New Britain herald., 1928-12-19
CALLS 0vERDRAFT
 TEAPOT TEMPEST
Judge Jennings Replies to Criti.
 CiSm Of School Board
NO GRAFT IN DEPARTMENT
City Council Approves Fire Depart ment .Appo:ntncnts-N .J. Tracy Park supcrinlcndent-I1o cstAilic Sewer Bill 0, K.

"A tempest in a teapot Was the expression used by Judge Newell Jennings, chairman of the board of draft of the school department ot ly27-2S budget at special meet ing of the city council last night.
 Il might remind the council that the board has but one aim. namely to get the best schools for the low est figures. To hear some persons talk, one would think we were q gang of bandits and took everything we could get, and thcn put the un- expended balance in our pockets. There is no graft in the school de- partmcnt. All money disbursed is for bills properly approved by the department and checks made out in the city clerks office. The talk around the streets has been extreme ly unjust to our board and 10 our superintendent"
 At a meeting of the city council on December 1. it was ascertained that the school account had been overdrawn 10 the extent of $15,- 775.SS. A large portion of this was accounted for by Superintendent o! Schools Karl A. Reiche at that meet ing as applying to the payment of a weeks salary to teachers prior 10 the Thanksgiving recess which or dinarily would not have been paid until the first week in December. This would not have affected the budget appropriation except for the fact that the appropriation for this weeks salary was included in the estimates for the school year start ing December and not in the budget for the year ending Novem- Der 30, as 1t should have been.
 The statement. accompanying a let ter written to the members of the council by Judge Jennings. explained the overhaul as follows: Salary overdraft for the extra week. &C., 52o.5S; salaries. fall increase over original contracts. $3,15S: fall in- crease for new positions. s2.9SG; fares for boys 10 the New Britain Trade school and physical examin- ations. s61934: incidental expenses unforeseen. so,365.14: normal growth Towering supplies, etc.l. s94S.oo. UneXpendcd balances total cd sS2l.3S. which decreased the ovcrdraft somewhat.
 Judge Newell expressed the deep est regret that it was necessary for his department to lay before the counsel such a pink" sheet and said that he realized that closer track should have been kept Of the expenditures and compared them from time to time with the budget appropriation. He believed that there should be no excuse for a repetition and to avoid such pos sibility. he suggested that joint meeting of the city council and board of school commissioners be held during February. or about two weeks before the budget was for mally approved. This suggestion met "''' th' oPp'ofdi oI tilt Cuuiltll 'llh February 18th was named as the date of the meeting.
 Tn order to properly close tho record deficiency appropriation for tho amount of the oHerdraft was voted by the council.
 Other deficiency appropriations voted hy the council were as fol- lows: Third taxing district. police. s13.S5: board of health s213.13: new sewers. assessabIe. s1.391..6.
 Approve Appointments
 The promotion Of Lieutenant George Grammar of Welch Fire Co to the rank of captain. as rccou- mended by the hoard Of fire com nissioners, was approved by the ci Y council at it's meeting last evening. Captain Brannan has been assigned to tho new frehouse at the corner Of Lewis street and larmineton avenue and will assume his new duties next Sunday
 The promotion Of Fireman James Doyle and George Graham 10 the rank of lieutenant was also ar- prov cd by the council Lieutenant Doyle will he assigned 10 Host Co. No. and Lieutenant Ora ham to the new fire station on Pennington ave- nue.
 The appointment Of inc following as regular fremen was also 3D. proved: Robert Walsh. Charles Fortunate. T. F. Fitzpatrick. George Dietrich. William Sample and Rich ard OdluIn
 Question Ages
 In discussing the appointment of the regular tiremen. Councilman Er- nest Merrill stated that it had been