over to the new farm.  The cost of keeping these paupers at West Rutland was $892.39.  This was less that what I could probably have hired them kept for elsewhere, but more than it would have dost on the farm.  The new building was then in process of erection and has but just been completed.  There was no room to receive anymore than those I took from the old farm and those were necessarily crowded together in an improper manner. 

The new building is larger perhaps than the present needs require, but not larger than will probably soon be necessary.  I think that outside help should be done away with as much as possible.   I think a great many who have received large sums each year in outside help could be kept better and cheaper at the town farm. 

The new building is finished in a plain manner and clean, airy and comfortable.  It is accessible to the village and very pleasantly located.  I should have taken to the farm a good many whom I have helped during the year had it been in readiness and I think a large amount would have been saved to the town and the poor people better cared for.

There are two classes of poor person who apply for help - the shiftless poor and the unfortunate and sick poor.  The former are always on hand, and stay by and will work harder to get an order from the overseer than would be required to earn their own living.  The unfortunate and sick frequently suffer because their condition is unknown to the overseer and they are not always so importunate as to make it known. I could relate instance after instance of fraud and deception, sometimes practice for years upon the town; and again, cases are continually coming up where the parties are suffering and have not been helped. 

One great source of poverty is the abandonment of the family by the drunken husband. The husband won't provide, won't work and his family must be helped by the town or suffer. Since the poor house has been so that I could receive them, I have offered to take several poor people there, but in some cases I have been indignantly refused and complaints have been made and published of my cruelty, because I have refused to furnish outside help.  In some instances they have got mad at me and left town. I have endeavored to do my duty honestly and faithfully. I may have made mistakes, but I acted at the time as it seemed best for all concerned. 

Rutland is a central place and people who are chargeable to other towns are continually applying for help. Soon after my election I found a man and his wife by the name of Poro, who belonged in Pittsford, but upon whom had been expended during the previous year nearly $200.  I notified the Overseer of Pittsford and he soon took them away and thus saved the town a large future expense. 

Since the act dividing the town was passed, but before March 1st, there was a pauper family which came from Proctor to Rutland, whom I have helped to a considerable amount.  The woman's husband was killed in some accident in a quarry, and as she could not pay her rent she was ordered to vacate the house and soon after she turned up in Rutland. Whether the new town of Proctor can be made to support her I cannot tell. 

The total amount of orders from February 1, 1887 to February 1, 1888, drawn by the selectmen on account of overseer of the poor has been $8,312.75. Of this amount, $1,632.09 were for bills contracted by the former overseer and a large portion of which belongs to the old town before division to pay.  This leaves $6,680.66 as the total amount expended by me since I came into office. I think the poor department can be run next year for a much smaller sum. 

I have had to buy everything in the way of farm produce because in the division all the farm produce was taken by West Rutland and I have had no chance to raise anything on the new farm. Next year a large amount of farm produce will be raised on the farm and the expenses be so much reduced. 

Among the orders drawn each month are quite large amounts to myself. These, however, have been drawn to me to pay my monthly salary and also all current bills where the amount was less than $15.00 to any one person.  This has been done to avoid drawing a large number of small orders. 

Patrick Murphy, who went to the Old Soldier's Home in Bennington, became dissatisfied and came back to Rutland to the poor house and he has been paying his board tome out of the pension he receives.  I have received and paid into the town treasury the following sums: From  Patrick Murphy for board, five months to Feb 1, 1888, $40.00;  for rent of Stafford place to February 1st, 1888 $21.48; for keeping peddler, $75 cents, total $62.23 There is also due from O.D. Young, guardian of Affa J. Hulett, for board to March 2, 1888, $75.00 
 

JAMES BEATTIE, 
OVERSEER Rutland, Vt., 
February 16, 1888