The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-05-10

and go flying into the empyreal blue.
The autocrats may not have it all
their own way. Those who believe
that it is akin to sacrilege to oppose
Supt. Hoke may not be any too swift
in helping him save his sad face in
this case. Friday night will tell.
It is expected that throngs of school
patrons will be there to see,
Business superintendent Harwood,
the bright little chap imported from
Minneapolis, all this week has busily
disclaimed having any hand in
Smiths removal. He Is looking
over his shoulder for the door to a
cyclone cellar.
The nub to the matter is this, viz:
Supt. Hoke has not been in the
book room but once in two years. He
lacks personal knowledge of Andrew
Smiths ability or lack Of it. The
new system has not been installed,
Andrew Smith has not been permit
ted to try out that system, therefore
he has not shown inability to carry
it out. Anything said at this time
against his ability, either is hypo-
thetical or based on a desire to get
him out of the way.
Supt. Hoke, now that he has LIE
Due to hold up one hand and Schaib-
ly the other, with autocrats at his
back, has plucked up COURAGE to hit
Andrew Smith IN his bread basket,
so to speak.
Supt. Hoke is believed to hold
Andrew Smith responsible for di-
rector Firoved's discovery OF a big
batch of unused and idle reading
test blanks in the book room, al
though Smith was not responsible.
Supt. Hoke was greatly disturbed
by director Firoved's exposure of the
existence of a big batch of printed
matter tucked away on the shelves.
At the time, he blinked, gasped and
said "aw-aw-aw-aw" great many
times.
Then there seems to be a woman
in this case, as in so many other
ructions. She happens to be Frau
lein Claire Helwig, once a teacher In
the Central high school building and
then a principal in several grade
schools. She last served at the Nun
ger, but strong petition by the pa
| irons ended her services there.
Fraulein Helwig was wished onto
Andrew Smith, in the book room.
| She found that the floor was cold
on her feet, therefore rug was
purchased to keep them warm. Sew
| raj hundred dollars have been ex-
| pneded in making life tolerable and
service easy for Fraulein Helwig
down there in the book room.
Fraulein Helwig has been con-
slant fault-finder ever since she went
into the book room. Any director
who would listen to her complain
! ings got an earful. She has not
liked Andrew Smith. He was not
tall, with a noble Roman nose, kinky
! locks and a winning way, like former
chief engineer Alexander Stewart,
for an example. That talented gen.
tleman, in fact, is held responsible
for spelling Fraulein Helwig's dis
position, at least in part. Flight OF
time also has done it's share. Col.
Stewart, once upon his time, un-
duly spent his time in Fraulei1 Hell
wigs office up at the Munger school.
He wasted the school boards time
! and made Madam Stewart jealous.
That philandering, trysting and af-
finity business at last became un-
satisfactory to the patrons OF the
Munger school, hence the petition to
put the educatress elsewhere.
Many firmly believe that If Frau
Elein Helwig were out of that book
room, Andrew Smiths troubles
would be infinitesimal. She not
only affects a willing worker like a
| gadfly, but she is suspected of bear
ing tattle to Supt. Hoke's rather am
pie aural appendages.
When r. E. Denfeld was super
intendent, he visited the book room
every Saturday afternoon, instead of
once in two years, and planned book
distribution for the ensuing week.
But R. E. Denfeld was a glutton for
| work and did not require ninety
/ and nine supernumeraries to help
him drag along weary hands and
feet.
A heavy, majority Of the patrons
of the public schools firmly believe
that the local educational system
will not get back where it was three
years ago, to say nothing of three
! years hence, until man bigger and
better in educational work than R.
| E. Denfeld is put into the position
that Kremer ]. Hoke makes such a
| futile effort to fill.