The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-07
STRIKE AGAINST
CRECIER SCHOOL
STARTS TODAY
Parents Determined To
Gust Principal
By NAT KAPLAN.

Inc laSI meeting OF the Cerg1er
School parents voted almost unani-
mously to declare school strike at
an immediate date. The issue at hand,
namely, the brutality of Miss Mary
E. Toben, principal of the school, had
reached such point that the parents
would tolerate no further delay. The
position of the Young Workers
League participants in the fray was
as follows: (1) Being small minor
ity of the parents, an immediate
strike would result in failure. We
must therefore organize and agitate
for the removal of Miss Tobin with
out resorting to the strike, and (2)
If the majority of the parents body
decides fer strike we must partici-
pate in it, guide it, organize it, and
help to make it as successful as pos
sible.
Young Workers League Wins
Confidence.
The fact that the Young Workers
League members reiterated their in
tention of standing shoulder to shout
der with the parents and children in
this fight, altho doubtful of its out
come, won for them the confidence
of the rebelling parents. Minnie
Lurye, John Harvey and the writer
were elected on the executive COM
mittee Of the Parents Body and
helped to formulate most Of the de-
cisions.
Executive Committee Plans Details.
The details of the strike were left
/ in the hands of the executive commit
tee. Yesterday the committee met
and decided to call the strike for
Monday, April 7th. The women on
the executive committee are making
arrangements to have the children
Of the neighborhood go from house
to house and leave printed leaflets
and letters announcing the day of the
strike. Besides that the most active
women in the fight will be engaging
in a house to house canvass today
and tomorrow in order to get as
many of the Cregier School parents
as possible down to the. Parents Mass
Meeting to be held Sunday evening,
April 9Th at 1103 S. Loomis which
will be the last rally before the
strike.
At this meeting all the parents will
be instructed on the details of the
strike. Children with banners and
! slogans viii be marching up and
down in front of the school in order
to attract the children who attend.
Some of the ringleaders among the
children viii secure drum and stage
regular parade. The Young Work
ers League members took special
care to point out that the parents
involved in this affair could be ar
rested for breaking at least four
state laws. Yet it was absolutely
necessary that since the strike was
decided that we go thru with these
demonstrations. The parents by this
time were beginning to feel that
"justice" could not be found within
the bounds of the capitalist laws and
so determined to go thru with all
details at any cost. The first day Of
the strike will end up with a chill
dren's mass meeting at 1103 s.
LOOMS street at o'clock. Members
of the Junior Section of the Young
Workers League will arrange pro,
gram and young strikers will tell Of
their experiences under the corporal
punishment system in the Cregier
School.
The Prospects for Success.
The prospects for the waging Of
successful strike in this case are very
slight. The issue itself is more of a
personal one, /. e., parents who have
suffered at the hands of Miss Tobin
are against Miss Tobin who has
caused the suffering. All attempts on
the part of the Y. W. L. members to
point out that this fight was a big
ger issue-a fight against not only
Miss Tobin and the Cregier School,
but against the board of education
and the entire municipal admins
tration, was not recognized by the
parents. The attempt to link UP this
fight with fight against the Nation
alist and religious propaganda in the
public schools also proved futile. The
assistance of the Y. w. L. members
in a direct fight for the ousting Of
Miss Tobin was welcomed and so we
are in this thing and will try to make
it as successful as possible. The big
gest victory won so far for our pro-
gram was the decision Of the parents
to form a regular dues paying Gre
gier School parents organization.