The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-17
SIXTEEN TO ONE
In Favor of Reinstatement of
Professor Benning.
SCHOOL BOARD ACTS
Report of Settlement Made
With County.
BOARD ACTS

J At meeting Of the school board held IN
the rooms of the board of education last
night the session was mostly taken up by
a discussion of the Benning matter,
which has been attracting so much atten-
ton of late and necessitating the calling
together Of the board on several occa-
| sions. The charges against Professor Ben
ming have had several airings before the
board and at the last meeting he was
by a unanimous vote, declared not guilty
OF the charges made. but a discussion
arose concerning his reinstatement, which
was afterwards continued until meeting
OF the full board, which was called to-
gether last night.
After the calling of the board to order
by the president and the reading Of the
minutes by the secretary. a petition was
presented, signed by 4S0 residents OF the
Sixth ward and another signed by A out of
40 of the children in Professor Benning's
grade, asking for his reinsta tement as
principal of kellogg Street school. Both
members of the board from the Sixth
ward made speeches of protest against the
adoption Of the petition and asked for two
weeks further time TO investigate the
grounds upon which the signatures were
secured, charging that there was misrep-
reservations made by Professor Benning
and mis- friends when presenting the petit
tons to those who werS Ssked to sign it.
Considerable discussion was entered into
by several members of the school board
~
bate and prolonging the already tiresome
discussion of matter = had been thor
oughly investigated by rne board and the
charges acted upon and the finding OF a
verdict in favor of Professor Benning.
During the session it was suggested that
the Sixth ward residents who were pres
ent be given an opportunity to make per-
sonal statements to the board. and several
got up and spoke in very commemorate
language of the advancement made by
their children under the professorship Of
Principal Benning. and all but one who ad-
dressed the board asked that the professor
be reinstated in his position. II was then
suggested that rising vote be taken
of all those present living in the Sixth |
ward who were in favor of the return Of |
Professor Benning to the Kellogg Street |
school and when counted there were six
teen residents found standing up and the |
vote against the reinstatement was count |
ed as one. The motion was then made |
that Professor Benning be reInstated with |
out loss of pay during his trial, which was |
carried by all the board voting in its favon |
but two. President Rutan then announced !
that Professor Benning was reinstated to |
his former position in the Kellogg Street |
school and the board continued with tho |
other matters of business before it.
Mr.. Whitney Tucker then addressed the |
president and members of the school board |
upon the long-pending question of the
amount of money due the school fund from |
the county. and afterwards introduced the |
following report of the committee:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen-Your COM |
mittee appointed to make settlement with |
the county commissioners, beg leave to re-
port as follows:
We solicited the aid Of Mr.. Guthrie. as |
he is perhaps more familiar with the work |
than any other man. unless it might be |
Mr. Denny, and after parleying with the |
commissioners for some little time. they /
finally submitted the following proposition: !
First, they to pay the district the S. 1924 |
cash, as per the agreement Of one year |
ago, but they ask that the board allow !
them to charge back TO the district the |
sum of S3.95S90, as follows: This account |
comes in this way. You are perhaps |
aware that prior TO the year 1898 that when |
the treasurer sold the property for taxes.
that all that were not bought by private /.
parties were charged up TO the county and 4
by them paid into the county treasury, and /
in this way the school district got their /
full share of the taxes. Now this amount /
of s., $3.50 is so much Of said taxes az had |
been paid the district by the county. and |
not collected at the time Of Mr. Denny's /
report to the commissioners. some Of which /
has since been collected, and your com
mittee think that as a conservative estl-
mate that al least one-haif OF this amount
Will yet be collected and credited back to
the district. as much of this was on prom
erty not in the city but yet in the dis
trict. Your committee are Of the opinion
that this said amount is barred by statuta
Of limitation. but We also think that a.
a matter Of equity that the district should
reimburse the county 70 this amount ad-
vanced.
There is another matter that we would
call your attention to. and that
is the interest that has,peen collected from
this delinquent fund since the county
failed 70 pay the taxes. and Il now
20 considerable more than the
amount they ask US 70 refund. and will /
amount 20 several thousand before the re-
demptiOns are all in. and your commit
tee believe that the district q entitled 70
their share Of said interest and penalties
and the county commissioners have agreed
20 submit an agreed statement OF facts
10 Judge Dale. and abide MS decision in
the case, and Ee would advise that the
matter now be placed IN the han6s Of the
judiciary committee and they Be instructed
al AT early date TO prepare SAID case. 20
gsther with the county attorney and Z in
their judgment they need othe- legal ad-
vice and help that they Re empowered 70
employ sich as they need 10 an expense
o. not over -.
We would further report thst the county
commissioners refused 20 pay the SAID
81 a until such time as the board could
take some action looking 70 the settlement
d their claim % 3 s53s g.
Then the settlement OF mis- cain by -
brings Up another feature
In the case. and that Is thai when you-