The San Francisco call., 1898-12-05
4 FEW PUPILS,
 BUT 4 LOT IF
 PEDAGOGUES Night School Jobs Are Sinecures. DIRECTORS MEET TODAY
THE GRAND JURY ANTICIPATES
 MORE J.oBBERY.
Expects That an Attempt Will Be Made to Railroad List of "Subs" Into the Depart
 ment.

rrba Roard of Education will assemble In res,llar meeting again this afternoon 10 see what can be oone for sldetracked substitutes and other matters inc req hot trade of Director Gallagher against Grand Jurvman Irving, in which Gal lagher found fault with fhe Grand Jury for dipping uninvitedly into School Board rottenness had the effect of standing olL the proposed job until a more propitious time. and it is thought that this after moons meeting may develop something ln- teresting. With that contingency in view MT. Irving proposes to be present at thls afternoons meeting, and the indignant Gallagher will not require the medium or the newspapers to make his oplnlohs known.
 It is likely that the first legal action of the combined teachers will kse taken to- day toward forcing the board to rescino its action holding back November pay A delegation of the merchants from whom Director Bantel has purchased xtra 1ur- niture amounting to a number or thou sands of dollars will also be on hand to see and ask what there will be left In the treasury to satisfy their claims and out standing commissions.
 For a goodly portion of the overs JOCK of supplies now on hand no bills ave been sent in to the department and no ac- count appears on the bill books. Even the Directors cannot understand why thA is so, and at the meeting of last WedneS- day Bantel was asked to furnish state ments He declined to do so, ana the board made a peremptory demand, to which Bantel in reply consigned them all to a hotter locality. The Grand Jury has made the same demand upon him and has got in return the same saustac- ton, and, giving up hope Of getting figures in any other way, the experts are ,,o1yf hn schools checking up the principals requi- stions with the furniture and supplies on hand.
 felt which the present board will leave to it's successor amounts to nearly S,5ye ,OO. As an excuse for this enormous shortage the Ii-ectors-all but Waller-are Sisiyn, inS that tlere was a shortage of $llS.GO when hey came into office. Waller says 1t was SI65000. As a matter of fact, the experts investigation into the books has deVelt ped the fact that the sho. -age amounted to only $6000, and that thece was money available in different funds to nl1rC than cover that.
 pon the list of appointees that it is expected will make Its appearance to-day the jury has. fixed its attention. It is strongly suspected that one or all of the young ladies who paid $50 each for ad- vance copies of the teachers examination questions will be railroaded through for the position which has been paid for, and it is this seXtet that the jury is after.
 Here IS OLe lIupOIlduL pHdSe Ol lIlS general crookedness that characterizes the last of the years transactions of the School Board that the jury has not yet thoroughly investigated, but which will be taken up fully before the searchlight Is turned off for the season. It is the ques- tion of night schools. From figures ob- tained 1t is developed that there is in at tendance at the night schools an average of six pupils to each teacher. The young idea that is taught to shot by the light of the midnight oil is given everything Fnric fla lor- ,,-rfo, .1,,,,, h the only class that is sufficiently well at tended to warrant the expense that these institutions are to the city Is the class in mathematics.
 The fact that it requires one teacher to instruct six pupils, does not become patent upon reading the reports that are sent in to the department by the princi- pals. The attendance is reported on an expanded ratio. If there be six present at the evenings roll call, thriving att tendance of thirty or more Is written into the regular reports, and the deception be- comes a part of the records upon which the school expenditures are based. This condition of affairs has been in existence almost since the night school system was inaugurated as part of the plan of legalized jobbery There is some excuse for the principals and teachers who turn have paid good fee for their jobs and a complete attendance is necessary in order that they may hold them. The di- rectorS demand that the attendance be kept up at any cost, as the night schools comprise their most profitable channel of expenditure. If 1t transpires that the day school does not need and cannot be convinced that 1t needs one of Director Banteps numerous donations of furni- ture or supplies, the stuff is fired into the night school and so accounted for. If the day schools do not need one of Director Hammond's patent tin roofs the night school probably does, and Director Ham mond's patriotism in serving the public without a salary is again fitIy rewarded. HammOndS Iarkin-Street tin roofing agency, by the way and the fat con9 tracts that have found their way there from the department, are other things that the jury has in its minds eye as possibly being fruitful propositions for investigation.
 To-day, however, all interest is centered in the regular meeting, as 1t is strongly surmised that it is to be held for irregi- lar purposes, and interesting develop ments are looked for