Edmond Enterprise and Oklahoma County News. (Edmond, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 25, 1903 Page: 1 of 16
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Edmond Enterprise
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THURSDAY,
EDMOND, OKLAHOMA.
AND OKLAHOMA
COUNTY NEWS.
JUNE 25, 1903.
CONCLUSION.
AS SOON as the paper is printed
one week, work has to begin
upon the next issue. In order to keep
the work out of the way, the news ma-
terial has to be worked up as it hap-
pens. So we cannot wait until the
territorial officers decide wftat they are
going to do before writing up the event
that happened as we were going 10
press with the last paper, but must put
this hay in the barn (or news into
type) before the shower of news of
the week rains it out of sight. Under
this circumstance some things may
sound different than they would if the
decision was already made. The de-
cision will be printed some place in
this issue if it is made public by Thurs-
day morning.
There is one thing we wish to say
before going any further and that is
that no matter what the recommenda-
tions of the committee may be, we are
not going "to harp" on this subject all
sum me i. The attention of the
authorities and the people has been
called to what appeared to be poor
business conduct, it is now up to them
to act.
Regarding the so called investiga-
tion no matter what the decision is,
the circumstances were very peculiar.
The judges in the case are some of
the men who passed the bills originally
and had discussed them. To condemn
their former actions is hardly to be
looked for, but one result is nearly
certain, and that is that some of the
practices will be stopped.
Now that it is over, after hearing
the other side of the case, and trying
to view the matter from an absolutely
utprejuiiced standpoint, here is the
jist of the question as we see it. The
salary of the janitor of the school was
raised, as we understand it, from $900
to $1,050 a year by the board of re-
gents at their meeting on April 1st
1901, and in so doing the minutes of
that date read; "at a salary of $1,050
per year to begin July 1st 1901, the
condition being that he keep the build-
ing and grounds in excellent condition
and furnish services (messenger and
otherwise) as demanded by the pres-
ident of the school."
Outside of the questions of whether
it was good public policy to permit the
janitQr to pay bilk for supplies and sell
his department wood, nearly all discus-
sion as to bills hang on the interpreta-
tion of the terms under which the jan-'
itor's salary was raised.
The first point would be does it
mean that the janitor was to give his
entire working time to the territory.
If it does the management has been
wrong. If it means that the janitor was
to give part of his time to outside work,
and the territory to pay for extra help
occasionally then the management
was right.
If it meant when it said "the condi-
tion that he keep the building and
grounds in excellent condition" that
he would have to keep the building
clean with no further expense to the
territory than the $1,050 peryeir, then
the management is wrong.
If it means that whenever there was
rubbish made in the building by car-
penters or from other causes that the
territory should pay extra for cleaning
up, then the management is right.
If the condition to the advance of
salary, did not mean the sowing and
cutting of grass, of planting trees,
scrubbing floors, putting coal in base-
ment, setting up seats, putting up
stoves etc., then the management was
right on those items. If these services
come under the terms of the "condi-
tion" then the management is wrong.
If the "condition" meant that when
the janitor went to the depot after a
book or other article that came in by
express he should be paid an extra fee
for the service, then the management
is right on that class of items. If
these services were "messenger and
otherwise" under the conditions ot the
advance of salary, then the manage-
ment is wrong.
If there was one well de'ined princi-
ple laid down, that when a man is em-
ployed by a territorial school he is em-
ployed for his entire working time, and
is not supposed to engage in outside
occupations, the management would
avoid all kinds of complications. If
the Normal board had had this proper
conception of the duties of employees
and had enforced its obedience none
of these complications and questions
as to bills would have come up.
There is but oneway to conduct public
affairs and that is to conduct them
right, and with the same business
methods as corporations use in the
management of their business.
If every thing was open and above
aboard why was an attempt made to
make a "Huffman contract" in the
name of Long. Why should someone
else's name be used? If it was all
right, why did they use the names of
others to collect money from the Ter-
itory?
Rev. Mr. Rankin admitted receiving
the application for the position of jan-
itor from J. B. Smith, who proposed
to give bond for the faithful perform-
ance of. the work at $600 per year.
It is charged that this application was
not presented to the bcara. For the
past two years this would have made a
saving to the territory of $900.00.
Men who have had jury experience
have found out that men can listen to
the evidence in a case and some will
take just an opposite view from others.
The same is true of those that listened
to the investigation last Thursday.
Some said there is noth'ng to it, others
said this matter should have been
remedied long ago. Men all have a
right to their honest opinions. And it
is supposedly true that one can not ex-
pect everyone to agree with him no
matter how sure he is that he is right.
What would be thought of a farmer
who would employ a hand, say at $300
a year, and pay said hand extra for
going over to a neighbors after a spade,
and then pa* them extra for setting
out some grass in the front yard.
Such a thing would not be thonght of,
at all. Now what is to be thought
of the managment of a territorial
institution that will employ a janitor
at $ 1,050.00 and allow him extra pay
for various services.
