The San Francisco call., 1898-07-06
This leaves Mir. Burns alone in the en-

This leaves Mir. Burns alone in the em- barrassing position.
 MT. Drucker, in defense of his attitude, stated: There has never been a meet ing of the committee on buildings and grounds since I have been in office ex- cept that held last week."
 He had signed bills and contracts brought to him by Inspector J. J. O'Brien on the statement that they were "all right" Now that he had found that these acts were not only improper, but illegal, he desired to disconnect himself from the disagreeable combination.
 The reading of Director Gallagher's hot report was listened to very attentively. It was as follows:
 To the Hon. Board of Education-Gentlemen At the last regular meeting l submitted a re- port upon the work being performed by the building commlutee. The board decided at that ing to be held to-day to hear report from the building committee on the work now being done and building committee was in structed not to begin any new work.
 At the last meeting Of the board the chair man of the building committee stated that the work mentioned in my report was being done by days labor, by sent him by different members of the board I took the trouble to Investigate and found that this statement is not entirely true. The laborers employed by the committee working at the Winfield Scott School but the work at the Agassiz and Polytechnic schools Is being performed by per sons who have no connection with the depart ment. They have not been authorized by the
 
 this work. I say this advisedly because both MT Drucker and MT. Carew, members of the building committee assure me that they have not at any time been consulted by the chair man of the committee and they have never given their consent to the work now being done. During the week I visited the Park Primary. Extensive alterations are being made there and they are ill-advised in the extreme These alterations not being made by any one connected with the department. The peo- pie of Richmond are crying loudly for add- tional school accommodations, but they want something substantial-not makeshifts I also visited the Clement Orammar The men ern- ployed by the building committee have torn down the closets and some one else is engaged in rebu..uIng them.
 There are no contracts on file either with the secretary Of the board or at the office of the inspector of bu..--ngs for any of the work I have mentioned. The only contracts I could find on record are ten agreements with L. G Young for cleaning vaults. l also found a contract for building a bow window on the principals office at the Humboldt School as per specifications. for sl93, contract dated June IF. 1898; also contract with same party to build a school l6X30 as per present she'd take down back, plank yard. fix forty feet of side fence amount S169; contract dated June g. 1898 I copied these contracts June %. As the work mentioned in these contracts is unnecessary [ would recommend that the contracts be can celed
 Further investigation revealed the fact that the committee intends to whiten or tint the following schools: Grant, Le Conte Richmond Sutro, Buena Vista. West End and Mission Grammar. The flrst-named school was fin ished June 29. 1S9S The action taken by the Building Committe at the last meeting was presume, sufficient to have the committe hold the others in abeyance. There are no con