The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-11-09
The ADprenttca ossesn.

The1m1ine u the apprss1tce systpa n
the uoshesieal trsdss 10 dssssvo1ly s4,f1etsp~
attention. The following rensrks from the
Nsw-Bsdford Mercury. on shs subject, srs
we'll considered and pertissat;
1T is now rarely the case that 8 boy is
iodsntu edto learn the mystsfy Of trad,
AMI - . result the number Of skilled Or
tisans is constantly growing lsss, and the
bothssatfon Of pa ,ai~ know what to do
with their boys il Increasing. There il still
such . phrase ss learning . trade - but il
does not mean wmt it did half . century.
ago. Thsrs used to be no royal road in
learning Of any kind. but We have changed
all that, and now there 10 . qaick process to
mako mechanics, as there d 10 tan leather
Mechanics and leather, thus made, are Of
about equal worth. They (boys) want to be-
gin whore there fathers left o6: Kept ct
school-aud oar schools are too much like
ho.-beds-till thsy cease 70 be boys and have
become young nsn, and trained IN school for
no particular pursuit in lifs, they seek clerk
ships, and rarely get beyond clerkship We
do not updsrrats the valueof edocasion, bat
uAsn srpassat says, II va - ny son .
god, thoroseh siacasion. and then hs can
take care Of himself.' he may make cspital
mistake. A capital mistake it win be, II the
education il rot made, lfon the outset, the
Intelligent means u an end, II the ehild's
aptitude, taste, and inclination ere mot con.
sidered, and his education ID not in accord
with these. A boy, who has to earn his liv-
ing (save in ono sf the prefessions) should
cease to be . schookbey when he is seven
teen years old. and eomplsts his education in
entering at the lowest point spon the busi-
ness he intends to pursue.''
The principal causes Of The decline Of the
apprentices system are; The distaste of q
large proportion of theyosth of the present
day to perform what they look upon as
menial service, and the impsdiments thrown
in the way Of the few who desire to learn
trades, BY the organisations known as Trades
Unions. To this end these unions have sci
up . rule, BY which only so many, appren-
tees TO given number Of journsymen can
be received, the object being to Eaintain 4
close monopoly of the business. These
Trade Unions also, as far as possible, adjus,
the scale of wages, and no workman, whose
action they can control, is permitted to de
more than the stipulated amount of work
Two consequences are inevitable: First tn.
standard of ability is lessened, for want
competitions in the grade of apprentices. and
secondly. the natural and proper ambition o
the individual wsrkman il stinted by hi
relation to standard based upon the capac.
ity of the least intelligent of his brothe
workman. Among the members Of the Uniol
there is permitted no difference Of earnings
the consequence is that, the pay being fixed
it must be fixed at . point attainable BY th
lowest member, IN pQins Of skil. u frs
effect is to detsriorss ~ qaalit}of tn
work-the second is to discourage capitalist
from investing in new enterprises, except
cases of absolute necessity, and tie third i
to increase the cost of living by retardin
production. kabor being the foundation
all wealth should be adequately rewarded, b,
the fable the goose and the golden egg
one which viii never cease to be applicable
those who look only to temporary advantas
without stopping to reflect what its effect
to be on the future. Those weFkiugmen wi
:, have been instrumental in limiting the nun
. ber Of apprentices .h4ve ba sed their action up,
/, false reas oning, while the rising genera til
;. are NO less mistaken in the prevalent disp
{ sition to give the mechanic trades the COB
for occupations for which, in a great m
Ejority Of cases, they are unltted either
education or natural endowmsnts.