The labor world., 1919-07-19
THE SCHOOL ELECTION.

Inc SCHOOL eleCClOn Wnlcn VIII Oe nelQ
Saturday is Of paramount Importance
to the workingmen Of this city.
-Four directors will be chosen, one
for one-year term and three for
three-year terms. There are nine can
didates, four Of whom are on the
Labor ticket, which has been placed
in the field by the Labor party. These
are: r. J. Coolc, Mrs. Emil Erickson,
". E. owne and John Goodwin.
The school board is composed of nine
members, and the election of these
would give labor five representatives.
nothing more than it justly deserves.
Working people compose 80 per cent Of
the population, and it is only fair that
they should be given sufficient voice
in school matters.
In the past Duluth has been in the
same class with hundreds Of American
cities where professional and business
men dominated school boards to an
unusually large degree. The extent
of this one.sided representation is al.
most unbelievable, but the following
statement by former college pro-
fessor will give some enightment:
A study Of the occupation of MEM
bers of boards OF education IN 104 OF
the largest American cities show that
of tho 967 school board members, 76s,
or more than three-fourths, are bust
ness and professional men. The busl-
ness men form t9c the largest sinsle le
board members. Of these business
men, 144 were merchants, 70 manufac--
turers. 104 wre bankers, brokers, real
estate and insurance men.
Among the 333 professional men,
lis, or more than one-third, were doc
tors and dentists; 144, or about two
fifths. we're lawyers. The total mum,
men was IS. These We're for the most
part college professors
The board members with miscei-
laneous occupations include about one
these ~ were retired business men.
IS were clerks and salesmen. 80 were
mechanics and wage earners, and IS
were fOremen.
In the ordinary American industrial
city, wage earners and clerks make up
about five-sixths OF the total number
Of gainfully occupied persons: Among
educatio in these 1o4 principal cities
Of the United States. four In each hum
dred are mechanics and five in each
hundred are clerks and statesmen. Thus
more than nine-tenths Of the board
members in the cities under Consid-
Grafton fall outside of the class which
makes up fixe-sixths Of the popula-
ton. Or, to put the matter somewha:
differently. nine-tenths of the school
board members of the large American
cities are selected from one sixth Of
the ganfully occupied population.
which is above the rank of wage
Garner or clerk.
Five occupational groups include the
bulk of board neutrality-suspicious.
manufacturers, bankers. brokers and
real estate men, doctors and lawyers
-55S out of a total OF 967 members.
Thus, moro than three-fifths Of the
total number of members are engaeed
in five groups OF business or profess
Siona1 occupations.
The voters Of Duluth are awake to
their predicament. Labor is entitled
to adequate representation on the
school board, and THEREFORE will vote
for the Labor ticket at the election
Saturday.
Women may vote also, and every
woman should avail herself of this
privilege Of expressing her voice in
school affairs.
Saturday is election day-and what
ever else you DO, cast your ballot for
those who bear your banner of prog
ress!