Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-06-04
Don't Waste School Money.
Editor News

doing its duty as Board. why az
not they build aud be done with it
Why fool along and squander the mon
ey when it is scarce anyway. 1t look
to me like graft, or half brother tt
it, anyway you fix it, There ha'
been anywhere from five to eight
meetings of the board, which is to pay
for and which have not been any good
to anyone except the board who have
drawn their pay before their time, as
one and maybe more tried to draw
some of his time before he served out
anv. if | am informed right about the
matter,
| think it is time there was a halt
called in the squandering of the coun-
ty funds or let the people know how il
is used. Each officer who has any
county funds to dispose of should see
how plain he could make his report,
as it is a known fact that he makes
things plain when be wants office.
Why employ men who are in their
a b c's when it comes to spending the
school money! We all know the school
money is always scarce, not enough
to give us our months school. l
think there was one schoolhouse built
in this county by contract, if l am
not mistaken, when the contractor did
not know how to put the window
sash in. He put them in inside out.
ANY one can see for themselves by 60
| ing to the colored school house cast
| of Jasper.
Our board, after meeting ever so
| MANY times has now turned all over
to one man. If the board itself could
not let two little contracts, how in the
name of peace, do you expect one man
to do the whole thing by himself. he
looks very small to me anyway can
get to look at him,
Now, the first house to be bid on
was 30x40 Well, there were as many
as three bids, and more for all | know,
but three bids are enough to see what
house will cost, or nearly So I'M
derstand these bids were all within
few dollars of each other and it may
be all were too high, but if he knew
these bids were too high, why did he
draw up plans for one still less, 36x
90 feet, as he puts it, which was
worth at least $75. 90 more to build.
Now does that look like he knew what
he was doing? 1t doesn't to me or
anyone else He had not or could not
sit down and figure cut what such
house would cost, but still our county
board turns this over to one man.
Now. while am on this thing |
will give Che people sample of the
way our county board lets things slip
by The following is the specifica-
tions for the Sulphur Spring school
house:
Building 36x9S, studing not less
than 10 feet high. to be built of good
material Outside stills to be doubled
2xs, inside stills may be single. Con-
crete pillows to be used not over nine
feet apart the base not to be less than
3 feet square and IS inches or Q feet
under the surface of glound and not
less than inches at top. Top joist to
be exc, rafters 2x6, roofing to be lst
class galvanized, hand dipped metal
ceiling to be = inch pine or
poplar Flooring to be we'll seasoned
oak.
Anyone can see fhow easy it is to
put up shoddy job on such thing as
that, but still it is county money, so
let her go. Not a single word about
workmanship or anything which
would bind a man to be careful as he
may get turned down when his work
is to be received.
understand there is a man employ
cd at Sulphur Spring school house
who has had but little experience in
building and anyone with common
sense kno VS. he cannot take common
laborers and put up job as it ought
to be done. He may be a good man
and will some day, perhaps, be able to
handle any kind of job, but why
should this county have to pay for the
of men?
/ would like to hear from some Sui
phur Spring people as there are some
there who would like to have a good
building l know. Why did not the
school board give the Sulphur Spring
people the same chance that the Sc
luachee people had. They have good
house and what they wanted. and
,hink it was built for less money than
was set aside for it,
| hope to hear from some one else
IN this school house BUSINESS, and see ,
things cannot be helped in some
way. Why is it one of the board {
wants to supervise this work. l know. i
he wants &c. so or $50 per day and
when he spends two or three days ,
week up at Sulphur Spring and as {
much at Caroline Chapel, he has $50 {
il $t8 each week, and it may take
Jour or five weeks. Don't you see he 1
IS the one who gains. The schools are ,
The losers For this county ''slab I
nan" could not put OH siding, let
alone look after work. He does not
aim to work. He is to supervise, see
That is what he says.
III