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1 ll J M I I BPPPPPPPPPPPPPIP RELIGION FLARES INTO OPEN AT COUNCIL MEETING For the first time in at least 40 years the religious issue flared into the open last night, in city counciL By 42 to 22 the school-board's plan for rebuilding Gage Park school on its present site was approved. The Very Rev. J. F. Green and members of St Rita's parish have for eight years advocated the new school not be located within a block of the parochial school. Council school committee split on the question, 8 aldermen being for the new site and 7 for the present site. Aid. Buck moved to substitute the minority for the majority report Aid. Lynch moved to lay Buck's motion on the table. Lynch raised the point of order that there could be no debate on his motion. All speeches then were made by aldermen explaining their votes. The main drive-of argu ment ran about like this: DePriest: I explain my vote to night because an attempt is made to gag this council. The new site pro posed by Father Green for the Gage Park school would put the public school only 250 feet farther norm. That distance will not stop the boys of the public school and the parochial from fighting. Martin: I have been on the schools committee six years and every year this question has come up. A bet ter site nearer the population center of the district can be found. Merriam: It is almost the unbrok en custom of this council to allow de bate on a minority report. It is a sur prising procedure that an attempt to stifle discussion should be made in a matter such as this. Bergen: Scurrilous circulars at tacking Father Green have been dis tributed in this district The Guar dians of Liberty are getting so bold in this city that they dare to send out circulars over the signatures of their officers. They are organized for no other purpose than to keep men of a certain denomination, out of. office. Buck: I'm sorry the question of religion has entered. If so, perhaps it is best that it be dragged out of darkness. Of 981 parents in the dis trict 805 have signed a petition for the present site. McCormick: The public school is not yet put on a level with a pest house or a garbage plant The public school is the highest expression of our democracy. Both Catholics and Protestants have signed a petition that the present site be retained. Cullerton:. I have been in this council many years. This is the first; time I have seen this issue raised here. We must find a way to avoid this issue. Lynch: When Father Green was to locate his school he was promised : by the school board that a new site would be procured for the Gage Park school. It was a verbal agreement' and yet a clear one. The vote for and against the pres ent site: Yeas DePriest, Stern, Werner, Nance, McCormick, Kimball, Mer riam, Cross, Tyden, Vanderbilt, Klaus," Fulac, Kerner, Ray, Anderson, Law ley, Rodriguez, Utpatel, Szymkow- ski, Zweifka, Sitts, Healy, Murray Krause, Kjehander, Wallace, Hader--lein, Gnadt, Capitain, Pretzel, Wat son, Kennedy, Dempsey, Littler,"' Hrubec, Rea, Fisher, Michaelson, Buck, Toman, Link, Janke r42. Nays Richert, Hickey, Doyle, Martin, McNichols, Pettkoske, Culler-?: ton, Smith, Walkowiak, Bowler, Powd ers, Fick, Miller, Bauler, Ellison, Mc-: Dermott, O'Toole, W. J. Lynch, Ber- gen, Kearns, Blaha, T. J. Lynch 22.7 t) To Get Public Ownership Report .'I ' Telephones, street cars and gas and electric light plants can't be reg-"-ulated and handled right by the city.;' All real power has been taken away from the city by the state legislature. . Well then, suppose the city owns and . runs its own telephones, street cars and lighting plants what then? These are the propositions in. ant MM4iMAiMMiiMiiMiiliiiiiiiiiliiiMi