The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-04-26

called to the handicap placed on a
man of his age by firing him out
Of a position so summarily. The Pc
titioners assumed that Kreb's re-
lief from duty was only temporary;
also that the action against him was
based on rumor ana hearsay evil
dence. So long as no investigation
had been held, summary discharge
was represented as being toe severe.
The petitioners then askel:
THAT the exact charges he
made known.
THAT the identity of the peo-
ple making the charges be revealed.
S-That Krebs be given a chance
to make a defense.
The petition was accompanied by
letters from pa.:nns of the Merritt
school. There also was a communi-
cation in behalf Of Krebs from the
Mothers Club, the French Relief So
ciety, the Hazelwood Presbyterian
Sunday School and Scout Masters of
trops II and IL. The principal and
teachers of the Merritt school also
hazarded their popularity and even
their positions by sending in a let
ter vouching for the character and
faithful service Of KreDs. 1t was
stated that the jaili.or never had
been heard nzzNnpatriofie
remark and that he was not a user
of profane language; also that he
was of kind disposition and we'll
liked by tea :lers and pupils.
P. ]. Borgstrom, John P.
Daily, Edward H. Rickard, Os-
car M. Holmes, J. S. Shaw
and Conrad Wicklund constituted a
committee to place patitions and let
ters before the school board. p. j.
Borgstrom, as spokesman, also ver-
bally presented the views and desires
Of the patrons Of that school dis
trict.
"Action based on rumOr and hear
say in this case was too drastic so
long as no hearing was held" de-
clared Mr.. Borgstrom.
A formal motion was made to re-
ceive the communications and to re-
fer them - the proper committee
but, receiving no support, it died
then and there.
Director LeDuc then loomed up
and doomed out that he had no OBJ
lection to a reference of the matter
to a committee but that Mr.. Krebs
was discharged and that was all
there was to it.
Director Firoved wanted to know
when it happened. He asserted that
he knew nothing and had heard moth
ing, although he felt that he should
have been told something about it.
President. McGiffert then played
his little card in the game by say.
ing: 1T is the practice of this board
| to refer complaints to committee
The committee has power to act and
such action as it takes is sanctioned
, by the board and approved. By such
action and approval, of course, the
board shoulders the responsibility"
This statement of school board pol
icies, under the Autocratic regime
may explain why minority commit
| tee report is an unknown thing with
] the board of education.
Director Schaibly asked Krebs il
he did not swear in the school house
one day when moving piano. Kreb!
denied that he did. A piano fell or
his toes once upon a time and h
admits, privately, that he may have
uttered an exclamation of pain and
possibly, have said darn it,
! Mr.. Borgstrom expressed the opin
ion that the methods of the commit
| tee and the board in the Krebs case
were worse than those formerly EN-
ployed in autocratic Russia.
"You know what the charges were
Krebs," declared director Schaibly.
II do not know" replied Krebs
Don't come here and tell m,
that" roared Schaibly in a voice ant
manner that plainly showed plent.
of old Adam in his nature in addi
tion to his 100 per cent of German
blood.
Talking to majority of thos'
board members was like trying t,
talk the gospel to bunch of dea
and hardened heather in darkest AT
rifa. Engineer LeDuc pulled tn
throttle and the old steam role
squeezed them flat.
It would have made former direc
tor Brewer laugh with glee had b.
seen the petitioners ridden down Al
they were. Bolshevism require
rough rider methods.
Supt. Hoke, IN his monthly report