Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-04

was adopted instrueting the boards auor-
ney 20 enter into q contract with the arehi-
,ects on the terms named. the contracts TO
contain provision that Il the board is at
any time dissatisfied with the work they
may be terminated by paying the architects
reasonable amount for the supervision that
may already have been done.
The committee on heating and ventilation
reported that the gravity system Of venti-
lation and an indirect steam heating system
be installed in the grammar schools This
also led to a long debate. as members Of
the board had different ideas on the systems
to be adopted. motion to postpone ac-
tion was lost and the report was adopted.
The final act taken in connection with the
schools was an order given to the superin-
tendent Of buildings to employ a civil en-
gneer to establish the grades OF all the
school sites.
Hints ut Jobbcry.
A little revival Of the charges Of crooked
ness that were so frequently made short
time ago in the board sessions was sprung
by DR.. Teal when he introduced a resolution
in which H. II. Boyles, who has the con-
tract for cleaning desks in the public schools,
was instructed not to clean any more desks
unless he was given positive orders to do 50.
DR. Teal explained that information has
come to him that Boyles has insisted on
cleaning desks which the principals and
janitors of schools have asserted do not
need cleaning. DR.. Teal intmated that the
contractor has been cleaning desks at the
rate of 50 cents per desk which do not need
cleaning and in this way accounted for the
big bills that have been presented to the
board During the last two months the bills
have aggregated more than $500. other
members expressed themselves as of the
opinion that there was jobbery in the con-
tract. Sears moved that the resolution be
laid on the table and Johnson offered a sec
ond. The motion failed to prevail, but the
matter was laid over for week for in
vestigation.
About twenty-five higher grade pupils
now attending the Amber and Eckerman
schools will he transferred to the Windsor
school for the remainder of the year and
will be transported to that school in a
vehicle at an expense of not to exceed $40
month. About forty-five pupils in the
lower grades of both schools will be taught
in one room at the Amber school. This
action was taken to give the higher grade
pupils better facilities for study and in the
interests Of economy. At present three
teachers are employed in the two schools,
two of them having but dozen pupils each.
These two teachers will be transferred some
where else or will be discharged
In the course of the meeting Member
Burgess presented a resolution that after
April 1 all painters and carpenters employed
by the board be paid at the rate of So cents
an hour. This is raising the wages for car
penters from "a cents and Of the painters
from 80 cents. On Mr.. Burgess own sug-
gestion the resolution was laid over because
a full board was not in attendance.
Trcnsurcr's Report.
The regular monthly report of the treas
urer showed that there was a balance of
s29 ,9673S in the school treasury on March
81. There were no interest bearing war
rants outstanding but warrants amounting
to 81, 1,4S9.15 on which interest has ceased re-
mained unpaid.
A resolution adopted by the North Omaha
Improvement club, asking that an eighth
grade room be established in the Saratoga
school, was referred to committee
Over a score of applications were received
from men and women who desire to be ap-
pointed enumerators of the school census.
The pay rolls of the teachers, janitors and
other board employees were approved and
passed.