The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-16
DR.. ELDR|DCE
OWES THE STATE
According to the Report Of
Examiner PuTifoy'
BAD BOOKKEEPING CHARGED
Alleged Money Was Appropriated
Which $ ,nged to School.
DlSCRE = ~ IN HIS. REPORTS
SIS
- q
Puri> e Jlaims Receipts from Tuition
Too Small for Number of
Pupils Reported AS Enroll
sk& - He'd In The School
s :
DISCRE " IN HIS. REPORTS

ner Purifoy has filed with Governor Johfl-
ston report on his examination of the
books and accounts of the State Normal
College, until lately presided over by DR..
e. r. Eldridge.
In the outset the examiner sets forth the
bylaws regulating the conduct of tho
schools financial affairs. He charges that
these regulations have not been obeyed,
and says that when the attention of Presi-
dent Eldridge and e. M Wright, member
of the faculty who for the past three years
has been making collections and disburse-
ments was called to these regulations, they
pleaded ignorance of their existence. In
this connection the examiner says:
None of the claims paid by either OF
these gentlemen have received the approval
of the finance committee in advance, nor
have warrants been issued with the sigma
ture of the president of the board and
countersgned by the secretary.
Unsystematic Stub cooks sas
'The only data from which could check
the collections of President Eldridge were
lot of unsystematically kept stub books,
and these showed some mutilatons. When
l had made up my statements from these
stub books and asked him for his roll book,
he informed me that his stub books were
his only roll book. No cash book was kept
by him, and no general roll of students.
His disbursements were shown by a lot of
vouchers numerically arranged"
In summing up disbursements, the report
says:
"The entire sum disbursed by President
Eldridge and Professor Wright under his
direction, for the nine years beginning with
1S9o-sl, amounts to over $4,000. while the
authorized appropriations by the board OF
directors. shown hV the minutes
cuding salaries to teachers, have not ex-
ceeded 5000. But very little of the remain
ing $4,000 has gone for sala ries of teachers
1t has gone for clerk hire to assist the
president, printing. advertising, travelling
expenses and many other unauthorized ex-
penditures. The following are some of the
items:
Session OF 1S90-91-EXpenses of
himself (Sldridge) and others
during the session of the gem
eral assembly. 1Ss0-9l (paid to
T. II. MADISON, hotel bills .... $37.00
Paid to j. b. Knox, expenses at
Montgomery. 49,. .......... $50
Paid to c. r. Mccall for D., F.
MCCALL. ...... ........ 80. I000-s5650
Many other items are noted during sue
ceeding sessions.
Took 1t for + o 'wn Use
Further down the report says:
AT the meeting of the board May 49,
iooot thC ioHoWibB WAS duODleu. 0tn. Inat
$2oO be set apart to a catalogue and national
index fund, the latter to include the form
er in suitable form and to issue quarterly
This sum was appropriated by President
Eldidge to the publication of what he de-
nominates the state Normal Exponent
a publication he admits belonged to him.
This publication was issued by him quar-
terly and mailed to subscribers. The pur-
pose of the appropriation was to provide
catalogues for the school. From these had
expected to find list of the students at
tending But not so. This appropriation
was construed by President Eldridge to
mean annually, no other appropria ton oe
the kind having been made until June 81.
1898. Yet his data and that of Professor
Wright, after the latter became collector,
shows that the fund to the amount named
above was regularly appropriated by DR..
Eldridge to the Exponent, except perhaps
one year. The sum thus consumed was
about $500. The records show that several
hundred dollars have gone to the payment
of clerks to aid the president. fair share
of which went to members of his own FAM
lily. AS there were no books kept in his
office | asked him to explain the necessity
for such help. He states that 1t was chiefly
used to mail out printed advertising mat
ter and writing letters.
I'm addition to the regular terms of
school he conducted q summer school OF
pedagogy in the name of the college and
under it's auspices, from which he collected
incidentals and tuition. While there is no
record in the minutes of the board to bear
out his claim, he insists that this work was
done on his own responsibility and by con-
sent of tho board A part of the time he
has accounted to the board for a sum equal
to that appropriated by the Peabody trus-
tees for support of the summer school, and
that part of the fund derived from collec-
tions has not been accounted for. This ag-
gregates $2,1675o.
Conducted on Extension Course
HE has also conducted what he terms an
extension course, which consists of instruc-
tion to non-atteDding pupils. in course of
study outlined by him. This has been done
by correspondence. For these tuition and
fees have been charged and collected by
him. Until the last year or two the collec-
tions from this source have been appro-
priated by him, and no showing has been
made to the board. In consolidated re-
port made by him to the executive commits
tee of this extension work from July 10.
1892, to July 10, 1897, he received total
from this source of 81 401.70; expenses,
sH4.20; salary rate of $1222.10: leaving q
balance due him of s23410.
income Vas Hts Own
The extension course, like the Summer