New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-04
SCHOOL BOARD DEFIANT.
REFUSES TO AMEND PAY ROLLS 40
MR.. COLER HAS REQUESTED.
THEY WILL BE RETURNED TO HIM IN
THEIR PRESENT FORM-THREAT
OF LEGAL. ACTION.

THEIR PRESENT FORM-THREAT
OF LEGAL ACTION.
The School Board for the boroughs OF Man
haitian and The Bronx. at it's first meeting yes
terday practically threw down the gauntlet TO
Controller Coler. ard in diplomatic way told
him that it would not agree to any Of his de-
mands
The subject of the teachers pay, which has
been before the Board for months. again
brought up by communication from Auditor
Cook of the Board OF Education informing the
Board that Controller Coler had returned the
pay rolls TO him. asking that they be revised by
MS clerks and returned. The revision asked was
that each OF the pay rolls be analysed so that he
could make the necessary reductions in the pay
ment OF salaries as the Ahearn law did not af-
1ect all cases. The reading of the communIea-
tlon caused a storm OF protests in the Board
and Commissioner O'Brien jumped to his feet
and said:
statements are being made and published con-
corning this School Board that are wrong and
misleading. The so-caIIed Job lot charter makes
US 90 as we have done under Section Oti3 Ohe
Ahearn Law, and we cannot help ourselves /
uteH IL no more than right in order to do jus
tlce TO the president of this Board and the
school Board itself. that the president make
sstatenent 10 US explaining his agreements with
MT. Coler. and show us once for all his incon-
slsteney and his failure to keep TO his agree
lnept as the president understood him.
President Joseph ]. Little then made a. long and
minute statement Of the trouble in the School
Board concerning the payment of teachers
salaries. He had all the correspondence read
between himself and the Controller in which
Mr. Coler agreed to- and did, pay the teachers
salaries in June July August and Sentennber i'm
accordance with the provisions OF the Abearn
Law 1t was then brought out how in Noven1-
Der the Controller had refused to follow his
FORMER policy of payments. and an agreement
hao been reached with him. At this late date
Mr.. Coler says that the December pay rolls are
wrong, and sends them back for revision
Mr. Little. III part. said:
/ am surprised at the action Of the Controller
In bringing up a technical Question ar This +i11a
we nave lived up to the agreement but he has
not Mr.. Coler cannot legitimateIy call on Us
TO go back to last May and ask us to revise the
pay rolls He is going beyond common courtesy
Commissioner Van Hoesen took the floor and
said:
we must return them the way they are Let
ure to pay the salaries We will not be respOn-
sible, as we have prepared the payrolls legally
ana they must be paid that way. 1 ask per-
mission TO prepare resolution to that effect
Permission was granted. and he handed In the
following resolution:
Resolved, That the paypoIIs OF December 1899
as presented to the Controller, are the same in
form and makeup as the payrolls presented to
him every month since June and that there is
no reason known to this Board why the payroll
for the month of December should be put into a
new and unusual form, and that it is for the
Controller and not for this Board to keep the
account of the amounts to be charged to the
fund raised by the sale Of revenue bonds under
the socalled Ahearn bill. inasmuch as the pro-
ceeds of the sale of the revenue bonds. when
celved by the Controller, necessarily form part
of the general school fund. out Of which the
salaries of the teachers are paid.
The resolution is practically to the effect that
the payrolls are returned to the Controller with
out change as he requested. and that he is or
dered to make the change he thinks is in his
power and to pay the teachers. Behind the
resolution is the covert threat of legal compli-
cation If he refuses to pay salaries.
The meeting yesterday was the hrst OF the new
organization. and was called to order by Acting
Secretary Bussey. Commissioner Van Hoesen
moved that Mr.. Little be made temporary chair
man, and he took the chair. He then read a
communication from the Mayor reappointing
Commissioners Adams. Little. Linck and Abra-
ham Stern. and announcing the four appoint
ments to the Board-John G. O'Keefe Patrick F.
MCGOWAN Thomas w. Timpson and Alfred Hen
nen Morris. The new Commissioners excepting
Mr.. Timpson, were present and were sworn In.
President Little made president OF the
Board to fill the term until the second wednes-
day in February when the yearly election takes
place. Mr.. Little read long typewritten speech
concerning the work OF the Board in the year
He referred to Section LOGS of the charter and
said that 1t no fault of the School Board
that the deplorable state in the schools was no.
ticeable, but of the section of the charter.
In the discussion which was brought about by
the communication of Auditor Cook concerning
the December payroll Commissioner Moriarty
took occasion TO deny a statement Of Mr..
Coler to the effect that the Committee on Sup
plies had expended more money than it should
for supplies in 1899. An instance mentioned
that of some scissors, which said to have
cost $500 more than they ought-was not in his
time. He said the expenditure made by the
Committee on Supplies in 1898.
l1A 1STE OH SCHOOL. MCNEY