Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-04
REGARDED AS UNFAIR
DISTRICT OFFICIAL REPLIES TO
PUBLISHED STATEMENT.
Payments to School Teachers Declared
to Be Prompt-Given Preced-
ence Over Others


when questioned today in relation to
the article In The Star yesterday afternoon
entitled Teachers Annoyances," stated
that, so far as the officials Of the District
were concerned, the statements contained
therein were very unfair. 1t has always
been the aim of those having control of
the payment of the employees of the schools
to give these payments precedence over all
other expenditures.
During the month of December" he
said, Sin order that the employees of the
schools might not feel the hardship of the
decision OF the eontroler o fthe Treasury,
which requires a certificate on pay rolls, to
the effect that each person on the pay roll
has performed the service required by law
and regulation, and further that the full
period of service covered by the payment
has expired prior to the actual signing
thereof. decided. although it would entail
an enormous amount of extra work in pre-
pairing and auditing pay rolls and in the
signing and Commissioning of the checks,
to make a mid-monthl payment to all the
teachers and other employees of the schools.
IF this had not been done, the teachers
would not have been paid anything until the
I'd OF January, as under treasury regu-
lations pay rolls for the full months pay
could not have been certified until January
2. January l being a legal holiday. Pay
ments were made to the teachers at the
earliest possible moment according to law
and regulations. The District officials In
charge of disbursements are heavily bonded
for the faithful performance of duty, and it
Is very easy for persons having no knowl-
edge of correct accounting, under treasury
regulations. to criticise the methods In
vogue.
Improved Accounting Methods.
Improvements in accounting methods to
safeguard the finances OF the District have
been going on continually. 1t was truly
said that in the past checks in payment of
teachers salaries were turned over to the
school authorities. and the receipts were
not obtained until the checks were actually
delivered. This left the disburslng officer
absolutely unprotected and with $1OO,0O0 out
without any receipt.
This method of payment was believed to
be vicious, and was therefore changed In
order that the disbbursing officer of the
District might have receipt for the checks
he pays out.
There is no necessity for any teacher to
make two trips to the Franklin School
building to secure pay. Teachers who de-
sire can call at the office of the disbursing
officer On the first day of each month, sign
ever, it Is a well-known fact that no gov
eminent money is paid unless there first
be a receipt given for the same. and any
criticism on this ground shows absolute
lack Of knowledge Of Treasury Department
methods. While the present officials have
charge OF the expenditures of the District
government. they will see to 1t that the
proper precautions are taken In the pay
ment of money and that no loose methods
obtain.
Prompt and Uniform Methods.
1.-THE matter Of payment of school teach
ers was taken up by the disbursing officer,
in 1903. in order to see If some improve
ment could be made. OF course taking into
consideration the fact that all District pay
ments were made under treasury regula-
tons. 1t was found that the payments in the
District of Columbia were more uniform
and were more promptly made than in any
OF the large cities of the United States.
LAS an example, the payments made to
school teachers In the city of Boston is cit
ed. After the school month Is over In that
city, 1t takes about ten days for the pay
masters to effect payments, certain divisions
being paid on one date. and others on sub
sequent dates. consuming in all, about ten
days.
In the District the teachers are paid
in one day, and that day Is the next day
after the services for the school month
have been performed. This is accomplished
by the courtesy Of the secretary Of the
principals who personally distribute the
checks, under an understanding with the
disbursing officer. he being under the law
responsible for the payments.
Regarding Grievances.
From the foregoing 1t will be seen that
the District officials have at all times, and
are now endeavoring in every way in their
power, to make the payments to the teach
ers in a satisfactory, prompt. legal man
ner, and when the necessary method of
payment under the rules of the Treasury
Department are taken into consideration it
will be seen that there actually exists no
grievances of which the teachers could
justly complain
The officials of the District were sorry
to see the article in The Star in view of
the unfair statements. No word of thanks
was expressed, but rather words which
could be construed as of condemnation.
This seemed hard, when, in order to make
the mid-month payment in December 1t
was necessary for the auditor and the
disbursing officer to work Sundays, legal
holidays and at nights.
I'VE will receive suggestions kindly
from those who know what they are
talking about, but we smart under critt-
cisms made without proper knowledge of
-