Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-04-13
Public Expenditures.


now they stand, whether they can show pro
gress and an accumulation Of capital This
rule holds good when applied to either fnan.
clal, mental or moral development In fact, II
is the only safe way TO manage business oi
any kind, and the man or woman, or body
OF men, who shrink from n settlement oi
this kind, ARE moral towards, and will prOba-
bly, prove themselves failures sooner or later
and bankrupts financially, mentally and NOR.
ally. Frequent settlements, prove checks
to worthless expenditures and keeps one with
in the line of his resources. If this rute is OBJ
served there will be no danger as to how one
will.come out at the end of the year. But IL
we branch out in business without regard TO
the amount of capital we have to begin with.
and the amount of our resources upon which
| TO depend in case there comes ull or n tenn
porary reverse In our business arrangements,
trouble aud disaster is sure to follow, which
is sure TO prove the best evidence Of our un-
fitness to occupy IA position of responsibility
| and trust
BY force of its own logic, this brings me to
an examination of the way ia which our pub.
lie schools have been managed during the past
year. am aware that you called upon our
School Board to give detailed statement of
their financial condition, intimating to them
the advantages that would accrue to them by
thus doing, and have been anxiously looking
for such report, but up to this time have
been disappointed. 1t seems to me that these
gentlemen shrink from the consequences of a
simple, plain statement of facs-such a state
ment as will enable us all to sec just how this
branch of the peoples business is conducted,
and whether these men have proved them.
selves worthy servants. 1t is an unpleasant
task to perform, l assure you, this looking into
what may be considered the affairs OF others,
and would not do it were l not a friend of
common schools, and acting up to my con-
victions of duty. / have all my life seen the
benefits 10 be derived from "a proper and
correct management of the common schools
OF our county. believe the only safe way to
manage them is TO be careful in so conducting
their finances as TO make them self-supporting,
avoiding as far as possible, the necessity for
asking for increased taxation, and when it
does become necessary 10 ask for such in
crease, it is highly important that the people
should have implicit confidence in the honesty
and ability of those who ask it There is no
way SO well calculated to inspire and maintain
that confidence as an open, frank and candid
showing at all times full and complete rec.
ord OF Board of Directors whose duty it is
to handle monies thus collected
In the absence of a report from our School
Board, am left to gather such facts as can
reach from unofficial sources. AT the COM
mencement of the last fiscal year, there was
IN IN tue treasury, S 5000.
year, $500.
Total, 12,7OO
Amt of expenditures accounted for, S s,O04
Amt on hand at the close of the fiscal
year, 800.
Amt not accounted for, 3S06
Total, 12,7OO
find in statement made by the Board, an
item Of 5000 for wood and contingencies What
these contingencies consist of l am unable to
conjecture. 1t has the look Of something not
just right, and it would have been much more
to the credit of the School Board had they
made 1t palmer. l would like TO have these
gentlemen tell us how much of the public
money they have used during the past year in
the book business, and what disposition they
made of the 500 they took from the treasury
recently and passed TO the credit of the book
fund-giye US statement showing the neces
sity of this transfer. Please, give us also, the
amount it cost us for teaching the German
language in our schools, and whether the ben
efts deriyed from the personal influence and
teaching of the Professor was equal to the
amount it cost.
L gentlemen ic nf
creditable to yourselves as you wish, and that
you begin to feel little disturbed about the
financial future of your school, and that you
propose to maintain the present high standard
of The schools on credit, depending upon some
change. in the future that will help you out of
your troubles. Now then, gentlemen, if you
begin TO see breakers ahead, advise you to be-
gin to shorten up and take in sail, throw over
board portion of the cargo, about ship, and
you will find plenty of water and fine sailing
You can very easily do this, by giving up the
school book business, in which you have been
and now are, unlawfully using the public
money, reducing salaries you have been pay.
ing in consequence of this book business, and
bring all your other expenses within the line
of your resources. In this you will find safe
ty and success. But If you do not heed these
warning signals that are now SO easily seen by
those who are not members of your Board.
yon Will find, in time, bankrupt treasury and
a ruined school, and demonstrate your unfit
ness for the place you occupy.
VILLAGE.
Upon the partial retirement, in April, 1871,
from Office of Board of Aldermen who, by
their official acts, had proved themselves a
disgrace TO our village, we found ourselves in
debted something over $11 900. with compare
lively nothing to show for this reckless ex.
penditure of money. On the 1st day of April,
1879, the balance of this Board were cast over
board and swept from positions of public
trust which they had disgraced for the past
two years, by an utter disregard of duty in
their management of our finances. Either
from sense of shame, or fear of conse-
quences, they neglected to the last, and finally
retired from Office without performing duty
made plain by the statute, 10 wit on page II
of the Statutes of Ohio, passed April 19, 1870,
Volume 81, you will find the following law
"The Clerk SHALL on or before the third Mon
day of March of each year, make and enter
H. al. Il