The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-10-26
CHARGBS ANSWERED
superintendent Roberts SPIKES
The FusiOnistic COmmOner.
Has Never Profited Financially no
yond the Salaries Of
His Office.


OF misconduct in Office unon Connf :
School Superintendent Roberts NJ
Roberts has addressed to the Commone,
the following answer:
OoliaX, October 20.-Wm. Goodvnar
Edltor ColfaX CommOner: In reenonsa
TO your kind CD offer of the use of vonr
columns Tor the purpose of answering
Che questions prOpounded to your read,
ers with reference to myself in your issue
OF Oct. 10, wish to saw:
lst. Did | draw two ealaries drrino
the session OF the Summer Science SCHOOL,
| answer, No.
\, zhd. Am | acting as agent for the
Northwest School Furniture Co? This 7
answer, No.
Section 30 OF the School Code. in
enumeratihg the duties of a county
superintendent, reads: "He shall keen
MS Office open for the transaction of
oIhcial business such days each week as
the duties OF the office may require. and
shail keep posted on the door of his Of
nee notice of said office days and hours
of such days.
for fifteen years at least, Saturday
mas been observed as the regular Office
DAY IN this county. 1t is impossible to
keep the Office open regularly more than
one DAY each week, and at the same time
comply with the law, section 80 reQuir-
lhg VISIT once each year to each of the
Z2O schools. Except on two SATURDAYS.
when doing duty at distant educational
meetings., | have not failed to keep the
office open regularly.
During the six weeks session of the
Summer Science School at Pullman, June
70, July 81, at the urgent solicitation of
the college president, | served as an in
structOr. My Office was open regularly
every Saturday. All official correspond
ence was attended to promptly. As all
the county schools but two we're in va
cation, no neglect of school visitation
can be charged, for the two in session
had been visited. A very large number
OF our teachers being students at the
Summer School, | felt perfectly in the line
OF duty in rendering such assistance and
encouragement as | could to those who
we're endeavOring to increase their eff
cheney as teachers in our schools. MANY
OF the best county erintendents in
the state engage in such work, among
these being Superintendents Savior and
Drake OF Spokane, and Bond OF Walla
Walla, the first two named charging a
tuition fee for their services. | received
500 from the college, which sum does
not entirely cover my expenses incurred
on account of travelling, increased cost
OF living end help employed At Presi-
dent Bryan's offer of the above sum,
told him | would assist in the school if |
could arrange to keep my increased ex-
penses closely within that sum. This
succeeded IN doing, rendering a bill for
expenses, OF S57.5O found out later
that the sum was something over the
$50 offered. | wish to be distinctly
understood as saying that | did not
profit financially by my work at the
Summer School.
Now, concerning your inference that
am prOtiting by my relations with deal
ers in school supplies. Section 40 of the
School Code provides that school di-
Tectors shall purchase only such furni-
ture and supplies as have the written
approval of the superintendent as to
quality and price. On assuming the
duties of this Office, | sent to every
wholesale school supply house | knew,
the following letter:
"Wiil you kindly submit to this office
your catalogue and price list? On all
furniture. quote prices of goods prepaid
to any rail station in this county, for
In answer to this letter, The North
west School Furniture Company was
found to have made the best prices. [
required q copy Of these prices to be sent
to every school clerk, and samples OF
supplies to be sent to this office, to-
gether with a written guarantee that all
goods sold in the county be according
to sample in quality and price. 1t Is
understood that any person or company
Offering to do as well or better than the
company named above can have the
business.
l told Mr.. T. O. Greene he could have
this privilege. He asked to see the
prices which | showed him. After look
ing them over he said an agent could
make nothing at those prices. | did not
forbid his canvassing the county, but
DO discourage canvassing and for good
reasons.
Our school boards deal directly with
the wholesalers, getting supplies with
freight charges paid, drawing warrants
for same only when found to be perfect
in every particular, and at precisely the
same prices that surrounding counties
pay free on board cars at Portland.
Since holding this office | have not re-
ceived one cents worth of commission,
directly or indirectly, of any agent or
company. | have never given approval
of or 80. X, d." any bill for any relief
map or set of maps. A copy of every
list OF furniture ordered or paid for with
my approval, together with a copy OF
every invoice of same, and every letter
from dealers relating to same is on file
in this office and open to inspection by
any person who may ask for them.
am prepared to prove every state
ment | have made in this letter. Yours
respectfully, 5. Z. RoBERTs,
County Superintendent OF Schools.
Mr.. Roberts has received the following
an extract from a lengthy letter from
the Northwest School Furniture Co:
1--WE have just received from the Press
Clipping Bureau, clipping taken from
the Colfax COmmoner, of Oct. 10Th,
making direct charges against you, and
intimating that you have been acting
as our agent and been receiving commits
sions on goods shipped by us to school
districts in Whitman county.
"If YOU care for an affidavit from the
proprietor of this company to the effect
that we have never directly or indirectly
paid a commission to you on goods
shipped By us to school districts in Whit
man county, we would be very glad to
furnish same. As matter OF fact, we
L ri