pound-keeper.

It is the duty of the field-driver to take swine, sheep, horses, and cattle going at large in the highway without a keeper, and to put them in the pound. It is the duty of the pound-keeper to care for the animals while in his custody, and not to deliver them to the owner until the fees of the officers, and the expense of keeping, have been paid. The fielddriver is required to notify the owner of beasts which he has impounded; and, if the owner is not known, to post a description of the beasts in some public place; and, if this is not sufficient, to publish the same in a newspaper. If the owner of animals which have been taken and are held does not pay the charges thereon, the property may be sold at auction, and the expenses deducted from the proceeds.

Fence-Viewers.

Another town officer is the fence-viewer, two or more of whom each town must choose. The duty of these men is to settle disputes between the owners of adjoining estates respecting the partition-fences. They serve only on application, and are paid by the person employing them. They decide what portion of a partition-fence cach of two parties shall maintain, or divide the expense between them; and, in cases of neglect, they direct proper fences to be erected.

One or more Surveyors of Lumber are chosen, whose duty it is, when requested to do so by the

Surveyors of
Lumber.

purchaser or seller, to examine, measure, and mark any lumber brought into the State for sale, or manufactured within the State. Ship-timber, ornamental woods, and building lumber, brought into the State for sale, must be surveyed and marked.

Measurers of
Wood.

Sealers of
Weights and
Measures.

Measurers of Wood are chosen by the town, or appointed by the selectmen. All firewood and bark exposed for sale in a market or upon a cart must be measured by the public measurer. The town at its annual meeting, or the selectmen, must appoint one or or more Sealers of Weights and Measures. The State has established as the standard weights and measures those received from the United States Government. These are kept in the office of the treasurer of the Commonwealth. Each county, town, and city is furnished with a complete set of copies of the standard. These are in the custody of the treasurers, but are delivered by them to the sealers. It is the duty of these officers, annually, to notify persons using weights and measures for buying and selling, to bring these to be adjusted and sealed. The sealers are required to go to such large scales and balances as cannot be moved. The statutes forbid the use of weights, measures, and scales which have not been sealed.

Clerk;

SUMMARY OF TOWN OFFICERS.

Selectmen, three, five, seven, or nine;

Assessors, three or more;

Collector of Taxes;

Treasurer;

Constables, one or more;

Overseers of the Poor, three or more ;

School Committee, some multiple of three;
Surveyors of Highways, one or more;
Field Drivers;

Fence Viewers, two or more ;

Surveyors of Lumber, one or more;
Measurers of Wood, one or more ;

Sealers of Weights and Measures, one or more.

The clerk, selectmen, assessors, treasurer, constables, and school committee are required to be elected by ballot; the others, as the town determines. All the officers, except the school committee and the sealers of weights and measures, must be sworn. All are chosen annually, except the school committee, whose term is three years.

CHAPTER XXIII.

CITIES.

City Charter.

WHEN the population of a town exceeds twelve thousand, and so becomes too large to transact public business in a general town meeting, a different organization may be substituted for the one described in the last chapter. The legislature grants to the people of the town a new act of incorporation, called a city charter. The legislature cannot force a city organization upon any town. The charter must be accepted by a majority of the legal voters at a meeting called for the purpose. Amendments to the charter are also made by the legislature. This instrument gives to the people authority to choose different officers from those prescribed to towns in the general statutes, and to transact local business in a different way; but the general powers and duties of the city organization are the same as those of the towns.

For convenience in election the city is divided into Voting Pre- districts called wards, the number of which cincts. is specified in the charter. Each of these wards is a voting precinct, if it contains less than five hundred voters. If it contains more than eight hundred voters it must be divided into precincts. In each precinct

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the following officers are appointed by the mayor and alderman, a warden, a deputy-warden, a clerk, a deputyclerk, two inspectors, and two deputy-inspectors. These officers are to be appointed equally from the two largest political parties. It is their duty to receive, sort, and count the ballots cast at all elections. The warden has the same duties as the moderator of a town meeting. The clerk keeps a record of the proceedings. The inspectors assist the warden in sorting and counting the ballots. They are all appointed for one year, and are sworn to a faithful discharge of their duties.

The entire administration of city affairs is vested in an officer called the Mayor, a board of Aldermen, and another larger board called

City Council.

the Common Council. The two boards together constitute the City Council.

The mayor is elected by the legal voters of the whole city. In most cities, the aldermen are chosen

Election of

Officers.

by the voters at large, one or more being usually selected from each ward. In some of the cities, each ward elects one or more aldermen. The members of the common council are always elected by the wards. The school committee is usually elected by the wards, though in several cities, beside the ward members are some elected at large. Assessors of taxes are, in some cities, elected by the city council; in others, by the voters of the wards. Overseers of the poor are elected in the same two ways in different cities. The city clerk, treasurer, and collector of taxes, are elected by joint vote of the two branches of the city council. In nearly all the cities, superintendents of streets, engineers of fire departments, a city physician, a city solicitor, and an auditor of accounts, are chosen either by joint or concurrent vote of the city council.