The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-09-05
The Public Schools.

lFor the Cecil Whisl
Mr.. In The Cecil Dcmocrat OF
the 10Th of August, the following article was
inserted in its local column, though pub
lishcd. it seems, by authority Of the Board
of School Commissioners
'!WHY TIE Pennies Schools ARE CRIPPLED.
The report published below of the financial
condition in which the Public Schools were
LETT hy the retiring Board of Commissioners
will serve to cmcidate the shadowy mystery
as to why the schools have been SO long sus
pended We commend it to the attention
of tax payers:
''Mr. Editor AT the last meeting of the
Board of School Commissioners of Cecil
county. held in Elkton on the 18th inst. the
committee appointed at u previous meeting
on the 29th of July, on the financial condl-
ton of the Board, made the following report,
which was ordered to be published:
The committee appointed to investigate
the financial condition of the Board report
rs follows: When the present Board came
iato Office, the liabilities were as follows:
Note due Cecil Bank April 9th 500
:. Nay i ,!l . S&"
Me due A. H. Hcynois-halance on school
h"nSe-layaie July LIST. lStS................... 800
Note du. West & C,rroll-balanco due on
Note due J. sw:shrr-payaIl. Feb eth, 1859. l4l;i 2.
Am,ontinr to sI2 &c; ::
All which is respectfully submitted.
Signed, C. c. REoKhw,
Chairman Of Committee.
% 1t will be seen at once from the above
report that the present Board have been and
are still laboring under heavy liabilities MOI
vii! it be possible, for some time to come,
for them to answer the demands of the
county for the repairing Of school houses
and the erection of new ones. Those per,
sons, therefore, who can. must understand
why the present Board is not proceeding
with more dispatch to make the present sys-
tenn of public instruction what it ough, 10
be, will lind in this report an ample eSpla-
nation. j. SQuIER, Secretary
1t is by no means an agreeable task to be
called upon to take exceptions to the pro-
ceeeings of gentlemen with whom we have
ever maintained, and still desire to main
tain, relations of an amicabie and kindly
character but duty to themselves forbids
the members of the late School Board to re-
main silent, when a statement so maniiestiy
one sided and uncandid is presented to the
public, calculated, If moi designed. to excite
prejudice against them by the publication OF
an erroneous exhibit of what is called Tie
financial condition cf tie Board" achen the
present Board came into office.
No one unacquainted with the facts can
read that publication without concluding that
the late School Board left an indebtedness
Of SO, 2G3 - to be paid by their successors
without dollar of assets 10 meet it. The
responsibility of saying so directly, is not
assumed, but the manifest effect, if not The
design Of that article, is to cover that idea.
1t is difficult to conceive how men of ordi-
nary intelligence could expect such a state,
nent TO escape comment, and thereby mis-
lead the public mind in regard TO the condi-
ton of a great public interest. Men of the
,Dast limited business capacity will expect
To find in any exhibit of tic financial condi-
tom Of an institution statement Of the
assets, (if there be any asscts.) as we'll Gs
the liabilities; and if an officer or com.
mittee is called upon 70 prepare and submit
such an exhibit, he or they greatly misun-
derstand the duty they assume, OF deliber-
ately avoid its faithful discharge, when they
present to those for whom they are acting
but one side of the account.
The last act OF the late School Board was
to place upon the record of their proceed
ines, for the inspection of every one inter
ested, and especially for the information of
those who were to succeed them, the report
Of their committee on accounts setting forth
the trRe financial condition of the Board.
If the present Board had felt it to be their
duty TO publish that report in full, or the
financial statement embodied therein, it
would have been perfectly right and proper,
and no necessity would have ariken for the
publication of this or any other response
from the members of the late Board.
Their failure to do that, and the very sin
su!ar extract they have taken from it, makes
il oar duty 10 publish the entire report:
We, the undersigned members of the
committee on accounts, respectfully report
that we have carefully examined the account
of William Torbert, Treasurer of the Board
from July 81, 1866. to July 81, 1867; and
from July, 1867, to March 80, 1868; and
have compared the entries in said accounts
with the vouchers and find the SAID accounts
to be correct, the balance of cash on hand
being :'S3.0S.
The committee further report that they
Balance hand as above stated ......... . ssi TX
balance Of county for 1866 due the loard
from VIA. ii. Pc:rcc. Collector Is, District Isl 81
Amount due fiom G. G.. Broliaw for money ap-
s'rnpriatel to the erection Of school
fiouSc at Fair Hill, unexpcnded and in his
Bands. sJ.i with intcrest................... 6l3 10
Third quarterly payment Of the State tax for
1857. due Cecil county, AMI payable April
10, 3,GG3 u
fu'u III quarterly payment Of the State tax
for 1867, due Cecil county. and payable July
in,s. Observation-Disclosures. 2Gno
C-ril C"uniy's proportion Of the Free School
Fun! 2ln)
s9,on Is
The liabilities of the Board they find to