Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-23

sessed by a special tax for a special
purpose to erect and equip new build
ings to use it for any other purpose
is misappropriation of public funds
"The charge of nisappropriating the
funds of the city, made by the city
auditor, Is absolutely groundless. NO
money has, at any time, been diverted
or mlsappropriated from the building
fund or from any other fund. The
exact wording of the call, issued by
the county supervisors for the purpose
of raising the fund in question, was as
follows: For the purpose of raising
money for furnishing additional school
facilities, for the purchase of school lots
and for building schoolhouses and for
supplying schoolhouses with furniture
and necessary apparatus
mot dollar of this money has been
used for any other purpose than fur
nishing additional school facilities, for
building schoolhouses, for the pur-
chase of school lots and for supplying
schoolhouses with furniture and neces-
sary apparatus. The building of a re-
tanning wall Is as properly charged to
the building fund as the building or
a schoolhouse itself. The sloyd lum-
ber, which is charged to this fund, was
used to make school furniture and
therefore properly belongs to this ac-
count"
TO the charge that estimates of in
comes We're wrongfully made the
board submits a letter from Mark
Keppel county superintendent OF
schools, responding to a request from
CITY Superintendent Moore, in which
the county superintendent goes into
considerable detail as to probable IN
come. The estimate was based upon
this. and the board submits that the
county superintendent Is a far safer
guide in the matter than the city
auditor"
In reply to Auditor Mushet's state
ment that the closing of night schools
was unnecessary, the board says: NOT
all are closed, but only such or them
as have been opened by this board or
education within the last two years.
Bear in mind that the evening hign
school was not in existence until TINS
present board made It, and was not
closed until the council closed 1t. The
evening schools are closed because OF
an arbitrary cut of $7S,631.57 IN our
estimates made by your honorable
body at the suggestion and recommen-
dation of the city auditor. That the
evening schools are valuable ana ne
eessary cannot be gainsaid-that Is
why this board created them, and VIII
reopen them as soon as the councll
furnishes the funds, but they cannot
be conducted upon the state ana
county funds, which must be devoted
to grammar school purposes. IL tney
are to be maintained at all they must
be maintained out of the city fund,
and of that there is not enough to care
for the needs of the children; hence
the evening schools, which minister
largely to the needs of adults, simply
have to take their turn.
"The auditor is quite right in assum-
ing that this board of education Will
not cut the salaries of the teachers IN
the elementary schools, much as ne
may demand it. Our experience has
convinced us that the greatest inn
provement which can be made in edu-
cational efficiency consists In ade-
uuately compensating the teachers for
their work. The board of education
will resist to the utmost any effort to
cripple their usefulness by underpay-
ing them"
The board quotes in full letter from
County superintendent Keppel, ad-
dressed to DR.. Moore, stating that the
books of the county superintendent and
county auditor, which contain full rec
ords of school expenditures of county
and state funds, are open to Auditor
Mushet or any citizen who comes in
search of legitimate information. Su-
perintendent Keppel says, however,
that the books are not open ''for the
purpose of asserting right as city
auditor to audit the books of depart
ment of the government not subject to
his official control
The board concludes its statement
with the following appeal to the grano
fury for a thorough investigation, moi
only of the boards accounts, but also
Of Auditor Mushet's reports:
"Since education is a public trus
and the unsullied reputation of thu
schools is of the utmost concern tt
every one who would uphold the goot
name of this community, we hereby
appeal to the grand jury for thorough
investigation, not only of our own ac-
counts, but of the city auditors re-
ports upon them, and particularly of
the charges which he has made con-
cerning the acts of this board. We
submit this whole controversy to their
Judgment and beg of them to make the
most searching and complete examina-
ton of the affairs of the Los Angeles
city school district in their power"
--44o
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