The San Francisco call., 1897-02-01

"honest," then the Auditor has nothing to do
but to approve the demands as they come
along within the one-twelfth act.
In a former interview the Auditor SAYS that
he has the right to apportion school funds Tor
special purposes and processes 10 md nuttor-
ity in the statutes OF lS|I-fZ ana 1926.
The acts that he refers to are undoubtedly as
follows:
/. In the fourth section of the act of April :,
1872 Statute 1S71-72, p. S46), is requirement.
that the Board OF Education shall, before the
third Monday of Marcn n each year, report to
the Board of Supervisors an estimate OF the
amount that will be required 10 meet lne cur
rent annual expenses for the next year, IN
which there shall be specified the amount re-
quired for supplies, purchasing ana Procuriihg
sites, leasing rooms, erectng puIIulnss' IuI-
nishing, eic. This was slmp LOT lhlotina-
tion, and there was nothing In the act mat
authorized the segregation OF tunds 1oI any OF
these purposes by the Board OF Euucauou or
that required the board to be limited TO any
of the amounts designated In that report
This act is partially printed in the conso, ia
lion act, but on page ia OF the eoltl0n coIi-
piled by A. Z. T. Worley is found the following
note: "Sections 4, and relate to estimating
necessary annual expenses of schools and col
lecting tax therefor. Superseded by sectlon L.
act of A pril 3, 1876 supplement nc.
Therefore the Auditor can find no authority
for the segregation OF school funds In the
statutes of 1S71-72. This brings us then 10
the statutes of 1S75-76, in which he says ne
finds authority. BY section 1 OF the act OF
April 3, 1876 (Stat. 1S75-76. p. 902l 1T is pro-
vided 'that the Board OF Supervisors De au-
be collected, at the time and in the manner
of leyying State and other City ana county
taxes, the amount OF tax determined ana re-
ported by the Board of Education" but there
is no direction therein and no authority given
to the Board OF Supervisors to designate any
particular amount tor any particular pur-
pose
There is therefore, but one school fund.- and
when that school fund has been created by
the Board of Supervisors under the law 1t is
the right and duty of the Board OF Education
O maintenance
OF the public schools under the provisions OF
the law, without regard TO any suggestions
from the Board of Supervisors as to the SPECIFIC
purposes for which any part OF the school
1und may be designated.
THE PRESENT SITUATION.
The Board of Supervisors appropriated
$1,000 900 for the public schools. Practically
the Board of Supervisors requested that $780,
600 of it be used for a Mission high school;
aud, had the Board of Education limited its
expenditures for other purposes to the remain
ing 81 ,OOO, 600 then the 5000, 600 could have
been used Tor the purpose intended. But
that was not done. Salaries were raised, un-
Il ecesSary teachers appointed and general
system OF reckless expenditure maintained IN
all departments. AT the end of the first half
year the board had largely exceeded the limit
OF $500, 900 in its expenditures and the excess
must come out of the 5000 900 The Board of
Education aced in the position OF spending
money for arge and unnecessary high
school build ng i'll the Mission, and deliber-
ately paying therefor out OF the teachers
salaries Between now and the 1st OF next
July, before there can be another appropria-
ton, the schools must either be closed, or else
a deficit OF 500 900 must be made up.
There is just u-Jut that amount left in the
Mission High school fund, and the question
Is, Snail the teachers pay the bills out OF their
salaries and the City have an unnecessary
high school? My opinion is that the teachers
are not suffering for another high school. WO
have four on hand already and there is aEun-
dant seating capacity for additional pupils n
them all. The majority of the teachers In the
department are industrious, hard working
and capable and ought TO be paid ana the
money IS on hand TO pay them. Those who
nave during the present fiscal year furn.. ned
supplies under contracts ought also to be
paid and the money is there for them. ii the
Auditor says that he will pay the teachers
and that the contractors must wait, then he is
taxing upon himself the right to say who
authority to do. When the Board OF Educa-
zion approves demand and IL comes to the
Auditor there is only one thing that he can
consider, and that is whether or notit is
legal demand.
The Auditor tries to make a left-hand fling
at the Board OF Education OF 1S93-94. III he
as to She comparative work OF that and the
succeeding board L shall be pleased TO accom-
modate him.
The present Board OF Education is now con-
slderlng the question OF re trenchment. There
is no amount OF retrenchment now that viii
make up the deficiency OF 100000 except
closing the schools or wlthho ding the teaoh-
ers' salaries, unless the Directors use the
tunds that are on hand.
CONTRACTS FOR THE MISSION HIGH SCHOOL.
1t seems that the contractors for the Mission
High school building are taking desperate
chances. Thei- demands cannot mature dur
ing this seal year, and by that time every
dollar of money in the treasury will be used
up. Where then are they toget their money?
1t may be th at the Board OF Supervisors will
make another appropriation, but possi bly,
the new me m bers may not see the necessity
for another high school, 1t certainly be-
hooyes all the taxpayers to make protest
against such q warton waste of money. The
present contractors, therefore, are in deli
cate position. There IS no method by which
they can get the money set aside Tor their
benefit, and by the time they have completed
their work and are ready to present their bills
there will be no money TO pay them.