The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-21
SENATE TO REFUSE
TO vESTIGATE
Committee Decides Chesterfield
People Did Not Make
!'riina l'acic Case.

Win 4 letter before II irv.I j. -.
Essleston. Jr, Superintendent of puD-
lie Instruction. ia which NJ said he
welcomed amy Investigation which the
facts seemed /" Justify. the Senat"
Commute on Public Institutions ara
Education yesterday afternoon report
Cd the House joint resolution vrov!G-
Ing FOR am .nyestigatipn Of the depart
sncnt. wi,h a experimentation that thu
senate refuse To concur IN it This.
II is expected. wiii end the matter.
There was little ~ no DEBATE. ana II
is Understood that r1e committees
ac>ion was practically unanimous.
In hts letter. SUre riItcndent rEgI -
ton replies in detail TO the somewhat
confused charges presented BY Chea-
tecnclI ciu@ens al the rscent public
iicIrine. iic sos, ,aat his department.
had nothing to % with some 81 tha
matter with whlch i; was caarsed.
and mad no means uf knowledge con
corning them
Whlc CAcstcrn,ii man during
the hearing asked In wnat Mr. F:g
glcstOn considered an offensive MAJ
ncr. If the superintendent desired an
investigation, he IE not reply con
sldcling that this was matter for
-. committee TO inquire into. ~ ;hn
committee ala not sec IL TO make SUCH
ves,igation.
Hep,ie. TO His Critics.
The letter follows:
Richmond. Va. February 20, 1912.
Hon, George 7. Ttison, chairman Sen
ate Committee on Public Institu-
tons and Education, Richmond.
My pear sIr,-ro proven, any one
Interested OF disintcre.,ed. friendly
s.T. t.. ,.-s H.. .rKg g.,
OF mtsstiiing my position. desire TO
present In writing a brief resume Of
my answer 10 the complaint Of Mcssrs.
DAVE. Lambert. liipps. Benslcy and
Beliwood, citizens of Chesterfield coun-
~. .forr your comm!ttpe.
T. To the charge that county super
inieudcnts have been allowed TO alter
and Change ihrir annual reports after
they have been fled IN the Ollie o; the
State Supe rntcndcni OF schools as
public records, replied that the de-
they were discovered by the officials IL
tho department or reported by a d.vi-
sion superintendent. keeping In every
instance full record OF the proceed
ings. showed that we had adopted
It scheme Which enabled U. to make
.nese corrections without sven chang
ing the face o.. The original record.
Investigating Conditions.
Seeing that such charge was -idc-
ulous when 1t CAME 20 meeting the
Facts face 20 face, the complainant.
the department. had no; altered and
chunged' the reports to sufficient
extent They pointed TO certain err
rors ami inconsistent balances from
Year 10 year that ae had not touched.
TO ;his We replied tina; the complain
ants had undertaken. al our suzEcs-
ZION, but partially at their expt nse, an
investigation which would enable US
~ deal With such matters iate!lizentiy,
ind that soon as We could &C;
cory OF the report o, the expert &C.
countant. rs promised, We would still
further "alter" and correct the reports
Of Chesterfield county In this connec.
tio1 We call attention TO the fact that
hr. Beliwood. one OF the compliments
had expressed 70 the State Board OF
Education al; its meeting on Noven-
her %. 1911. his appreciation OF the
help rendered and the courtssics eI.
tended the comp lainants oy the de-
rart:nnnt.
q The charge that county supcrin-
tendents have neglected 10 have print
ed and posted In the county their an
sual reports OF the various districts.
reports Of receipts and disbursements
nf public funds as provided 3y Law.
was answered b. ths statement that
this is a matter over which the de-
nartment has absolutely no control
= The charge that there have been
collected various sums OF money d@-
posted and checked out by district
clerks and trustees. in violation Of
the law, which says that all money
saali be paid out by and through the
county treasurer, the money being de-
posited to the credit OF school trnsteAs
IN banks and checked out by than. was