The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-18
LEADERS BETRAY
HARPER SCHOOL
PARENTS STRIKE
Portables Not Solution
to Our Problem

|
Grafton with the treacherous leaders
Of the Harper school strike, the board
OF education succeeded in putting over
on the striking parents one Of the
trickiest and dirtiest Of deals. The
elimination to the betrayal Of their
leaders, William F. Peak, president
of the West Englewood Lions Club
Frank McGarr, president Of the Bust
ness Mems Club and E. F. O'Rourke
who the strikers charge went into this
strike with the express purpose of
breaking it, came at the end Of an
eight-week fight
Over 500 parents, with their chill
dren, some mothers carrying babies in
their arms, crowded into the base
ment of the Thoburn Methodist church
at 64th and Paulina streets. They
were there to hear the report of their
leaders who had been negotiating with
the mayor and the board of education
They demanded the reinstatement OF
the children Of the 4th, 5th and 9Th
grades into the classes from which
they were ousted.
Crooked Leaders Hate Foster.
Peak was in the chair. He distrib-
uted ballots signed by, Morgan G.
Hogge, assistant superintendent of
schools, giving the only alternative to
that of sending the children to distant
schools, to agree on part time classes
in portables put up on the Harper
school grounds.
The trick worked. The parents vot
ed to accept the portables with only
one courageous dissenting voice
Hogge was expeced to address the
meeting but as one of the parents put
it, why should he come? He knew
ORourke and Peak would do the dirty
Job for him"
At the close of the meeting, the
DAILY WORKER reporter handed out
copies Of the paper to the parents
while Peak, notorious for breaking
up Young Workers League meetings
in West Englewood, shouted at the
top of his voice that the paper was
a Foster" paper, and the parents
should not read it. But their trust
in him ended at the meeting and this
remark only brot the parents closer
to the reporter.
Mothers Talk to DAILY WORKER.
With an expression in their eyes
which told the story of their disar
pointment they led the reporter to tn
grounds Of the Harper school at 65t.
and Ogden and then they opened up.
Shame on them. They fooled us
They went into this fight to help the
board against us. We should have
picketed the school like men do on
strike instead Of sitting at home and
waiting"
The reporter learned that Peak has
no children. McGarr sends his chill
dren to a private school O'Rourke
during this fight took his children
out of a private school and sent them
to the Harper school, but they are
back again in their private school
Parents Against PortabIes.
The parents are signing petitions
distributed by property owners in the
neighborhood to have the portables
taken down. They are signing these
petitions because the children have
been deprived of their Fairgrounds,
they explained.
The school certainly does present
a disgraceful sight. Rows and rows of
little shacks and not a foot Of space
to walk around in. The junior high
school students in addition to the LIST
to 9Th grade children make the con.
gestion even greater. The only pos
sible space for the children to stand
around in while waiting for classes to
begin is the middle of the road.
Mr.. G. F. Doyle Of the Civic League
of West Englewood said the matter
would come up for consideration at
the next meeting Of the league at
which time it will be decided to reor-
ganize the fight with other leaders in
charge.