The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-18
WILL GET THEIR PAY ON TIME.
THE BILL FOR TEACHERS sALA-
RIES MISSING FOR AWHILE.

OF the County Commissioners
spent some Time Searching for H..
IL Turned Up in the Hands of Com
missioner Carson, who Took Pos
session of IL Until He Had InvestI-
gated the County's Finances.
The teachers Of the public schools will
get their June salaries and their vaca-
tion salaries as well without delay. Things
have been looking otherwise, though, for
the last few days. 1t looked at one time
as II the teachers might have TO wait for
their money.
capt. J. r. F. Tattnan called at the
office OF Clerk Mcintyre Of the board Of
county commissioners a day or two ago
for the bill, which he understood had been
passed for payment by the county COM
missioners at their meeting Wednesday Of
last week, and he was informed that it
had been mislaid. Mr.. Mcintyre
couldn't find it among his papers and was
at a loss to understand what had become
of it. He requested Capt Tattnall to call
in again in a day OF two, when he would
probably have the bill. Capt. Tattnau
called again yesterday and Mr. Mcintyre
was obliged to inform him that the bill
was still missing. Capt. Tattnan thought
that this was very strange and so express
ed himself
Mr.. Mcintyre was very much perpleXed
about the bill. 1t occurred TO him after
awhile that Commissioner Carson was the
last member Of the board to whom the
bill had been sent, and he wrote Mr.. Car
son. requesting him to look among his
papers and see If he did not still have it,
stating that the bill had been approved by
Chairman Dale and signed by Commits
sioners Kehoe and Charlton and was thus
practically passed for payment under the
rules Of the board.
Mr.. Carson made search among his
papers and discovered the bill. In fact,
he knew that he had it all the time. but
did not choose TO say so. To a Morning
News reporter who saw him late yester-
day afternoon, Mr. Carson stated that Mr.
Mcintyre was mistaken in saying that the
Dill mad been practically passed for pay
ment. Commissioner Charlton had not
signed the bill, he said. The bill was
signed only by Chairman Dale and Com
missioner kehOe. Under the rules of the
board, Mr.. Carson stated, il would be nee
essary for the bill to have three other sig
natures besides that of the chairman, in
order to become a passed bill. Under the
rules OF the board, the chairman of any
committee approves the bills coming with
In his department and then the signatures
of three other members of the board con-
stttute them passed bills. Bills, such as
the public school bills, which do not come
under the control of any Of the commit
tees, must be approved by the chairman,
and then have the signatures of three
other members of the board before becom-
ing passed bills.
when I received the bill l decided to do
a little investigating on my own account
l was of the opinion that the COunty's
finances were getting low and l did not
know whether we were ready to pay a
bill Of this size, $4,000, at once. l made
an investigation to-day and found the
case to be as / thought The county's
finances are getting low and it will re-
quire careful management to get through
the year without giving notes. We have
spent considerable money in road build
ing, and 1t will require a considerable
amount to complete the work now IN
hand. l think 1t better to complete the
work rather than let 1t lie unfinished
There will be no trouble, however about
this bill of the board OF education. 1t will
be paid without any trouble. I am ready
to sign it and have no doubt the other
signatures necessary can be secured with
out delay. There was no necessity for
any haste in passing the bill, as ii is two
weeks yet before the money will be due
the teachers. There will be still 100000
however, coming to the board of educa,
ton from the county commissioners this
fall, and it will probably be necessary for
the commissioners to give notes to the
board of education to secure the money,
as the taxes for 1896 do not begin to come
in until November"
The announcement that there will be
money for the teachers salaries will be
good news to the teachers, who were not
aware that there was any prospect of
their having to wait for their money
Mr.. Carson was asked If his action in
holding up the bill of the board of edu-
cation had any bearing on the position
taken by him that the titles to the school
property now held by the board of educa-
ton should vest in the county commits
None whatever" he replied. MY ac-
ton in holding up the bill was simply
a matter of the ccuntys finances. II IS
an entirely separate question from that
of the titles to the school property. The
latter l wish to have decided some time
later"
board of education, was somewhat sur
prised to hear that there had been any
hitch In the payment of the bill. He
did not understand why, if the money
was due, 1t should not be paid. Anyway,
he said, the treasurer of the board has
enough money on hand to pay the June
salaries, and there would be no delay
in paying them
When Capt Tattnan the treasurer Of
the board of education, was seen, he ex-
pressed his surprise at the hitch in the
payment of the bill He was under the
impression that the bill had been passed
for payment and could not understand
why the payment had been withheld
Capt. Tatnall said that it would take
about SIS, 900 to meet the demands of the
teachers at the end of this month. Be
sides, the June salaries there will be the
balance due them on their salaries for the
year which 1t is also customary to pay
them at this time. Capt Tattnal ex-
planned the fatherly manner in which the
! board of education acts toward the
teachers of the public schools. Instead of
! dividing their annual salaries into nine
equal parts and paying tnem one part at
| the end of each month of work, the an
nual salaries are divided into twelve parts
and only one-twelfth is paid al the end
| of each months work, so that when the
! end of the school year is reached there Is
| practically four months salary due each
| teacher. The board need only pay one
| months salary at time, and thus extend
| the payments over the whole summer, but
| in order to put the teachers in position to
| enjoy their summer vacations without be-
| ing worried about the prospect of getting
their salaries at the end of
each month the board prefers
| to pay them the entire amount due
| them at the end of the term. This makes
| easier work for the treasurer. as instead
of making out 1876 checks three times he
! only has to make them out once, and as
| the county has TO pay the money anyway
nobody is the loser.
The $4,000 due the teachers, Capt TAFT
| nah stated, will be made up Of between
! 1000 and SIS 600 which the board has on
I hand $40 900 of the $4,000 hin which Mr.