"House Dicks"

Burly, surly-mannered fellows slouched in the corridors of a high school in Cicero, Ill. last week. They rasped commands: "Get along now! No loitering!" They insulted girls, jostled students who infringed upon even the most trivial school regulation. Complained a student: "These dumb house dicks push us around like we're convicts at Joliet."

Who were the "house dicks?" Teachers and pupils in J. Sterling Morton High School suspected they were political jobholders. For several years a few "guards" have patrolled the high school corridors, in which there is activity from 6:30 a. m. until 9 p. m. With 6,700 students jammed into a place big enough for only 4,000. Morton High School makes no attempt at student government. But the number of guards was suddenly increased to something like 45 during the past few weeks. Students working their way through complained that they were ousted to make room for new jobholders. Teachers, who have received only tax anticipation warrants for pay since last Dec. 24, grew irritable, took it out on the pupils by giving low grades. Last week pupils and teachers alike rebelled. They charged that the "house dicks" were appointed, at $140 per month, by President Frank A. Svoboda of the Cicero Board of Education, to compensate them for having lost city jobs in the elections last spring. Students charged also that the cafeteria manager had been ousted and replaced by the friend of a board member. The cafeteria was straightway boycotted. The teachers went even further. They formed a protective association, headed in true Chicago fashion by a "Secret Four." They had handbills printed. The first, titled "Down With The Dicks," urged the students thus:

"The next time a house dick snatches anything out of your hands, curses you, or makes any insulting remarks to your girl friend, get a gang of your pals and show the hoodlum that it is safer to be hustling beer for Capone.

"The only supervision Morton High School needs is that given us by our regular teachers, as it always used to be." The handbill went on to hint at misuse of $7,000 interest due teachers and $6,000 in receipts from night school tuition.

Local townspeople threatened an investigation. Harry V. Church, Morton High School's superintendent, joined in, told about new jobs being created for friends of board members. But the presidency of the Cicero Board of Education is an elective office, not to be voted upon until next spring. Townspeople in the four communities served by Morton High School had no one to go to but President Svoboda, the man they were accusing. Last week, as the "house dicks" grew more mannerly under concerted pressure, he pooh-poohed all charges as "political propaganda." He said the overcrowded high school needed disciplining, that the 40-odd guards were really only 16 and that their number was to be reduced anyway this week. "The so-called hoodlums are men of family," said President Svoboda.

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