The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-06-11
uNFAITHFuL STEWARDS.

ELMER SCuOOi lTuStet opOhC
falsely when he said Superintendent
Lieb would not receive his salary for
September, or local newspaper
spoke falsely when It quoted him as
saying that. We know that both the
newspaper and trustees, members of
the old board, spoke falsely when
they said the contract, as originally
ordered by the board for Superinten-
dent Lieb was to terminate August
1, because that very newspaper and
the others in Paducah all reported
the proceedings of the meeting alike,
and said the contract would termi-
nate September 1.
However this may be the school
board last night, without receiving
the slightest encouragement from Su-
perirtendent Lieb, granted him leave
OF absence to September with full
pay. During the month of August
also the board will pay Superintend-
ent-elect Carnagey the same salary
Now, this school board is spending
the peoples money. not their own. In
fact, taxpayers are in a mighty small
minority on the board. Already the
board has contracted indebtedness
several thousand dollars in excess Of
assets, without the slightest indica-
ton of ever making up the amount,
and, we may say, without evincing a
very keen appreciation of the situa-
tion.
There are members OF the board
filling unexpired terms of resigned
trustee, who have never been seated
except in caucus; there are members
of the board who have sold material
to the board; there IS a trustee vot-
ing, to whom school contract was
awarded. and there is a trustee draw
ing a salary from the board. This
board. we believe, could be enjoined
by a taxpayer from contracting debts
in excess of assets, and we pointed
out to the trustees some months
since, that they had better be regu-
lar in their proceedings, for we are
of the opinion that a test in court
would avoid most of the boards ac-
tions for lack of qualifications on
the part of the members.
This is all OF a piece with paying
two salaries for superintendent. II
the trustees were honest in the decla-
ration that they did not believe Su-
perintendent Lieb's contract extended
to September 1. they should have the
courage of their convictions. BY pay
Ing the salary they apparently adj
nit that superintendent Lieb was
right and the newspapers were right,
and that their action was for the pur-
pose of defaming an honorable man.
Most certainly, in view of the de-
plorable financial condition into
which they have plunged the school
affairs since January, the board has
no right to pay two superintendent
just to make easy their own way out
of an embarrassing predicament.
There was no course open to SUI
perintendent Lieb other than to de-
mand his salary for August. The
amount may be a little thing, but the
vindicatlon Is important. BY standing
on his rights and defying the board
to go to law over the contract, he
has shown that he was not afraid to
risk his contention and to test his
assertion. and by the puerile trick of
granting a leave of absence all sum-
mer long to the superintendent and
paying two men for a whole month.
the school trustees have shown them
selves to be ridiculous bunglers. as
well as unfaithful stewards Of the
peoples money.