If the "management" had been do
ing business for themselves, would
they have paid the good salary ot
$1050.00 a year, and a1 lowed the ex-
tras?
ALLEDGED INVESTIGATION.
TERRITORIAL Auditor Bax-
ter, Treasurer Rambo, and
Attorney General Roberts came down
from Guthrie last Thursday afternoon
for the purpose of canvassing some of
the accounts allowed by the board of re-
gents. At this writing it is not known
what their report will be, but as the
first two officers had at one time pass-
ed upon the bills it is probable that they
will not severly condemn their own ac-
tions of the past. In the beginning Mr.
Baxter asked if anyone had anything
other than the written charges. Rev.
Rankin objected, stating that he was not
prepared to answer any charges that had
not been filed in writing. An effort was
made to have all of the proceedings re-
corded bythe stenographer, Miss May-
all, so that the Governor would know
just what transpired, but it was ruled
that it was not necessary to record
other than the so called testimony.
(It is the side lights sometimes that
reflects the real shadows.) Why the
Governor should not have had a com-
plete record of the proceedings was
not explained. The afternoon
was devoted to having called to their at-
tention the various accounts that E. R.
Felt thought needed explanation. John
Long was interrogated about his bill
and testified that he had authorized W.
J. Huffman-, the janitor, to sign his
name to the receipts. He also testifi-
ed that he had personally performed
most of the services. In the evening
the explanations of the bills were heard.
The first witness was Rev. Rankin,
who explained that he sent Mr. Huff-
man to Anadarko after his buggy, be-
cause Mr. Huffman was the only man
he could get who could identify the
buggy. Mr. Huffman then took the
stand and said that while he was at An-
adarko his father did his work at the
school. Mr. Huffman, Sr., said that
he had helped his son often but was
not positive as to this particular occa-
sion. The explanations of Mr. Huff-
man was then resumed. The first
item asked about was $3.00 allowed
Claude Nihart for cleaning in building.
Mr. H. did not remember the circum-
stances, and President Umholtz re-
minded him that it was just before
school opened and Nihart was employed
to clean up after carpenters had been
at work. The same explanation was
made as to $5.00 allowed A. J. Huffman
for cleaning in building. Regarding bill
of H. W. Berkstresser for $13.75,Oct.
2nd, 1902, Judge Roberts asked Mr.
H. whv he did not do the work himselt
and he replied that he did not remem-
ber about it.
The item of a pencil sharpener on
which the express was 30 cents and
drayage 25 cents then came up. Mr.
H. said he supposed that he used a
wagon to bring it up. Mr. Rambo
asked if he did not think it was mes-
senger service. Mr. Huffman replied
that he did not think any man had a
right to pay out money without some
interest, that it would not be right for
him to pay out 25 cents and carry it
two or three months without his charg-
ing up something. Judge Roberts
then asked if he did not think 25 cents
was a good deal of interest on 30
cents. Mr. H's. reply was that he had
several times loaned money at 12 per
cent. He explained that when ever he
paid out money a charge was made.
Mr, Rambo asked if the charges were
all freight or all interest, or part freight
and part interest. Mr. H. replied that
some times he advanced freight that
amounted to $20 or $30 and that he
only charged 25 cents so that the mat-
ter evened itself up. Mr. Baxter ask-
ed what was the greatest amount of
money carried at any one quarter.
Mr. H. replied that sometimes at end
of three months it would run to $ 100
or $200. That sometimes he advanced
as much as $30 for postage stamps,
but that he boug't stamps as near end
of quarter so as not to have to carry it,
as a business proposition.
ABOUT LONG CONTRACT.
Asked about the Long contract Mr.
Huffman said that it was generally un-
derstood that he backed the contract.
Previously Rev. Rankin had read a
letter from Mr. Long offering to do the
drayage at 25 cents a trip and Mr.
O'Connor had asked 50 cents a trip.
Mr. Rankin also stated that he had
told in the board meeting that Mr.
Huffman was back of the contract and
that Mr. Long was Mr. H's. hired
man. Mr. Rambo said he had no rec-
colection of this. Auditor Baxter was
not present when the Long matter was
presented.
Judge Roberts asked Mr. H. why
he did not make the contract in his
own name and he replied that he did
not know who was roaring at that time
but some one was. Asked the ques-
tion again he answered just because he
had Long's name to do it with. Rev.
Rankin asked if he did not have his
men collect bills for him and he re-
plied that frequently such was the case.
Rev. Rankin asked if he ever had his
men take work for him a> d he replied
that they did. Rev Rankin asked if
he ever discussed with the secretary of
the board these drayage charges and if
he (Rev. Rankin) had an intimate
knowleage of his affairs. To these
Mr. H. replied in the negative. Judge
Roberts then asked Mr. H. why the
contract was manipulated in Long's
name and not his own. Mr. H. said
he could not answer. Judge Roberts
asked if he did not think some of the
things charged should have been done as
janitor and he replied no. Mr. Rankin
asked if he did not do work outside of
his regular work, and Mr. H.explained
about his locating students which was
not his duty as janitor. In reply to
questions by Roberts and Baxter, he
said he did not use a team but his boys
did, and that he did not consider
wheeling coal into basement part of
janitor work. Rev. Rankin asked
to have explained that coal had to be
piled into bunkers.
