The San Francisco call., 1897-09-19

Department t0lnkS the IlIne mas d1llfeu
for i'm to give the public his version OF
the school book scandal. He was busy all
day yesterday whipping data into shape,
and he has decided to decline the gra-
tuitous offer of Director Carew and others
TO saddle the blame on him.
"I have remained silent long enough
under malicious and untruthful accusa-
tions," said Mr.. Webster, land L do not
propose to be stabbed in the back any
longer without striking back. l dodge
nothing, but l object to being blamed for
doing things which l did not do, and l
believe a plain statement of facts will
set matters right.
While making some notable exceptions
the Superintendent was inclined 10 blame
the board as whole for many misdeeds,
and felt particularly aggrieved that Di-
rector Carew and others had circulated
stories that he was about to write con-
fession that he was to blame for the school
book iobbery, that he was in the habit OF
recommending removals and appoint
ments and that the sins of the board were
his fault.
To state the matter in nutshell, Super
intendent Webster indicts the Board OF
Education for general incompetency, with
suggestions that flavor of more serious
charges. In view of the fact that Expert
Hoesch has been examining all the books
of the departm and there are rumors
of a suit to remove the board for malfeas-
ance in office, the statements OF superin-
tendent Webster are pertinent to n issue
that may soon be very much alive. The
charges may be outlined under the follow
ing seven headings:
1. The adoption of books contrary to
the law. and the extravagant expenditure
of large sums for their purchase in such
reckless way as TO SAVIOR of interested mo-
tives.
2. The appointment of more than a score
of teachers and laborers whose services
are not needed. 1t is charged that the
salary roll is swelled as payment OF po-
litical and personal debts.
g. The maintenance of a large and ex-
pensive list of unassigned" teachers,
whose services ought to be so placed as to
do away with a Useless list of substitutes.
T. The hiring of many teachers in the
night schools, in face OF the flct that the
attendance in these schools is small and
that the services of the extra list of teach
ers are not required.
5. The expenditure of large sums for la
Dor and supplies, sums far iu excess of
the require ments of the situation. The
Superintendent qualities this charge with
the statement that it is difficult to prevent
fraud in this work.
s. That nepotism is rife throughout the
department, much to the chagrin of old
employees and to the dem oralization of
the system of proper rewards for faithful
service.
T. That the directors continue to violate
their own rules, upsetting all system and
encouraging jobbery and fraud in the ap-
pointment of teachers and others.
Speaking more in detail on these
charges the Superintendent said: "Sec-
ton 1874 of the political code provides
that books selected must be continued in
use for four years; that changes may be
made in May and, June only and that no
changes other than in the State series be
made in reading, orthography, geography,
history, physiology and civil government.
Changes require sixty days notice and
the board must advertise for proposals or
bids In the event of change. The board
this year adopted a new lot of books,
claiming that they were not changes, but
new and original adoptions, and that
therefore, their conduct was lot amena be
to the law. They adopted vertical COPY
books, Thompson's drawing SERIES Swim
ton'sWord Analysis (Which they originally
tried to force even on the fourth grade),
new mental arithmetic, and a series of
books on heart culture, involving an ex.
penditure of about $4,000 year in the Sec
ond, third, fourth and fifth grades alone.
gallagher, Ragan, Burns and Carew
signed this recommendation, and then
sought to say that l recommended the
books. The fact is that l opposed SWIM.
toms Word Analysis because 1 believed
the adoption of the book was illegal. In
regard to the books on heart culture I
recommended them as manuals for the
teachers. The first thing l knew the board
railroaded the bill through as a rider in
resolution transferring teachers. and
found that the bill had saddled these
books on the whole of the schools, except
the very lowest grade.
'The only warrant which in the least
way iustifies the purchase of such books
as those on heart culture is found in Sec
ton 1902 of the law. 1t is there stated
that teachers must impress upon the
minds of pupils the principles of morality. ;
l see no authority in that for the purchase
of books in the manner the board pur-
sued"
The Superintendent makes some more
startling suggestion on the subject OF
teachers. He says:
This board made rule whereby thirty
six substitute teachers are placed on the
primary list and grammar schools and
eight on the secondary list. Besides this
there is substitute list of about dozen
in the night schools. Many OF these