The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-02-22

back to the Department of Public In
SUucuon- Our county needs IL the
whole state wants IL. and Mr.. EgRle-
s1oh' according TO tho newspapers,
nas said that he demanded it."
Davies Challenge.
Here Mr.. Lambert was INTERRUPTED
oy w. b Davie. another Chesterfield
citizen.
MIR. Chairman" said Mr.. Davie
there is Mr.. Eggleston. l would like
TO have him say whether he demands
or even wants this Investigation"
Mr.. EgglestOn made no move to
answer the challenge.
dare him TO answer" proceeded
Mr.. Davie.
Mr.. Eggleston made no answer.
Perhaps he will reply TO You
later. the chaTman suggested to Mr.
, Mr.. Chairman. 1 want the answer
now replied the Chesterfield citizen
L dare him to answer. We will give
HIM enough out Of our own time for
/ his answer. He doesn't want the in
vestgation.
Still Mr.. Eggleston held his peace
lie had not answered when the com
mittee, several hours later, adjourned.
MI Chairman, he is afraid y
shouted Mr.. Davie, shaking his finger
TOWARDS the superintendent.
challenge. and Mr.. Davie yielded the
| floor to Mr., Lambert. who proceeded
Other Charges.
Mr.. Lam bert recounted other
charges made against the educational
That it did not require the publ
cation OF reports on time; that il al
lowed money to be carelessly han
dIed; that IT was guilty of discrim-
nation, and knew of. if il did not
indeed sanction, many violations of
the school law.
We substantiate our charges by
the report of Expert Accountant II
Il. Boudar." Mr.. Lambert said. land
you know that Mr.. Boudar is one of
the very best and most reliable ex-,
pertS in the country
If you will go over this report
(Mr Lambert handed it to Senator
RiSon, chairman of the committee),
you Will see that the trustees were
allowed to issue warrants when there
was no money outstanding with which
TO pay them; you will see that money
was deposited TO the credit of the trus-
tees and not to the credit of the coun-
~ treasurer. as the law provides. If
you VIII look into the matter you will
see that many warrants were issued
and no account of them kept. War
rants are now outstanding and no one
knows-or at least we have been I'M
able 10 find out-for what purposes
they were issued. Some of these
warrants have been outlawed by the
county.
As TO Discrimination.
LAS to the charge of discrimination
the report shows that Bermuda Dis
trict received about one-third of all
the money apportioned in the county.
other districts needed the money. hut
il was sent to Bermuda"
is IL not true" Mr.. Lassiter asked.
that a school was being paid for in
schools were being provided in
other districts" replied Mr.. Lambert.
| ana we see no reason why Bermuda
should have gotten the bulk of the
money 1t has been said that Mr.
EgSleSton did not know about this
He is the State superintendent He
is paid TO know. Il he did not know
IT is his fault Chesterfield county. in
which this and other things took
place, is within a few hundred wards
OF Mr.. Eggleston's desk"
There is another matter we want
looked into. Business methods re-
quire correct accounting. The law
provides that division superintendents
snail be required by the Superintend-
ent of Public Instruction TO file their
reports by September LIST of each year.
This law has not been enforced in
Chesterfield. AS far as we know. the
superintendent has never been called
down for this violation of the law. He
a''hN' i4CNtA Dtt4 lnSO. we Know he
mas not gotten out his reports on time
He was unable to get out his last
report until he had appealed to our
accountant. The affairs of the county
were in such a muddled condition that
IL was almost impossible for correct
ngures to be compiled. All this hap
pened in sight of Mr.. Eggleston's Of
fee.
We believe. gentlemen, that If YOU
VIII grant us this investigation we will !
De able to save money in every county. !
In our own county we have recovered
$4,000. We know that powerful in
huences are at work against us. We
know that the Department of Public |
instruction is powerful organization !
with qualifications leading into every |
mole and corner Of the State. We know !
that the Department Of Public In
struction does not want TO be inves- I
uSated, but we appeal to YOU gentle
men. as our highest authority. to ia
Norabiy report THIS resolution so that /
an investigating committee can look |
into this matter"
Appeared for Bermuda District.
MIR. Lassited then took the floor. He
spoke in glowing terms Of the affairs
in the Bermuda School District. and
had no criticism to make of the State
department.
He defended the action of the de-
partment in allowing more money to
De spent In the Bermuda District, but
MADE no mention OF the reports of the
county, which, 1t was charged. had
been altered in the office of the De-
partment of Education; neither did
ne answer the charge that the re-
ports of the county schools were not
required as the law provides; nor did
ne reply to the charge that other vio-
atons OF the law were allowed He
mad announced, however, that he was
present 10 represent Bermuda District
only and not the State department