The San Francisco call., 1898-07-21
CLOSING OVER LUMBER FRAUDS School Boards Experts Submit Their Reports. A LARGE SHORTAGE FOUND MORE SHINGLES USED THAN
 WERE PURCHASED. Derham Wants the Election of Teachers to Take Place in
 Open Meeting of the
 Board.
A LARGE SHORTAGE FOUND
MORE SHINGLES USED THAN
 WERE PURCHASED.

President Harrington submitted to the Board of Education last night the report of the experts appointed by him to in- vestigate the lumber frauds unearthed by the Grand Jury recently. The report, as stated by Mir. Harrington, was badly jumbled up and prepared in great hurry. His apparent haste to get it be- fore the Grand Jury, which was seconded by the other members of the board, ap- pears to be the only reason for its present incoherent state.
 About all that could be made out of it was the totals, which showed that the department had purchased 124,4N feet of lumber during the last fiscal year, and the experts could only trace 649,714 feet. leaving a shortage of 74,693 feet. The president, however, reduces this shortage by 15,000 feet by explaining that that amount was used at the Durant School and not credited by the experts.
 The experts bad also feqnd 5 ora fnat the de than had been purchased during the year. NIT. Harrington had this explanation to offer for the apparent miracle lie said which bills have not yet been received. As the report only covers the last fiscal year, no reason can be assigned for hold ing back the bills for these shingles near ly a month unless 1t be that the depart ment had so far exceeded the appropria- ton for last year that it is endeavoring 
 the present year.
 While the report cuts down the lumber deficit found by the disinterested experts employed by the Grand Jury, still an ad mitted shortage of 5S ,4OS feet (accepting Barrington's accounting for 15.000 feet as correct) shows some pretty rotten work, without taking into consideration the dis crepancy and the quality and consequent cost price of the lumber, which the boards experts considerably refrained from touching upon.
 The following contracts for repairs were awarded: J. F. Byrne, for graining Web ster School, S136 and Lincoln, S1S9; E. w. Fuller, brick work on Washington Cram mar, SIP; Conlon & Shipman, for paint doing the same work in the, Lincoln School, S495: w. M. Fletcher, bulkhead- ing Irving Primary $2299; P. Abrahamson, for ventilators for Washington Grammar,
 Director Derham presented the follow ing statement and amendment to the rules which caused considerable consternation among some of the directors. Under the rules 1t went over for week:
 The members of this board have been re- quested by the chairman of the elementary committee to give to him the names of teachers to be appointed to places in the department He states that there will be vacancies on the substitute list and the committee intends to recommend that they be filed. To my mind the necessity for the appointment, and the ap- pointment of any teacher. Is of sufficient inn portance to require the consideration of the entire board and should be taken out of the hands of any committee of the board.
 desire at this meeting to submit for adop- tion amendment to the rules making the appointment of any teacher matter of open board proceeding. The of the director who proposes an applicant for appointment in the department should not be withheld; it is information to which the public is entitled, 1t should be matter Of record and was mat ter of public record for years prior to the change of rule by this board.
 Scores of teachers have been appointed and our board records fail to show the name of the director responsible for each appointment. A reform in the procedure of electing teach CT is necessary; it s tardy, perhaps, but hope that the board will effect it.
 I ask for the adoption Of the following ameudment to the rules:
 When any vacancy exists In the teaching force of the department, such vacancy shall be reported to the board by the committee hav- ing charge of the department in which 1t ex- ists.
 If the board desires to fill such vacancy. nominations for the election of teacher shall be made in open board and the name of the nominating director and the vote on such cleo tion shall in all cases be recorded in the min utes of the board and the Of the nom mating director shall also be Of record in the book kept for that purpose.
 Unassigned teachers or regular teachers temporarily not in charge of a class shall be departnent and shall be considered as part of such substitute list
 Director Ragan presented a long re- port on needed changes in the course of study in the high schools, and the board decided to hold a special meeting next Monday night to consider the matter, and also the progress of work on the Mission High School.
 It was decided to build a new class room to the Park Primary School and the architect was directed to prepare plans