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

AL LQ0 ldSC Injecting VI Luo SCuOOl
board, the autocratic directors ran
the steam roller over janitor Krebs
with sreat gusto and loud grunts of
satisfaction.
Emil Krebs has called Duluth his
home for 80 years. He was born
in Wisconsin Sc years ago. For over
IA years he has served the school
board as janitor and engineer. Four
years were spent in the Bryant, two
at the Central high school and seven
years at the Merritt school. It was
at the Merritt that Mr.. Krebs lately
lost his job, directors LeDuc and
Schaibly having been very active in
showing him down the skids.
No one seems to really know
when or how Krebs became persona
non grata to the Autocrats on the
board of education. One report has
1t that, last October, the very smooth
Mr.. Harwood, who holds a job as
business superinte:l dent, formally
asked Krebs how many Liberty
bonds he had bought and how many
Thrift stamps he had acquired. 1t
looks as he were booked for elm
ination, even then.
The engineer-janitor replied that
his bonds amounted to $3.50 and his
stamps to $25. .*
---~ Krebs~ next was~asked sifshe-sever
made a remark to the effect that
the ore docks ought to be blown up.
He denied that he ever made such
a remark or that he felt that way
about the docks.
February II, Krebs got a notice
that his services no longer were re-
quired, if the Rip-saw's information
is correct. The discharged janitor
declares that his work never had
been criticized and that no superior
had been in his building for periods
of three or four months at time.
Krebs is represented as calling up
director LeDuc, Harwood or some
other member of the magic circle
and asking on what grounds he was
discharged.
1--WE are not supposed to give any
reason" the reply is alleged to have
been.
"I'll see about that" replied
Krebs.
The discharged janitor then had
a peacable talk with director Schaib.
ly. Next an interview was had with
LeDuc. That gentleman Informed
Krebs that a large number of petty
complaints had been made against
him by patrons of the Merritt school
but the director refused to state
them in detail or to tell who made
them.
Krebs was informed that his case
would be further considered and
that it would be a couple of weeks
before the final decision was made.
Under date of March %, Kreb:
got notice that the school board had
not changed it's attitude in discharg
ing him.
1t may be that Krebs was dis
charged because he is a man Of re-
pute and influence in his neighbor'
hood and because it was feared thai
he was not blind partisan Of Hoke
LeDuc, Schaibly and other Autocrats
belonging to the school board ring.
Pointing to that assumption is the
fact that, on the night of the Father
and Son banquet at the Merritt
school, janitor Krebs spoke Of thu
crowded conditions.
"Why not 60 to schaibly in tht
matter?" Joe Gibson is alleged tt
have suggested.
at will do no good. His word ha'
no weight with the board. LeDuc Il
running the whole thing" Krebs ii
reported to have said. Gibson ma!
have carried a tale to Schaibly.
Then came Schaibly's treason tt
his constituents. He hooked up will
Hoke and got free trip to st
Louis and Chicago at the expense o
the helpless taxpayers. Schaibly, il
fact, gave an example of Paul get
ting converted backwards and be
coming Saul of Tarsus, the over
Jealous prosecutor.
When the patrons Of the Merritt
school heard what had happened t
Krebs, there was amazement an
then action. Petitions were Quickl,
circulated, signed by nearly ever
citizen approached, most of those no
signing being those who were ava
from home when. the petition wa
brought around. Nearly 800 citizen
patrons and residents signed th'
prayer.
The petition first recited Kreb'
leng citizenship and school boar.