The San Francisco call., 1897-09-26
He VIII Now Investigate Every
Certificate in the De-
partment.
ALSO AFTER THE EVENING SCHOOLS.
Director Burns Split Up the Bills to
Save the Cost Of Advertising
for Bids.

Superintendent of Schools Webster has
several rods in pickle for the majority Of
the Board of Education and some others.
One of the latest discoveries in the line
of things worthy OF investigation is that a
lot of special teachers are in the depart
ment without the proper certificates en-
titling them to legally teach and draw
good salaries, and Mr.. Webster is looking
up the matter, along with the multiplied
evening schools, and so on.
-Four of these were put into the even
ing schools by Dr. Ragan. chairman OF
the evening schools committee, said Mr.
Webster yesterday. "My attention was
called to the matter by a member of the
Board OF Examiners, and in looking into
the matter and into the law l found that
several teachers oflanguages, typewriting
and stenography were without special
certificates plainly required by law. at
once sent ont a circular to principals call
ing on them for the names of all special
teachers in their schools who have not the
necessary credentials.
al propose now 10 review every certi-
ficate in the department from top 10 bot
TOM and | will decline 10 sign the salary
warrants of all teachers who are not en-
titled by their certificates to hold the posi-
tions assigned them" declared the super
intendent, thus providing new fright for
some people III the department. 1t is ex-
pected that such an investigation will be
unpleasant for mum Der of people.
Superintendent Webster tells that chair
man Burns CT the Buildings and Grounds
Committee has been splitting up the ex-
penses of school repairs and evading the
legal requirement that bids shall be in
vted for all expenditures exceeding 5000
as measure of economy, to save the cost
OF advertising. At least that was what
Director Burns said when he started in 10
give out the repairs of two rooms to one
man for $l95 i'll one day, few more rooms
in the same building TO the same man on
another day. and so on.
This newly discovered scheme has ex-
cited more comment than most of the
other things that are causing spicy Ia K
about school affairs. 1t. was a bold and
clever way to dispose OF thousands OF dol
lars worth of patronage at the pleasure of
those who gave out the jobs if patronage
and not the saving of the cost OF adVerIis-
ing had happened to be the motive.
"Mr. Burns went TO Auditor Broderick
to see If he could split the bills up that
way" says MIR Webster, "and l believe
Mr.. Broderick read the law to him. He
asked me dDOuL IL saying lnaI ne wanted
TO save the cost OF advertising, and | told
him that he had better follow the law
strictly, as [ was doing in my office"
This week the superintendent and Dep.
rtv Stone will get vigorously after the
evening schools, in which teachers have
multiplied and pupils decreased until
there are classes with three four and ten
pupils.
The haste displayed in opening schools
and putting in new teachers is open 10
suspicion" observes Mr.. Webster, who is
outspoken in charging the majority with
playing the department for all the patron
age there is i'll it. These men have been
eager for place ever since l was associated
with them, whether to satisfy the un-
fortunate demands OF friends or for
political influence / cannot say. When
nine men segregate themselves into q dis
tinct com bination and vote solidly to-
gether on practically every proposition,
big and little, they must expect TO receive
suspicion and criticism.
''At the end of this fiscal year, June 80,
the decrease in average daily attendance
was but 23, get this board has added AZ
teachers to the department and increased
the cost of instruction $38, 74S year, and
the entire expenses of the department
$40. 500. These things indicate a political
or corrupt administration of publ
school affairs. They disregard their rules,
both as individuals ana as a board, lump
favorites to favored places over the heads
OF older and presumably better teachers,
and the effect in the department is neces-
ortix h al