The San Francisco call., 1897-01-29
TWO BOARDS OF EDUCATION
CHARGED WITH EXTRAVAGANCE
Ex-President Hyde Accuses Them of Nepotism and
Gross Jobbery

Board OF Education in 1887, and subse-
quently, while the matter was being consid-
cred in court before Judge Murphy, Superin-
tendent Babcock always favored the SIDE OF
Miss Hines as against the Board OF Education ];
and it is supposed that it was largely through
his influence and testimony that the court
decided in her favor. The Superintendent
on various occasions both in the Board OF
Education and in the committee OF the whole
of the board (Which is simply private meet
ing of the members) urged the Board OF Edu-
cation not 10 appeal the case to the supreme
Court and also urged that the payment OF the
back salary, amounting to about 500 De
made to her.
The attorney for the Board of Educa tion,
William Grant, was strongly OF the opinion
that Judge Murphy erred in giving the judg
ment in favor OF Miss Hines, and recommended
the Board of Education to appeal the case. So
sure was he of the accuracy of his position
that he offered to bear all the expenses of car
rying the case 10 the Supreme Court, and to
charge no fee for his services; and, even fur
ther, he offered to pay the interest which had
accrued by reason of the delay in paying the
Judgment; but the Board of Education refused
to order the case appealed to the Supreme
Court and paid the judgment.
superintendent Babcock called the atten-
ton of the Board OF Education TO the claims
of Miss L. A. Orr and Miss E. L. Williamson
and urged that they should be paid their back
salaries on the ground that their claims were
similar to that of Miss Hines. The amount OF
money involved in these two claims is about
500 and $500 respectively. The Board OF
Education postponed consideration of the
recommendation of the superintendent from
time to time, buf finally, just before going out
of Office these two claims were included in q
report of the Committee of Finance, which re-
port was not read in detail to the board, and
the claims were allowed and ordered paid and
sent to the Auditor for approval. So little was
known about it that the Directors who had
persistently opposed these claims from the be-
ginning voted in favor thereof without know
ing what they were voting for. These claims
are now before the Auditor and not yet paid.
Two of the three teachers referred to have
since procured frs t-gr ade certificates, SO that
the decision affects them only in the matter
of back pay, but the third holds second
grade certificate, and the action OF the board
will necessitate paying her about $1Z
month extra in the future.
among other contracts the board made one
with the Whitaker & Ray Company of this
City to furnish all su description books at speci-
fed discounts. Among these books was the
subscriptio edition of Webster's Dictionary.
Ignoring this contract the Supply Committee
copies of the dictionary for $40 80 each,
amounting to $1Os0. and the books were de-
livered. To cover up the transaction it was
arranged that the bill should be divided into
ten parts, and that, each month, a bill for
one-tenth OF the whole should be presented to
the board.
Payments have been made AID 1t is ex-
pected that the new board will meet the bal
anee as they become due.
When School Director McElroy came into
Office his daughter was a primary teacher in
the department. Through his influence he
had her elected to :he principalship of the
Harrison Primary School, situated on Grove
street, west of Larkin. The building was an
old. dilapidated structure, unfit for school
purposes. not only by reason of defective con.
struction but because of old age and lack OF
repairs. There is no necessity of maintaining
q primary school in that locality. There was
abundant seating room for all of the children
in that neighborhood in the surrounding
sch ools; but, instead of abolishing the school
when the principalship became vacant, the
board appointed Miss McElroy as principal
and McElroy, as chairman of the Committee
on Buildings and Grounds, induced The board
to order the building repaired, and over $4,000
was spent on the school building and yards.
The North Cosmopolitan School is one of the
old buildings and should be torn down. A
new building of the same capacity could be
erected for about $50, 900. The late Board oi
Education ordered repairs to be made whicn
cos: S17 900, without increasing the capacity
of the school.
The Webster School is situated in the rear Of
the Lincoln School building, ana consists oi
two buildings, poorly constructed. 1t was
found about year and half ago that there
was vacant class room in the surrounding
nd hot he ha Vel phStp
School could be conveniently accommoda ted
therein. School Director Henderson made a
strong fight to have the Webster School
| abolished, and at least fYe directors were il
favor thereof; but the majority prevailed and
the school is still running, while there is
| abundant room for the pupils in schools neal
| by.
| Something over a year ago the Directors
made great show of intention to abolish the
Normal School. They SAID at that time that
| the school should be abolished at the end oi
the year. 1t was not abolished but was con-
| tinued, and one of the last acts of the late
board was the election of q so-called vice.
principal. This was not only entirely unne-
cessary, but is said to have been against the
wishes of the principal.
During the past two years an immense
quantity of furniture and school supplies has
been purchased from G. F. Weber & Co. II
will be interesting to follow down the pur-
chase and see what goods this firm
sold the department during that time.
About $1,000 worth OF maps were recently
bought of c. F. Weber & Co. They were pur-
chased out of the Library Fund, depicting it
SO as to make it impossible for the teachers to
get what library books they need
The board has usually employed about thirty
teachers, known as the substitute class. 1t is
to this class that appointments are made. The
board of 1S93-94 made no appointments to that
Glass; except as the result of competitive ex-
aminations. The last board had a RUE provid-
ing for such examinations, but never made an
appointment hereunder. All appointments
were made under suspension of rules and as
q result of bargaining and trading among the
members. On January 1, 1895, there were
about 891 teachers employed. On the 1st OF
January, 1897, the board had increased the
mum Der 10 about $50. On January 1885, there
were 81 day-school substitutes on the payroll.
On January l. 1897 there were 80 under pay
and not under pay, and about unassigned
teachers, making a total OF about so day.
school teachers in the department not in
charge of classes, besides II in the evening
schools. The average number OF teachers
actually employed in the day schools, to do
substitute work, is about 15, and in the even
ing schools the average nu umber of substitu tes
actually at work is about 2.
The following school buildings are old and
dilapidated and should be torn down as fast as
they can be replaced: Harrison, Longfellow,
Marshall, Redding and Webster. Most of the
money that is spent in repairing buildings
goes into these schools. A good school build
ing uses very little money for repairs during
the year. Every new board that comes in
makes strong showing of the amount that is
necessary for school repairs and instances