Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-04-23
s.hoot Trustees Grievance.

III ~ GDlIOIl. a. upUlSS ~ III oCtA
and friends impelsn me to respond
! briefly to Doctor Brodwater's letter
of grievance. complaint, and per-
sonal destinations in your columns of
last week.
During my public school superin-
tendency of the past twelve years
this is the first complaint along this
Dline-although many similar changes
have been made from time to time.
Neither have | been charged with
narrow, personal motives or vindic-
tiveness by.my opponents, politically
or otherwise.
But let us to 3the answer of the
Doctors letter. The term of office OF
one public school trustee in each dis
trict expires every year, and the
vacancy caused thereby is filled by
the School Trustee Electoral Board,
composed of the county judge, COM
| monwealth's attorney and superin-
tendent of public schools. These
vacancies are filed by re-appoint-
ment of old trustees or election OF
new ones, according to the necessities
and demands of the respective dis
tricts and the views and wishes Of
the people. In justice to my asso-
ciates on said Electoral Board would
state just here that not an unkind
word or lnsinuation was said or made
touching DR.. Brodwater's trustee
ship.
The oyster industry on the bay side
and the railroad through the center
of the county has, as the school GEN.
sus will show, caused a very large
Increase in the school population of
said sections which have in turn de-
nanded larger and better school
houses and more school appliances.
Many complaints mot preferred
charges) have, from time to time and
from session to session, been made to
me that said demands have been, in
many instances, ignored by the dis
trict board and have asked that
changes in said board be made.
Added to this DR.. Brodwater has Oh
one or more occasions, as have other
school trustees, casually asked me
to have his name dropped and that
he be excused from further school
duty-on account of long service
therein, age sc.
So much for the action of the Elec-
toral Board Now let's see what, to
even the most casual reader, looks
like the main. spring motive of the
Doctors letter; evidently he has a
left feeling and to vindictively
"strike back" is his first natural i'm
pulse! Then he couples with it sort
of implied charge of neglect of Official
duty in not seeing my face in his
section since my last appointments
and in not favoring an appropriation
of about one hundred dollars to meet
my incidental expenses in the dis.
charge of my official duties, said APP
preparation being unknown to my
predecessor. During this session,
not yet closed-235 visits have been
made to the public schools of the
county-45 of which have been made
to the 80 schools in Atlantic district.
is not this the full quota to the
Doctors district? Touching the 'un-
precedented" bill CT incidental or
travelling expenses, l am prepared to
show by statistics and official school
reports, that it Is almost a universal
custom all over the State las shown
by said educational reports) for the
county and district boards to pay
said expenses-including those of my
worthy and esteemed predecessor. !
will further state that not one word
of objection or complaint of said ex-
penses was ever made by district or
county boards till the meeting OF the
latter in August, 1897, and then only
by the Atlantic district. The trustees
of all the other districts were con-
vinced of the justice of the claim, and
Atlantic alone refused to pay its
proper proportion. These incidental
expenses" are made to cover money
paid out for stationery, stamps, hold
ing teachers examinations, travelling
expenses etc, and to meet the in
sinuation that they have been ex-
cessive l will state that for the IL
years of my incumbency they have
averaged less than seventy dollars
or about fifty cents per school for
each session. 1 challenge COMPARE
on with other counties of similar
territory and work.
In conclusion, Mr. Editor, will
state that in voting for DR.. Brod-
waters successor in Office as school
trustee in Atlantic district, have
onlv exercised an official privilege
and right. have therefore, nothing
to regret or take back. 1t is mat
ter of some surprise that the Doctor
takes so seriously his relief from an
Office at once onerous and unremu-
nerative; and but for the implied
charges referred to above, and in
order to set the action of the Elec
toral Board in the right light, l
should not have deemed it necessary
to inflict upon you and the public
this reply.
j. E. MApp
speed Program.