The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-11-23
GEO. L. FOX'S EXPLANATION
OF FIG URES PRESENTED, TO THE
 COMMITTEE ON SUPERVISORS,

|
 COMMITTEE ON SUPERTISORS,
 In Response to n Letter of Correction
 from Clerk Hewlett of the Board of
 Education-Mr. Fox Says That His
 Figures Were Substantially Correct-
 Method of Publishing Salaries in MT.
 KendalPs Report Criticised.
 To the Editor of the Journal and Courier:
 In the course of my speech before the
 investigating committee I have said
 more than once under considerable provocation that I intended to do no one any injustice, and simply wished to bring out the truth for the benefit of the taxpayers. So shall be thank full to anyone who will point out any error in my statements
 Tuesday evening instead of spending the evening in questioning Superinten- dent Kendall, as I had expected to do, l found to my surprise that neither he nor Mr. Moran nor Mr. Asher were present. The last meeting had been broken up in discreditable manner by the filibustering tactics of MT. Chase and MT. Chillingworth, who tried to prevent my asking Superintendent Kendall this perfectly proper question. viz: Is supervisor of penmanship employed in the Dwight school. in | which the educational policy is entirely determined by State Superintendent | Hine and Principal Morrill,? Inasmuch as both MT. Chase and MT. Chilling worth had just before urged the com mittee to invite Superintendent Hine | from Hartford to get his opinion on su- pervisors, this bitter opposition to my | question not only indicated their insin- cerity, but deepened my conviction that in the whole course of the Investigation these two men have acted as attorneys for the defense while sitting in the jury box instead of acting as impartial and open minded Investigators, anxious to find out the whole truth, which was certainly the purpose for which they were appointed by the court of com- mon council.
 When the filibustering tactics brought the last hearing to an end two import
 
 Mr. Asher and Superintendent Kendall seemed unwilling to admit that the city paid at least 50 per cent. of the salaries in the Dwight school. This it seemed to me must be the case on the suppo- sition that Superintendent Hine doubled the salary of each teacher out of the state treasury, and that I did not be- lieve With regard to the other fact thovsn 1.,k;, between Superintendent Kendall and the teachers of the Dwight school on the question of g supervisor of pen nanship in the Dwight school. All that saw assured me that they had never had supervisor in penmanship. Superintendent Kendall on the contrary deliberately and distinctly said that Miss Hart was the supervisor of pen- manship in the Dwight school. Before l went to the hearing on Tuesday even- ing I thoroughly satisfied byself as to what was the truth on these points. Imagine my surprise on going to the hearing to find neither Superintendent Kendall nor MT. Moran there at such an important hearing It is,quite cer- tain that for at least three years these two men have dominated and determin- ed the educational policy of New Ha- ven, and superintended the expenditure of nearly $400,000 annually of the mon- ey of the taxpayers. If MT. Kendall had been present so that I could have questioned him it is possible that I should not have submitted the figures until another meeting. They were has, tily compiled Tuesday afternoon be- tween and 6. They seem to me sub- stantially correct, after I have read the following letter from Clerk Hewlett: MT. George l.. Fox: Dear Sir:
 l notice in this mornings Courier iu the report of the proceedings of the committee on the Investigation of the supervisors in the public schools, you are reported to have said that the cost of the public schools during the last year of MT. Dutton's administration was $2S5000. under the last year of MT. Cur tis' administration $333,0O0 and under MT. KendalPs s383,0OO If you are re- ported correctly feel that should call your attention to certain facts in con- nection with these figures which make them misleading, and as you no doubt wish to make a perfectly fair and hon. est statement I think you will appre- ciate my calling your attention to these facts.
 The figures for 1889-9O the last year of MT. Dutton's administration are cor rect as stated by you and cover the twelve months ending August 31, 1890. The figures for 1S94-5 which you sub- mitted included $15, ,473.73 for interest. The item of interest does not appear in the current expenses for the year 18S9-9o so that in making a comparison be- tween the two years, the item of inter- est should be deducted making the ex- pense for current expenses S317, ,25664. You will notice, however, by reference to the report of the board of education that these expenses are only for ten months and thirteen days, not for twelve months.
 I do not know where you obtained 900 as the cost under MT. Kendall The total current expenses for the fiscal year 1898 were $S73,531.1O. CThe appro- priations made for the iscai year 1899, $2,OO0 for metal ceilings in the Hillhouse high school amounted to $37S, ,424.52.
 A further examination of the figures