The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-05-15
The County superIntendent,s Salary.

he is being used by gang of politicians
about the county seat in an effort to have
the salary of the County Superintendent
reduced $500 per year. During the first
year and half of the present term of
superintendent Stitzinger his salary of
SloOO per year was paid out of the ap-
preparation for the paying of the salaries
OF isuperintendents. Some time ago this
samecrowd succeeded in securing ruling
of the State officials whereby $500 per
year is now taken from the appro priation
TO the schools OF the county. This means
loss to the county of $500 for the three
years. They pow find that the taxpayers
VIII hold them responsible for this loss
through their laundering interference,
and their efforts are now in the direction
OF having the salary of the superintend-
ent reduced $500 per year to cover this
loss to the schools of the county, and for
which they are responsible. In order to
pay the cost ofa contest in the courts
each school district is asked to pay Rev,
Richards so. The jerks township board
has refused to contribute for that pur-
pose. Rev. Richards was selected as the
tool of the gang on account Of his smooth
tongue and recognized ability 10 make
blackappear rwhite.-MdrieRUill Express
The above is Reproduced merely to
show how easy it is to crowd whole
volume of falsehoods into few dozen
lines. The bare facts OF the case are that
from the beginning of the present term
OF the county superintendent up to the
present time, his salary has been deter
mined by the face of his certificate of
election on file in the Office of the State
Supt.ofPublic Instruction ,as is evidenced
by a letter to that effect from DR.. Schaef-
er which can be produced at any time.
This being the case the xtra $500 which the
county superintendent is yearly drawing
comes out of the pockets of the taxpay-
ers of Forest county and has been since
his term began and will so continue TO
the end of his term unless the people can
get back what Is justly due them in
court ofequity,
The history Of the case, plainly told, is
this; Two years ago Il. L. Stitznger
was elected superintendent of schools of
Forest county, having received the votes
of 32 school directors out of the 80 which
were present and voting. When the
matter of fixing the salary was mentioned |
Mr., Stitzinger took the floor and stated |
in substance that the past years school
term had averaged Y months and it |
was his opinion that that Id fix the |
salary; also that bill then in the Cover
nor's hands would, if he signed it, fix the |
salary. The conve ltion, without further
discussion thereupon, adjourned. 1t af-
forwards transpired that the certificate of
election signed by the officers of the con-
vention contained the startling news that
the salary of the superintendent was fif- |
teen hundred dollars (Sl5OO) per annum.
II There is a single one Of the 50 directors
present at the convention lthe editor of
the Express and the County Superintend-
ent included) who will say that such a
salary was fixed, or that any salary what
ever was fixed, let him now speak.
When the fact that Mr.. Stitzinger was
drawing $500, when the law fixed his
salary at only $1,000, became known to the |
school districts Of the county, an investi-
CATION was proposed by Mr.. Stitzinger's |
home district in Green township. A |
member OF the school board was appoint
ed as committee to meet with COM
mittee Of the other districts as soon as |
appointed. All but two of the entire |
school districts Of the county (Jenks be- |
Ing one of the twol reported at meeting
held in Tionesta March u, 1901. This |
committee selected Mr.. VIM. Richards, of
kingsley township, supporter of Mr..
Stitzinger at the time Of his election. as
its chairman, and appointed him to wait
on the officers Of the convention, and the
Superintendent, with view TO having
them join in a statementto the State Supt
giving the true state of the case as TO the
question Of the salary of the county
superintendent. The two secretaries of
that convention willingly signed the
statement and made affidavit to the same,
thus doing as much as was in their power
to right the gross wrong, to use no harsh
er term. The president of the conven-
tion and Supt. Stitzinger have thus far
refused to sign that statement.
The law plainly says that in all coun-
ties having "a school term exceeding
seven and one-half months, the sal
airy Of said superintendent shall not be
less than fifteen hundred dollars" As
the school term prior to the election of
Mr.. Stizinger, did not exceed seven aDd
one-half months, the State superintendent
could not lawfully pay him a salary of
(sl50O) "out of the appropriation for the
paying Of the salaries of supsrinten-
dents" and so the fabrication of the Err
press in that particular is exploded. No
body has secured a ruling Of the State Of
ficials on this case in any particular that
anybody hereabouts is aware of, and that
is another fabrication exploded. Mr..
Stizinger is drawing the extra $500 from
the appropriation that would otherwise
go into the school fund Of Forest county,
and his salary is determined on the face
of his certificate, as the school depart |
ment at Harrisburg has said, and which !
certificate every member Of the conven-
tion knows is wrong. State Sup't Schaef-
fer, ia letter under date Sept. q, 1900, |
writes: THE salary Of the county Supt. |
Of Forest county has been paid on the
Certificate Of Election sent by the Con-
vention OF Directors. The excess has
been deducted from the appropriation
due for Forest county," Could anything
be palmer?
The Express attack on the good name
and spotless character Of Mr.. Richards is
not worth noticing. This is not case in