The copper era and Morenci leader., 1913-11-28
OFFICE OF COUNTY SCHOOL SU-
 PERINTENDENT.
School Year Ending June 30, 1913.
(Communicated.)

Communicated
 Since the official county auditor makes statement in his report, pub lished in the Era Friday, November 14th, 1913, that it is impossible" to audit the books of the County School Superintendent on account of the flax manner in which they are kept, and, since further criticism is made of this office, on the editorial page of the same issue, I beg to sub init below a statement of the school district accounts in comparison with the auditors statement of the accounts in this office taken from the Treas urer's books. In making this report below, I wish to resent the unjust criticism on the grounds that it is grossly misleading.
 The Auditors report and the editor ial comment would lead one to be- heve that this office was greatly neglected and practically ran itself. So far as the clerical end of the office is concerned this is true in a meas ure, but not to the extent they would have you believe. The office has al- ways been handicapped and a burden for the need of a professional clerk or bookkeepe.r l do not profess to be a bookkeeper and if I had prepared myself for that kind of work I would
 
 get, job. The duty of the County School Superintendent is to super wise the entire school work of the county and not to keep a set of books. The law provides that in the larger counties he may employ deputy to do the clerical work; the salary of such deputy to be fixed by the Board of Supervisors, not to exceed one hundred dollars per month. I have repeatedly insisted on the Board all lowing me deputy at a living salary. One who could devote all of their time to the duties of the office and be here to accommodate the school off cials and teachers while other duties keep me away from the office. For the past few months I have been all lowed deputy at salary of $25 90 per month. I appointed MT. E. c. Fitzgerald to this position, who works eight hours a day for the com pany and seven days per week. His services have been more than could be asked, for the salary allowed him. According to the Auditors report the deputy has paid out for school ex- penditures in the last six months, $203, ,902.14, The system of account Ing in this office makes this work alone no small task besides assisting me in distributing supplies and hand ing the Free Text Books, wh.ch amount in value to more than $7,000 in this county.
 As to the school work in GreenIee out of the fourteen counties in the state only three have a larger school population; Cochise, Maricopa and Pima. We have eighty three teach CTS this year and three thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine children. In visiting the schools of the county and the patrons of the schools I have not heard a single person claim that the schools were poorly financed or mon ey being wasted. In all the build ing, repairing, and equipment of schools that has been carried on for the last two years there has been no complaint of waste of school funds from the tax payers and patrons who are bearing the burden and receiving the benefit of our free education. If the criticism set forth in the Era had come from those who are really in- terested and vitally concerned in the school work it might be taken more seriously.
 The following statement is compil- ed from the report of MT. L. F. Sweating, who was employed to assist me in making my Annual Report to the State Superintendent's office MT H. E. Brubaker, who was at that time official county auditor checked over the work and will also teStlfy as to it's correctness.
 It is necessary for the reader to understand that the County Treasurer keeps all school accounts in his office the same as they are kept in mine. Therefore, his books and the books of this office must show the same balances. Under heading of ''Out- standing Warrants, Journal Entries to be made in books of County Treas -I,s T, existed between our accounts June 30, 1913. I immediately notified the Treasurer of these differences, author izing him to make the Journal En- tries set forth in the following state ment. have all reason to believe that the Journal Entries have been made and at the present time there are no discrepancies in our accounts.