The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-09-15
BRISK LEGAL
FIGHT MARKS
SCHOOL CASE
Attorneys for Defendant File
Plea In Abatement in Cam
bridge School Consolidation
Trial Wednesday.
SUIT AGAINST TRUSTEE

Arguments on plea in abatement
filed by the defendant in the man
date proceedings instituted by the
Consolidated School township of Cam
bridge City and of Jackson township,
through B. F. Wissler. president, and
E. r. Huddleston. treasurer, Of the
consolidated school board, against
Amos e. Ehle, trustee Of Jackson
township. were heard before Judge
William A. Bond in circuit court We'd
nesday.
The action, instituted by the major
ity members of the consolidated
school board, was for the purpose of
requiring Dr. Ehle to assume his du-
ties as secretary Of the board and to
compel him to pay to the treasurer
of the board the township school mon
eys he had drawn from the county
treasury. DR.. Ehle has refused to
recognize the consolida ton Of the two
school corporations.
Long Legal Skirmish
In entering plea in abatement at
torneys for DR.. Ehle, Wilfred Jessup
and Denver c. Harlan, argued that
the name of the plaintiff school cor
poration was not correctly given in
the complaint, and that the school
corporation has no entity for the rea-
son that the consolidation of the two
school corporations had never been
completed.
sented by Ray K. Shively, John l..
Rupe and John Dodson, contended
that the points raised by counsel for
DR.. Ehle should have been presented
in demurrer to the complaint rather
than in a plea in abatement The
legal skirmish occupied the attention
OF the court the entire forenoon.
Says Williams Responsible
Prior to the presentation Of argu.
ments in the case Mr.. Wissler, presi-
dent Of the consolidated school board.
stated that c. o. Williams. county
mainly responsible for the dispute
which has arisen over the consolida-
ton Of the two school corporations.
Mr.. Wissler frankly stated his be-
lief that Mr.. Williams had opposed
the consolidation for the reason that
it would remove from his control the
schools Of Jackson township, one of
the largest school districts in the
county.
NesIects Other Letter
Mr.. Wissler stated that when Mr..
Williams recently announced that the
attorney general Of the state had given
an opinion, last May, that the union of
the two school corporations was in
valid because the consolidation had
never been completed, under the pro-
visions Of the law, that Mr.. Williams
had neglected to add that later the
attorney general had given another
opinion that union of the two cor
porations would be validated when
ever the consolidation was completed.
Mr.. Wissler added that this con-
solidation was completed the first of
August when the temporary consolid-
ated school board retired and the
members of the regularly elected
school board assumed office.
Denies Big Tax Levy
Mr.. Wissler also denied that it
would be necessary to levy an ex-
orbitant tax in Cambridge City for the
maintenance Of the town schools un-
der the consolidated plan. He fur
ther stated that the people of Cam
bridge City would prefer to pay more
tax than they now do if by so doing
they would save their schools from
being placed under the direct control
of the township trustee and the
county school superintendent
He alleged that Mr.. Williams was
not actuated by any desire to divorce
the two school corporations. His de.
sire. Mr.. Wissler said, was to continue
the consolidation of the two school
corporations but to remove them from
the control of the Joint school board
and place then under the control OF
the township trustee and himself.