The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1917-03-02
FREDERICK COUNTY REPORT
Published BY Authority Of Superin-
tpndenA UmEeTu

MrAtn new policies based upon Lne
Frederick county report. WaS laid e.
fore the School Board, and III was NOV
ed. seconded and passed by them that
authority be given superintendent
UnEer tO publish the entire FREDERICK
report and inaugurate all the policies
OF the report.
The report is as follows.
Pursuant To TIE instruction given by
the Board in the January Meeting'
ordering your Committee tD visit the
School Authorities of Frederick, lo
request of them permission 10 study
various matters relating to the man
Mer Of purchasing supplies, regulation
of THE teaching force, general repair
and up-keep, organization OF instruc-
ti0n. Office practice, and types 0f
buildings newly constructed, and Varl-
Gus other matters pertaining TO a
comprehensive, economical ana wei
organized, school system, your Gom-
mKtbee, after IA thorough study Cpl tne
whole matter, begs to make the follow
ina report.
wv requested permission of Superln-
4endent Palmer To visit him on We'd
nesday. January 31st, 1917. We we're
most cordially received by Superinten-
dent Palmer and his Office staT ana
Supervisors. we were given every Op-
portunity to study their system IN de-
tail and make any inquiries we chose
tD make relating tO tine same WE
were not only given the information
sought, but they we're so kind as TO
offer KID undertake to assist us in the
installation or any or all parts or their
system that we may decide to adopt.
al the chief concern of the Com
mittnH waS Thine method Of purchase
ana delivery Of coal To the Schools OF
Frederick County, we first took up
the matter. Mr. Palmer here related
hiS experience from The period when
the County was In the same condition
as our own, showing how he gradu-
ally evolved the present system AIN
does nOt appear I'D your Committee
that any great difficulties were ex-
perienced in solving the problem and
evolving the present method of supply
and distribution.
We offer as exhibit ID a contract
blank which fl the basis of the sys-
tenn. The method A. - follows
Il. District the County and the coal
supply sources of distribution.
2. Advertise for bids to supply "A
stated amount, kind and quality OF
coal by a certain date to each Of the
schools i'm the district.
a. The lowest bidder secures TIM
contract Tor the district.
4. IN case no one bids the contract
H. then offered to- some one more re-
mote To bid on.
B. III this fails the County pur-
chases the coal.
This last procedure has not been
necessary 10 Car.
9. The bids are offered In the early
Spring but the coal is delivered after
the schools OPEN
7. Deliveries are made to the
teacher in charge who pays the bill.
8. The central authorities check up
the bill and approve on diSapprOve
according 81 the items OF the bill are
according to contract or not.
a. No accounts are allowed to run
over the month
ITO. All bills to BE- paid for a GER
tain school must be included in the
draft to- the teacher of the school.
Thus each month alI bills against the
school authorities are paid of and the
central Office is able to strike a
mnnthIy balance sheet.
Your Committee now wishes to in
troduce the annual monthly report
system al exhibit (2). This is the
key tO the system.
we, in the next place inquired into
the method Of repairs and up-keep,
and were told that afman was employ
ed, supplied with a Ford automobile,
paid for the actual number OF hours
he put in for the County, 23c an hour,
to repair, paint, deliver, clean toilets,
etc. At the present time this man il
painting school buildings. In this
way not all the property gets out of
repair at the same time There are
times when a helper il necessary.
Teachers are instructed to commu-
nicate with the Office when repairs
are needed, or when floors are to- b.
oiled, etc. Oil ID purchased by the
County at 25c a gallon and furnished
tp the schools. Ordinarily oil lis pur-
chased at stores at from 6Oc To $500
a gallon. 1t Is one Of the duties Of
this man to secure prices and bids
fOr supplies. Tit IL the policy OF the
Board To encourage the appointee to
show his loyalty to the administration
by keeping down costs.
Mention has before been made I'd
the system Of checks and balances
which in the opinion of your Commit
tee is the most important item i'm our
investigation, since iii makes At pos
sible To prepare by the Secretary and
Treasurer, an exact monthly state
ment of finances for each meeting of
thu Board and permits no unauthoriz-
ed bills to appear.
To establish such system the
Frederick authorities find III necessary
I'D Introduce a complete modern sys-
tenn of fling. All bills are filed
against the school for which the bills
aTa paid. Our attention was also
called I'm this connection, to an Office
machine, the 'sNeostyle", concerning
which the Frederick people are very
since III made III possible
To prepare all Office circulars without
resorting to the printer. This ma
chine costs about $4,000 "a still bet
ter machine for these purposes IL the
'Multigraph'.
Your Committee was also shown
hy the system in force ira the County
that the central Office could have an
accurate report of the amount, con-
dition or lack of books, stationery and
supplies needed for the proper conduct
OH the schools. The report system
reduces the heterogeneous ordering of
these things, which are or almost
daily occurrence here, and makes 1T
possible to tell at the end OF the
school year the amount that has been
consumed, and the amount that must