The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-10
COMMISSIONERS GIVE $4,000.
THEIR ANSWER TO THE REQUEST
OF THE BOARD OF EDU CATION.


as to the school Fund. 50 Far as 1t
Relates to the Present Board of
Commissioner. Explicitly Denied.
Resolutions Adopted stating the
Position of the Board in the Mat
ter Very PIaimIy-BiIIs of County
9mciaIs for Making Up County
Tax DefauIters' List Turned Down
by the Board.
rhe County Commissioners at the Febru-
airy meeting yesterday afternoon. adopted
a resolution, ordering the payment OF 20
600 TO the board Of education and further
instructlng the county treasurer TO report
monthly to the board of commissioners the
proportionate part of the tax due 20 the
educational fund that he shall have re-
ceived from the tax collector and that upon
the approval OF such statements by the
auditing committee the clerk of The board
shall draw warrant in favor Of the treas
urer OF the board of education for the
amount so collected and proportionately
due to the educational fund.
This is the result Of the request of the
board of education upon The County Com
missioners that the sum Of $4,000 be paced
TO its credit out of the amount appropriate
ed for 1899 in order that the board might
discharge its accumulated indebtedness
"due to delinquencies on the part of the
state and county" so the resolution which
accompanied the communication of Col.
George A. Mercer, president Of the board
of education. stated.
This action was taken by the board of
Education at its January meeting, but the
request was not made upon the County
Commissioners previous 10 their last
monthly meeting The request was receiy-
ed Jan. "a. the date of Col. MERGERS letter,
and consequently came up in the regular
order of business at the February meeting
yesterday. Col. Mercer in his letter in
closing copy of the resolution adopted
by the Board Of Education, explains the
object of the board as follows:
The purpose of this request is to save
the board and the county the interest
paid on temporary loans. In order to dis
charge promptly its Indebtedness 10 the
teachers for valuable services rendered
and to meet necessary monthly expenses,
the board has been compelled to negotiate
temporary loans. as the state and county
delay the sums due for education. During
the last school year $l,275.46 was paid for
current interest and from Oct. ], 1893, TO
Jan. %, 1899. $6O9S2. These large disburse-
ments are burdensome to the taxpayers
and could oe avoided If payments to the
board were promptly made as soon as
the amounts in collected taxes were avail
able. We, therefore, urgently request an
immediate payment of the proportion due
us"
The character of the request from the
Board of Education was such as to de-
mand the immediate attention of the COM
mlssioners Some time was spent in eau
Gus in which the matter was thoroughly
discussed. Judging from the tone of the
resolution, which was adopted as soon as
the board came in open session, the COM
misstoners are not inclined to rest under
the lmputation contained in the resolu-
ton of the Board of Education that the
financial difficulties of that board have
been due to the "delinquences Of the state
and county"
The following resolution on the subject
was offered by Commissioner Lathrop and
promptly adopted:
Whereas, the Board OF Eucation of Chat
nam county. in a resolution calling on the
commissioners of Chatham county to
make the first payment on account of the
appropriation for the year 1889" $4,000
nave alleged that their accumulated in
ueDtednes3 Is due TO "delinquences on the
part of the state and county" and have
caused a copy of said resolution to be
presented to this board
BE At resolved That the charge of de-
iinquency on the part OF Chatham county
III tne payment of the educational fund TO
the Board of Public Education. so far as
the present board of County Comrnission-
ers is concerned, is entirely without anv
Iouhdauon in fact and the board denies
thls allegation. On the contrary. il is the
opinion OF this board that an Investigation
VIII SHOW that the accumulated indebted
ness which the Board of Public E6uca-
tion has incurred has been caused nv the
citatloH OF debts in excess OF the appro-
pr'a IONS made for educational purposes
ana NOT on account of any delinuuen9v on
the part of this board in paving over ,Ga
taxes collected for this fund
RESOLVED further, That the records Of
tAls BOARD show that II has not only maid
the Board of Public Education promn,lv
their acquisitions within the appropriation
put that the commissioners, in several in
stances, nave anticipated the collection Of
ths taxes and have raised the amounts
cahed Tor by the Board of Education on
the credit of the county before tbe
county treasurer had received from ne
tax collector the proportion of taxes he
longing 10 the educat ional fund
Resolved further That the sum of S26
CO., the amount now asked for. he naid
over to the Board of Public Education ana
that IN future the county treasurer shan
report monthly to this board the nrorsor-
tionate part of the county tax due 10 tbe
educational fund that he shall haVo ~
oeiVed from the tax collector ana Thai on
the approval of said statement nv ~
AUDITING committee the clerk of this hoay-7
shah draw a warrant an favor of ~
treasurer of the Board of Public Edpca-
uon Tor the amount so collected ana ,,ro-
poruonatey due to the educational f,,na
RESOLVED, That a copy of these rasoj,,.
tons be sent to the president OF the Roard
OF Public Education '' u
The Board of Education Dur IN a hu,
few days since for 81, 900 for the e,.,.,,,.'
OF conducting the public schools 5pr,,o
the month of February. Doubtless 80
some intimation as to the action which ~.
commissioners would be likely to talfa ,hi.
bill was Withdrawn and one for S95 ooo -,
just half the amount asked for nv ~,
board in the resolution adopted al is ~
uary meeting. The Board of Cduca,io,