Done at Scherzheim the 29th September 1854
Present here:
The members of the Community Council:
Mayor Bertsch
Mr. Goll
Mr. Fäßler
Mr. Wahl
The members of the small committee:
George Wacker
Michael Fäßler
Jacob Pfeiffer
David Spielmann
In recent times there is an increasing discussion in our village, that during the current poor economic time, there will not happen any improvement of the economic situation within the next time - neither in the poorer class of inhabitants, nor in the middle class. Rather, the situation will get worse for them in the near future. Through the ever more drastically rising unemployment an increasing number of the poorer segments of our population will fall into the need of support by the community. These poor people will have to eke out a more and more miserable life, leading in particular to the younger one of them this will cause their physical and moral ruin. For our community this is rapidly becoming to an intolerable burden.
Following the example of several other communities in the neighborhood, it is therefore desirable in Scherzheim to send a number of poor and needy families via emigration to America - at the expense of the community.
For this reason, the council and the small committee has gathered to discuss the matter during this meeting.
The meeting has been started with the recording of the names of all people who has given partly voluntary their consent to emigrate already and even those, whose emigration would be desirable for the community.
These are the following families:
1. Philipp Febrey
2. Johann Weber
3. Jacob Walter
4. Andreas Kirschemann
5. Friedrich Bauer´s widow
6. Christian Bauer
7. Jacob Kapp
8. Karl Waffenschmidt
9. Niclaus Meier II
10. Mathias Spielmann
11. Gottfried Febrey´s widow
12. Christian Ließ III
13. Jacob Kientz VI
14. Jacob Fäßler IV
The above-mentioned heads of families were asked to come toward the members of the Community council to give the declaration if they are willing to emigrate. They were asked for the number and ages of their family members. Against all expectation, however,
Jacob Walter
Friedrich Bauer´s widow
Karl Waffenschmidt
All attempted explanations with the remark, that they would have to expect no more support from the community, if they would remain here, have not been heard and even not the fact that the community would be willing to bring oppressive financial sacrifices in order to finance the emigration of the poorer families and thereby improve the prospect for these poor people. Although the mayor has not yet given up his hope, that these three families will change their opinion to another. Now the family members of those who have agreed to their emigration will be recorded and are taken into account. The first mentioned families will be preferably taken to emigrate on cost of the township:
Adults - Children, younger than 12 - Babies
1. Philipp Febrey 4 - 3 -
2. Johann Weber 6 - 3 - 1
3. Andreas Kirschemann´s widow 5 - 1 -
4. Christian Bauer 8 - -
5. Jakob Kapp 3 - 1 -
6. Niclaus Meier II 3 - 1 -
7. Mathias Spielmann 5 - -
8. Gottfried Febrey´s widow 6 - 2 -
9. Christian Ließ III 2 - 4 -
10. Jacob Kientz VI 2 - 5 -
11. Jacob Fäßler IV 3 - 2 -
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47 - 22 - 1
During the following discussion, the opinion was unanimously expressed, that it is in the interest of the community whenever possible to carry most of the identified families at community expense to America. For the financing of this cost, the Community council has to ask for state approval, to get a loan for the municipal community of five thousand guilders.
Direct after the todays consulting it was immediately taken the following decision: The big committee will be presented the down following result* of our today meeting. Then the big committee will have to talk about our result in its next meeting and make a final decision.
*Decision:
1. The local council and small committee of Scherzheim have the opinion, that it in is the interest of the community that a number of needy families from the local poorer class has to be shipped to America. The cost for the transport has to be paid by the community. To be able to pay this amount of money, the community of Scherzheim will ask for the State approval, to loan a amount of five thousand guilders.
2. In terms of repay this credit amount, the following points were made in proposal:
a. For a period of ten years, the proceeds of the selling or renting of the "Bürgernutzen" (every citizen who has the age of majority has the lifelong statutory right for a part of municipal farmland for gratis use - etc.) of those citizens and widows of citizens, who will emigrate at the cost of the community, will be used for repayment.
b. Also an annual contribution on the "Bürgerabholz" (every citizen who has the age of majority has the lifelong statutory right to get gratis wood from the municipal forests) of the emigrants, for a period of five years with an amount of 2 guilders for each part, has to be used for repayment the credit.
c. The higher part of the credit cost, which cannot be repaid by the above mentioned two points, has to be taken from the assumed bigger proceeds of selling oak wood and river-construction-material from the emigrants “Bürgernutzen”. Only in an extreme case the credit cost has to be earned by raising taxes on the citizens staying in Scherzheim.
Done as previously agreed
Community council:
Bertsch Christian
Feßler
Goll
Wahl
and small committee:
G. Wacker
M. Feßler
D. Spielmann
Jacob Pfeiffer