The San Francisco call., 1898-07-28
School Trustee Lets Contracts to Himself
 Under an Alias.
Expose of Shameless Pilfering by Which Jim" Rea'S Un-
 derlingS Profit.

SAN JOSE. July 27.-The affairs of the City Board of Education should be given a thorough investigation. Dur ing the past month irregularities have been discovered In bills allowed by the Trustees. The public should insist upon an open investigation and the Grand Jury's attention ought to be called to these acts.
 Two of the Trustees, M. J. Graham from the Fourth Ward, and E. H. Wemple from the Second ward, have been drawing money from the school department contrary to law. Trustee Kenyon and ex-Trustee O'Brien knew of it and consented. Trustees O'Neil and Langford had no hand in the pecu- lation. as they have been members of the board only about a month.
 The principal culprit in this loot of the city is Trustee Graham. Since Sep tember 15, 1897, Graham has been re- ceiving $15 a month from the city for the rent of a building for Kindergarten purposes In Cottage Grove. The bill is made out in the name of J. N. White, but each month Graham receives the warrant and draws the money. No man named J. N White Is known in San Jose; and, further, no such indi- Vidual has any interest in the build ing or the ground on which the school stands. The Assessors roll shows that the lot on which the Cottage Grove kin dergarten is situated belongs to Mary A. Mcdonald, a sister-in-law of Ora ham. In the report given to the Asses sor there Is no record of any improve ments on the lot.
 The story of the school shows the crookedness of Trustee Graham and certain members of the last Board of Education. Previous to September 15 the Cottage Grove kindergarten was held in the Union Sunday school build Ing, t0t hich the city paid a rental of SIP 50 a month The people of Cot tage Grove were satisfied with the To- cation of the school. Graham and Miss Mcdonald connived together and de- cided to erect a small cottage on the latter's lot and rent 1t to the city for a Kindergarten. This action was not taken, however, until Graham was sure his associates would consent to the re- moval of the school Then a cottage at a cost of little over s700 was erected The plans were such that 1t could cas- fly be turned into a dwelling if some future board should upset the project
 The Committee on School Houses, Sites and Repairs-Kenyon, O'Brien and Graham-decided to move the school to Graham's building, notwith- standing residents of Cottage Grove strongly protested against 1t. Not sat ished with inconveniencing the major ity of the people of Cottage Grove, the board allowed g 50 a month more rent ($15 a month) than was paid for the old building This sum Graham has drawn, with knowledge of other mem bers of the old board, under the name of J. N. White for nine and one-half
  which audited the bill each month was composed of Graham, Kenyon and O'Brien. Thus 1t will be seen Graham has been voting to allow this Illegal claim to himself. The matter is one that should be laid before the Grand Jury and Graham should be busted from office and punished.
 The City Charter strictly prohibits any official of the city being parties to contracts with the city
 Under the head of Miscellaneous Provisions" article 13, section 10, the Charter says:
 No member of the Common Council or of any, board, and no officer or ,employe of said city while in office shall be or become. directly or indirectly. interested in any contract. work or business or in the sale of any article, the expense price or consideration of which is payable from the treasury, nor shall either or any of them receive any gratuity or adVan- tage from any contractor or person fur nishing labor or material for the same.
 The State school law is even clearer Article 21, section 1876, says:
 No School Trustee or Board of Educa- ton must be interested in any contract made by the board of which he Is a mem Der. and any contract made in violation of this provision is void
 Section 1870 of the same article pre- scribes that amy officer so acting or receiving must be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. and on conviction be punished by fine or imprisonment and be removed from office.
 Trustee Graham is the avowed. agent of Boss" Req in all school matters. He 1t was who did the dirty work in caus- ing the dismissal of Mrs. A. B. Clement as Assistant Superintendent of Schools