Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-18
HOLDS UP APPORTIONMENT
sshssl Districts Which Have Padded
esnsuS Nay LOSs Out in Distribution.
RETURNS MUST Be SWORN TO IN FUTURE
Smaller Depository Banks In the
state VIII he Called Upon to
Furnish the Cash for the
Schools.
CFrom a STAR Correspondent.)

(From STAN correspondent
LINCOLN. Neb.. Nov. 17.-(special)-
State Superintendent McBrien indicated to-
day that he will require false enumeration
Of children OF school age to be corrected
before making the apportionment and init
mated that a failure to do so would incur
the penalty of exclusion from the benefits
Of the December apportionment. State
merits have been made to the superintend-
ent to the effect that the Lincoln school
district hass offered an excessive enumer-
alton and these will be made the basis OF
a demand for correction.
Mr.. McBrien intimated that many dis
tricts are left out of the apportionment
because of failure to comply with the
statutory requirements. and in that con-
nection called attention to the penalty that
might be visited for failure to amend the
returns so as to show the actual school
population
The Lancaster county return has been
filed in the office OF the state superintend-
emit after several months delay beyond the
statutory limit, due to the fact that the
Lincoln district figures had not been sent
to the ONCE OF the county superintendent
It is regarded as significant that the total
attendance in Lincoln, shown by the 1906
figures is only r. 485. as compared with
1859 for 1904, although In the meantime
the city has been growing. The total for
the county, which includes several colleges
outside Of the city district, was 22,2S5 last
year, while for 1906 It is reported at 2O,S92,
Indicating a decrease in addition to that
shown in the city district. Chief Clerk l..
c. Hartley, who has immediate charge OF
these county returns, said that ne has not
been Informed as to the reason for the de-
crease, but took It for granted that It
he 70 Of n COl1aRa STU
depts have been left out Of the enumer-
alton.
II is possible Mr.. McBrien says. that
he will require the various county super
intendents to indicate how many Of the
local district returns have been sworn to
II Is explained that the district officials
are required to take oath before the county
superintendent as to the correctness of the
returns but there is nothing in the show
ing made to the state educational depart
ment to Indicate whether the proper
authorization has been supplied. During
past years several OF the larger school dis
trict enumerators have failed to take oatf
as to the correctness of their figures. II
Is to this violation of the law which the
superintendent will direct himself primar'
lily, since few Of the officials will care C
swear to their returns II they are false and
will thereby be obliged to correct them.
McBrien will not go back OF the sworr
return In any instance unless he should
change his views, since he believes thai
they should be taken to be correct until
impeached.
May Delay AppOrtiOBmeHt.
State Treasurer Mortensen, who is takinI
an active interest in this matter of forcing
a correction of the enumerations which
have been falsifed to the detriment of tn
smaller districts, believes that the result o
the campaign which McBrien promises L
make for the authorization OF the RETURN
OF district officers viii have the erect o
delaying the apportionment beyond Decem
Der "a the date when the statute requires 1
TO be completed. He takes the view tina
the superintendent may delay action unit
the returns have been corrected and prop
eriy sworn to. McBrien says that he doe
not have the power to delay action on tn
apportionment unless some legal action
taken, and so far the threats in that direc
ton have not materalized.
AS an outgrowth of the present contro
'versy. It is now a certainty that the de
psrtnent will issue its mandate next yea
requiring the rejection Of every enumer
ators return which is not sworn to befor
the proper officers. He does not believ
that he has the power to require the dis
trlcts from which false reports have bee
made to take a new census this year befor
sharing in the apportionment.
Small BANKS to BE Drawn On.
state Treasurer Mortensen will draw o
the smaller depository banks OF the stat
for the funds with which to pay the d,
cember apportionuent. For all current d.
mands he has been checking out the FUND
in the larger city banks, until they are
a comparatively low ebb. He has a small'
supply OF cash at his command for tn
apportionment than ever before In recei
years, due TO the zeal with which he hi
sought investments for the permanel
school fund. The apportionment will ranl
from $4,000 to $4,000. It is believed nov
and the total balance in depository banl
at the beginning Of business today wa
s236OOO. 10000 less than the total balan,
year ago.
During the eleven months ending Nover
Der /. however. the treasurer has investC
] ia s44S4s5 more in warrants and bonds tina
last year. The excess OF warrants wi