Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-21
The Board of Education at
Odds.
Proceedings at the Meeting
Last Evening.
Some of the Members Interviewed
About the Situation.
Governor Gospers Influence Said to Be
Still Alive-What Mr. Wilmer and
Mr.. Davis Have to Say About
the Others-A Merry War.

The board OF education met in regular
session last night with eight members
present, Mr.. Shafer being absent. On
motion of Mr.. Gaffey, DR.. Kierulff was
elected temporary chairman.
There was feeling in the air indicat.
ing that small-sized fight was in pros
pect, Mr. Shafer's absence lending color
to the supposition. The first symptoms
of the coming contest occurred when the
minutes of the special session of last
week came up for approval. When the
minutes were read, motion to approve
was lost by vote of four to four, Mr.
Gaffey declaring that no action of the
board was legal unless passed by five
votes. Mr.. Shafer's action at the spe-
cial meeting, in refusing to vote, connect
ed with his absence last evening, thus has
a new significance. Mr.. Wilmer cham
pioned the action of the special meeting
supporting his action by appealing to
the rules. DR.. Kierulf ruled him out OF
order. Mr.. Wilmer appealed from the
decision of the chair. After considera-
BILE discussion DIR. Kierulf decided mo-
tion to disapprove the classification COM
mittee carried, when the vote was 4 to
4, despite the well-known parliamentary
rule that tie vote must be decided in
the negative. On the appeal, the chair
man voted to sustain his own decision,
and the vote being again 4 to 4, he de-
cided the chair sustained. Wilmer hav-
ing thus been summarily sat upon
subsidized.
The resignation of Mr.. F. E. Little re-
ceived vote of to on acceptance.
Mr.. Wilmer declared this vote re-
Election upon the classification commit
tee, and Mr.. Gafey thereupon declared
that the meeting of the classification
committee was called without his
knowledge or approval, and was
promptly contradicted by Mr.. Wilmer.
The chairman called them both to order.
Mary N. Pennan was allowed to re-
sign, as was also Mrs. Mary A. English
of the high school. The resignation of
Miss G. s. Slack was laid over until next
session.
Lots for school purposes in East Los
Angeles were offered by Mrs. McLaugh-
lin for $4,000 and $4,000; r. E. Shaw, for
$500; E. Harvey, for $2050; Mrs. M. A..
Palmer, for $3.50; O.. j. Shepard and
Campbell & Shepherd. These PROPOSE
tions were referred to the building COM
mittee, in conjunction with DR.. Boal.
The finance committee reported ap-
proving bills to the amount $1210.25,
The building committee recommended
the acceptance oil the plans of j. w.
Forsyth for Garey-street school, to cost
$4,000, which acceptance was accord
ingly voted bv the board. A similar re-
port relative to the plans Of Fl. Todd for
enlarging Ann-street school was also ap-
proved.
A motion was made to authorize the
chairman to sign the building contracts.
Thevote being called one member voted
for, none, against, whereupon the chair
man declared the vote carried, notwith-
standing that it involved the expendi-
ture OF money.
The report of the supply committee
calling for numerous supplies was read
and the supplies allowed.
The building committee was empow-
cred to order the construction of needed
improvements at Breed, Temple and
Garey-street schools.
The printing committee recommended
acceptance OF bid OF r. Y. McBri de for
1915 for printing, which recommends
ton was adopted by the board which
then, adjourned.
SOME INSIDE VIEWS.
Mr.. Wilmer, interviewed by a report
er, stated that the action of the solid
four--Kierulf, Marsh, Gaffey and Grow
ley-was only in keeping with their pre-.
vious conduct. With regard to the
meeting of the classification committee,
Mr.. Wilmer said that "Mr. Gaffey was
%1,o inht rs Ia n
had declared that he could not remain
to the meeting of the committee. The
rules of the board of education lsection
57) SAYS with regard to the classification
committee:
"ssSec. 81. They shall classify all
teachers as to competency, and shall
recommend to the board all transfers oi
teachers from one school to another; and
no such transfers shall be made unless
the same shall have been recommended
by this committee
'Amajority of the committee having
reported, therefore, it was foolish for the
board to refuse to confirm the action.
The fact was that these four members
wanted the salaries of their personal
favorites fixed higher, and were making
the fight on that. Mr.. Shafer had
known this, and had a favorite
of \ his own which had caused
his voting against the report of the
classification committee at the special
meeting, while he had not. the grit to
come to the meeting last night and vote
for either of the contending parties.
Mr.. Shaefer, in fact, would not care to
vote for report which reduced favor
ite teacher from principalship where
she had received salary of $115 last
year to teachers position with salary
of only o-thirds that amount, especi
ally as that particular teacher. was also
friend of Ex-Governor Gosper, to whom
Mr.. Shafer had deferred from the begin
ming of his term of Office"
Mr.. Davis said that "there has been 9
combination of Messrs. Kierulf, Grow
ley, Gaffey and Marsh against Mr.. Wit
mer, DIR. Barber, DR.. Boal and pysel
ever since the board was elected
while Mr.. Shafer did not stand
in with either and could never
be definitely counted upon by eithel
side. The combination had been par
ticularly opposed to the teachers com
mittee and had worked to abridge its
powers, upon which occasion Mr.. Shafel
had etood in with them. DIR, Kierul
had an ambition to run the board him
self, and would stand in with any plar