Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-08
SCHOOL CHILDREN STRIKE.
The Strike Fever at Omaha Reaches the
Public Schools.

i The Strike Fever at Omaha Reaches the
! Public Schools.
/ Omaha, Neb., May s.-Not only is
Omaha's business almost paralyzed by
union troubles, but now the public
schools are threatened, for the school
children are striking. About fifty took
the initial step at the Holy Family pa
rochial school yesterday to secure
shorter hours. They Immediately sent
out pickets and induced about the same
number to join them from the st. Philo-
menas school at the afternoon recess.
There is also a union being formed of
the children in the public schools. and
at Kellom, a graded school, a walk-out
is threatened If one of tie teachers is
not removed.
The strike at the Holy Family church
school WAS business! like affair. The
school has about fifty pupils. half OF
whom are boys. Yesterday morning
there was q general secret conference
and it was decided that school hours
should be from 80 to 1i:45, instead of
from . to u, and L.: is to 8, instead of
to $3.50. Accordingly the boys left the
school at noon and agreed not to return
until their demand was granted.
For certain very urgent reasons some
of them who had grown communicative
at the dinner table changed their minds
and started back about L.. 40. Forty OF
OF the others, however, some no older
than years. stood firm. AS the weak
ened ones came along the strikers way
laid them. The girls. while not joining
the strike, made things generally I'M
pleasant outside the school grounds by
designating as "scabs" those lads who
returned. BY this means they induced
several Of the breakers - join them.
The whole affair had been so quiet
that Father Fitzpatrick and the sisters
were in ignorance of TIE sudden out
break. In the course Of the after
noon, however, there arrived a spokes-
man from the strikers, who presented
their demands and requested an imme-
date answer. Word was sent back that
the strikers could remain out II they
saw fit but that after their return there
would be other striking of a very diff
ferent variety. After that the juven-
lies deemed it best to stay away for the
rest of the day anyhow.
An attempt was made TO brighten the
children into returning ny calling out
the truant officers. The children, how
ever. had prepared for such an emer-
gency. They told the officer that they
had served the required number of
months of the year already and that If
they returned it must be of their own
free will They defied him to arrest
them and he did not. The strikers spent
the afternoon in lengthy conference
in a vacant lot, in which it was decided
20 as. the girls from the school to join
them and If possible to spread the strike
to include every child in the city.
In the evening those who had not
struck felt timidity about venturing out
OF their houses. George Fowler was re-
quested by his mother to go to neigh \
borhood grocery store and demurred so |
that she began an inVesh-
CATION After that it was not long be- |
fore the whole story came out and the
strikers were prevailed upon to accept |
the decision of an arbitration committee
made up of their parents The arbitra- |
tors after hearing the arguments of the |
strikers promised to endeavor to secure
what concessions seem practicable