The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-04
THE SCHOOL BOARD SALARIES.
Trustees Want to Pay Their Secretary and
Treasurer Out of the School Fund
Recent Secret Action of the Board that Caused
One Member to Institute Injunction Proceed
ings-Secretary $1,000; Treasurer SIIoo.

this commission for the handling OF the
public school fund and would be perfect
ly willing to allow the commission to Mr.
Settegast were he not a member OF the
school board. or 10 any other person OUT
side OF the school board whom the trustees
might elect as treasurer"
~
A reporter also talked with City Treas
urer szabo upon the subject.
"You were allowed commission. were
you not, Mr.. szabo, Cor handling the pub
lie schol fund for the city?"
Eyes. under the State law am allowed
onehalf per cent Cor receiving and one
half per cent cent for disbursing the funu,
in all 1 per cent for handling it."
'Do you still handle this fund and re-
ceiye this commission"
"only partially The State fund this
year will go directly to Mr.. settegast as
the treasurer of the school board This
fund last year amounted 10 something
In the neighborhood of $40, 900. This year
it will likely be more l will likely
handle the city's apportionment of $50,
600, and | am advised by my lawyer that
under the law | have a right TO claim
! per cent on the handling of this money
~
Mr. L. S. Tracy, secretary of the board.
was seen by representative OF Tae Post
yesterday and said that he was anxious
for the matter to be tested by the courts.
IF the Office can legally draw the Sd airy
I / want to receive IL" said Mr.. Tracy,
"for the duties of the secretary are ardu-
Gus and exacting. Ii / am not enJltled to
/ it,, however, l do not want cent I'm
der the new method of school manage
maut, the board Of trustees are respon-
sibe for everything and transact all busI-
ness, and l sincerely believe that 1t is the
/ intention of the school law to allow the
/ large cities to attach salaries to the posi-
lions OF secretary and treasurer. The
stale superintendent of education and the
attorney general have so ruled, and that
should certainly justify the board in lts
action"
The letter from the attorney general S
office referred to by Mr.. Tracy Is the opin-
ion of the office assistant attorney gem
eral, T. S. Johnson. The opinion is given
a. length in a letter under date of July IA,
1900, and is summarized as follows; Mr..
johnson still adheres to the opinion thai
the echcol board does possess the right
to COMPENSATE its secretary as such. al
Though he has read carefully the three
opinions sent him, and examined the au-
thortttes cited bv Houston ATTORNEYS who
differ with him
Mr. .1obnson concurs with The oninion q,
Mr.. Ring hut savs he might 90 even
farther in not admitting that any question
rnipht arlsa over the RIGHT ar me secretar,
to ron.penSation for MS dntles only as se,.
retary. But he thinks mo oniptons of Mr.
Hamhlen ana of Nesara Rokor notts
Baksr G. T.ovatt bove oyerIool,ad Inn al
of Iune 1870 n 200 Lave 1899 sun
division nf secfion Of fhis act limit,
the expenditures of the state ana count,
available ecbo,J funds .subdi,,ision
, Is not so much a Limitation MS Ia Inca
funds tuition fees of nunils NOT omit o,
to free tuition and other local sources M
Iit is = grant ~ nover IN the school b5ar'
TO oynond such mind for the nurnos,,
enumerated Aud for other n,,rpo.e
necessary IN the conduct of the pubIl,
e,b,oIe n ba dotarmioea NV tho hoard =
trustees
Mr. Johnson ran M. conceive of muc,
broader Language for granting IN "a,
hoard contro, Of ,bcse fr,de tbe onI,
, limitation being that the nurnose q, ueces
sarv in the conduct of tho schn,I an,
this is left entirely 10 tho deterpoin,t a,
d of the school hoard This nj course yyoul,
not cover gross abuse of discretion MA,