The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-03-16
For the Virginian.
To the Public.

10 EUC EuEllC.
was very much astonished to see the COM
munication of City Treasurer, Heber Ker. to
the Council, which was published with the
Council proceedings in the last issues of the
city papers, and ! may he partloned for ndtic-
ing what regard as il most unwarranted as
sault upon me, and upon the lady teachers in
the Public Schools, through me. Twas present
at the last meeting in February, Of the city
Council, i'll my capacity as President OF the
city School Board, to give any Information in
my possession, bearing upon the proposed pur-
chase OF the old Wesleyan Female Institute
Building for school purposes and upon the in
yitation OF the Council, gave them my views on
that subject. After this matter was disposed
OF, discussion was started by some of the
members of the Council upon the city f.
names as bearing upon the Public Schools, and
in the course OF the discussion, stated to the
Council that thought they ought to make
some better provision for paying the teachers
that their salaries were barely sufficient to
furnish them with the necessaries Of life, il
paid promptly in money as they had been
promised-that the city scrip did not answer
their purposes as money. And | stated in IL
lustration Of the importance and necessity for
making such pro DIVISION, that few days before
one Of the lady teachers had called at my house
to see me, at the instance, as she said, of q
number OF her fellow teachers, and said that
that some of them had just called upon Mr..
Ker, the city Treasurer, with their scrip for
payment, and that he said, he had no money
for them, and would not Lave for perhaps u
month, as all the money hi expected to receive
during that time would be required to pay the
interest on the city bonds, which must be paid.
That the Teachers were in despair at this state
ment, as they must suffer for the necessaries of
life or be forced to sell their scrip ut 10 to 10
per cent. discount, and asked if could not
help thom--That fortunately knew of friend
who had not paid, but was prepared to Fay the
city tax amounting to over $300-that | had
gotten this friends check for the amount of
the tax due, and with it paid nine of the lady
teachers mouths salary and used their scrip
to pay the tax tickets Of this friend, thus re-
lieving the pressing necessities Of these ladies.
| said this without any purpose to reflect in
any way upon the city Treasurer, aud | feel
sure that no member of the city Council who
heard me, understood me to do so. | had no idea
that the Treasurer had it in his power to DO
anything for the relief Of these ladies, as | be-
iieycd that he told them the truth when he told
them he had no money that he could apply to
pay their script I believed that the Council
could provide for them, and therefore l was
speaking to them. But did not go before The
Council to make complaint on this subject,
and had not been asked by the teachers to do
so. ] was present on other business, and this
subject being brought under discussion by
member of the Council, [ spoke my mind to
them. did not understand these ladies to
question the Elnd7aesS or the pol,teness Of the
city Treasurer, nor did they come to me in my
official capacity to make complainG Of the
Treasurer. bvt they came to me as o friend for
advice and assistance. As the city Treasurer
tnoacs that got the money from this tax pay
cr and cashed the scrip for these ladies, (since
[ went to him TO pay the tax and informed
how 81.
script to take up tie tax tickets, and he referred
nle to his Deputy, who had the tickets for col
lecton) do not understand the meaning OF
his question OF veracity with me on this point.
But he questions the veracity OF these ladies
i'll stating to me s'that they had nos been paid
since November" and says tlat ''they had
been paid regularly" and says that if that was
not true, why did | take up the warrants
If February 5, 1876, and not the warrants of
November, 1857 Now the Treasurer ought
10 haUe knotgD why | did not, as lie had the
warrants i'll his possession. But will not hold
him responsible for the s,ggestio falsi contain
ed i'll the statement (for do not believe he in
tended it, though in making it, he imputed
falsehood to these ladies' and to me-
Lie should have known that the warrants Of
February 8, 1876, were for the pay Of the
teachers Tor December, 1875, and talt until
got the pay for December for them, ''tlIey had
not been paid since November. And this was
one OF the grievances that | was asking the
Council, {no5 the Treasurer) to relieve against,
for this December pay should have been passed
by the Council January 1, and not February
3. | have in my possession the written state
ments OF thirteen CT the lreaci ers, each one OF
whom is in arrears Of pay two months, and
some Of them three and four months.
repeat. that am astonished at Mr.. Ker's
card. and cannot Imagine hoy he has been
nlsiel into making Such a communication. 1t
was as far from my purpose to injure OF be
unjust to him as to be so to any other friend
| had, and Il he had come to me or had gone to
any member Of the Council who was present
on the occasion referred to, he would never
have made suc! mistake. l regret the neces.
sity for making this statement. but justice to
myself and the teachers for whom | spoke,
seems to require it, and ask the papers that
have published MIR. Ker's statement to publish
this. II. NJ. RE,II,
Stauaton, Va.
FEES AND EMoLUMENrs OF IHE CLERKS
OF TIE SUPREME CoUET OF APPEALS. Hon.
r. L. c. Moncure, President of the Supreme
Court OF Appeals, ON the 18th transmitted to
the House OF Delegates, in response to a reso-
luton ct inquiry, the several statements Of the
clerks Of the court of fees and emolplnents re-
ceivcd by them. other than salaries, for the fis
cal year ending October LIST, 1875. Mr.. George
l.. Christian, clerk at Richmond, reports that
within the year he received in fees, acruing for
that and several previous years, 81 ,s33.63; for
copies OF opinions, about $50; for commissions
at per cent. Oh taxes collected. s33 .90-total