The next subjects taken up were
items for setting out trees and harrow-
ing and sowing grass. Mr. H. said
that these were not under his contract.
The reading of the contract was called
for. As Secretary Rankin could not read-
ily find it, Mr. Felt was asked to read
it from his notes which he did as fol-
lows; "at a salary of $1,050.00 per
year to begin July 1st, 1901, the con-
dition being that he keep the building
and grounds in excellent condition and
furnish services (messenger and other-
wise) as demanded by the president of
the school."
Mr. H. denied that that was the re-
cords, so Rev. Rankin looked to the
minutes of the meeting of April 1st,
1901, and read the same as given
above. Mr. H. then charge 1 that the
minutes had been changed and that he
and Murdaugh had had a hot argument
about it. Mr. H. was asked to give
his understanding of the contract and
said as he remembered it he was to
keep buildings and grounds in first class
condition and carry messages and he
considered that he was to care for the
tree .
The item for setting grass then
came up and Judge Roberts asked
what was meant by keeping grounds in
excellent condition and Mr. H. replied
that he thought it meant to keep build-
ing in order an^ take care of the trees.
Mr. Baxter asked if he did any work
on the campus that he did not charge
and he replied that he never charged
for the care of trees and did lots of
work like pulling weeds. Judge Rob-
erts asked if he did not think the
work should include keeping the grass
in condition. Mr. H. replied that the
board had decided that it was cheaper
to hire men than to buy a mower, that
he had discussed with the Elder the
matter of buying a single horse mower.
Mr. Baxter suggested that he tell about
his woik and how he had to be up even-
ings and around at 5 o'clock in the
morning and Mr. Huffman related his
routine of work.
Bills from outside parties for putting
up stoves and stove pipes were passed
with laughing comments.
A bill of $91.45 of the Chas. Res-
don Electric Co., was paid by Mr. H.
on August 11 th and allowed at the
October meeting. Asked why he paid
this bill, he explained that the com-
pany did not c?re to do the work with-
out having the cash. Asked as to dis-
counting the bill, he replied that It was a
business proposition and he made ar-
rangements with the company. Judge
Roberts asked if this made the work
cost the Territory any more, and he
replied in the negative. Auditor Bax-
ter remarked that he did not like the
Idea of employes discounting bills.
The next item was for scrubbing and
Mr. H. said he did not think it was in
his line of work.
Regarding the wood business, he
said he had a contract with the board
and bought the wood and had his own
teams haul it In.
In closing his evidence,Mr. Huffman
said that he was conscientious in every
bill he put in, otherwise he would not
have put them in.
Prof. Blake testified that he had no
interest in the newspaper business since
the first of October, 1902, that he In-
vested some money in that business,
he found it a losing proposition and
then put it in charge of his wife to look
after at $8 a week and at the end of a
month gave it to her. Regarding re-
cent transfer of the Jayne interest he
said that he and Mrs. Blake, not as
man wife, but as partners, owned
some lots and that Mrs. Blake had
traded for the interests in the news-
paper. He said the stone quarry or
no other business took his time away
from the school. He said that his
home was on his claim in Roger Mills
county, and the law allowed him as an
employee of the Territory to be away
from his claim. Auditor Baxter ex-
pressed himself as thinking this was
alright that a school teacher should be
a money maker and hold down a claim.
President Umholtz was called upon
to tell his connection with the bills un-
der discussion. He said that as an
executive officer of the board it was
his duty to see that the services were
rendered as charged and to see that
the goods for which bills have been
made are delivered. That the board
had no other means of knowing if ser-
vices were rendered and goods deliver-
ed, but that he did not take it as his
perogative to decide that the bill should
be paid but that was the perogative of
the board. He said that he understood
the Long contract for drayage to be a
Huffman contract.
President Umholtz and Auditor Bax-
ter had a spar as to the method of pay-
ing bills and the President shot a hot
one or two into the Territorial Auditor.
Auditor Baxter said that he always ob-
jected to the method of paying bills as
in a previous administration a bill
of Oscar Howard's for $26.00 had been
d scounted to $23.00.
Rev. Rankin wanted to put the fac-
ulty under examination to prove that
the discipline of the school was good,
but Judge Roberts said he was satis-
fied that it was good. Mr. Baxter
said he did not believe the teachers
ojght to be brought into the matter.
So no further action was taken.
The above is an account of the
principal events of the evening, pre-
senting their side of the question. The
board then adjourned to meet in Guth-
rie the next day with Mr. Huffman to
further look at the bills.
4
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Edmond Enterprise and Oklahoma County News. (Edmond, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 25, 1903, newspaper, June 25, 1903; Edmond, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc140120/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.