The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-21

| Facing a task almost as Herculean
as cleansing the Augean stables, the
State Board of Education met In the
Capitol for it's second session Thurs
day morning at 10 O'Clock.
The l,s,s.Ea= has=befase=itA the atsa-
pendous duty Of selecting the high
school text books to be used through
out the State for the next five years.
1t Is task unenviabTe at best, and
| necessitating a. great amount of time
and labor. While d number of the
old text books may be continued in
use ii is understood that many new
ones will be adopted, beca use they are
more up-to-date or concise The board
will award contracts To several score
book firms, Each one has its rep
resentative or representatives on the
ground. Whatever way the board may
decide in the cases of histories. gram
mars. Biographies, Spanish. Latin,
French. German aand English text
books. and the various others to be
used in the high schools, there is sure
to be some loud objurgations from
many quarters, for all the firms can
not be awarded contracts
The board will have before ii the
bids from each firm for furnish ing
single and multiple lists of text books
and copies of the hooks The tack of
selecting the books may be concluded
By Saturday. but probably not be-
fore
Charges Against DistrSct Gerk.
After the routine business of the
board had been transacted Wednes-
day night. delegation OF citizens
from Southampton county. headed by
Robert w. Withers. and Attorney T.
Fl. Birdsong. appeared to file charges
against John n. Sibreil, Sr, clerk of
the District School Board of Jerusa-
lem MagisteriaI district. of the coun-
",
Mr.. Sebreil was charged with hav-
ing collected money and failed to re-
Turn 1t to the county. with refusing
to allow his books to be examined ear
audited, although repeated demands
had been made by citizens; and with
neglect to make the legal settlement
OF his accounts.
Mr.. Withers uerciiessiy arraigned
Clerk Sebrell, declaring that the
school official had successfully resisted
efforts to remove him from Office or to
show his books, although both mat
tors we're taken into court, and that
ne was obnoxious. Mr.. Wlthers said
he did not think a local examination
of Mr. sebrsifs books would suffice.
because the latter, he charged, would
Tx them up and show what he wanted
and nothing else"
The compiainants declared that 81
500 had been traced to Mt, Sebrell's
hands, although It had not been heard
OF since, and he declined To account
for 1t. They further charged that fees
charged for extra classes at the schools
In the district and money paid by a
lumber firm for tim Der cut from school
property had not been accounted for
That Mr. Sebrell excluded from the
extra classes the children OF his o.
ponents because the fees had not been
paid, and granted favors TO the chill
dren of his friends. was another
charge made. The complainants also
quoted Mr.. Sebreil as saying that ne
had destroyed a number OF books
which would have shed some light on
his accounts,
His Side Not Heard.
Mr.. Sebrell's side OF the case was
not heard. as did neither he nor any
Of hig friends appeared before TN.
board, nor was any defense in writing
before the board.
- After the cornplafnants concluded
firing hot shot into Mr. Sebrell. the
board instructed Division School Su-
perintencent " w White to taAe
prompt and decisive action against
Mr.. Sebrell and compel him to make
a settlement of his accounts at once
Mr.. White was authorised to employ
an expert accountant to go over Mr.
SehreM.s books, In conclusion. ne
was told that II he and the expert
could not get q complete settlement
to report the matter to the State
board for action.
DIR. Page Elected,
DIR. ]. NJ. Page. OF the University AZ
Virginia. was elected a member Of
the board to succeed DIR. Charles ".
Kent. the latter having resigned ano
gone to Europe after announcing his
intention OF retiring.
With DIR. Page all the members
were present--Governor Mann, Alter
ney General Williams. superintendent
of Public Instruction EggIcsfou. DR.. i
l. Jarman. of the Stare Female Nor.
NAL College at Farmvifle; Colonel n
b. Tucker, OF the Virginia MiItta,-y
Institute; Professor ~. NJ. Lynch. Of
Winchester; Professor y. r. McChes-
ney. OF Bristol and Secretary A. G.
Stearnes.