Bohemian Catholics held a protest meeting on Allport Street, yesterday afternoon, condemning the proceedings of the Chicago Board of Education which decided that various school books be issued free of cost to all children up to the fourth grade. They also condemned the bill presented in the State Legislature, which states that no college should have the right to grant diplomas unless it has $100,000 capital. The provision for more State High Schools, and the transportation of crippled children who otherwise would be unable to attend, was also condemned. Catholics judge that enactment of these laws will destroy the entire group of their schools.

The meeting was called to order by Mr. Janda, following which officers were elected: Chairman, V. Lala and Secretary, Joseph Kral.

Mr. Lala had a few words to say in explanation of the purpose of the meeting, namely, that as citizens and not only as Catholics, we should protest against the proposition by which school books would be issued to all children free of cost.

"How many are there of our Bohemian taxpayers who send their children to High Schools? They are few, and consequently this law is not for us, but for the rich. However, the poor working men must pay for it." (In this Mr. Lala is mistaken, because the School Board decided that books are to be issued free of cost, only in the elementary or grammar schools, to pupils up to the fourth grade, and not to pupils in the High Schools). "For example," he continued, "when a child goes to school for the first time, whether to a Catholic or public school, every mother in order that the child may not tear his book, sews it into a cloth cover. However, with children of wealthy families it is different. Do you think that they also would protect these books in such a manner? Oh, never! - they would tear them all the more because the richer the child is, the more wasteful it is. Who is going to pay the most towards this expense? Perhaps the rich man. Oh, never! - the poor man, the poor taxpayer must pay for this". Mr. Lala toward the end of his speech said, that he thinks there is some boodle in the entire proposition.

Theodore B. Thiele, who is the Chairman of the Vigilance Committee of the Federation of German Catholics, who also are protesting against these proposition, spoke to those present, in English to be sure.

As soon as he finished, a committee was selected, composed of Mr. Souhrada, A. Malcak, Fr. Meek, J. Peklo and Mr. Kralovec, which will visit State Representative Cyril Jandus, and request him to work for the defeat of the bill presented in Springfield. The following resolutions were adopted:

In view of the fact that there is at present before the State Legislature, a proposition having for its aim the distribution of school books, free of cost, to all children attending public schools:

In view of the fact that should this proposition become a law, taxes would be increased and new burdens forced upon the taxpayers:

In view of the fact that this proposition is unreasonable, dishonest and thriftless:

In view of the fact that another proposition would confiscate the public rights of all institutions of higher learning which did not have rich endowments:

Be it resolved, that we Bohemian taxpayers, most decidedly protest against these propositions.

Resolutions Committee:

Messrs V. Lala, Jos. Kral, J. Neuzil, J. Safranek, Siroky, Plachetka, Slama, Koukal, Zak.