The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-06
HOTWORDS HOT AIR
Both Prevailed at the School
Board Meeting.
President SwendsOn and j. w.
Gleed Quarrel Like Children.
TEACHERS PENSlONED
Board Votes to Put State Law
Into Operation at Once.
Two Are Placed on the Retired
List.

With a sizzling atmosphere in the
board room the members of the board
of education whiled away the time
from Sis to 1918 o'clock Monday
night in idle clubbing. There was a
prevailing air of irritability on &C
count of the intense heat, although
it is due them to say that there were
three or four members OF the august
body including the feminine represen-
tatives who maintained a lamb-like
degree of eomposure throughout the
evening.
The warmest portion of the evening
in respect to word volleys was noted
when an argument started over a
paltry one hundred and thirty-two
dollars worth of sod. 1t all came about
because William Bradbury who had
been authorized by James Cuthbert
and W. G.. Holloway, engineer for the
board, to put down 500 worth OF SOD
adjacent to the new Van Buren, school
building at the corner of Sixteenth
and Van Buren, streets was instructed
by Mr.. Cuthbert, who is chairman Of
the building committee, to furnish an
additional 1872 worth of sod to COM
plete the job.
Swendson gave warning that no mat
ter what the board decided to do
about the bill he would not sign the
warrant until the work which had
been done was specified in detail.
THAT order of the board for 800
worth of sod was in no nature a
contract" he said. Mr.. Bradbury has
stated in his bill as per contract and
there was no contract"
Mr.. Gleed: You authorized the
chairman of the board to make tho
contract when you ordered 500 worth
Of sod
Swendson: There was no idea of a
contract"
Carver: 81 call for order of bust
ness"
GIeed (to Swendson): you haven't
the remotest idea of what contract
is
Swendson: "You are out of order
Gleed: you're out, of order your
without motion to consider
Swendson: I'VE have not"
Gleed: I'VE have"
Swendson: 81 say we have not"
Carver: 'The building committee
certainly has authority to act in these
matters. 1 don't think the president
of this board has any right to die
tate.''
The bill was at this point allowed.
Holiday: There isn't a man on
this board who would do business this
way. If you contract with man to
do 500 worth of work and he does
$3.50 worth you would raise objec-
tom
Cuthbert: ST do"
Holiday: eff you do I pity your
business judgment"
This concluded the particular bat
tie of words in question. but there
were several other "skirmishes" in
the course of the evening.
Teachers Pension Law.
Probably the most important real
stroke of business transacted was
the decision to put the new teach
ers' pension law in operation begin
a
resolution adopted embodied the fol-
lowing taken from the pension law en-
acted by the legislators at the last ses-
sion
such retirement fund shall be ere
ated and maintained in the follow
ing manner: First. By an assess
ment of not less than one per cent
nor more than one and one-half per
cent. of every installment' of salary
paid to a teacher employed in such
city. Second. By the setting aside
from the general fund for the sup
| port of the schools in such city, of
| an amount which shall be not less
| than one and one-half times the
amount of salary assessments, and not
less than the amount necessary to
meet the payments herein provided
! for"
Two teachers were placed on the re-
Candace Laubach. The former has
been teaching for "a years, having
spent u years of that time in Topeka.
all but one year in the Potwin school.
Miss Laubach has taught SO years, 81
years of which were devoted to work
in Topeka. With the exception of ona
year she has taught in the Polk school
| since 1890.
AS these teachers have paid nothing
into the retirement fund which has not
as yet been created the proper assess
ment will be taken out of the first
years pension.
| w. w. Gilmore was awarded the con-
tract for putting in sidewalks and drill
grounds adjacent to the new Van
Buren, school building, the contract
| price being $757.71.
| In accordance with a notice of warn
ing from Fire Chief G. o. Wilmarth
the board decided to carry two hot air
intakes at the high school building TO
an outside outlet instead of opening
| in the attic The change will cost
| S117.60. 1t was also decided to remove
the gas meter from the small fresh AIR
| intake room in the basement to some
| larger room where the students would
not be endangered were gas to escape.
A meeting will be held a week from
last night to consider the bids on the
Monroe and State street school addi-
tionS.
| SHERIDAN GETS GOLD MEDAL.