The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-10-27
Let Justice be Done.

Editor Collar Ckrosicls:
In your issue OF October 18th You very
correctly stated that the school board Of
Grant parish had raised my salary as su-
periutendent from $50 to 500. Any
claim OF the board 10 the contrary is not
borne out by the record, and your attempt
at correction in the OHRoNIcLE Of the
10th docs me an injusticu, and is wrong.
The facts are these: At the orgauiza-
ton Of the board in September 1892, was
elected superintendent, and was to serve
'for the salary designated by law"
quote the exact wording Of the minutes
as published. Now, the salary designat-
ed by law is $500. and have drawn it
quarterly ever since - $50 for the last
quarter in 1892, and $50 every quarter
since down to the 3Oth Of June 1894, and
it has been published in every quarterly
statement Of the parish treasurer oppo-
site my name a. salary. You have the
records and they will speak for them
selves.
II therefore comes ~ith very bad grace
from the board 10 thus plead ignorance
and claim that they thought my salary
was only $50, and malign me by the
charge at this late day that had araised
my own salary" as you put It, or that /
had exercised "usurpation in Office" and
drawn and used the school money for my
own use, without authority from the
board. The matter has been published
to the world at large, il there was any
thing wrong about il, why did not the
school board correct and rectify it at once
and not wait twenty months after the
treasurers first quarterly reporte They
cannot plead ignorance of seven different
quarterly statements published by the
treasurer. each containing the item Of $50
as w. l.. Richardson's salary.
Understand, make NO claim for leni-
ency IN criticising my acts, but do AJAX
that simple Justice be done me, and for
consistency on the part of the board.
At the adjourned meeting of the board
Oct. 18th made them q written state
ment with an itemixed bill. explanatory
Of the reason why drew fifty dollars a.
expenses to visit the annual convention Of
parish superintendents, which they re-
jected. but promised me the same would
be placed in the minutes and would be
published, which zee was not done, /
therefore append q copy herewith and
ask that same be published with this let
ter. Respectfully,
W. L. RICHARDSON.
Colfax. La. October Il, 1894.
To the Hon. the School Board Of Grant Phi, La:
GENrLEMEN-Not being allowed time
to make proper or fair estimate of ex-
peusee upon which l based my night TO
$50 when visiting the annual convention
OF erintendents atLake Charles in 1893,
and at Natchitoches in 1894, and being
aware that it was not the intention Of
the school board to allow me anything
for efficient and highly satisfactory SER
Woes as designated in sec. "a OF the
school law, having been 90 informed by
several of the members Of the board, and
End, the school board having made the
precedent OF allowing members their per
diem for holding elections to sell 10th sec-
tions under the orders OF the parish treas
urer, supposed that had the same
right to per diem for outside work, that
did not think was covered by my salary
rs superintendent.
In6bedience to the request Of the school
board at it's organization in 1892 made
several visits to Oction and Pollock to try
TO unite the people there to locate and
build suitable school house, 90 a. to
prevent them from dividing their district
or the funds thereof; ! also made several
visits to. different localities to list and
the children, being informed that
the assessor had failed to enumerate
them. These visits were not made to
the schools, nor was IL in time Of school
sessions, except probably in 1884, There
fore abandoned any intention to claim |
for visiting the schools, and did
not make the required written. report TO
obtain it ~ per eco. ~ though I did
make q written report last year, and OFFER
ed to do 20 again last Saturday, il request
ed by your honorable board. coDclud-
ed, therefore, to make no charge for Incl
dental expenses, such "A paper, envelops,
stamps and cards used in the Office, and
made no charge for incidentals for the ex-
OF teachers this year, and hence
it vas that I thought it no wrong to take
$50 year to cover my entire expenses
for the year, visiting conventions ss we'll,
outside OF my salary Of 600 aud the per
diem ~ member at the regular meetings
Of the board.
Herewith present You with an itimis-
I'd statement as nearly correct az / can |
make it from memory, having kept no |
regular data:
In the fall Of lsoe and spring Of ~. two
:. visits Pollock and Oetions days each, az %
Dine v,slt to Oction and Pollock. includ-
ing Nusent, days ct - per day ........ 500
Lncideutals IN Office, packages Of en-
velopee ct 5lo.................. ....... 20
Paper 81 50, stamps 81, postal cards 500 400
Of q children i + isss 3. 'sn. ..s $50
to Alexansiria lOc, night ct Alex, q 50. ass |
Alexandria to Lake Charles, 81 90. dunn
my 2sc, : days board - 50........... 10 o |
Return trip Is 10. incidentals in Lake
Charles and on cars % 25............... as
Total account for lsas. % .
s0l = days in the country listing and
correcting the count of children 1880. SIG 90 I
)ne day ut Olive Brnnce to unite in buil-
ding central school house ........ 2Wl
ncidentals in Office. postage, etc...... rs
lame in teachers' examination. 3 days. 600 !
7isit 10 Natchitoches-to Boyce 81 06, to
Cypress $50, tap Csc, buas Sc ..... $50 |
board DAY. 81 %. extra night ii 10. in