What we had been unable to achieve, but what was being worked upon for many years, has now become a fact. The Chicago Board of Education had had very little consideration for our needs; its attitude might be termed stinginess, even though it was a matter which not only could, but should have been receiving favorable consideration. Our national organizations interested in and also supporting our Free Thought schools, six years ago requested free use for those schools of rooms in school buildings situated in our Bohemian districts. In justifying their request, our organizations have stressed the fact that Bohemians settled in Chicago--particularly, however, Bohemian taxpayers of this city--have the right to request that the School Board, as the manager of public school properties, make available, free of charge, rooms for the teaching of the Bohemian language and other useful subjects. This request was filed with the Board in the time of School Superintendent Coole, and again in the time of Superintendent Andrews, but at neither time did it receive any consideration by the Board. The Board was willing to make the 2rooms available, but only for such payment as is required from anybody else. A statement to that effect has always been considered as ending all negotiations, and the matter has remained thus for another period of time.

The Bohemian member of the Chicago Board of Education, Mr. Joseph A. Holpuch, has been interested in the Free Thought schools for a long time and has, therefore, been giving serious consideration to the means that would make the realization of the desires of Chicago Free Thought Bohemians possible. He had made certain plans, discussed them with some of the leaders of the Bohemian Free Thought schools, and asked them for their opinion.

Seeing that his ideas were meeting with general approval, he redoubled his efforts and presented the whole matter to the respective committee of the Board with the request for free use of rooms in certain school buildings by the Ceske Sdruzeni Svobodomyslnych Skol (Bohemian Association of Free Thought Schools). His first attempt failed because of the disagreement of certain members of the 3Board with Mr. Holpuch's ideas and request. But finally he offered a compromise. He promised to help these Board members by voting for what they wanted to get, on the condition that they would vote for his proposal. This compromise was of absolute necessity in the case of Mrs. Ella Flagg Young, who had fought Mr. Holpuch's proposal by all the means she possibly could. But finally even she gave in and Mr. Holpuch's proposal was approved. Two rooms in each of the listed school buildings have been made available, free of charge, for every weekday of the school year ending June 30, 1916, for the period between four and seven o'clock in the evening. The School Board will furnish everything necessary except the teachers, who will be furnished by the Sdruzeni. This means that the School Board will take care of the maintenance of these rooms--light, heat, cleaning etc.--which will cost $16,500 a year. The schools are the following: Jungman's School, Nutt and 18th Street; Burns' School, South Central Park Avenue and West 25th Street; Hughes' School, Winchester Avenue and West 48th Street; Spry School, Marshall Boulevard and West 24th Street; Whitney School, Komensky Avenue and West 28th Street; Fenger School, Stewart Avenue and 114th Street; Hanson Park School; Mont Clair School, Linder and Grand [sic] 4Avenues; Cooper School, Ashland Avenue and West 19th Street; Bryant School, West 14th Street and Kedvale Avenue.

The available rooms, when filled to capacity, will accommodate one thousand pupils. Now it is up to the leaders to see to it that the attendance in these schoolrooms is as large as possible so that the School Board may feel sure that Mr. Holpuch's request was a justifiable one, and that the Free-thinking Bohemians know how to appreciate the privilege.

Mr. Holpuch was obliged to hurry the whole affair, because the recent meeting was the last before the summer vacations, which will end this year in September. But he may be satisfied with the result of his work, because he has secured for our schools what they had needed for a long time.

In regard to the investigations now conducted by the School Board, Mr. Holpuch, who had been depositing evidence as a witness, told us that the School Board is principally against a teachers' federation because it sees in teaching a 5profession which should be respected for its intrinsic dignity and the knowledge necessary for its proper performance. Another reason why the School Board is in opposition to the Mentioned organization is the fact that religion, unionism, and politics would be soon mixed up with school matters with which they have, and must have, nothing in common.