24 - STATION BULLETIN 346 



having a population of 2,000 or more. In other towns, selectmen 

 may petition the governor for a similar appointment of a justice of 

 the peace, or trial justice, who has exclusive jurisdiction over all 

 crimes and offenses, described in Revised Laws, Chapter 430, "Of- 

 fenses Against the Police of Towns." A large proportion of the towns 

 with a population of less than 1,000 have no justice of the peace. 



By a majority vote of the legal voters at a regular meeting, or 

 two-thirds vote at a special meeting called for that purpose, a town 

 may acquire and establish municipal water works and lighting sys- 

 tems. These utilities may be spread over any portion of the town as 

 the voters may direct. For their management the town may elect a 

 board of three commissioners, one each year for three years, and fix 

 their compensation. The alternative plan is to organize a village dis- 

 trict. 



A more detailed description of active participation by local fiscal 

 officers is included in Part II, "The Fiscal System." 



Compensation of Officers 



It is generally thought that town officials are underpaid in view 

 of the amount of time necessary to dispose of the duties in connec- 

 tion with their respective offices. In virtually every case, it is a part- 

 time job. Some town positions are frequently assigned to those who 

 are in need and might otherwise appear on the relief rolls. For the 

 most part, however, people share in community responsibility for 

 reasons other than money income. 



The compensation of the more important town officials is gen- 

 erally fixed by the town meeting, which is authorized to do so through 

 its power to appropriate money for town charges. These officials 

 include the selectmen, town clerk, treasurer, police, health officer, over- 

 seer of the poor, auditors, moderator, and supervisors of the check list. 

 Either the selectmen or the town may determine the pay of highway 

 agents. There are some apparent inconsistencies in the provisions of 

 law ; for instance, the town fixes the compensation of firemen, but 

 the selectmen fix the compensation of the fire warden ; and in the ab- 

 sence of a precinct, the town determines the amount of remuneration 

 for the services of water commissioners, but the selectmen determine 

 the pay of sewer commissioners. 



The town clerk's compensation includes fees from issuing dog 

 licenses and motor vehicle fees. These are fixed by public law at 

 20 cents for each dog license and 25 cents for each motor vehicle fee. 

 In about three-fourths of the 116 rural towns these fees exceeded the 

 town clerk's salary as determined at the town meeting. 



The salary of tax collectors is frequently fixed at a percentage of 

 taxes collected rather than a definite amount. This practice occurs 

 in 30 of the 116 towns surveyed. The percentage varies between one 

 percent and two and one-half percent. 



Trustees of trust funds are required by law to serve without pay. 

 Numerous other less important officers either receive no compensa- 

 tion for their services or are paid on a per diem basis. In only one 

 instance did members of the budget committee receive any compensa- 

 tion. 



