The Mingo Republican

Preece Says School Board Should Quit

Declares Case Lost; 'Baloney,' Is Reply Of William Adair

In the opinion of George Dewey Preece of Kermit, member of the Mingo board of education, all board members should resign before proceedings, being brought by a group of petitioners, force them from their elective office later.

Preece, whose term on the board has two more years to run, has already announced he will offer no defense when Circuit Court Judge Charles W. Ferguson hears ouster proceedings Jan. 6.

When those proceedings are brought to court only three members of the five-man board will be involved. In addition to Preece they are William Adair and Charles Perry, both of Delbarton. J. B. Pitcock, board president, has been elected to a new term of office, which begins Jan. 1, and the fifth member, C. H. Peake, was defeated in the general election and therefore will not be a member when the petition of seven taxpayers is acted on.

In the opinion of Preece, the case is as good as over. He said that much to a reporter yesterday afternoon. He said he was willing to step down, and said that at one time Adair was also willing to quit, leaving Perry to carry on alone.

Adair answered this in one word: "Baloney." He went on to defend the action of the board in agreeing to pay for purchases made from board members.

According to Adair, white paint was purchased from Pitcock by a maintenance foreman without consulting the board. "The paint was necessary," said Adair, "and it was practically impossible to find. I see no reason why we should be prosecuted because we got it from a member of the board at lower cost to us. There certainly was no profiteering in the transaction."

Adair said that in another case Board Member Peake supplied gasoline to the board cheaper than anyone else would supply it, and at a time when there was a gasoline shortage. We (the board) didn't know about these purchases until they were brought up for payment. We had to pay the bills. I'm sure no one profited by the transactions.