Barbour County index., 1910-07-27
Statement of County supt. Thomas
State of Kansas,
Barber County %


lie mind relative to the Office of
County Superintendent of Barber
county.
1t has reached me that some per-
things causing the public to have a
wrong impression relative to the ex-
penses of the office.
First Of these is that there has
been s4OO worth of books bought for
this Office that are useless, causing
the county this much needless ex-
pense. The fact is that there has
been only one book bought for this
office-a record Of teachers examina-
tions. price S14.
l have also heard that the Normal
Institute money had not been turned
in to the county treasurer. VIII say
that 1 have the receipt from the
county treasurer for all Of the
money that has been collected for
that fund.
l have also heard that there was
bill after bill from my office that the
county commissioners had turned
down which is false, as they have
been very courteous and have only TWO
bills, one for S24 for diplomas for the
common school graduating class Of
1910, and one for S25.S4 for teachers
monthly reports to parents and to
county superintendent for the school
term of 1910 and 1911, which were
held over for lack of invoice.
AS to the s12O bill that has been
looked upon as being turned down, it
was presented to the wrong depart
ment and should not have come be-
fore the board at all as it is for school
district record books that have been
ordered for the various school dis
tricts. The law compels me as coun-
ty superintendent to see that school
districts have suitable record. This
bill has been paid since April 20, 1910.
have furnished to the school dis
tricts each year Teachers Monthly
reports of pupils to parents, Teachers
Monthly reports to county superin-
tendent, Teachers Daily Helper, and
Perfect Attendance Certificates and
Certificates of Award for Perfect At
tendance of Pupils at School, and
Specimen Books of School Work.
These items here enumerated cost
the districts less than 81 per district.
These measures have introduced to
secure good attendance at school, and
in the last year the average daily at
tendance of the pupils of Barber
county has increased 10 per cent.
hereby invite the public to inspect
the work of this Office and to draw
your own conclusions. ..----= ~
On the other hand, /, two years
ago, bought my own typewriter, cost
ing me $1O5 and have been using this
in the county superintendent office,
while all the other typewriters in the
court house have been purchased by
the county at public expense.
l have gone into all of the Normal
Institutes except one for the last
three years and taken one place on
the program in order to save the coun-
ty the. expense of hiring another
member of the faculty which would
cost the county from 800 to 500
per year. The county Superintendent
when doing this work gets no extra
pay fori it. At the same time 1 had
clerk in the Office to accommodate the
public and payed this bill, $32 out of
my own private funds.
have tried very hard to admin
lister the affairs of the Office as econ
omically as possible and to keep the
schools of this county up to the stand
ard of the Great State of Kansas,
and have instituted the measures be-
cause 1, as County Superintendent of
this county felt it my duty.
have been bitterly centured for
purchasing Diplomas for the gradual
ing classes of 1909 and 1910. There is
no educational institution in the world
| that does not give its graduates di-
plomas. Do you want Barber county
tograduate classwithout giving them
diplomas?
have heard that there are some
schools that have not visited, this
freely admit. But there is not a
school in this county where there has
been any friction that have not been
to as often as called upon as high as
eight times in one term of school and
feel perfectly free in this and am con-
vinced that the public will uuder-
stand that the work office should be
given where it is most needed.
have printed all my own letters
on the Mimeog,aph to save the county
the expense OF the printing.
am only advised as TO these things
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