§ 7-38. Paupers

(a) The Town of Newport and the City of Newport shall, on and after April first, 1919, be respectively liable for one-half the support of all persons who were paupers on said Town of Newport, meaning those being supported on the Town Farm of said Town, on the first Tuesday of March 1918. As soon as may be after the passage of this act and forthwith after each annual Town and City meeting hereafter the Overseers of the Poor of said Town and City shall meet to agree upon the charge for board and lodging of said paupers on the City Farm of said City for the year ensuing, and, if they agree, they shall reduce their agreement to writing in duplicate and file one of said duplicates with the City Clerk of said City and one with the Town Clerk of said Town; but if said overseers cannot agree upon said charge, the City Council of said City and the Selectmen of said Town shall each select one disinterested person from outside said Town and City, and the two thus selected shall select a third person also disinterested and from outside said Town and City, whose expense shall be borne equally by said Town and City, who shall forthwith hear the parties and determine either a reasonable charge for board and lodging of said paupers on said City farm, or shall make division of all said paupers as equitably as may be, and said three persons, or a majority thereof, shall reduce their award to writing under their hands and in duplicate showing the reasonable charge for board and lodging of said paupers, or showing and designating which paupers shall be supported by said Town and City respectively and deliver one of said duplicates to said Town and City, respectively, to be recorded by the respective Clerks of said Town and City, whereupon such award and designation, if it provides a division of said paupers, shall become and remain binding upon said Town and City forever, and said Town and City shall thereafter be liable for the support of such persons as are designated in said award to be by them respectively supported. The City of Newport and the Town of Newport shall be respectively liable for the support of all other persons who were receiving aid from the Town of Newport on the first Tuesday of March 1918, who resided within their respective limits when they became paupers. Territory within the limits of the Town of Newport owned by the City of Newport, shall be considered as City territory in determining all pauper residence questions.

(b) The City of Newport and the Town of Derby shall be respectively liable for the support of all persons, who were paupers on the Town of Derby on the first Tuesday of March 1918, who resided within their respective limits when they became paupers. The residence of a person for the purpose of determining where a pauper shall be chargeable, shall, in the event of a partial residence in any of the territories referred to in this section on the first Tuesday of March 1918, be completed by a continuance in the same Town or City for a term sufficient to make the three year residence making such person chargeable on said Town or City.