The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-09-11
Barnes Urges More Adequate
Expenses for the Superintendent

is not the superintendent home town,
there will be MOTEL charges. One driv-
ing Who stops for noon in the country
has to provide for team feed, n his
dinner and nobody wants to sponge
from the farmers. Hence h super
intendent finds that he needs all OF
10 cents per mile. or 7R cents more
than his possible railroad fare per
mile to make up for living expenses
when away from home. To expect
this is not unreasonable, any more
than it would be with the commercial
travelling men. The hous always
stands such expenses n way or the
other.
Thus the average superintendent
falls behind just about the difference
between the 10 cents which he gets
and the 10 cents which he pays the
liveryman and auto drivers.
If one owns his own rig, the expense
is in the end about the same, for he
has no free pasture, hay, etc, as farm
ers figure them. but must ultimately
pay cash for everything, the same as
liverymen do. The rapid deteriora-
ton of automobile values is notorious.
Moreover, they are not serviceable in
many counties when most needed,
which is in the late fall, winter and
early spring.
superintendent Barnes has collected
data so far from counties where the
superintendent ave kept track of
their travelling expenses. Others do
not seem to know definitely what
their losses are, but all who study into
the situation recognize that the dis
crepancy is actual and great. The
twenty-three reports show a total in
come at 10 cents a mile OF $~5,033.65
and corresponding travelling expenses
of $S,014.33, or a ratio of IS income to
So expense. This means that when
ever the average superintendent
spends a SIS bill and three silver dollars
on official travel he can hope to get
back only the SIS bill.
Is it any wonder hen that superin-
tendents hike" over. the. highways in
a vain hope that, by increasing the
miles covered, they will at least get
back part of those silver dollars2
Doing away with mileage altogether
and repayment for actual and neces-
sary expenses has been proposed. This
plan has desirable features; but the
average superintendent breads having
his bills criticized by the county COM
missioners and would prefer not hay-
ing to tell all about why he saw fit to
spend a few cents more or less in
travel here and there, or why he chose
to stop at such and UGH a hotel in
stead of some other where possibly the
rate was a little different-not that he
has anything to cover up but it is I'M
| duly humiIiating. The actual and nee
| essary expenses might, however, be
repaid in a manner similar to those of
| the state superintendent. which would
be monthly on the warrant of the
county auditor upon the superinten-
dent filing with him an itemized state
ment properly verified.
A second plan would be like that
1 11F1lor. which fhnE schoriff 81 mill r. hnE YaiI
They will get 10 cents and actual team
or auto fees up to SIS per day, count
ing forty miles drive as one day.
Fully as much reason exists for al
lowing this to the superintendent as
to the sheriff, and especially because
they have restricted hours for field
work.
Reports from thirty-three Of the
forty-nine county auditors and super
~intendents indicate that $~25,02S.11 was
paid last year for county superin-
tendents' mileage in those counties.
Nc reports covering a whole year have
yet been received from the remaining
counties. If the ratio of SIS mileage
income to So actual travelling expense
is correct (and 1t almost surely Isl
something like $4,000 should have
been repaid to the county superinten-
dents, or eight-fifths of $25,028.11.
The total number of schools in the
tHlirty-three reporting counties was
4,491. Hence the average public cost
of inspection was the quotient of $25,-
02S.11 divided by 4,491 or about Sc an
nually. The actual cost to the SUI
perintendents must have been almost
$40 on the average. The total for
salaries paid the superintendents OF
the thirty three reporting counties was
$53,415. Since a crying complaint is
THAT the one room school does not re-