Evening journal., 1915-08-23
School BOARD IN
TANCLE OVER funds
Question Over Right to In
clude Old Debts In EA
New Budget
SOME WOULD DIVERT
MONEY FOR PLUMBING

Members Of the Board of Education
at their session this evening will con-
slider the budget Of expenditures for
the coming fiscal school year. and ac-
cording to members of the board the
session promises 20 be eniivened by
tilts concerning the incorporating of
an account of S3S,000 for last years
expenses yet unpaid in the budget for
the coming year The item has not
received the unanimous sanction Of
the finance committee of the board, a
minority of that committee contending
that the inclusion of this sum out of
the new years budget would be il
legal.
Another subject which will be
threshed out at the session tonight
will be that of installing sanitary
plumbing in a number Of schools at
cost Of $4,000, which was allowed
by City Council together with $10,-
600 in addition to the boards usual
appropriation last June. City Coun-
Gil allowed the extra money following
a conference with the board men,
bers at which time City Councilmen
were given TO understand that the
necessary plumbing which had been
advocated by the Board Of Health
was to be installed.
Since Council allowed the money, II
is understood that several members OF
the Board of Education have signified
their intention to try to utilize the
$4,000 for other purposes than for
plumbing work. Whether this will be
done remains to be seen, but at to-
nights session it is understood that a
report of the budget required for the
coming year will contain an item of
$4,000 for the outstanding debts. The
paying of this money out Of the ap-
preparation OF 1855 is questionable,
and one member of the Board in
speaking of this possibility today
quoted the charter of the Board, which
reads as follows:
THE said Board shall have no
power or authority, except when
specially authorized by Act of the Gen
eral Assembly, to borrow money or
contract OF crelte any debt OF liabil-
ity except ordinary debts and lisbli-
ties incurred in executing the duties
imposed on them by law to be paid
out of the said appropriations made
by Council and the receipts of the
year for the time then current No
money shall be paid from the treas
ury Of the Board unless the same
shall have been appropriated as afore-
said"
It was claimed by some persons
that under the wording of that sec
tion of the charter the Board of Edu-
cation had no right to draw s46,0OC
for the payment of the teachers
salaries for the months of May and
June out of the present years appro-
priation. Those in a position to- know
claim that by drawing this none.
from the appropriation for the com
Ing school year the board had to cur
tail its list of expenses for maintain
ing the schools.
As a result of the squabble over tn
paving of the outstanding bills fror
the lol5-l6 appropriation, whic
amount TO about s26S, 900, there Wi
most likely be two reports from tn
finance committee of the board at it
meeting tonight City Council has al
ready refused the board an extraordi
nary appropriation TO pay outstandin
bills. and II the budget allows for tn
paving of the bills out Of this year
appropriation, it is understood legal az
tion may be taken TO prevent it. if pos
sible.
City Auditor William P White, whe
asked today if his Office would approx
bills of the Board of Education carryin
with them the $4,000 Of old bills pai
by this years appropriation, said this
he was looking up the law relative TO th
right of the board to pay the bills
previous years.