Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1906-05-25
TIE LoRDsBURa SCHOOLS.


ers some Information regarding them,
especially their finances, before cleo.
tion, but was never able to get any in-
formation from the board. Shortly
after. the last school election II. L.
Cannon, who had been reelected,
resigned, and asked County Superin.
tendent OF Schools White to appoint
che editor Of the LIBERAL Ia his place.
This the county superintendent did,
and then the LIBERAL thought IL
would lnd out something that would
be OF interest 60 its readers, and the
public at large. IL has found out a
good many things, and there we're
some things that it has been able to
learn little or nothing about. For the
information OF the people interested
ia the schools It now tells, ten days be-
fore election, OF what it has found, and
what it has been unable to learn.
1t might be well to state here that
the appointment Of the writer con-
tlnued him 10 office only till the next
election, and so there are two vacancies
in the school board to be filled at this
election, and that his curiosity is so
we'll satisfied that he is not a can
didate for election on the fourth Of
next month.
After being appointed q member OF
the board he thought he was on the
inside, and was entitled To all infor-
nation regarding the finances of the
board, and the first question he asked
Of the other members was how the
board stood financially. He was IN
formed that the superintendent had
told the board that there was a Ger.
tain amount of money to its credit
with the county treasurer. He asked
what was the income of the district,
how much came from different
sources. and how much was expended
during the year, and for what purpos-
es. The members OF the board we're
unable TO give him this Information.
At the FIRST meeting of the board
that he attended, the minutes OF the
previous meeting we're read from a
piece Of paper. This gave him a point.
er and he subsequently asked the clerk
OF the board II a regular minute book
was kept, and was assured that one
was. lie asked IL be might see IL,
thinking he could get some informa-
tion by reading the minutes Of pre-
vious meetings. He was promised the
book, but subsequently wa informed
that the minute book could not be
found. 1t had ia some mysterious
name disappeared, although the
board had previously bought a fine
roll top desk, which could be locked,
for the preservation of all papers be
longing to the school district. At the
next meeting Of the board he made a
motion which was carried, that the
clerk of the board be instructed to
purchase a new minute book, and keep
in IL a record of all proceedings of the
board, which minutes should be read
at all meetings Of the board.
Since that motion was carried there
has not been a meeting Of the board,
although the three members have got
together, two at a time,t to pass on GER
tain matters, such as buying an en-
cyclopedia, and painting the roof of
the school house.
In trying to find out something
about the income and cutgo he was
told that all monies we're paid into
the county treasury, and all the board
knew about them was that occasional
ly, when an apportionment was made,
the superintendent would tell them
that their balance was so much, what
ever it happened TO be; that as regards
the expenses OF the board the only
thing to show for them was the stubs
ia the warrant book, which gave the
name Of the person in whose favor the
warrant was drawn, the number,
amount, and object.
He asked why the board did not get
a quarterly statement from the col
leCJOT, ana was iOlu Uudvlu was HPpS
slble 20 get such statement.
He examined the warrant book, and
found the stubs 10 good shape, but as
regarding the correctness OF the &C.
counts for which they we're drawn he
can say nothing, for there has never
been a meeting OF the full board, at
which accounts against the board
were presented and allowed.
He wrote to Treasurer Goodell and
asked for a statement OF the districts
account for the six months ending
July /, which would show the receipts
OF the district. the source from which
the receipts came, and the payments,
and what they we're for. BY return
mail came this report, which was full
and complete, except that it did not
show for what purposes the money was
expended, as the ~treasurer's books did
not show that, they only showed that
certain warrants, which had been
drawn by the school board, and APP
proved by the superintendent, had
been paid.
sh,o wororf hn found