New Britain herald., 1923-10-10

inc "departed school visitor" r. N. Bacon being the only other person who signed it.
 Early in the discussion Elmer F.. Austin declared that some Of the ngr ures given by the superintendent were incorrect and stated that he was pre- pared to prove it, having town reports for 1915, 1905 and 1900 in his pocket. He stated that he had tested the fig ures on attendahce and had found that they were incorrect. After some discussion as to whether MT. Austin had figured the school enumeration or the registration, he subsided.
 Miss Griswold then spoke regarding the report. She stated that it was a splendid summary of school condi- tions. She said that she did not test the figures because they were in one of the school bulletins included in the report and she was not especially in terested in them. "The report is good" she stated, "and should set us thinking" She said that she believed in being fair to man who worked as hard as Mir. Showalter did and that the report should be accepted as a matter of courtesy The bulletins were inserted merely to set the people thinking. Maybe it was Mir. Show alters intention to make the people do a little arithmetic, she said, adding that there was no risk in accepting the report of the board. It is mat ter of change of personnel that has made the members sit back and not say anything. She felt confident, she said, that if direct questions were put to the members, they would be glad to answer them.
 Miss Murray contended that the board did not authorize it's agent, the superintendent, to make the report The treasurer's report is all right be- cause each item has been acted on individually at meetings. "Irregulari- ties in procedure have been the diffi- culty right along" she said.
 Row Over Treasurers Report
 The fight then jumped over to the report of the treasurer. The chair man asked if the report of the treas urer had been audited after it was found that the names of the auditors did not appear at the end of the re- port in the pamphlet Mir. Bacon re- piled that the books had been signed by Messrs. Graham and Sullivan.
 Mir. Wilcox then rose to his feet and urged the voters to quit casting h. situations" 'The old board is gone," he said. The reports in past years have been signed by the superintend- ont, he said, and why shouldn't they be at the present time? He urged the meeting to be kind merciful and decent to the former superintendent pass the report and go on and do something else.
 Tt is still irregular whether it is passed or not" maintained Miss Aiur. ray. The superintendent is supposed to report to the board, she said. The board is the agent of the people, no, the superintendent, and they should endorse the. report If we go en. dorsing irregularities there will b, nothing but confusion in tho minds oi the people," she concluded.
 The report was finally passed after a standing vote had been taken.
 The report of the health officer wa! accepted, as was that of the collector of taxes. after MT. Wilcox had com. plimented him on the way in whici back taxes have been reduced.
 First Selectman George B. Garter then read the budget for the comin, year, as submitted by the finance com mittee.
 Mir. filling For Reduction Following the reading of the report Willard l. filling did his stuff, ad vocating that several items in tn, budget be reduced. He said that tn, taxpayers deserve some relief H, said that the item for taxes to Mid dletown be reduced s1O and that tn, money for outside poor be reduced |, s3,O00, as there is now plenty of woil for everyone.
 MT. Carter came back at this col lection Of remarks by saying that 'I NIT. filling knew what he was talkin, about he wouldn't say what he said. He added that the s25 for back taxe to Middletown was some money tha the neighboring town said Berlin owet and, although no record of owing tha