The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-06
Wednesday, May 6, 1896.
Hush Up Impertinent Enquiries.


The municipal authorities, we believe. have
several thousand dollars OF cash in the treas
ury. The town council for several years
having been so reticent about making known
their actings and doings in the fiduciary
trust, we are at loss to know the best way
in which to spend the public money.
1t is true that we have issued $1,000 OF shop
bonds. but they bear only seven per cent. in
terest, and IL would be foolish in these hard
times to pay off debt that costs only seven
per cent. to maintain.
In the absence of information as TO what
has been done in former years with the taxes,
and with little knowledge OF what is now be-
ing done with the public money, suggestions
may not be out of place.
The aggregate taxes OF the town people Is
something like SD on the $1,000 Of assessed
value OF property. The assessment puts a
large amount into the treasury OF the town.
and puts several thousand dollars in the
hands of the school trustees. To expend
these large sums may be difficult job, and
few hints as TO the disposition OF this money
might be appreciated by the people to whom
a public statement of expenses might prove
interesting reading.
One good way to get rid OF the money
would be to hire several additional policemen
by the month. This peaceful quiet city ought
to have an army OF policemen. The advan-
tage of hiring them by the month Is, that the
money can be the more easily expended. by
the month a policeman, we believe, gets
something like $40 or $50. BY the day super
numerary policemen can be had, we hear, at
81 day, and 1t takes just as much trouble for
the clerk TO write single check for one dol
lar as it does to write single check for $40 or
$50. II q supernumerary Is hired half dozen
days in the month he may require half dozen
checks and will draw only a small part Of a
months pay, being six times as much trouble
in drawing checks for six dollars as for S4o or
$50, which may be issued once month In
single check.
Then the clerk Of the town council, as we'll
as the Mayor, ought to be we'll and hberaiiy
paid for their services.
The school trustees on their part, ought TO
raise the salary Of the teachers, and then
elect few additional teachers TO assist those
already employ ed, and to fill vacancies while
the regular teachers may be on fishing or 9th
er excursions.
The teachers lot is hard and diff
from nine in the morning until two or three
o'clock in the afternoon they certainly ought
to be we'll paid for it. and as it requires only
the scratch of a pen to be generous with hard
worked teachers, picayunish tax payers
should be ashamed to grumble, even If their
impertinence in enquiring into these matters
be tolerated by their officers.
In this increase of pay of teachers, as well
as in the increase Of their number, the school
trustees need have no hesitation in electing
members Of their owp families as teachers.
Their daughters are certainly the equals of
any other young ladies In the town, and we
deprecate the idea that they should be dis
criminated against merely because their rela-
tives are members of the board Of trustees.
It would seem to be a pity If any considera-
BILE number of our people sympathise in any
demand for the resignation of those trustees
who have relatives In the faculty Of the
school. We believe there has been not a SIM
gle complaint against these relatives Of the
trustees, but, by general consent they are
deemed first class teachers in every respect
who have given entire satisfaction in the dis
charge Of their duty. Better teachers could
not be had, and any idea that the high price
which is paid for teachers is the result of any
existing relationship is as absurd as would be
the thought that there will be no reform or
reduction Of teachers salaries as long as the
relationship exists between trustees and
teachers While there may be, at first blush,
the semblance OF reason why the trustees and
teachers should not be related by blood or
marriage. yet such objection, when exam
ined, does not amount to more than mere
pretext for complaint. The charge of nepo-
tism could not lie at the door of trustees who
have without fee or hope of reward served
the people so long and SO faithfully.