Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-01-09
sciioul Holidays.

Mr.. EDITOR In his last COM
munication DR.. John E. Mapp pro-
nounces this discussion much ado
about nothing" Is it nothing to
waste considerable sum of the
school funds on idle holidays with
out one cents profit to the school
children Is it nothing to disobey q
positive mandate OF the statute law
OF Virginia? That law says 1.-The
county superintendent upon the op-
ening of the schools shall notify
teachers of the days SO fixed' as
school holidays. He disobeyed that
law, and that caused all the subse-
quent confusion. Every violation of
law is an unfortunate matter. 1t is
a bad precedent, and in this case it
resulted in taking q part of our
scanty funds without being one totals
benefit to our children. Is that moth
ing? True in Atlantic district by
wisely inserting Xmas day and
Easter Monday are legal school holt
days. in our teachers contracts we
save our schools from the loss that
will fall upon others. Is it nothing
that the county superintendent shall
add two members to the County
School Board without the shadow of
law to justify it2
But he says because the treasurers
meet the County School Board ut
their annual meeting to settle for
the money they have collected, there
fore they are members of that board.
They settle with the Board of Super
visors. Are they members of that
board? They settle with the auditor
are they employees of the auditors
office? His palaver on this point is
mere twaddle-unworthy of twelve
year old boy. 1.-THE county super
intendent of schools, together with
the district school trustees in each
county shall constitute a body cor
porate under the style of the County
School Board of - county" That
is the law. See section 30 Virginia
School Laws. If Judge Gunter or
Judge Blackstone or any respectable
attorney at law in the county will
say over his signature that the
treasurers are legal members of the
County School Board, then l will
make our learned county superin-
tendet present of the best hat he
can buy in Onancock.
But he says what could we do in
our annual meetings without the
treasurer Well have found them
very correct in their business meth
DDS and if they should send their
books by competent accountant to
Law them before our school board, l
will guarantee, we can settle with
them without either Of the treasur-
ers appearing in person before the
board. The treasurers are not mem
bers of the County School Board.
The very idea is preposterous. They
settle with the board-representing
their own interests-the board rep
resenting the public schools-dis-
tinctly different interests.
DR.. Mapp asks why Mr.. Parsons
tried to make your many readers be-
lieve that Mr.. G. G.. Joynes taught
school on Thanksgiving day when
he did not" My answer is / have it
in Mr.. Joynes' own writing that he
did teach that day and he has since
assured me he did teach, though the
attendance was not large. The Doc
tor is wrong again. "He cannot open
mis- mouth but out flies blunder."
Well he tells US he is very busy
man and I am glad of it-glad he is
making a spasmodic effort to visit
our schools-a much and long neg
lected duty. What does visitation
amount to when the superintendent
gets to our schools but once-occa-
sianally twice during a six months
term? Isn't such visitation a farce,
but he's sore and drop him for the
present. j. D. PARSONS.