Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-10-17
Is THERE A SCHEME
BEHIND THIS, FIGHT ?
Treasurer Burrls and Auditor Norman
at Odds Over the Payment Of Y,
Sussex County School
Dividends.
AND POLITICS MAY BE INVOLVED
May Lead to Special Session of
the Legislature.
AND THEN THE SENATORIAL BATTLE

:
Every Evening. friday, Get. u.
The Bead OF Public Education. of
this CITY has not yet received it's divi.
dend for this year from the State school
fund, although the money was due last
mouth, the law requiring the aEnorion-
ment to BIO made In August of this
year. Some of the members of tine
board have been making inquiry in
regard to the matter ard from what
they have lea ned it is very indefinite
ne to when the money will be forth
coming, Wilmington alone is NOT in.
teres,ed, but it is said that the whole.
State is Affected.
lit is stated that the reason assigned
by State Treasurer Martin Is. Burris for
the delay is that only Al of the school
districts in Sussex county have corr
piled strictly with the new Law 10 max
ing their returns, which are necessary
before the appropriations are allowed,
aud that as he does not intend to ray
the money TO the districts making
proper returns and not pay the others
he has decided not to pay out my of
the money until the matter Is straight
ened out.
1t has been intimated that the dis
tricts in Sussex county, about whose
returns it is alleged there is some ques-
tion may take the initiative by in
stituting mandamus pro eedings to COM
pelSthe treasurer to pay the money, they
believing that they have complied with
the iaS. The matter will probably not
be settled until the court passes upon it.
Wilmington 8 apportionment is some
thing over $50, 00J, but the Board Of
EInpakion IN mt lilsalv tn ha au1 hur.
rassed by the delay.
ANoTHE FACE TO THE STORY.
The Dover Index in its issue Of Friday
editorialy refers to this matter, but
puts different face to it. The at
titude OF State Treasurer Burris, 1t
says, "savors of an official assumption
that can hardly be attributed to any
cause other than a disposition on the
part of this official to disregard the re-
turDs of the State auditor by setting
them at nauRht and acting in
dependently of this important branch
oil the State government. III is hard to
conceive by what authority the State
Treasurer can refuse to pay any school
Its ratabls proportion of the State
dividend, when the auditor has certi-
fed to him that the school from which
the treasurer ia withholding the diyi-
dend has complied with the law
The law on the subject reads as fol-
lows: "In order to entitle any school
district to receive share OF said money
so appor toned such district shall have
raised by taxation. or subscription for
school purposes during the previous
school year. II white school district,
at least one hundred dollars for each
teacher employed, and, if colored
school district, at least fifty dollars for
each teacher employed.
1t is the contention of Treasurer
Burris that numerous districts in Sus-
sex county failed to comply with these
provisions. The law REQUIRES the
auditor TO furnish the State treasurer
with the information upon which the
latter is TO base the apportionment OF
moneys among the various schools oil
the State; and from this. the Index
holds. lit would seem that the ref orr
of the auditor to the treasurer would
be binding aud conclusive upon Treas.
urer Burris." And the index adds:
"Followine the provisions of the law,
the State auditor has furnished Treas.
urer Burris the data which should
guide him in the distribution of thu
school fund. This, the State treasure,
refuses to be guided by, notwithstand
ing the fact that by the Stare auditor 4
report each of the Sussex county schools
is entitled to its proportionate share
OF the States money. Either State
Treasurer Burris discredits the report
OF the State auditor aud Is treating
him with contempt, or else has som,
other motive which it is impossible tt
understand. In the event that State
Treasurer Burris continues obdurate
the Index recommends mandamus pro
ceedings against him.
Is TIA PoL1T CAL SCHEME?
The Index editorial closes with thi
suggestive paragraph:
lin connection with the huld up o
the school funds OF Sussex county, b,
State Treasurer Burris, rnmors are float
ing around about an extra session OF tn
Legislature to amend the School law 81
that it may conform to the ideas of Mr.
Burris. ls it possible that the publ
schools of Sussex county are beinl
made to suffer through the machination
of political intrigue to force an extr
session OF the LegislatureP An extr
session of the Legislature would meal
but one thing and that ono thing woul
be miserable failure on the part of th
Republican party to elecJ United State
Senators. There is no need for an
extra session. The people want more
They can get along very wellfor anothe
year without any Legislative proceed
inga. ="
FACTIONS IL THE FIGHT.
II may be interesting to motto in thi
connection that State Treasurer Burri
is Regular Republican. while Stat
Auditor Norman is Union Republican
A special session of the Legislature
no matter for what purpose called, woul
be obliged to ballot for United State
Senators.
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