Newspapers / The Johnstonian-Sun (Selma, N.C.) / Oct. 30, 1930, edition 1 / Page 2
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Extravagance of the School Board On this page will be seen photo graphic cuts of two checks paid out «f our County public school money. An examination of these checks will give some idea of the wreckless manner in which our school funds are handled under the existing sys tem, and by the present managers. It will be seen that the check for one thousand dollars was handed over to Abell and Shepard as fees for services in superior court rendered by this law firm as attorney for the board of education in its suit against the board of county com missioners, which suit resulted in taking from the pockets of the tax payers of the county more than $30,000.00 which the county com missioners considered unnecessary ■for the operration of the six months schools. Then after having forced the coun ty commissioners to collect and pay over the sum of $561,718.12 when they felt that $530,000.00 would have been sufficient if properly handled. Mr. Marrow paid the sum of $1000 to this law firm for what was prob ably a smaller amount of actual work than the average farmer does for the sum of $10.00. The check for $150.00 appears to have been a balance due on a radio. The total cost of the radio is not kno'wn, neither is it known why or for what purpose it was bought. There was another check or vouch er for $1,000.00 that passed through the treasurers office payable to H. B. Marrow without toy explanation as to what it was for. This is report ed to have been a bonus alleged to have been given to Supt. Marrow by the board of education after he had been paid the full lawful limit of $3,500.00 for his years work. The people believe in schools, and are willing to pay a reasonable amount of tax money for the sup port of the public schools of the county. But the school budgets for several years past have been in creased at such a rapid rate, that the tax rate has necessarily had to be increased from time to time in order to raise the amounts of money that the Board of County Commis sioners have been forced to furnish to the County Board of Education. This sort of business has gone on from year to year, and the burden | on thie taxpayers has been incieased until it is almost unbearable. The records show that the sum of -$530,865.53 was used in the opera tion of the six months schools of the County in 1928-29 with 446 teachers. The County Superintend ent last year presented a budget amounting to more than $573,000.00 -for the operation of the six months schools; and this was after the new .school law had gone into effect which was supposed to limit the number of teachers in Johnston ■County to 418 for that term. The laying off of 28 teachers which was •supposed to have been done last' year has been estimated to have saved in salaries about $18,000.00. Yet the budget was increased last year to the extent of about $43,- 000.00 more than was used the pre vious year. It will be remembered that the county commissioners last year re fused to approve the budget as pre sented by superintendent Marrow, but did at first agree to approve a budget allowing exactly the same amount as was expended the pre vious year which amount was $530,- 865.53. Mr. Marrow contended that he could not operate the six months schools on the same amount as was used the previous year notwithstand ing the fact that he was supposed to operate with a much smaller .number of 'teachers. Later when threatened with a law suit the Board of County Commis sioners agreed to approve a budget amounting to $547,900.84. Mr. Mar row then agreed to operate the six months schools on the sum of $555,- 606.71, but the County Commission ers refused to approve this bud get, and then it was that the Sup erintendent of Schools and the Board of Education started suit in the courts in an effort to force the County Commissioners to fumi.sh the amount of money that had been de manded. The case was first beard by H. V. Rose, clerk of the court, who decided the case in favor of the Board of Education by declar ing that the sum of $555,606.71 was the amount necessary for opera tion of the public schools of the county for six months. The County Commissioners ap pealed the case to the Superior A-CtJBBENT Expense Object No...!.. B-Capital Object No ^ C-Debt Sebvice Object No The above check was issued by H. B. Marrow from the school fund of Johnston County in favor of The Smithfield Herald and all the explanation given is that it was for balance on radio. PROVISION FOR THE PAYMENT OF THIS WARRANT tOR ORDERf HAS BEEN MADE BY AN APPROPRIATION DULY MADE OR A BOND OR NOTE DULY AUTHORIZED AS REQUIRED BY “THE COUNTY FISCAL CONTROL ACT." A-Current Exprt_se/ Object INo.^ B-Capital Outlay Object No.... C-Debt Service Object No.. JooOiOOf*Z COUNTY FUND COUNTY ACCJ^UJIT^JnT I^ST. FUND^ '' NAME OF 8CHo6l DIBT, NO. TOWNSHIP to: The Treasurer of Johnston County A tP — Bj^RD^bF EDUCATI^ JOHNSTON COUNTY bJ -7^, f BUPT. PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. The above check was given to Abell & Shepherd of Smithfield, for what they did in helping to make the county commissioners raise the school budget which caused the tax rate in John ston county to be raised 9c on the $100 valuation in 1929, so you see Mr. Marrow spends the school funds very freely in order to force your taxes higher. Court. It was heard before Judge Sinclair and a jury. The judge di rected the verdict' in favor of the Board of Education without giving the jury any voice and ordered the County Commissioners to le'vy and collect the necessary taxes and fur nish to the County Board of Educa tion the sum of $561,718.12 for the operation of six months schools. The Board of County Commission ers was then forced by Judge Sin clair