LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TAXATION 99 



board of health. This board is required to prescribe directions for 

 tests of sight and hearing, and the state board of education is re- 

 quired to prescribe the necessary test cards, blanks, record books, 

 and other useful appliances. 



There are numerous other public health services performed by 

 the state board of health, some of which depend on cooperation with 

 other departments or local health officers. These include the control 

 of communicable diseases, sanitation, hygiene of maternity and in- 

 fancy, training of nurses, popular health instruction, and the mainte- 

 nance of a laboratory for chemical, bacteriological, and pathological 

 examinations. 



In recent years legislative appropriations for the use of the board 

 of health have been within the range of $75,000 to $90,000. The 

 amounts expended by the 234 towns and cities in 1939 for health serv- 

 ices were as follows : 



Health departments $520,655 



Vital statistics 10,877 



Sewer maintenance 102,441 



$633,973 



Expenditures for sewer maintenance are largely limited to cities and 

 large towns and include no expenses for extension or construction. 

 There were 126 towns which listed less than $100 as expenditures of 

 their respective health departments. Sixteen towns spent from $50 

 to $100, 65 towns spent from $1 to $50, and 45 towns had no expense 

 itemized. For this last group, no expense does not mean that they 

 had no health officer, but rather that he received no salary and that 

 there were no expenses incurred in connection with his office. 



LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COURTS 



Towns are authorized to appropriate money for the detection and 

 apprehension of any person violating a law. Accordingly, towns may 

 elect, or the selectmen may appoint, -a town constable or police officer. 

 Many towns follow the practice of electing, or having appointed, a 

 single police officer and then employing additional police and watch- 

 men as occasion arises. Furthermore, village districts can organize 

 for the purpose of appointing and employing police officers. City 

 police are under the immediate control and direction of the city mar- 

 shal, an appointee of the board of aldermen. 



For the year ended January 31, 1940, a total of $757,172 was ex- 

 pended by all towns and cities for police protection, including the 

 care of tramps. There were 103 towns which spent less than $100. 

 Of these, 20 towns showed no expenditure at all, 49 spent from $1 to 

 $50, and 34 towns spent $50 or more. 



The law enforcement officers of the county are the sheriff and 

 his deputies, the county solicitor, and the medical referees. The 

 sheriff and solicitor are elected for two-year terms by popular vote, 

 whereas the medical referees are appointed for a period of five years 

 by the governor with the advice and consent of the council. There 



