The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-05-08
Council Proceedings.

| a communication was received from
the city stenographer asking for the ap
polntment of an additional typewriter
in mis- office. 1t was referred to the
committee on city property.
The mill owners of the East end called
attention to the fact that their property
was without adequate fire protection.
The matter was referred to the alder
men for the First ward.
a communication was received from
the Women's Club asking for the pass
| age OF an ordinance permitting the
election or appointment of women as
members of school boards The ordin-
ance was ordered to be printed
Following is the communication:
| For a woman to be a member Of a
school board is nothing new or untried.
Twenty three Of our states give women
that privilege; most of these states give
them also the right to vote for school
officers. In Connecticut there are eighty
women on school boards, in Michigan
| three hundred, in Lexington, Ky. there
! ffiN nun "ouISii oI t1C cIuool bptl VI
, and four men, elected by the votes of
| both men and women. In Wisconsin
the general law permits women to serve
| on school boards and to vote on all
| schol matters. 1t is only a question Of
| giving to the women of Superior the
privileges now enjoyed by the great ma
jority of the women in the state Sec
ton 5l8 of the Revised Statutes, adopted
in 1879, and now in force says:
Every woman twenty-one years Of
age and upwards may be elected or ap-
! pointed as director, treasurer, or clerk
of school district, director or secre-
tary of a town board under the town
| ship system, member of board of edu-
| cation in cities, or county suparintend-
| ent''
Were it not for provision of section
176 of our special charter the women of
Superior could hold school offices under
this state law, as do other women in the
state. Section l76, adopted in 1891, is
as follows:
The Board of Education shall consist
of one commissioner from each ward of
| the city OF Superior to be appointed bv
the mayor and confirmed by the COM
mon council of said city. Each of said
| school commissioners shall be aQualified
elector and actual resident of the ward
| for which he may have been appointed
and also freebooter therein, and shall
| continue to reside in the ward during
| the time for which he shall serve as
| school commissioner"
| When the charter was formed there
was probably no intention to exclude
women or to clash with section 5I3 of
| the Revised Statutes. The lawyer who
drew the school sections of our charter
says it was q mere oversight.
| Section 5l3 of the Revised Statutes was
| passed in 1873. The question OF whether
it is best for women to sit on school
| boards in Wisconsin was discussed and
settled TWENTY-FIVE years ago. Superior
| is twenty-five wears behind the times.
| The women of Douglas county outside
| the town of Superior can and do hold
| positions on the school boards while
the women inside the city limits of Su-
| perior cannot.
Our County Superintendent, Mrs.
Crownhart, holds her office under sec
ten 5l3 of the Revised Statutes. Twenty
| per cent. of the county superintendent
| in Wisconsin are women. Many women
serve on school boards throughout the
state. Letters received from nine of
| the largest cities in the state show that,
of the nine, GAINESVILLE is the only city
with a charter not permitting women on
| school boards.
At the last session our legislature
passed a law which. on its adoption by
the city council, will restore to the
women of Superior the school rights
which the city charter deprived them
Of.
Chapter 81, laws of 1897, is as follows;
| NO l39 :. Published March l.. 1897
CHAPTER 81.
| AN ACT relating 10 the election or appoint
ment OF women upon school boards. or
! boards of education, in cities of the second
and third classes. existing under special
charters.
The people OF the State of Wisconsin. repre-
scented in Senate and Assem- bly,, do enact as
follows:
Section l Any city Of the second or third
| class, now existing under special charter. as
! defined by chapter Us of the laws OF this
| state. passed in 1925. may by ordinance adopt
section of this act in the manner following:
| Such ordinance shall be introduced at some
| regular meeting of the common council and
| no action shall be taken thereon before the
next regular meeting thereof. some later
| one: and before final action is taken thereon
| it shall be published at least once in each
| week for three successive weeks in the official
| paper, some other ewSDapcr to be deSig-
mated by the city council together with "A
notice OF the time at which such proposed
! ordinance will be considered. No city shall
| be deemed to surrender any part OF its special
| charter till these requirements shall have
been fully performed. The adoption OF such
! ordinance shall be by at least three-fourths
| OF all the members-elect OF the common
council voting therefor. hen adopted as
herein provided such ordinance shall be
| deemed repeal of all parts OF the SPECIAL
charter Inconsistent Herewith and an amend.
| ment thereof TO conform thereto
Section ,. Any woman over twcnty-one
| years OF age having an actual residence Of
| at least one year next preceding the time of
her s , f or sPPGnthment in tt the ward or
/ appointed. owning at that time real estate In
| her own right situate in such ward or district.
may be elected to or appointed upon school
! boards or boards OF education in such cities.
! and hold and exercise all the powers and
/ duties Of such office. as il she were electOr
/ at general elections in this state. Removal
| from such ward or district will create va
| cancy in the office filed.
Section }. This act shall be in force from
/ its passage and publication.
| Approved March 10. 1897.
We have prided ourselves that SUI
perior is a progressive c1tv. With the
exception of GAINESVILLE We are behind
every other city and hamlet in the
! state.
| The Board of Public Works advised
| the improvement of several streets by
/ the use of cinders and ashes at cost
not to exceed 800,
| Residents across the Nemadjl asked
/ for the placing of lights on the Fourth
! street bridge. The matter was referred
/ to the aldermen for the First ward.
! The judgments of r. Welsh and John
Alderman against the city were refer
/ red to the finance committee.
| Two reports of the special committee