National Republican., 1883-09-12
First Regular Meeting Of tho Board Of Trustees
Last Night
Mr. Brookss Report on the Letter Of the
District Commissioners,
A Resolution Which Provoked Discussion and Some
Personalities Indulged In.
Teachers Appointed, BnIs Audited, and
Other Business Transacted.

regular meeting last night, there DelnB pres
ent Mr. b. IL. Warner, president, and Messrs.
Baum, Birney, Brooks Curtis, Clark, Purvis,
and Smith, and Mr.. c. B. Rheom, secretary.
A communication from Augustus Watson
sug costing that temperance pledges be intro
duced into the schools was referred
Miss Cornelia Clum, Mr.. James t. Free
man, p. N. Bailey, and Miss Marcella 7. Bear
were nominated as teachers and elected.
The resignation of X. NJ. Mitchell, of the
sixth division was accepted.
The applications Of II. @. Bouldin and
Frank Reed for janitors positions were re-
ferred.
DR.. Purvis offered q resolution, which was
referred to the committee on teachers Or
dered that five teachers instead of four be
allowed to the graded schools OF Uniontown,
and four instead of three TO the graded schools
ut Mount Pleasant
Mr.. Brooks presented the following report:
TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Gentleman: The CON-
miuee on ways and means supplies and accounts,
to whom so much OF the letter Of the honorable
commissioners of Juue 20, oe3 as relates 10 ac-
counts and supplies was referred submit the fol-
lowing report aud recommendations
The general scope of the letter OF the commits
sioners a. to requisiions for supplies is IN har-
mony with the bylaws of the board and In ac-
cUrdance with the provisions OF section 9, para
gaphs aud 0, defining the duties OF this COM
m1ttee.
The following suggestions are made: 1t shall be
the duty of the supervising principal of each d.
vision 10 consolidate tue requisitons Of the teac-
crs In his division, and approve and submit the
same to the superintendent to be forwarded to tie
committee.
kt onisiiions for regular supplies must be made
and forwarded 10 the superntendents on or be-
fore the filth day of each month, and by them
forwarded TO The committee with estimated Item.
lied cost on or before the regular meetingd ay OF
the con mitee.
articles .equired for repairs, heating apparatus,
and tools TO maxi 6 repairs shall be charged to
Tie appropriation for repairs, and be sub nitted to
and approved by the committee on buildings and
repairs, and sucn articles are not 70 be placed on
requisitions for school supplies, but shell i'll all
cases be rendered siuarately therefrom. Requisi-
tious for fuel shall in all cases be submitted TO the
miuees.
All requisitions for school supplies must be
made upon the ,onmiltce on supplies and ac'
pals OF tile hirh >c0ools. through the committee
on teachers. and forwarded through Q respective
scrutinz, them and approve so much ther.of as
a. their Judgment the needs and Interests OF the
tabulate said requisltious and show the name and
quantity of each article required. the division
where II is needed, the estimated cost, and to
whom the articles are to be delivered.
The committee, in view. of its responsibility to
the board, and the necessity tor the information
and In order to enable the board to intelligently
manage the school affairs, husband the resources
and submit proper and wise recommendations
the action OF the commissioners, recommend that
the commissioners be requested to furnish to your
committee monthly statements of all accounts
against the school iund which they have ordered
TO be paid, and of which the board aud commit
tee have no knowledge, including all bills for re-
to and sS Ss se
1t is absolutely necessary that tile boari should
be informed as to the amounts expended on ae-
count of the public schools to enable 1t to prop
erly and intelligently administer public school
affairs and to manage the trust imposed upon 1t
by law.
The cost per capita for tuition, incidental ex-
penses, permanent improvements, and In fact the
information; aud a denial TO the committee of
this renders its reports on financial matter, OF
little or value to the board, the commissioners,
or the public, and forces upon US very ulsatis-
factory administration.
Mr. Brooks fully explained the purpose of
the report, which was to impart to the board
the fullest information as to the expend-
itures in all matters within the purview of
the report.
Gen. Birney addressed the board objecting
to the report
Mr.. Warner favored the report.
Further discussion was had by Mossrs.
Birney and Curtis in opposition, and Mr..
Brooks in favor
The report was finally postponed until tho
next meeting, in order that it be printed.
Mr.. Brooks read, as n basis for future esti-
mates, a report of the amount of fuel used
by the district schools during the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1888, which was ordered
printed in the minutes. The amount aggre-
gated in round numbers. ignoring small frac-
tions of cord and ton, 1,SS4i tons furnace coal,
6l6l tons white ash egg, 155 tons r. M. c.,
BIZ tons w. A. stove, 5 tons chestnut
3 tons r. A. stove, S5 cords long pine and
1929 cords sawed and split pine wood. Con-
tract price was: White ash coal, $6.40 per ton
red ash coal $6.75; long pine wood, 1925 pei
cord. Twenty cents per ton should be added
to cost of coal for slowing away and thirty
cents per cord for slowing wood. The expen'
diture was $10,2S1.93, the appropriation Sl9,
500. The amount of bills read and approved
was $4,4Oi.S
Con. Birney, from the committee on teach.
ers, reported the condition of the music as
tlOurishimg.
Mr.. Warner offered the following resolu
tions:
Resolued, That the board of school trustees re
specially request of the commiss onerS OF the dis
tric al the earliest practicable moment, to direct
the Inspector Of buildings TO examine into tht
present condition of the school buildings of the
district with reference to safety from fire aud
facilities for escape in case of such casualty.
Rssolved, That supts Wilson and Cook be re-
queSted TO report to this board at its next regual
meeting what, II any, steps are being taken tC
facilitate the escape of tho children from thu
large school buildings in case of fire
Adopted.
Mr. Smith, from the committee on rules
offered the following amendment to article
oil the bylaws:
Annually IN the month of July, or as soon there
after as practicable, the trustees of public schools
for tue District OF Columbia shall divide them
selves into Us many local committees ns there max
be divisions. AT the same time, or as soon the re-,
after as practical the president of the board shall
appoint the general standing committees to con
siht OF three members each, except the COMMITTED
on teachers, text hooks and course of study whiel
Hll CONSIST of 1--WE members, and the memUe
fits uNmed ON each committee shall be chairman
This resolution provoked considerable dis
cussiOn.
Gen. Brney said he did not know whethe,
five members would do any better than three
lie especially condemned tho action of the
committee on teachers in introducing thre,
new text books and the study of Greek il
the high school. lie condemned this be
cause the colleges all over the country
were getting rid of Greek as useless
thing Even Harvard after the frs
year made it elective, and in the las
years did not require it at all. Tho publi
money could be otherwise better spent. Tn,
committee was apparently acting inde
peudontly of the board, and he thought II
should DO stopped at once, and be made Il
sec that it was subordinate to the board.
Mr.. Warner here asked if the board di(
not control the committee ON teachers2
Mr.. Birney said it appeared to him that il
did not
Mr.. Warner said the committee had had bu
one meeting the present school year, and con
sequently had but little opportunity to over
turn the work of the committee of last year