§3. Among the town officers elected at town meetings, are the following; not all of them, however, are elected in any one state: One or more persons who have the general oversight and direction of town affairs, called by some name corresponding to the nature of their duties; a town clerk; one or more assessors; justices of the peace; overseers of highways; overseers of the poor; school officers; constables; a collector of taxes; a treasurer; fence-viewers; pound-keepers, &c. In some states there are also sealers of weights and measures; persons to measure and inspect wood, lumber, bark, and other commodities. §4. The officers first mentioned in the preceding section, are, in the New England states, called _selectmen_, of whom there are at least three, and may in no state be more than nine, in each town. In a few states they are called _trustees of townships_, and are three in number. In a few other states, there is in each town one such officer, called _supervisor_. The powers and duties of these officers are more numerous in some states than in others. They have power to lay out roads, and lay out and alter road districts; to do certain acts relating to roads, bridges, taxes, common schools, the support of the poor, &c.; and to examine and settle all demands against the town. In some of the states, some of these duties are performed by other officers. §5. The _town-clerk_ keeps the records, books, and papers of the town. He records in a book the proceedings of town meetings, the names of the persons elected, and such other papers as are required by law to be recorded. In some states, deeds and other conveyances are required to be recorded by the clerks of towns. [For a description of the duties of _assessors_ and _justices of the peace_, see Assessment and Collection of Taxes, and Justices' Courts.] §6. For the repairing of _highways_, a town is divided by the proper officers into as many road districts as may be judged convenient; and a person residing in each district is chosen, called _overseer_ or _supervisor_, or _surveyor_ of _highways_, whose duty it is to see that the roads are repaired and kept in order in his district. In some states a tax is laid and collected for this purpose; and each person assessed may perform labor or furnish materials to the amount of his tax. In other states, road taxes are assessed upon the citizens in days' labor, according to the value of their property; every man, however, being first assessed one day for his head, which is called a _poll-tax_. Persons not wishing to labor, may pay an equivalent in money, which is called _commuting_. §7. _Overseers of the poor_ provide for the support of the poor belonging to the town who need relief, and have no near relations who are able to support them. In some states there is in each county a poor-house, to which the poor of the several towns are sent to be provided for; the expense to be charged to the towns to which such poor persons belonged.