Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-02-24
COUNTY MATTERS OF MOMENT,


To the Editor of the New Mexican.
Allow Inc the use Of your columns IL
order to publicly call the attention OF the
grand jury now in session, as well as OF
tax payers of this county, to some OF the
evident abuses of our county officials N
the management OF the public trust to
them confded
| will first dwell upon the school cues
ton. The management of our schools
is placed, by law, in the hands of an
officer named superintendent ofschools, "
who shall receive from the county
treasurer the sum of 80 for every day
actually and necessarily employed in his
duties, etc" section 1892, Compiled Laws
of 1854. The statute imposes on this
officer some very clear and we'll defined
duties, among which is that OF visiting
leach district at least once year. Id.
section 1904. Presumably the compen-
ration OF S25 per year for each district
ia allowed this officer for his travelling
through lhe uiS.fie's' az" 'hu' q. "n"',9
working at least li'e uays III e"'i' 'lSl'i'''
NOW, II the superintendent " S'iiooiS
DRAWS HIS FULL SALARY
for the year of 1889, for example-with-
out complying with the duties thus i'm
posed in him, i. e. of visiting each school
district "al least once year, "will he be
liable for non feasance? | think he is,
and the public is entitled to such serv-
ices and 70 kno" WheIlltl or hoI tle!
have been performed Dio I,'e present
lncumhent make one sing'e 'lslV " eiiG
outside districts Ii lie ulu lie Is Justineo
III dla"lhg We, II ne hcl.a'l! anu heGea
sarllv WoIkeo I'VE NAY Al 1e' - LII ~,
Tor each uistrict. me sianu J".y VIZ Nu
he people OF SANTA re county si1at
FAVOR py Telling t,'eni "he'''ei ~ io' wv
money tiuS pan! 10 llie p'esen' "upeiin
tehdeht OF SCHOOLS LAS oeeh iioi'e9''' "N''
fairly earned .,.,,
Now, the next question IS, INV sia''
this o1hcer be fa'u FROM tiie fef''It re-
Gently puollsheu pV MN, u 'he co',ui'ioii
OF our schools, u VIII pe seen tiitt lie mas
received every cent tle IA" a,lo"s ,' ia
out OF the soiiooi i'inu al. pay iiient', -,
my judgment ana uhoerstAiiuius vi . .l'e
law OF ms natlon' hl's' pe p'id ou' VI wv
| county ana
NOT OUT OF THE SCHOOL FUNDS.
This the law SAWS as clear as daylight.
r. .ho low had boon an framed as TO he
;.,.o.,uo.o4;o,.
susceptible OF t"oor inoie ih'ei p'e'a''oi''
then, and only then, would the county
authorities be justified in placing upon 1t
snch construction as would be more
agreeable to their understanding OF IT, ana
perhaps, II couio ne saiu III 'l'at eeiiso' 40
ond in no obscure If a iudiciai construc-
ton to the contrary they had no other
road to follow but Their own lnlefpr'ta'
tloh; out inc ia" does not aunl. Vi an,
construction whatever, 1t PROVIDES that
The assessor OF each county slall lie EN-
powered to levy lax not 10 exceed
mills on the dollar Ia any one year oii
the taxable property OF Inc county ,or ','e
purpose OF creatlils luiid "ilch st'a', oe
applied to the various oistrictS acro'u'hE
to apportlonment Tor me eref'lon OF scnoo'
houses and providing the same WIN i.lrhl,
ure and fuel and paving OF teachers
wages" section HOS, Compiled Laws
1854. Can there be any law more posi-
tive and clear than this? 1t tells us no"
the school fund shall be created and men
it specifies the way IN winch II must DE
applied. Is there any room Tor even
conjecture that the superintendent OF
SCHOOLS, assessor OF al. oe''ei oii'Oei al
oe pau Wv "a vas n.y., ~,
~ ,nA lNo- VI. 49,. ,,r.' ftor :,
Wv Wv ~ 49, b., ,ho xo,ort of tho mason,
o" '. ~ So aaLoa,, tho. his nrodo.
superintendent Vi 81 'oo'' '''"' MS p,eO'
cessor and the assessor nave also peen
paid out OF this fund.- used for other than
,ho n,rnoses ;ntanded nv the law.nakinp
w., p,'' po'NS ''
po Tta seoord noint IN which desire 70
al ne ~ s ot,.nt;op 81 t9o Grand ;nrv and
.n 'ti n ro Of large 10 his Does The board