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

To a man up a tree, 1t looks as If
the autocrats on the school board
tried to haze the commoners at a
special meeting held Monday eve
ming, April 81.
The meeting was held for the os-
tensible purpose Of finishing re-
vision of the rules of the board OF
education, something that has been
under way for many months.
When the directors got together,
only five out of nine were present.
Directors Foster, Colman, Amundson
and Davis were very conspicuous by
their absence. Those present were
directors McGiffert, Firoved, LeDuc,
Schaibly and Crassweller.
Revising rules is slow, tedious, dry,
dusty work. After the members pres
ent had become tired of prosy re-
vision, an attempt was made to
bullyrag the little barber, Charles
G.. Firoved. It so happened that the
energetic tonsorial artist was the
only commoner present. The Mephis-
topholean McGiffert was in the chair.
Directors LeDuc and Schaibly, trait
ors to the commoners and, therefore,
most Jealous against the men who
elevated them to a position of honor
and responsibility, seemed to feel safe
in marrying the barber-director. Dr.
rector Crassweller, rather wise in his
own generation, took high judicial
attitude and watched the fun.
At the last regular meeting, Supt.
Hoke recommended that store-room
custodian, Andrew Smith, be given
another position, presumably a
plebian janitorship, and that some
one with higher brow and more
poorly posted on Duluth public school
matters be put in faithful Andrews
place.
At the time, Director Firoved pro-
tested against changing Andrew and
baked at supporting Supt. Hoke's
recommendation. His objection was
not to change of system in the
store-room but in demoting, rather
than promoting, an old, faithful and
efficient employe.
When the News Tribune's reporter
wrote up the meeting, he made out
that Mr.. Firoved had opposed any
change or improvement in the book
room system. He felt that he had
been misrepresented, therefore wrote
communication to the morning
daily, under date of April IL, with
his name plainly signed at the bot
tom, as follows, viz:
ri want at this time to correct a
statement in your paper Saturday
mornings issue) in the report Of the
school board proceedings. The report
stated that objected to the system
atizing and rearranging Of the text
books; this statement is not correct.
20 II have at all times, since I have
been a member of the board Of edu-
cation, been in favor of systematizing
the different branches of our educa-
tional facilities, resulting in unifor-
nifty Of not the textbooks alone, but
also the studies. What did object
to at the meeting, was the recon-
mendations of Superintendent Hoke
to dispense with the further services
Of storeroom custodian, Andrew
Smith, who has for &c years served
the school board and public in a
very creditable and worthy manner.
Knowing to some extent, the inside
working Of the storeroom, and some
other things that have transpired in
the past two years, I do not hesi-
tate to state, that the recommended
ion is prompted by prejudice above
any other excuse, and at the same
time widening the existing chasm in
the school administration.
IT trust that this explanation will
suffice in setting the truth before
the readers of your paper"
There's another little matter" re-
marked director Schaibly, in a bit
of lull.
The reverend gentleman then
pulled out a copy Of Firoved's letter
to the News Tribune. Handing it to
the barber-director, in commanding
tone, the Ireacher-director asked:
care you responsible for that?"
eyes, sir" promptly replied d.
rector Firoved. "My name is at the
bottom IF it. I am responsible for
anything that is backed by my
name"
"That communication is mislead-
Ing asserted the infallible
preacher.
"How? In what way?" queried d.
rector Firoved.
ANDREW Smith has not been dis
charged from the service of the
beard. He merely has been removed
from one position to another"
"Do you figure that he has been
promoter" asked Mr.. Firoved. "The
position you wish to give Elm is back
to the broom and mop, a janitor-
ship. I do not consider that pro-
motion. He should be offered some
thing better. You must understand
that he has worked for this board
26 years and that his service always
has been satisfactory"
"He is not competent to do the
work under the new system that will
be adopted" asserted the ecclesias-
tical Aeolus.
81 think that he can carry on the
new system as well as anyone II he is
given a proper show" replied d.
rector Firoved.
The printed slip then was passed
around and scrutinized by the dig
nified autocrats present.
"It's misleading" chimed in direc-
tor LeDuc.
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