Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-06
SCHOOL BOARD HOT,
SECRETARY GR|NS
Caswell Refuses to Pay Clark's
Bill, and Incident is
Aired
ABBOTT SAYS "rD RESIGN
Declares That If He Stood With the
Board as casweIl Did, He Would
Get out-secretary Shows the Law
Which Refuses Every Member Right
to Recover.

A hot tempered controversy arose IN
the school board meeting between
members Of the board and Secretary
C. c.. Caswell Tuesday night. HOT
words followed the presentation OF q
bill Of 50 by w. M. Clark. of the board.
for insurance on the school district
property. The incident had its origin
several weeks ago, but has been held
within the board during that time,
and altho 1t has greatly Widened the
breach between the members and their
secretary it had not been given to the
public.
Caswell Refuses to Sign Warrant.
A month or more ago the board, IN
reinsuring the buildings of the dis
trict, divided the insurance among the
various agents Of the city. A portion
of it they gave to w. M. Clark. The
insurance was issued and the payment
OF Clarks bill for the premiums,
amounting to about, 500, was author
ized by the board. : When 1t came TO
issuing the warrant Secretary CasWen
refused to sign 1t, because 1t was con-
trary to law for a member OF tne
board to be participating in or be IN
terested in contract with the school
district.
The refusal Of the secretary to sign
the warrant, which prevented Clark
from getting his pay, was Followed oy
Clark canceling the insurance policies
which had been issued For the period
of time, between the issuance OF the
policies and their cancellation, there
was a small amount of premiums DUE
Amounting to 49, and this bill was
presented to the board by Clark last
night.
Board Members Hot.
In presenting the bill Clark said that
he would not do so II the secretary
intended to refuse to sign the war
rant. Caswell said he had no objection
to signing it, and the bill was passed
with the rest. Members OF the school
board are claiming that the secre-
tary's refusal to sign the warrant for
the fall premiums for the insurance
written by Clark was done to get
even" with Clark, but Caswell has the
law on his side.
Abbott Has a Few Hot Shots.
The incident of presenting of the
bill stirred up Abbott, who wanted to
know why Caswell had issued war;
rants for A. E. Wilbur & Sons, while
A. E. Wilbur was member Of the
board. and had then refused to allow
Clark's.
Il don't like this baby play. 1t makes
me mad" said Abbott, and his face
showed it.
| eff 1 stood with this board as you
do" indicating Caswell II would not
| stay with this board fifteen minutes
would resign" declared Abbott
holly.
Other members Of the board, except.
ing Clark, who took little part in the
discussion. Joined Abbott in charging
Caswell with wilfully passing Wilbur
/ & Sons bills, and then refusing to al.
low Clark's.
/ casweII Explains.
Between the charges that were be.
ing made against him Caswell ex.
planned. He said that he knew tina
bills for Wilbur & Sons had been al.
lowed, but he did not remember tina
any from that firm had been allowed
since the decision in the city cases
bearing directly on the point in ques.
ton, had been made last April b.
Judge Bradshaw. This was his reason
given for his refusal to allow the Clarl
insurance premium bill.
1 n;n liz a:11 AlIo,.>J
Members Of the school board ga,
that iCaswell's statement that he ha!
signed no warrants in payment Of bill
for Wilbur & Sons since April 10, whe1
the decision in the city cases was Civ.
en-, is untrue. They point to bill fol
SAB paid to Wilbur & Sons by {
warrant dated June z, almost twt
months after the decision referred tt
was made
Caswell claims that A. e. Wilbur hat
resigned before the bill for SAB re-
ferred to was paid.
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