The San Francisco call., 1897-05-14
WEBSTER
ACCUSES
BABCOCK
Sensational Report of the
Superintendent of
Schools.
CLAIMS A MISMANAGE.
MENT OF FUNDS.
Teachers Salaries Will Not Be
Held Out During His
Term.
BOARD WARNED TO REGARD
THE LAW.
Lapssd Teachers Certificates Cannot
Be Renewed-Illiteracy Is
Growing
BOARD WARNED TO REGARD
THE LAW.
Lapsed Teachers Certificates Cannot
Be Rsnewed-Illitsracy Is
Growing

Superintendent of Schools R. II. Web
ster poured hot shot into his predecessor,
Madison Babcock, in report read at
Wednesdays meeting of the Board of Ed
ucation, and also told the board itself that
the law is being disregarded in many
ways.
Mr.. Webster's report was long, but it
was to the point, and couched in language
that could not be misunderstood.
He stated that Mr.. Babcock, in his
handling of the funds OF the teachers ref
erence library and of the Teachers Insti-
tute. had acted illegally, and asked peril
nent questions as to what had become of
books that had cost considerable sum of
money.
To the board he announced fatty that
during his term of Office there would be
no Withholding of teachers salaries and
that he would refuse to sign demands for
the payment of supplies when they
seemed to him unnecessary.
The board was taken aback by the Su-
perrin ntendent's address, and listened to
the reading by Mr.. Webster in respectful
silence.
Then, without a dissenting voice and
without discussion, 1t was accepted and
placed on file.
Referring to the Teachers Institute and
the manner in which it has heretofore
been handled, Mr.. Webster said:
Sections 1860 and 1862 OF the Political Code
Of this State provide that the Superintendent
must hold at least one teachers institute in
each year; that every teacher employed in q
public school in the City and County must
attend such institute and participate in its
proceedings; that each session of the institute
must continue not less than three nor more
than five days, and that the expenses of said
institutes must not exceed 5000 annually,
payable out of the funds provided for by Sec
tion 1865. Years have elapsed since this law
has been strictly obeyed by the Superintepd-
ents of this City and County
have addressed two comm unicat1ons to my
immediate predecessor Mr.. Babeock, asking
him if he h as held a teachers ms titute this
City and County during the present fiscal
year, in accordance with sections 1860 and
1862 of the code, and II SO to state when
where and under what circumstances it WAS
held.
His answer is, to wit: Teachers meetings
have been held during the year in compli-
ance with the spirit OF the law referred to-"
This, it will be observed, does not answer my
question. The practice has been, in ins tances,
10 close the schools for an afternoon, convoke
the teachers at hail to listen to some timer
ant lecturer, engaged at very liberal re-
Enumeration, ana to repeat this procedure at
intervals of onths This is not in law or
in fact teachers, institute. Since the be-
ginning of the fiscal year my immediate
predecessor did in August engage Mr.. w. Hail
mann to lecture, at $50; in November Mr..
W. H. I. Raymond was paid $50 for address
ing the teachers; in December Mr.. Hailmann
again spoke to the teachers and was again
paid $50; in January Doctress Mara L. Pratt
did, for mpensation of $3.50, render six
lectures at different dates to various sections
of teachers. Many teachers were never in
formed OF these lectures nor requested to at
tend them.
In pass ing, it is well to note that the total
money spent on these functions, including
q hall rent of SO, was 1910 This is $110
more than the law provides shall be expended
on q regular session or sessions of teachers
Institutes annually. 1t is for Mr.. Babcock to
justify this expenditure of money from the
library and institute fund. A teachers insti
tute has not been held in this City and County
during the fiscal year.
Mr.. Webster then turned to the teach.
ers' reference library and gave figures to
show that during the past eight years the
income of the institution from fees for the
renewal of certificates has aggregated
$4,000.
Then he resumes his charges thus:
Since assuming the duties of the Office O
Superintendent I have discovered that nc
record has been kept of the receipts and dis
bursements OF this fund, except as can be de-
termined by an examination OF the YOU cheri
and stubs of receipt books for past years.
But reference to the manner in which thi.
fund has been managed since July /, 1896 by
my immediate predecess sol, may be of interest
He drew his req quisitions on the Auditor to the
total amount OF 1851 85. Of this, as has beer
stated, the excessive sum of $31O was for al
legged institutes, the remainder for the teach
ers' library as follows, to wit:
August-overland Monthly from 1858 to
1870, pound .-.-.-.-.-...-.....sls9 0c
subscription to Overland Monthly......... pa SC
Decent mber-Library books ks....-............. 10 81
February-Books.... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. SO OF