Evening star., 1940-03-21
School Board Studies
Courts Decision
On Garnishment
BoIIou Says Procedure
In Debt Cases May
Have to Be Changed

A recent Supreme Court decision
allowing garnishment of salaries Of
Federal employees may force the
Board of Education to change its
procedure in dealing with non-pay-
ment of debt if the ruling is found
to apply to the District.
Supt. Frank w. Ballou yesterday
laid this warning before the board
together with a copNof the Supreme
Courts holding in the case of the
Federal Housing Administration
against Ruth Burr.
At the same time DR.. Ballou said
he understood great many claims
had been filed against employees of
the District since the decision was
handed down and that he was ad-
vised by the corporation counsels
Office a test case on the status of
District employees already was in
court.
One Pay Check Held Up.
He revealed that the pay check
of an employe of the Board of Educa-
ton already had been held up in
connection with the ruling, but said
the check later had been cleared.
He did not know, he said, what ar
rangement had been made.
Dr. Ballou said it was his under
standing that the ruling did not
apply to the District, but the board
is expected to ''sit tight" until the
decision in the District case.
At present where attachment of
pay of school employees for debt in
CURED is not possible, the superin-
tendent explained that school Off
cials confer with the debtor in an
effort to arrange payment. Special
blanks have been drawn up under
which the employe outlines his case
and, in the case of mutually recog-
nized just debt, specifies terms of
repayment. In the case of an en-
ploye refusing to settle just debt,
the matter is taken before the boards
personnel committee, DR.. Ballou said
Other than dismissal from the school
system, he said, there is no means
by which the board can discipline
nonpayment. He added that he
could not recall any dismissals of
this kind.
Recommends New System.
Meanwhile the boards personnel
committee has before it recon-
mendations from DR.. Ballou to estab-
lish "a more satisfactory" method of
dealing with the extension of credit
to school employees.
DR.. Ballou said that at present
certain employees of the board
already seriously involved in debt
are extended further credit by per-
sons or firms solely on the fact that
they are employees of the board.
He suggested that prospective
creditors inquire about applicants in
writing.
If an agency or person extended
credit to an employe whose reliability
was not attested to by previous
records, he continued, it would be at
the risk of the creditor and school
officials would feel 40 responsibility
for assisting in collection of debt
incurred under such circumstances.
Leave Act Amendments.
The superintendent also called to
the attention of the members an
amendment to the Annual and Sick
Leave Acts under which employees do
not have to count holidays and days
on which they would not be working
and receiving pay
The members were advised that he
has notified the Zoning Commission
of the opinions of school officials
that Sears, Roebuck retail
store at Wisconsin avenue and Abe
marie street NV. would be danger
Gus for the children of the Janney
School despite the efforts of the
company to cooperate in removing
hazards. He stated a study of the
residences of children at the Wood
row Wilson High School and other
schools in the neighborhood is being
made to determine whether the store
would be hazard for them as we'll.
Two liquor license applications
were opposed by the board as being
too near schools One was an ap-
plication for a class B license at 301
P street NV. and the other, a class
B, at 1245 D street NE. The first
was said to be too near the Arm
strong High School and the second
too near the Lovejoy Elementary
School