Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-04-24
SOME PROCEEDINGS.

Under the above caption the Inde-
famous opinion of County Attorney
Hutzel and comments as follows:
cit will be noticed that the legal
adviser of the Board advised that the
county pay no salary of county super
intendent for services rendered prior
to March 49, 1897. Notwithstanding
such advise the majority of the Board
(Mr. Barclay and Mr.. Hinshaw) voted
to pay the claim of Mr.. Peacock, who,
according to his report under the
law. was entitled to pay for 13 days
at $1.25 per day Yet he was paid by
this August Body s112.5O of the ''peo-
pies money"
The Independent is very solicitous
about the peoples money" but re-
sorts to all kinds of trickery to con-
ceal the real cauie of it's uneasiness.
pOrtunity and attempts to deceive
and mislead its readers by misrepre-
sentation and falsehood of which the
above is fair sample. Now, what
are the facts? The superintendent
has a greater number of specific
duties to perform and greater yarie-
ty of duties than any other county
official. One section, alone, laws
1881, Chap. 152, Sec. 2 names fifteen
of these duties Specifica lily and this is
only small part of the number re-
quired. Among other duties he must
make quarterly report to the state
superintendent. He must file copy
of such report with the county clerk
for publication, and certify to the
county commissioners that he has
forwarded such report to the state
superintendent before he can draw
his salary which is payable quarterly.
Such report usually contains eleven
a n 70
work of the office, and the report does
not pretend to show the number of
days employed in official duties. One
item does show the "number of days
the office has been kept open" which
in the last report was twelve But
holding the office open is only one of
the superintendent's duties, albeit
the only one Mr.. Balcom attempted
to perform. The last quarter began
December %, and ended March %. II
Mr.. Peacock is allowed no salary
prior to March 10. how is he to get
and 29th? The Independent and the
attorney had better get together and
reconcile the figures and perhaps save
some of the peoples money" The
law 1SS6, Chap. 80, Sec. g., says that
in counties having less than 1,OOO
school population the superintendent
salary shall be $3 per day for not more
than $50 days per year actually anC
necessarily employed in the discharge
of official duty. Although the Law
limits the salary in Trego county tt
$3.50. which the commissioners have
always paid in four equal installment:
of S112-5O, superintendent Peacoch
has each year devoted rs to 100 days
to the work of his office for which he
has received no salary and has asked
for none. We presume Miss Cooper
did the same as she was paid the same
salary in the same way regardless o.
the number of days employed. Where
then does The Independent, get its
authority for '.S1 .25 per day?" Why
does it make such statements to it:
readers? Does it presume that the,
are too ignorant to know any better
or too prejudiced to learn?
Mr.. Balcom assumed that he wa:
superintendent from January IL, tt
March 10, and although it was wei
known that he was mistaken and al
though he made no report whatever
still he presents voucher for S112.5'
for the time Intervening How doe