The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-09-30
James M. Salter
For Public Works

James Nj. Salter, Socialist COM
missioner of public works, was born
in Chicago AZ years ago. In early in
fancy he moved to Wisconsin with his
widowed mother in which state he
lived until 1906.
His boyhood was spent on farm,
where he received rural school edu-
cation which fitted him to begin teach
ing at the age of eighteen. Saving his
earnings he was later able to take a
course at a normal school, Failing
eyesight forced Mr.. Salter to give up
teaching and he entered the we'll max
ing business, which included we'll drill
ing and installation of gas and wind
power private water systems. In De
cember, 1906, leaving his wife and
family with her own people, Mr.. Sal
ter started out to locate a home in
the West, and after working in lum-
Der, mining and construction camps,
harvest fields and mercantile estab-
lishments in Montana, Idaho, Eastern
Washington and Oregon, decided that
Everett and locality was the proper
place to locate his future home. So
in the winter of 1907, in company with
his wife and two children, came to
this city where he has since lived.
He did not wait to pick out a soft
snap, but while deciding a future
course worked on tug boats, pile driv-
er and camp as cook, and in the lum-
Der mills of Everett, building house
before and after working hours to-
gether with lay-offs for a couple of
years, when Mrs. Salter and he decid-
ed to re-enter the teaching profession.
In that they have been highly success
full and are known as two of the best
and most popular teachers in Snoho-
n1fsh county
AS a teacher Mr. Salter secured
statewide as we'll as local publicity by
insisting that historical truth instead
of the usual romantic fiction be taught
to the pupils in the history classes.
Also that the pupils be taught the &C
tual industrial conditions of the life
they would soon enter instead of the
unreal and misleading stuff generally
taught.
Superintendents, school directors,
and other reactionaries by various
methods have tried to muzzle him,
but with school manual as a guide
and his pupils enthusiastically sup
porting him to the last one, always
came off victorious.
AS commissioner of public works
Mr.. Salter has made good. His worst
political enemies admit that the most
they can say is that Salter insists on
placing his own associates in charge
of the various departments under him
instead of the other fellow.
Mr.. Salter has stood squarely upon
the platform on which he was elected
and has saved the city hundreds of
dollars by substituting system for
chaos and placing specialists in charge
of the various departments.
He has proven beyond doubt the
superiority Of the day labor plan over
the contract system and has in all
cases stood firmly for the interests
Of the workers.
Mr.. Salter never loses sight Of his
social ideals and is not nearly so in
terested in favorable comment on the
business-like and efficient manner in
which he has handled his department
as he is on the effect his acts will re-
fleet to the credit of the Socialist or
ganizatiOn.
He firmly believes that the only
thing worth while today is the educa-
ton Of the working class in economic