The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1917-03-02
FREDERICK COUNTY REPORT
Published BY Authority of Superln-
tendent Unger.

FREDERICK county lCpOA ~ "@1 $1,000
tore the School Board, and it was NOV
ed, seconded and passed by them tnat
authority be given Superlntenuent
Unger to publish the entire frederick
report and inaugurate all the pollcles
of the report.
The report is as follows:
Pursuant to the instruction given by
the Board in the January Meetlns'
ordering your Committee to VlSlt the
School Authorities of Frederick 10
request of them permission TO STUDY
various matters relating to the man
ner of purchasing supplies, regulation
Of the reaching force, general repair
and up-keep, organization OF 1nstruc-
ton. office practice, and types OIL
buildings newly constructed, and Varl-
GUS other matters pertaining to
comprehensive, economical and well
ORGANIZED, school system, your Com
mittee, after a thorough study OF the
whole matter, begs to make the follow
ing report: i,
We requested permission OF Superln-
tendent Palmer to visit him on wed
nesday. January 31st, 1917. We were
most cordially received by Superlnteh-
dent Palmer and his office stall ana
suneryisors. We were given every OPP
portunity to study their system In de-
fail and make any inquiries we chose
to make relating to the same. we
were not only given the information
sought. but they were so kind as 10
offer TO undertake to assist us IN the
installation of any or all parts OF their
system that we may decide to adopt.
As the chief concern OF the COM
mittee was the method OF purchase
and 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-
allv evolved the present system. IL
does not appear to your Committee
that anv great difficulties were ex-
perienced in solving the problem and
evolving the present method OF supply
and distribution.
We offer as exhibit CD a contract
blank which is the basis of the sys-
tenn. The method is as follows
|. District the County and the coal
supply sources of distribution.
2. Advertise for bids to supply a
stated amount, kind and quality or
coal by a certain date to each OF fh9
schools in the district.
3. The lowest bidder secures the
contract for the district.
A. In case no one bids the contract
il hen offered to some one more re-
mote to bid on.
5. If this tails the County pur-I
Chases the coal.
This last procedure has not been
necessary so far.
6. The bids are offered in the early
Spring but the coal is delivered after
the schools open.
Z. Deliveries are made to the
teacher in charge who pays the bill.
S. The central authorities check up
the bill and approve or disapproVe
according as the items of the bill are
according to contract or not.
8. No accounts are allowed to run
over the month.
10. All bills to he paid for q GER
tain school must be included in the
draft to the teacher of the school.
Thus each month all bills against the
school authorities are paid off and the
central office is able TO strike
monthly balance sheet.
Your Committee now wishes to in
troduce the annual monthly report
system as 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 Il man 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 is
painting school buildings. In this
way not all the property gets out OF
repair at the same time. There are
times when a helper is necessary.
Teachers are instructed to commu-
nicate with the office when repairs
are needed, or when floors are to be
oiled, etc. Oil is purchased by the
County at 25c a gallon and furnished
to the schools. Ordinarily oil is pur-
chased at stores at from Coo to $500
gallon. 1t is one Of the duties of
this man to secure prices and bids
for supplies. 1t is 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 to
the system of checks and balances
which in the opinion of your Commit
tee is the most important item in our
investigation, since it makes it pos
sible to prepare by the Secretary and
Treasurer, an exact monthly state
ment Of finances for each meeting of
the Board and permits no unauthoriz-
ed bills TO appear.
To establish such system the
Frederick authorities find it necessary
to introduce a complete modern sys
tenn of filing. All bills are filed
against the school for which the bills
are paid. Our attention was also
called in this connection, to an office
machine, the 'Neostyle", concerning
which the Frederick people are very
enthusiastic since it made it 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 is the
HMultigraph''
Your Committee was also shown
by the system in force in 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
of the schools. The report system
reduces the heterogeneous ordering of
these things, which are of almost
daily occurrence here, and makes it
possible to tell at the end of the
enhooI ,yoor bn op1oIpt hoe