The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-10-30
Alderman, Finding He Is
Not Pleasing Constituents,
Places Resignation On
Table Wednesday.
PROTEST WORKS WONDERS
Some Petitioners Gain Request On We'd
nesday Afternoon When Thc!r Repre-
sentative Discovers He Is scout Of
Step Takes Easiest Way Out.

An alderman laid his resignation on
the. table in Kenosha on Wednesday
afternoon. t4
But--don It get excited! It WASH It
one Of the alderman, who on Monday
evening at the regular meeting Of the
city council heard the petition of 2,919
Kenosha voters to allow the interurbans
to operate on. the streets Of Kenosha
and promptly voted the other way. Not
on your lifeI Far be it'll
No, this alderman was far too young
to be schooled in the art Of reading a
petition from his constituents and then
promptly forgetting it. He WASH t
even an alderman on the council of the
city Of Kenosha but the story Of his
resignation is pertinent one.
The alderman in question was TAI.
derman James Belongia, duly elected
representative of the CD Room in the
political organization which has been
effected at the Durkee School.
was Duly Elected.
The story which eliminated on Wed.
nesday afternoon when this 13-year-old
alderman was ready to resign his office,
started several weeks ago when he was
elected to office. James is one of the
popular boys Of his class and in the
regular election held during the first
month Of the school year was chosen
by q large majority to represent his
roorn-the 6-B Room, taught by Miss
Fair-in the councils Of the Durkee
School executive body. SO far, SO good.
AS an alderman one Of his preroga-
tives was to be on hand at the close Of
each recess period to marshall the boys
and girls of his room preparatory to
marching back to their school-rooms.
1t was an unwritten law that no schol-
airs should march into the school until
their alderman was in line to give the
word.t Eo4ittle discredit was attached
to the class which was last to enter the
building on these occasions.
Hardness Brings Troubles.
Alderman" Belongia 3 troubles
came when he developed habit at be-
ing late at these formations. Day af-
ter day the boys of the 6-B class were
ridiculed by their schoolmates because
they were the last to fall in line. They
in turn began to urge their alderman
to get I'M line on time, but they gained
no results.
The straw that broke the camel s
back according to the boys came Wed
nesday morning when their alderman
was late again. The boys remembering
the story Of the Boston Common lads
who petitioned General Gage, and not
knowing the story Of the recent petit
tion in Kenosha, filed complaint to
their teacher and asked, in other
words, for a redress of grievances.
This Petition Worked.
The petition was in the air Wednes-
day at noon.
Wednesday afternoon Mrs. McKen.
zie, the principal at the Durkee School,
had a caller at her office. 1t was Alder
man James Belongia, representative of
the 6,B. class.
I'd like to quit being an alder
man, y was the way he started.
e'Can u get switched over and be a
policeman2''
Mrs. Mckenzie took the matter I'M
der advisement. After being question
ed, the alderman admitted that he had
heard of the request of his classmates
and wanted to respect their petition.
The resignation has not yet been act
ed upon but this morning when it came
to the marching in ceremony at the
Durkee School, Alderman James Be
longia was there on time.
This is the true story of petition
that got results.