The Duluth rip-saw., 1918-05-04

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exander W. Stewart, chief .engin-
eer Of the public schools, will be
presented to the school board at
it's next meeting, Friday, April 10.
While no one seems willing to
admit that Col. Stewart has re-
signed, it is we'll understood that
his formal announcement of his
very responsible and fairly profit
able position is in the hands of
director LeDuc.
Col. Stewards job comes under
the jurisdiction of the committee
on the maintenance of grounds
and buildings. The members of
that committee are directors Brew
er, LeDuc and Foster.
At the time these lines are writ
ten, the Rip.saw has no reliable
information as to Col. Stewards
successor. Some applications have
been received and it also is under
stood that the members of the
committee are looking about to Sc
cure the right man for the rather
sudden vacancy.
If, by any chance, this resigna-
tion is made as a test Of school
board support, it is believed that a
majority will vote to accept it.
Col. Stewart is represented as
being a protege of director Brew
er. One story has it that he form
erly was an engineer in a Brewer
sawmill and that, about six years
ago, the dominant member Of the
board put his former employe in
as chief engineer for the public
schools.
Engineer Stewart has posed as
ventilation expert. AS such, he
has been responsible for the ven
tilation systems of most, if not all,
of the schools erected during the
last six years.
While the Rip-saw has heard no
question as to Col. Stewart 8 skill
and ability with engines, boilers
and steam, his skill and efficiency
as ventilation expert have been
seriously questioned. This fact
was greatly accentuated at the last
meeting of the board of education
when it was unanimously voted to
have the ventilation plants of sew
eral Of the school buildings inves-
tigated and expert reports made
on their practicability and suffici-
ency.
There has been smouldering op-
position to Col. Stewart on the
part of at least some of the Boil
sheyiki members of the board
men who defeated the autocrats
at the election last July. It burst
into a blaze at the last meeting
when director Firoved heckled
Col. Stewart in open melting, get
ting satisfactory replies to some of
his crisp, pointed questions and
some unsatisfactory responses to
some other questions.
The interrogation started as a
result of a letter from jacobson
Bros. contractors at the new Les
ter Park school, saying that fires
had been allowed to 60 out during
the Easter vacation, thereby caus-
ing damage to interior finish,
therefore said Jacobson Bros. mott
fed the board that they would not
be responsible for the interior fin
ish for one year, as required under
the contract.
Engineer Stewart declared that
the fire was out but for one day.
The employees at the building are
credited with admitting a much
longer period.
But the Stewart intrenchments
were sadly battered when the vote
was taken to investigate and re-
port on the nature of the ventila-
tion plants at the Lester Park,
Stowe, Morgan Park and Munger
schools.
The ordered investigation will
be made by the school boards Of
fetal architects, Messrs. Croft &
Boerner, in conjunction with John
R. Allen, dean Of the department
of engineering and architecture at
the university of Minnesota, not
ed authority on heating and ven-
tilation plants.
When in Duluth some weeks
ago Dean Allen visited the Lester
Park building. After looking over
the ventilation plant he is repre-
sented as saying, cit looks like a
sawmill. - At that time, he had no
knowledge that Col, Stewart form
erly was sawmill engineer.