to furnish $6,111.41 more than the $555,606.71 with which the County Superintendent and the Board of Education Ifed previously agreed to operate the schools for the six months term. The County' Commissioners then took steps to raise the money as directed by Judge Sinclair, which it seemed that they had to do in or der to stay out of prison, but they appealed the case to the State Su preme Court . The Supreme Court confirmed the judgment of the Su perior Court. ‘ It will thus be seen that the County Commissioners fought brave ly and fought 'to the last ditch, not withstanding the fact that they real ized all the while that they must make their fight in Democratic courts. This year Mr. Marrow presented his 1930-31 budget demanding the sum of $590,250.12 which sum was larger by $28,532.00 than the amount which Judge Sinclair forced the Board of County Commissioners to furnish for the operation of the six months schools in 1929-30. This big new budget was present ed to the Board of County Commis sioners on June 20, 1930, and was rejected by the board at a meeting held on July 14, 1930. Pleasant Grove Gets Raw Deal From Marrow There is much dissatisfaction in the Piney Forest school district in Pleasant Grove to-wnship as a re sult of their local school having been completely done away with by H. B. Marrow after a petition had been circulated and the people all signed up to have the Piney Forest School maintained for the benefit of the primary grades. Mr. Marrow rules that all children in that dis trict will have to attend school this year at Cleveland High School at Oakland several miles away and has taken the money allowed for their teacher and bought a truck with it for Cleveland High S.’hool. The people of the Piney Forest section feel that they have been treated outrageous by Mr. Marrow and feel ing is running high in that part of the County. Democrats Pay Bonuses to Defeated Candidates The county records in the Johnston County court house contain some pretty interesting in formation as to how the public funds of the coun ty fared in the hands of the Democrats after they had witnessed their overwhelming defeat in the November election in 1928. They not only loaned out practically all the county’s sinking fund, but they actually ^ave away $4412.69 of the county’s money to defeated candidates and their office assistants. The records show that each official and each clerk drew their salary regular ly at the end of each month, and there is no reason that can be drawn why they should have received the payments shown below, other than as a political gift from the county’s treasury. The following is the list of checks drawn. Please note the dates of these checks and the reason for same as shown by the records: Dec. 3,1928 Sara E. Turlington $100.00 (extra work in Treasurer’s office during two years service). Nov. 19, 1928, J. R. Creech, Treas., $600.00 (Use of car and extra work $25.00 per month— 24 months). Nov. 30, 1928, L. W. Barnes, Register of Deeds ($125.00 for extra help in office for October and November). Dec. 1, 1928 Wellons & Wellons, Spec. Atty. ($100.00 Oliver vs. Bd. of Commissioners). Dec. 1, 1928 Paul D. Grady $1400.00 (Service in case of W. J. Massey settlement, Oliver vs. Commissioners, making up budget, etc). Dec. 1, 1928 Paul D. Grady $400.00 (Balance due on annual retainer for 1927-1928). Nov. 14; H. A. Watson $102.50 (trips to Dur ham, Raleigh, Clayton, Four Oaks, and other places). Nov. 19,1928 J. M. Turley gas and oil $551.86, Salary $458.33, total $1010.19. Nov. 22, 1928 Ed F. Ward, $100.00 (for special service bond issuance). Nov. 30, 1928’ D. O. Uzzle $100.00 (for night work). Dec. 1, 1928 G. A. Fitzgerald $250.00 (extra service during term). Dec. 1, 1928, W. W. Stewart* $125.00 (personal service of car 5 months July 1, to Dec. 1st). Total of the above, $4412.69. A previous bonus had been given to the sher iff’s office as will be seen from an order made by the board of County Commissioners on April 5, 1927, and entered in the minutes as follows; “Ordered that J. M. Turley be paid an addi tional $1,000.00 for expenses for self and depu ties for December 1926, January 1927, Fbruary 1927 and March 1927.” A Comparison of Various County Office Expenditure A difference between last year of Democratic Administra tion, Dec. 1927 to Dec. 1928, and first year of Republican Ad- ministrotion, Dec. 1928 to Dec. 1929, in the following offices: County Auditor, Democratic ...$10,019.10 County Auditor, Republican 5,733.51 A saving of $4,285.59 County Treasurer, Democratic 4,790.84 County Treasurer, Republican 4,385.49 A saving of 432.35 County Sheriff, Democratic 12,703.16 County Sheriff, Republican 11,310.55 A saving of -- 1,392.61 Register of Deeds, Democratic — 9,497.50 Register of Deeds, Republican 8,433.72 A saving of 1,063.78- Welfare Office, Democratic 1,876.78 Welfare Office, Republican 1,629.03 A saving of 247.75 Health Dept., Democratic 3,919.50 Health Dept., Republican 3,306.45 A saving of 613.05 Charities and Corrections, Dem. 13,382.84 Charities and Corrections, Rep. 10,651.55 . A saving of 2,731.29 Court House and Grounds, Dem. 7,398.96 Court House and Grounds, Rep. 7,285.81 A saving of — 113.15 County Home, Democratic 10,625.08 County Home, Republican 10,125.43 A saving of 499.65 County Jail, Democratic 4,831.92 County Jail, Rep., Jan. 1-29 to Jan. 1-30 1,968.66 A saving of — 2,863.26 Tax Collector, Democratic 6,677.16 Tax Collector, Republican 5,079.89 A saving of . 1,597.27 A total saving of $15,210.47 Marrow Gets $1,000.00 Bonus Check No. 5748, to H. B. Mar row, on order of Board of Education on June 25, 1929, (supposed to be a bonus) $1000.00
The Johnstonian-Sun (Selma, N.C.)
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Oct. 30, 1930, edition 1
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