Omaha daily bee., 1893-11-21
Will Be Fully Investigated by a Crm.
mittee of Five.
BOARD OF EDUCATION TAKES ACTION
MIR. Eigutter scores the Superintendent OF
Buiidings-Busy Session OF the board
Finance Committee Reports-other
Business Transacted.

TOll GIRLS,
The secretary had not proceeded far in
reading reports from officers of the schools
and of the board until he struck a communi-
cation from Superintendent Macle cd read
ing as follows:
Whereas, Certain charges have been made
In open board meeting against my administra-
tion of affairs as superintendent OF buildings,
L therefore ask that a BIO appointed
and directed to investigate fully and thor
enghly any and all of my acts rs such super
intendent Of buildings and that they be d.
rccted to mako report thereon as speedily as
possible, that the truth may be made known.
As soon as t his was read Mr.. Akin moved
that the com munication be referred to a
committee of five, to be appointed by the
president, to which committee should also
be referred without debate any and ali
charges which might be presented to the
board against the superintendent of build
ings; that such charges should be in writing
and signed by the person preferrine them;
that upon the referring of the cha rges the
committee should make a full and fair IN
vestigation thereof aud report the result of
the investigation to the board at it's eurliest
convenience.
Mr.. Elgutter at once moved a substitute,
signed by himself, Morrison and Smythe as
the committee on buildings and property.
1t was:
Form of the Charges.
Whereas, 1t has come to the hearing OF a
number OF the members of the Board of Edu-
cation that cement and irregularities
have for q long time prevailed and now pre-
vail in the office OF the superintendent of
Resolved, That this board shall resolve it
sell INTO a committee of the whole, with DIR. j:
!: Bnryea as chairman, for the purpose of
agement of the office of the superintendent of
buildings. and that II day be set for the exam
nation of witnesses and for the taking of
testimony before the said committee, with
authority to adjourn from day, to day
findings of the committee be reported to this
board for action at the first regular meeting of
Resolved, That the sum of 800 be appropri-
sted out of the general. fund. Of this board
for the expenses of this Investigation, and for
the cost of u complete transcript of the evil
dence therein; and be it
Resolved, That the said committee shall sit
as aforesaid to hear and investigate all
charges Of irregularities, Acknowledgement, in
competence and abuse Of authority of the said
of buildings, that may be brought to the at
tention OF this committee;, and be it
consiitnte some of the rhnrgas .Is tba
superintendent of buildings:
First-Thep purchasing OF building materials
by the superintendent or through his orders
without voucher or order issued by the secre-
tary, of the board and without authority of
acknowledgement of the superintendent of
huildings to keep a record of building ma
tlons of this board.
| UNDERSTANDING alterations, repairs, changes
and improvements at school buildings with
out direction, of the committee on buildings
the board, as required by the rules Of the
board.
Notwithstanding and ignoring the In
structiens of the committee on buildings and
property and the instructions and resolutions
of the board in making alterations, repairs,
changes and improvements in school build
Fifth-selling school property without d.
rections OF the board and its proper commit
| tees ana in violation OF the rules of the
board ard failing to make proper accounts
and reports OF such sale of property TO the
tions of This board,
SiXth-Extravagance, carelessness and in
competence in work done at school buildings.
IScventh-Employing and discharging en-
ployes of this board without authority, and
pended and creating unnecessary offices with
out the authority of this board.
laDorer for this board, Knowing at the time of
his hiring that the said Garrahty was guilty of
o Of the Ds'n3WS% aHInus Hi ihhp0f sch sS IN" and Pre invits
Ing and inducing the %janitor of the
subsequently said Garrahty to have been en-
ployed as assistant janitor to Acting Janitor
main as an employee OF the said Mcbride with
out protest or notification to this board.
sufficient cause bringing before the board
serious charges against one Matt Gahlon. jan
itor of Walnut Hill school.
Favored n IuDi1c investigation.
Mr.. Coryell liked the substitute offered
because it made specific charges, though he
believed that an investigation could be prop
erly conducted by a committee of FIVE. He
thought the Investigation should be public,
and was in favor of Akin's motion, provided
the charges made in the substitute were III
corporated in il.
Mr.. Morrison said that the matter was
such n serious one that it should be consid-
cred by the whole board. He thought that
this would secure a thorough and impartial
hearing of the charges and prevent a white
wash.
MIR. Gibson favored tho hearing of the
charges by a committee of five. This was
the only way to get directly at the matter.
The investigation would require time which
every member of the board could not give,
though any member of the board might at
tend the sittings of the committee.
MIR. Elgutter did not insist on n committee
OF the whole and changed the substitute SO
ms TO provide for n committee of five with
open meetings. He was strongly opposed to
n star chamber proceeding.
Mr.. Smy the sad that he believed it would
be fair TO Macleod and fair to all if a COM
mittee of five should make the Investigation
of all charges, using those made by the COM
mittee on buildings and property as a basis,
and make its reports on facts without
recommendations. He was also in favor of
the appropriation of 500 for expenses.
The substitute was lost by the following
vote:
1eaS-burBess, CoryeN, ElSutter, MOI
rison ana Smythe-5.
Nays-Akin. Gibson, Jaynes, Knodell,
Pierson, Thomas and POWELL,
G. g.. Babeock, w. N. Babcock and DIR.
Duryea were absent.
Speaking OH the question of the passage of
Atkins motion, MIR. Corycll stated That he
thought no fair ana thorough Investigation
could be made under the motion. No spe-
cific charges were made and no appropria-
ton for expenses. Therefore he was OPP
posed to the motion.
Smythe took the same view of the case. He
believed the Akin motion would be all
right il modified so as to provide for
the appropriation of 500 and the
incorporation of the charges made by Elgut-
ter. Without money for the payment of
witnesses only the testimony of volunteers
could be had, and this might be exceedingly
unreliable on account of spite or friendship
for the party accused. He reminded the
board that it would PROBABLY not be neces-
sary to spend the whole of the 500 sug-
gested, but only so much of it, as should be
absolutely required.
MIR. Elgutter's Plain Talk.
When the debate had gone this far MIR.
Elgutter arose and spoke with an earnest
ness that considerably shook up his col