The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-04

the past year. with two exceptions. were
re-employed by the board last night on
the recommendation of the committee
on buildings. These janitors are en-
ployed at the pleasure of the board and
this year they will receive pay for a
calendar months work and not for a
four weeks to the month work as the
teachers are paid. The janitors of the
Lowman Hill and Branner schools were
not reelected. E. w. Brown janitor
of the Quincy school was transferred to
the Lowman Hill school and Ira Wells
was elected janitor of the Quincy school,
while n. P. Davidson was chosen as
Janitor for the Branner school
A proposition was advanced by Mr..
Jordan to increase the afternoon school
hours in the grade schools by a half
hour by having the afternoon session
begin at 1870 o'clock instead of O'Clock
Several members of the board spoke in
favor of the proposition. Mr.. White
more said he thought the teachers would
welcome such a change but he doubted
the wisdom of it from the standpoint of
the pupils. The matter was postponed
for further consideration at the meeting
of the board to be held in August
Mr.. wilson then made a speech on
the advisability of frightening the
school year from nine to ten months
This matter was referred to the teach
ers' committee for consideration and re-
port.
1t was expected that the contracts
would be let last night for the construc-
ton of the new Lane school for negroes
on the North side according to the plans
for the $4,000 school house that have
been decided on. The board is going to
furnish all the material for this new
house so that the contractors will mere
ly bid for the work of construction
an oversight advertisements
for these bids had not been made. Sew
eral bids were received even though no
had been done. These were
returned. The advertisements will be
made Immediately and the board will
meet on Monday night next to receive
the bids for the erection of this build
ing which it is proposed to have finished
by fall, when the negro children on the
North side will have one of the finest
school houses in the city.
The usual number of bills were audit
ed and ordered paid. Only two of them
were held up for investigation. One of
these was the water bill for the Harri-
son school, amounting to $4S. This was
about four times as large as the water
bills for other schools of the same size.
The other bill was one for SIG which
was presented by H. c. Pribble for his
vocal efforts at three commencement
exercises. This bill covered Mr.. Prib-
ble'S singing at a commencement in
1906 and also for the two commence
ments this year. There was no DISPOSE
ton on the part of the members of the
board not to pay Mr.. Pribble for his
services but they thought that the mat
ter ought to be inquired into as to why
Mr.. Pribble had delayed in putting in
his bills for the bygone commencements.
1t was the impression of some that
these bills had been paid. The matter
was referred to the finance committee
with power to act.
A resolution was adopted giving Super
ntendent Whittemore authority to
change the boundaries of territories for
the schools at his discretion. A petition
was received from four hundred resi-
dents of the Potwin section asking that
the territory of this school be extended
from Sixth to Eighth streets on the
south and to go east as far as West
street. The change will be made, Mr..
Whittemore getting special instructions
TO make it.
Mr.. Whittemore was given a leave of |
absence from June 20 until the last of |
TulV.