The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-06-14
ECONOMY THE POLICY
PRACT|cED BY BOARD

From Thursdays Daily.
| Honesty is the best policy" That
is one of the slogans of the school
board. Another is economy is the
best policy" At the meeting
OF the board of education last night
economy was practiced to a high
degree. In selecting teachers or help
for the school such expressions as
eff possible, without increase of sal
ary,' or this should be properly
! investigated before the bill is paid,
or "by using this system, large
saving will be made" were heard at
frequent intervals. The board of ed
ucation is not "tightfisted," but it
does not believe in playing with
other peoples money, and just at
present, although the financial con-
ditlon is good, every possible means
are taken to keep as much money
as possible in the treasury.
! At the meeting last night, several
vacancies in the teaching staff were
filled, and reports heard from the
various committees. When the mat
ter of electing teachers to fill the
vacancies came up, the board went
into executive session, after which
the election was held.
Miss Mary H. Kraft of Waseca
was elected as teacher in the Ger
man department Miss Kraft's quail
| ifications were well considered be-
hn oil no
has had about six years experience
as teacher of this subject, two years
at Arlington, two years at Glenwood,
and two years at Waseca, and comes
highly recommended. She was elect
ed at salary of $50 a month.
Jorgenson Elected Principal.
l.. M. Jorgenson, who has been
teaching the past year at Devils
Lake, N. D., was elected principal
at a salary of $1,000 a year. If a
man was to be principal, Superin-
tendent Sperry said that he would
recommend Mr.. Jorgenson, as he
was well qualified to hold this po-
sitiOn. His home is at Jewell, Kan.
He has taught two years at ST. Paul,
one and one-half years at Goshen,
Ind, and year at Devils Lake.
w. B. Davies moved that the
board reconsider the matter of sal
airy for Miss O'Donnell. At present
her salary is 5000 a year, but the
board decided to make her salary
81 900 as assistant principal.
Superintendent Sperry reported
that he had carried on. the negotia~
tons in good faith, after having con-
1f hnr nf
the board of education, who agreed
to abide by the report of the COM
mittee on schools, regarding the
matter of getting an agricultural
teacher and establishing new de-
partment next year. He had wired
C. r. Sbumway of Ames, Iowa, that
the majority of the board had agreed
to employ him as teacher of agricul'
ture at salary of $1,000 for eleven
months, after Mr.. Shumway's visit
here. While in Mankato he made
very favorable impression in every
way, and the board feels confident
that the teacher secured for this i'm
portant department, is qualified in
every way. And then again, just to
try to be more economical, it was
suggested that, as Mr.. Shumway will
have some spare time, he assist in
teaching some of the natural sci
ence classes, which will probably
save the school several hundred
dollars.
The new agricultural department
will be established under the Ben
son-Lee act, which provides state
aid to the amount of $1,000 and
which places the school in direct
line to securing state aid through
the Putnam act. This act provides
for $4,000 a year state aid.
Would Examine the Books.
Secretary Soaring read a letter
from the expert accounting firm OF
Mellis, Prize & Co., of Minneapolis,
making the board an offer to go
through the books and make a thor
ough report of the financial condl-
ton of the school. The fee was to
be 81 day for the chief account
ant and SO a day for his assistant,
the maximum fee of SIS to be charg-
ed for going through the books for
one year. However, it was thought
that as several members of the
school board were something of &C
COuuUdUJS I1c1lSGlNSS, anu "o "h Va
cellent system of accountants was
kept, the board will do their own
accounting, and the communication
was placed on file.
E. F. X. Fenske, janitor at the
Franklin school, sent in his resigna-
ton, as he will become Janltor at
the Y. M. C" A. building. Janitor
Charles Vcgel of the high school
building requested to be transfer.
red as janitor at the Franklin school
to fill the vacancy made by Mr..
Fenske. Mr.. Vogel lives across the
street from the Franklin building,
and for this reason desired the
change. Mr.. Scherer moved that ne
be transferred at the same salary
that Mr.. Fenske has been getting,
which carried.
l.. A. RadcEff was then elected
janitor at the high school building at
the same salary that Mr.. Vogel re-
ceived. Mr.. Radcliff is now janitor
at the Pleasant Grove school, and
Mr.. Agnew was elected as Janitor
to succeed him at a salary OF S550
with the understanding that Mr..
Radcliff accept the change. The mat