The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-05-22
CIRCULAR LETTER SENT BROAD
CAST OVER THE COUNTY
SUPERINTENDENT CLAIMS Al
LOWANCE MADE BY COMMITS.
SIONERS is ABOUT HALF THE
EXPENSE INCURRED.

On the 18th day of last February,
the county commissioners, upon the
advice of the states attorney, passed
a resolution declaring that ] had
drawn illegally, in mileage, over $lO,-
OOO. .OO in a period of twenty-nine
months. They also adopted resolu-
t,or, upon the same advice, instruct
ing the county auditor not to issue
warrants for my salary or mileage OF
myself and deputies until this amount
had been returned to the county. Lat
er the resolution was amended. al
lowing the payment Of mileage bills as
AUDITED BY THE COUNTY COM
MIssIONERS.
During the month of January, the
mileage of myself and deputies
amounted to $2S7.20. The commits
sioners, after again consulting Mr.
Ncstos. allowed the bill at 121.6O.
The February bill was cut from
S14o.3O to 5000. / did not accept
these cuts because the work had been
done according to law and the miles
actually and necessarily traveleo III
the discharge Of the duties OF this Of
flee. The allowance made by the com.
missioners was about half What II
actually cost me to do the work.
1t appears that the commissioners
and states attorney are determined 70
make it impossible for me to 40 tne
school work as the law requires ana
as would like to do it. | am writing
this letter to inform you that we can
not visit your schools, inspect schools
for state aid, get annual or census re-
ports or do any other work requiring
travelling expense. The county now
owes me almost $1,000, about half OF
It advanced by me to pay expenses OF
county work, and can go no turtner
until I get relief of some sort. Since
The resolution was adopted on the
18th. have drawn no salary and only
about $50 mileage for myself and
deputies. I haven't any more money
to advance, and if had, ! could not
feel justified in spending hundred
dollars and having the commissioners
allow me only fifty or sixty. ;,
Under the new, law, consolidated
schools. meeting certain requirements,
vii, receive $500 to 5000; graded
schools, not classified as high schools,
$50 to $500; country schools, $l0O to
$3.50. This aid, however, is all Sc
cured through the inspection and rec
ommendation of the county superln-
tendent. AS long as my money IS be-
ing held by the county, | cannot 40
the necessary inspecting and many
districts of the county will lose aid.
II the census enumeration is not re-
ceived from your district in time to
be included in our report to the State
Department, you will lose 50 or 50
for each school child because can
not come out and get this enumera-
tion as have in the past. Ii the re-
ports from your clerk and treasurer
are not sent to this Office, as required
by law, your district will not be in
cluded in our annual report to the
state superintendent. In the past we
have had to make number of these
reports for school officers. Under the
present conditions we cannot do it.
We shall keep the records, mark
eighth grade papers, conduct all ex-
aminations, issue certificates and at
tend to correspondence, unless the
commissioners take our stenographer
away from us, which they are threat
ening to do. In this event your let
ters addressed to this Office will prob
ably not be answered. !.
States Attorney Nestos has started
an action to recover from me $14,846.-
40, which he alleges has been illegally
drawn in twenty-nine months. -Four
Of us drew $17, ,667 so during this per-