St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-07
LOCAL SCHOOL
BOARD.
D0DGED THE CHARTER RULE
THAT JOBS AMOUNTING To OVER
$500 SHOULD BE ADyER-
TISED FOR.
FREE TEXT BOOKS ARE WANTED
Inspector MeNamce Starts n Move.
ment for the Aid of the Suf-
ferfng BOok-Buyer.

A new explanation of the sudden re-
tiieihent OF repair Supt. Robertson and
MS succession by ex-School Inspector
Dixon, is afforded by an exciting debate
which occurred at last nights meeting
OF the school board.
A trio of bills, aggregating $3.50. pres
ent by P. c. Justus for repair work on
eleven Of the school buildings precipi-
tated a long fight in which the recipro-
cal compliments were largely left-hand-
ed, and 1t was charged that the claim
was presented in three bills in order
TO evade the charter provision which
requires the board to advertise for bids
on JOBS costing more than $780,
IL seems that when the school sea-
son closed and the regular repairs
were about to be ordered it was sug-
gested by Inspector Scholle that the
WORK be let to man named Biever
Mr.. Scholle said that Biever was
capable man and would do the work for
thlrty cents an hour, whereas the city
mad been paying forty cents an hour
for such work. 1t was decided to have
the work so done. 1t now transpires
that instead Of being out of work.
B1eVer was In the employ of Justus
who sends in the present bill Instead
or doing the work himself, Justus as
sumes the control of it, and presented
the three bills at the completion of the
work. Where the board had expected
to pay its own employees, the man Jus
tus mad paid the workmen and charged
their time to the city at thirty cents an
hour. This created some objection, es-
pec1ally as 1t came to the knowledge of
Supt. Robertson and of ex-Inspector
Dixon that one at least of these en-
ployes whose time was SO charged was
receiving only 81 a day, giving the con-
tractor profit of 81 day on his work.
Mr.. Dixon stated last night that when
the matter came to his attention, he
communicated 1T, at the suggestion Of
the secretary, to Chairman Scholle of
the real estate committee.
The board, however, learned nothing
Of the affair until the bills were hung
up, 1t having transpired that the firm
of Moshofsky Bros had offered to do
the same work for much less. They
proposed to do for 1899 the same work
which Justus charged $685. after the
board had delivered $50 worth of iron
not mentioned in the original specifi-
cations. The hanging up of Justus'
claim caused a great deal Of feeling,
and 1t was stated by Inspector Yoerg
last night that Justus had been occu-
plying street corners and threatening
that If his bill was not paid he would
make it hot for the board. Justus
was questioned last night as to why
he had not sent in his slips to the
board, and he said that he supposed
the work was satisfactory under the
arrangement with Mr. Scholle. This
led Mr.. Dixon to remark that the whole
trouble seemed to have started in Mr..
Biever's assumption that he was work
ing for Mr.. Scholle, to which Mr..
Scholle retorted that supt. Robertson
had seemed to think that he was work
ing for Mr.. Dixon and not the board
This is the rift that seemed to indi-
cate that Mr.. Robertson's retirement
and the school repair disturbance are
not disassociated.
The upshot of the matter was a re-
computation of Justus' bid on the basis
of the Moshofsky bid, and a motion to
pay him $500 was made, but lost. Then
a motion to disallow the bill entirely
was carried, Mr.. Scholle's being the
only opposing vote. This throws upon
Mr.. Justus, apparently, the necessity
Of bringing suit, in which event the
entire inner history of the case will
come out.
DEMAND THEIR RIGHTS.
Inspector Scholle introduced the fol-
lowing resolution in regard to the
finances of the schools for the coming
year:
Whereas the conference committee has rec
commended to the common council a reduc-
ton of the amount to be paid by the city for
school purposes, and recommendation being
less than the amount which the charter
makes mandatory for school purposes ac-
cording to section of the Special Laws of
1891, which reads follows: "The expenses
Of the public schools of the city of st. Paul
shall not in any year exceed the amount of
money appropriated and set apart therefor
by the common council of said city and the
common council of said city is hereby pro-
h1bited from making any greater tax levy
in any one year for the support and mainte-
nance of the public and free schools of said
city than two and one-half mills on the dol
lar, or less than two mills on the dollar on
all property on the assessment roll out of
which amount said council may set apart
one-half mill on the dollar for the erection
of additional buildings for school purposes or
for creating fund that shall be set apart
for that purpose excessively;
Resolved, That the board of school inspec-
tors will use all legal means under its char
ter rights, providing the common council al
lows such reduction.
The secretary Of the board is in
structed to send a copy of this resolu-
ton to the common council.
Mr.. Scholle said it was plain that the
section was mandatory, and the board
should insist upon the fulfillment of the
law. Mr. McNair opposed the resolu-
ton, saying that the board should go
slowly in the matter.
Mr.. Wilkes stated that it was proper
that the board should do something
to prevent the turning of the children
into the Streets which would be the
result of an appropriation such as that
prepared by Comptroller McCardy.
Mr.. Yoerg said he did not believe the
board should go begging for the mon
ey, but he further was of the opinion
that Mr.. McCardy erred in charging
the board with balance on hand of
1900, when $4,000 of that amount
must be expended this month for the
salaries of last month.
NEARLY $4,000 PUPILS.
Supt. Gilbert presented his statisti-
cal report, showing that the schools
had a total enrolment of 1924; an av-
erage daily attendance of 16, 461, and a
total number admitted of 1886. The
night schools had an enrolment of
942, an average attendance of 500, and
total admitted of 1,133
Inspector Yoerg called the superin-
tendents attention to the tobacco nui-
sance in rooms occupied by the night
schools, and requested that reform
be attempted.
Principal Weitbrecht, of the manual
training school, sent in a long report.
taking exception to the figures given
the retrenchment committee by Secre-
tary Angel as to the cost of mainte-
nance of the manual training school.
He called attention to the fact that the
water used in the Madison school was
charged to the manual training, and in
other respects the Madison escaped
charges on account Of the manual
training to which they were assisted.
A number Of changes were made at
the instance Of the committee on
schools. Transfers.: Miss Jennie Lar
kin, first grade, Scheffer to sith grade