Evening journal., 1915-10-18
is NOT
Cause OF School
BOARD TANGLE

a balance on hand at the end of the
fiscal year. In this budget is $4,000 for
sanitary purposes. The chief trouble is
due to lack of unison. Two members
of the financial committee favor the
budget and two are opposed, and the
president. having the casting vote. re-
fuses to support his own financial
committee.
"Now, what is the troublel Last year
and possibly the year before, contrary
10 the stipulation of the law, the board
overspent its appropriation. This leftl
the board with unpaid salaries and billsl
July l. 1915. of S4J 600 When the new
financial committee for this year started
in it found a balance on hand of 81 600.
The $4,000 outstanding July /, l9l5,l
was made up of $4,000 in salaries and
S23 900 in bills, or total of $4,000.
"By some method of procedure, which
lii proper then would be proper now the
board succeeded in having taken out of
this years funds the $4,000 salaries
and also two bills of the year 1913
which had been overlooked-one due j..
& J. n. Harman Co, for S975.53 August
l27, 1913, the other due American Seating
Company, November s. 1913, SlS5.25.
"The two bills, amounting to
81 .l607s, are to be deducted from the
600 outstanding bills, leaving a bal
ance of s2l ,s3922 due from last year TO
probably about one hundred persons and
} firms all of whom, | have no doubt,
need the money. With this state Of af-
fairs. the present Council has nothing
whatever to do. but is being forced into
a defensive position by persistent UNI
warranted attacks.
"The conference on Wednesday was
not sought by the Council but was re-
quested by the Board of Health. City
Council has no authority of law to as
sumo any debt improperly contracted
d. and if it were 10 do so it would create
la personal responsibility of each mem
Der Of Council That it should become
the duty of Council to pull the board out
of the hole into which it has fallen, by
= its own acts is for another tribunal e
/. determine.
"Council has been threatened Will
: suit in court and every appearance Il
given TO the matter 70 involve the Coun
. lcil in controversy and dispute.
!. "Nhv does the Board Of Education
p. mot study the law under which it
/, royernedY Why will the board no
J. consult the city solicitors ] do no
J. know. There are two ways open to tn
|. board to pursue:
r First. Continue TO do business in th
v. same manner as heretofore. Pay n
J. bills of last year out of the currer
Y. years money and contract new bills Il
1. hooks and supplies and roofs. II tn
I. was proper heretofore it is in ord
]. lnow. This Ncan be done and the ei'
v. auditor be compelled to, sign by yo
G. of the board over his protest.
It, "Second. If this is a dispute or dl
h. agreement between City Council and Il
c. Board of Education, which said board
irving TO make it appear, then there
IN mo necessity of going to court OF law
I'd s"On page lO4, of Charter Laws al
ze Ordinances, you will find in Section lOl
ut of the city charter the following
lg "'Section lola Mayors Advisor
s. BOARD The Advisory Board shall me
ed in the mayors Office or at such 9th
e. place as may be agreed upon by sa
SIS hoard. once each month or oftener
Ill the mayor shall deem it eXpedient, 4
". the purpose of advice and consultatr
I'D in regard 10 matters concerning the m
a nicipalitv. but the action of said boa
I'd shall not be binding upon any OF sa
departments. except in cases OF disput
ID. and differences which may arise hetwe
in, OF among any Of the departments OF I
S. municipality Including the Board
IN, Public Educationl, or the officials
m, any department Of the city in which sa
20: eases the decision Of the said board shi
81; he final
E. "I trust that have made mys
in clear as 10 the understanding l have
Dr. the matter. I believe in education, a
ic- / recognize the fact that the deman
w. for carrying on the work OF the scho'
S. are increasing. The conditions exist
G. in this city are the same in all OF I
ee- cities of the country in regard to
ability TO house and in other ways
md provide for the wants Of the childr
ord In Philadelphia there are p 600 chiidi
ing on half time 7 only state this mcide
a allv tc SHOW that we are not alone
confronting problems. could state
number of reasons for these eonditio
but that is not material to the qu
ron ton now involved"