The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-12-29
SPECIAL MEETING OF BOARD
OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Ocala, Fla, Dec. 20, 1916.

man and secretary of the board OF
public instruction the board met at
its office on the above date with all
members present and acting, as fol-
lows: G. S. Scott. chairman, B. R.
Bitch and J. S. Graham, members,
and Superintendent J. II. Brinscn,
secretary.
The purpose of the special meeting
was stated as follows: Referring to
the action of the board on Dec. s.,
1916, in designating the Commercial
Bank of Ocala, the Bank of Dunnellon
and the First State Bank of Mcintosh
as repositories under the law for the
public school funds of Marion county
and fixing the bonds required of each
one, the board had been notified that
neither the Mcintosh bank nor the
Dunnellon bank would qualify under
the law as depository, thus leaving
none but the Commercial Bank of
Ocala that proposed to make the nee
essary bond. Since the three banks
had been duly designated at the pre-
vious meeting as repositories it re-
qEired official action to change the
previous action or to complete the ac-
ton already taken.
1t being necessary under the law
that the board should keep its own &C.
counts with the depository and with
all the separate school funds, Mr..
John M. Graham, the present treas
urer, by invitation, met with the
board and discussed the work to be
undertaken. He agreed to take care
of all the work pertaining to- the ac-
counts of the board with the deposit
tories and make full reports of the
same to the board for $3.50 per
month.
By appointment, Mr.. D. C. Stiles
j., cashier of the Commercial Bank,
called and discussed with the board
the matter of the amount and nature
of the bond to be given by the bank
as depository for the school funds.
The original amount of bond decided
upon by the board was $4,000 to be |
given by all the repositories together,
but as his bank was the only one at
the present time proposing to qualify,
he objected to making a fixed bond
for that amount upon the ground that |
there would be a very much less
amount on deposit most of the time. |
He proposed to make bond covering |
the amount on deposit and to change
the amount of bond as the balances
On deposit changed. The question as
to whether bond could be made for
a definite amount and the premiums /
be paid upon the average deposits was
freely discussed and Jacksonville of
fees consulted and it was claimed
that this could not be done.
Upon invitation, Mr.. G. w. Neville,
cashier of the Bank of Dunnellon,
called, and noon having arrived the
board adjourned to meet at 1 p. m.
Afternoon Session
The board met pursuant to adjourn
ment with all members present and
acting. Mr.. Neville appeared and ex-
pressed a desire to have his bank
designated one of the repositories.
1t was agreed that the position
taken by the banks in regard to not
paying for bonds in excess of the de-
posits carried was a reasonable posi-
ton and that it would be allowed. In
the meantime the chairman of the
board wired to fidelity bonding COM
pany of Baltimore to ascertain if it
would issue a bond for a maximum
fixed amount and allow the premiums
to be paid upon the average balances
for the year.
1t appearing that nothing further
could be done in regard to the bonding
matter at this time it was agreed for
the Dunnellon Bank to make applica-
ton for bond for an equitable amount
of the funds and as the Commercial
Bank already had bonds for $4,000.
the bonds would be approved by the
board at its regular meeting on Mon
day, January 1, 1917. The matters
Of the details were left with the
chairman and secretary with power to
act.
The secretary called the attention
Of the board to a number of schools
hat were not making the averages
by the board for a certain
number of teachers.
In the case of the Blitchton school
t was found that with the present
number in attendance it would be i'm
possible to make the required average
# seven. 1t appearing that the pres
mt month would close the six months
# the county term it was agreed that
( the necessary number could not be .
maintained under the county regula- :
ions the matter of operating the
school would be left to the trustees of
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