Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-09
.Our Pnh,ie scAooIx


NiGET-THE COAL CONTRACT BusINEss-rHE
SCHOOL FUND-PRIZEs, ere.
regular meeting Of the Board OF Public
school Trustees was held at the Franklin School
building last evening-Mr. Murtagh presiding
and Dr. A p. Pardon secretary.
Mr. Richards presented
suggesting I" a mode of settlement which, he
thinks, " viii be more acceptable than legal
adjudication" In his communication, Mr..
Guinand expresses his amazement at the report
of the committee, as, in his humble opinion, ii
was not justified by the testimony. The COM
mittee said that he must have known that there
was a law governing coal weighing. He answers
that he did not know of the provisions of that
law, and that it. Is impracticable, and there is
not q coal dealer in the city that complies with
1t. He never supposed that the board would act
on mere presumption and would pass Judgment
Of condemnation on the actions of one Of its
servants for acts not actually proven. He was
prepared for censure for not supervising his
business better, but certainly was not prepared
to have his bills mulcted to the amount of ten
per cent. In addition to the scathing rebuke of
the committee, and he therefore very naturally ,
gave the board notice of his intention of
appealing to the courts. Divesting the subject
OF all legal forms, it reduces itself to a simple
business proposition, viz: how much coal has
not presume-and then make the demand,
and, IL found just, restitution must be made.
That is the proposition he made to Mr.. Hart on
the night of March 8, when he was sent for by
him to meet the committee on accounts. which
did not meet that night, and that is the PROPOSE
ton which be now renews to the board. He
Will pay for all the coal found short. 1t has
been shown that at different times and in differ
ent districts four loads of coal have been
weighed for him and found correct. He had
therefore as much right to presume that all the
rest of the coal that was weighed was correct.
as for the board to presume all the rest incor-
rect because they found some few loads short
offer this as a compromise, but as his original
proposition. In conclusion, he repeats the
statement made by one of the trustees at the
last meeting, viz: IL the board will take the
trouble to look into their coal bills of the last
two years and compare the number of tons and
the amount of money expended, besides taking
into consideration the addition of the jefferson
and Cranch buildings, coupled with an almost
unprecedented winter, they will find that there
has been less number Of tons and less money
invested in fuel than for the last two years, al
and has not cheated them so bad after all. The
communication was temporarily laid over.
MI. - o. Wilson, the superintendent, pre-
scented the abstract of
THE MONTHLY REPORTS FOR MARCH
showing number of pupils on the roll last day of
the month, 6,9s3; increase for month, 1S4; aver
2O5 first district, PIG second, 1872 third and 215
fourth; applicants, 33-6 i'm first, 10 in second 8
in third and in the fourth district. Cases of
corporal punishment, 35-12 i'm first district :
in second, in third and IL in fourth district;
number dismissed, 81; do. suspended, y.
MI. Wilson also presented the application of
Miss Jennie W. Henry, of Bethlehem, Pa, for
a leadership, which was referred.
MR.. GUINAND's COAL BILLS.
MI Hart, from the committee on accounts,
reported a number of bills among them several
OF MIR. Guinand for fuel with ten per cent de-
Quoted, as also one with deduction of SiI. be-
cause OF an alleged failure to deliver coal when
ordered, causing the bursting of the steam
Mr.. Richards moved that the bills on which
there is any dispute be laid over to the next
meeting. He would not like a snap judgment
to be taken by the board. He had, since the
last meeting of the board. heard some state
ments in reference to the coal contracts, which,
II tine, placed the affair in different phase.
He urged that the board should not act too
hastily; that they should not rush headlOng into
the courts, where they will surely lose the case
II they insist on a deduction of 10 per cent be-
side the amount actually proved short. He did
not know Mr.. Guinand until the investigation
was commenced, and from what he had learned
no man stood higher than he as a business man
before these charges were brought.
This motion led to q long debate, in which
Messrs. Hart, Rhees, Harris, Wilson, Scott and
others took part, which was ended by the con-
sideration of the bills of Mr.. Gmnand being
postponed.
Mr.. Alice, from the committee on rules, re-
ported an amendment to the rules providing
for examinations of candidates for teachers on
the third Saturday of December and the last
Saturday in May Of each year; laid over.
Mr.. Rhees offered a resolution, which was
adopted. that copy of the testimony taken in
Guinand.
Mr.. AtLee offered a resolution directing the
committee on legislation to secure from the le-
gislature at its next session, the passage of an
act prohibiting the ringing of the bells on the
locomotives in their passage through the city.
and especially in the vicinity of the public school
buildings; adopted.
Mr. Harris offered resolution amending the
prize list for spelling, which allows one medal
for the first grade in the secondary schools and
one in the second grade; adopted.
Mr.. Rhees called attention to the fact that the
teachers had not been paid since December,
and he had made some inquiry as to the cond-
ton Of the school fund. The Collector informed
him that from July LIST last TO March 81 there
had been collected for the support of the public
schools s142 1878. From other sources he had
actually paid, S45,74G1f Bills also approved to
the amount of SD 3O1 81 are now in the hands OF
the Controller, but not paid. Bills have been
paid on account OF colored schools to the amount
of about $4,000. 1t appears that of tie taxes
already received for schools, amounting to over
SIP goo, only about S60,OO0 have been actually
Legislature he urged to provide by law that the
school funds shall be held i'm trust for educa-
tional purposes; not to be used, even Temporal
rily, for any other object That we deeply sym
pathiZe with the teachers in their unrecOm-
pensed labOrs, and we thank them for the zeal
and fidelity with which, under peculiarly trv-
ing circumstances, they discharge their duties"
After debate, Mr.. Hart moved that the sub
ject be referred to a special committee of four,
with instructions to report at the next meeting:
agreed to, and Messrs. Harris, Rhees, Scott and
Champlin were appointed.
THE PRIZE BUSINESS.
MI Harris offered q resolution, which was re-
jected, "tbat if it shall be shown to the salts
faction of the committee on prizes and exami-
nations that any teacher has violated the first
rule governing the award of special prizes, the
said committee be directed to exclude the school
under control Of such teacher from participa-
ton in the competitive examination"
Mr.. Woodward offered resolution to abolish
the giving of prizes and medals for spelling;
which was laid on the table. Adjourned.
Our River Front.
THE SPRING TRADE-FIsH, OYSTERS, COAL,
LUMBER, ETC.
Business about our river front begins to pre-
sent quite brisk appearance, especially about
the fish wharf. where already numerous wagons
from the surrounding country have CONNIE need
to arrive for supplies of fish. The arrivals of