Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 159, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1915 — County Board of Education To Investigate Lamson Charges. [ARTICLE]

County Board of Education To Investigate Lamson Charges.

County Superintendent Lamson with copies of The Republican spread before him indulged in explanations of the various articles assailing him as incompetent and unfair when the county board of education met at his office Tuesday afternoon. The editor of The Republican happened into the office when Mr. Lamson was reading sections of the published articles and notes were made of the explanation he offered in several instances and will be published in a later issue. In two cases his defense seemed to be sufficient to exonerate him. One of these was the statement in this paper that he had been paid money by trustees for agricultural books. The law reads as follows: “Any county superintendent may be impeached for immorality, incompetency, or general neglect of duty, or for acting as agent of any text book, school furniture, maps, charts, or other school supplies and such impeachment proceedings shall in all things be governed by the provisions of law now in force for impeaching county officers.” The agricultural publications which Mr. Lamson sold to the trustees were purchased of the Webb Publishing Co., and the correspondence between Lamson and the company showed that the sets about soils and soil fertility and field crops were to be supplied at $2.20 each. Mr. Lamson showed the cancelled checks in amounts of $46.20 and $72.60. Also that he had been paid by the trustees on the basis of $2.20 per set, thus being reimbursed just the same amount he had paid out. He alsp showed that the trustees had at a meeting previous to the time the books were ordered authorized him to ascertain the cost and make the purchases, which he did. Although there was nothing in the transaction to show that he had profited in any manner by it, the law prohibits him acting in that capacity and he was technically guilty of violating the law. The other instance in which he justified himself was in the employment of Miss Grace Hoefgen -to complete the Aix school. Miss Hoefgen had taught successfully for some three years in Walker township and was recommended by Trustee Salrin and it was desirable to secure a teacher of experience at the Aix school, according to Trustee Hammerton, of Union township, and Miss Hoefgen was employed. Mr. Lamson stated that he believed she had been originally brought to the county through an agency but that the 5 per cent prevailed only for the first year and this was her third year and consequently the charge that she paid 5 per cent was not true. Miss Hoefgen, who is now Mrs. H. B. Brown, of Kniman, writes The Republican that she was never an agency teacher. During the course of his discussion Mr. Lamson looked around and observed the editor of The Republican making notes and he questioned the right of the editor in his office. The editor asserted his right to be there and suggested to Mr. Lamson that he appeal his opinion to the members of the board. It apparently dawned upon him at that time that being county superintendent does not give him the ownership of the courthouse and he made no further objection. The editor of The Republican then stated that it was his opinion that every record in the office of the county superintendent was just as much a public record as any in the offices of the auditor, treasurer, clerk or recorder and indicated that he expected to conduct an investigation through the records in that office. Mr. Lamson made no reply. An adjournment was taken and the editor had other business to look after and did not attend the later session of the board. A committee composed of Trustee Wood, of Marion towpship; Trustee Keen, of Wheatfield township, and Trustee Porter, of Carpenter township, was appointed to interview the editor of The Republ'can and a conference was held at The Republican office. It was proposed that a meeting be called for Monday afternoon, July 12tK, to investigate the charges made and any additional evidence of incompetency and this was determined upon. There will be called to the office of Mr. lamson at that time a number of per Sons from over Jasper county who will support the charges, presented in several articles in this paper. Among those who will appear will be L. H. Hamilton, B. D. Comer and other representative citizens.