Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-19
QUESTION OF LIABILITY
Board of Education Has a Peculiar Fropo-
sition to Face.
CALLED ON TO PAY FOR STOLEN GOODS
Thcfts from the CIonL Rooms of
school buildings Bring Up IA
Question of the Liability
of the Board.

The Board of Education held a long meet
ing last night. There was little beyond the
regular routine business to prolong the ses
sion, but the board took occasion to discuss
in an informal way the recent thefts in the
High school. The matter was brought up by
motion from MIR. Fonda, authorizing the
expenditure of $3.50 for the purchase OF
new overcoat for Willie Duggan, a pupil
whose coat was stolen from the coat room
several weeks ago He explained that the
father of the child had asked to be reim-
bursed for the loss. The father, he said, is
a poor man, working on railroad section,
and was unable to buy a new coat for the
boy Mr.. Fonda said he did not know what
the legal status of the proposition was. bu,
he felt that the board was under moral OBJ
legation to buy the boy a new coat.
Mr.. Thomas said he was willing to help
the boy, but he did not believe 1t was set
ting good precedent to appropriate the tax
payers money set apart for school purposes
to such uses. He suggested that as ther,
were just six members of the board present
that each should chip in 81 and buy the
coat and quit talking about it..
The suggestion did not seem to meet the
approval of the other members, although
some OF them generously offered to contrib
ute all their salaries as members, and
Thomas moved to amend the motion and re-
fer 1t to the secretary and attorney for an
opinion as to its legality
Snyder thought that IL the board intended
to buy the boy new coat ii should not wait
until next summer to do it.
Fonda again declared that the beard was
morally, and he believed legally responsible
for the coat for the reason that 1t was
against the rules which the board has ap-
proved. for the child to take his coat to his
seat. He was obliged to hang it in the
closet, where 1t was out of his possession
and beyond his protection This made the
board responsible for its safety.
Thomas called attention to the theft of the
deposit check for $500, and other sums OF
money that had been stolen from the cloak
rooms. and asked il the board would like
to be held responsible for these losses.
The matter was finally referred to the
secretary for legal advice, with Instructions
that If he found the sum could be legally
appropriated to draw an order on the chair
man of the finance committee for the
amount.
City Weighmaster Higgeson complained
that the contractor who was supplying the
coal to the schools was not following the
provisions of his contract, which required
him to weigh on the city scales at the cen
trail market all of the coal used in tho
Washington avenue, the High school and
the Harrison street buildings. He COM
planned that no coal had so far been weighed
by him. The matter was referred to the
fuel committee
a memorandum report or the custodian or
the school books was submitted 1t showed
that Custodian Bushnell had received in
cash and books total of S2.926.27, and had
a credit of So 90S .3. The board had on
hand S1,400 worth of books, and had pur-
chased so far during the year, about 1000
worth. This would about cover all of the ex-
pendtures for books until the close of the
present school year
The salary of Miss Anna DeGroat one
of the teachers, was raised from $35 to $40
per month, she having taught year as a
substitute.
Thomas, Fonda and Spruit were appointed
a committee to destroy lot of old vouchers.
The superintendent submitted compare
tive report, showing the attendance this year
and for the same periods last year.
Total enrolment for four months this
Total enrolment for four months last
year .......................,... 4,O9i
Gain .................................... q
Total enrolment for fourth month
Total enrolment for fourth month
last year OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. $3.50
Gain .......... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 60
Average number belonging fourth
month this year Observation-Disclosures. 1853
Average number belonging fourth
month last year NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 3525
Average daily attendance fourth
month this year .....;................ S,462
month last year .'.,...,.....,.......... 1850
Gain ......,,..,................ n2
Number of teachers meetings held
during the month Observation-Disclosures. 8
The secretarys report showed that the
teachers were paid last month S6.341.O5, and
the janitors $7975O, making a total of ST.
1856.