The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-07-06
SCHOOL,
BOARD
Proceedings at a Regular Session Held
Last Night.
Mr.. whitaker OBJECTS AGAIN
The Board Refuses to Allow Him to Trans
form His over Sight Into secre-
tary's Error-Contract for the
School Supplies Awarded.


tendance: Messrs. KEEPER, Hanna Baugh,
Dove, Martin, Coughlin, Sullivan, Whitaker,
Kerrigan
Mr.. Whitaker was primed with objections
again, and as soon as Secretary Hanna
finished the reading of the minutes the
former arose and stated that he voted against
the increase Of the force Of janitors, aud also
against the endorsement by the Board Of the
committees action in awarding the contract
for printing the Auditors report. lie had
requested that his name be recorded in the
negative on these matters, but the minutes
showed that the secretary had failed to DO so.
Secretary Hanna denied that any such re-
quest had been made by Mr.. Whitaker and
the latter retreating from his position, re-
piled II did not make the request that even
ing, but make it now, before the minutes are
approved"
To this Mr.. Hanna retorted, There was
no request of the kind made. These minutes
are true and corrections of that kind are not
admissible"
Mr.. Whitaker: 81 have right to request
that my name be recorded in the negative" j"
Mr.. KEEPER: 20, it is a small matter, any
how, and l guess there'll be no objections"
Mr.. Hanna: IF he (Whitaker) will
acknowledge that it was not my error but an
oversight ON his part, am satisfied that the
correction be made"
Mr.. Martin said he did not think the cor
rection could be made without the consent of
the Board and Mr.. Dove took the position
that the record should not be allowed at all.
Mr.. Whitaker was at the meeting, he said
and there was proper time for him to have
the record made. To allow the request would
open the gate and give any member a pre-
cedent for coming in six months after and
having such records made. He closed hs
remarks by raising point of order that the
request could not be entertained, and Presi-
dent KEEPER declared the point well taken.
Mr.. Dove then moved that the minutes be
adopted as read. Mr.. Whitaker appealed
that, as matter of courtesy, he be allowed
to have the record made. Mr.. Doves motion
was carried, and Mr.. Whitaker was recorded
in the negative and subsidized for the time
| being
The committee On text books and supplies
reported that the following were the averages
on the bids for supplies received by the com
mittee NJ. Mellet, SOS s.2s; +. J. Portz, soc so;
| Hooks & Brown, S66 H. L. Donheim, OF
fremont and j. l.. Hammer, of Boston,
| having failed to comply with the require
ments, their bids were not considered. The
committee recommended that the contract be
awarded to the lowest bidder, Hooks &
Brown. The report was accepted and the
recommendation adopted.
Two items in a bill of the Shenandoah
Journal and Advertiser supposed to be
published by Boyer Bros, were repudiated by
the same committee, on the ground that the
advertising charged for was not authorized
This action was also endorsed.
The finance committee then presented q
six-month statement on Tax Collector
BuIke's duplicate for 1898. 1t was read and
accepted, and copy ordered furnished tC
Mr.. Burke.
The following communication to the
finance committee from Solicitor NJ. N
Burke, in answer to a series of questions sub
mitted to him by the committee, was read and
accepted
THE general duty of the Collector o.
Taxes is to make speedy collection of all col
lectable taxes on his duplicate and to make
prompt payment of the collections to the
officer entitled to them, the school district
treasurer.
| THE Act of July 9. 1897, makes it the
duty of the collector to submit monthly re
turns in writing to the several persons t.
whom the tax collected by said collector il
by law required TO be paid, showing tn,
| pre-
ceding month and the amount of uncollecteC
taxes upon their respective duplicates, or ex
hibit the duplicate showing the said uncol
lected taxes; this is to be done at the 'clOst
of each n onth' Of the collectors term Th,
person to whom this return is to be mad,
is the treasurer of the school district. Th'
penal clause of the Act is as follows ANY
tax collector failing TO comply with the re
quirements of this Act shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon cOnvio
ton, shall be sentenced to pay fine not ex
ceeding one hundred dollars
Your Board, or any authorized committe
of it, have perfect right under the law t.
examine any of the records or public book
required by the collector to be kept; it SHOULD
be borne in mind that such records are publ
property and are open to the inspection ant
| examination of any citizen or organization
for a legitimate purpose.
Your Board have the right TO requir
from the collector of taxes any statemen
that will better enable you TO manage tn
finances of the school district and it is hi
duty to furnish it.
1T is the duty of the Board to see that tn
law is enforced in all respects concerning tn
collection and payment of taxes by the col
lector; if the Board know of any infractio
of the law and permit it to go unnotice
they would not, themselves, be fulfllin
/ their duty under the law to their cOnstitr
ency."
Solicitor Burke was present and urged tha
any list of exonerations on Tax CollectC
Scanlans duplicates of 1895, or 1896, that tn
Board had in hand and undisposed of be a
: tended to without delay that, if prope
they be allowed if not proper, that they b.
= rejected. Some definite action should
! taken, he said.
= Quite a discussion followed and, in answ,
to Mr.. Martin, Solicitor Burke said he di
not think it made any difference in tn
particular case whether the exoneTation lis
were received prior, or subsequent to II
: entry OF the judgment, as Mr. Scanlan hl
d sworn in court that, when handing in b
= original lists he gave verbal notice to h
a Board that he had an additional list to su
IS nit that he expected the Board to grant. III
Solicitor added that he did not think al
action on exOneratiOns at the present tin
would interfere with the standing of I
: Board in court in regard to the cases pendin
a or the judgments. The Board, he said,
! the same right to allow credit for exonel
tions as ii has to allow credit ON the jud
ments for payments made by Mr.. Soanl
# and his bondsmen since they were entered
q The matter was finally disposed of by t
% Board referring the matter to the fnau
committee TO get the written opinion of {