The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-11-23

san FRAScIsco, Oct. n, 1872.

San FRAscIsco, Oct n, 1872.
LABOR sCHOoLs-wH0 WILL COMMENCE?
The prosperity and happiness Of the rising
gensFstaons, ~ the constant study OF declin-
ing manhood, parents love their children
more than themselves, 10 lay up property or
money for ourselves 10 scarce . thought in
the aggregate, when compared with our care
tor the little ones growing up around us.
This feeling crops out in ali our acts and finds
culnaination in our public schools. To edncats
the children IL the most prominent feature in
the mental composition Of the present age,
more than half the energy and influence of
our people are bent in that direction. The
school tax is paid more cheerfully than
amy other assessment made upon our prop
erty. A few years ago there was illustrat-
ed very beautifully in fact that many Of
our citizens will recollect The school fund
was about giving out, the school would
have to stop. The fact called forth the
energy Of our people and in three or four
days the Legislature suspended all other
business and made provisions TO meet what
the public looked upon as a calamity in
embrio.
There il still more for our contemplA-
tion, the children cannot eat their books,
nor will their learning I'LL the stomach,
they must do something to make living,
after the time allotted to learning. man
may have graduated in one of the best
colleges, but if he has no profession or
trade, his learning is but little use to him,
unless he has a parental bank account to
draw upon, q hope that is not much more
Aattering than a ticket III Havana lottery.
-Four -tifths Of our Young men, and young
women too are born and educated poor,
which is really no national misfortune, but
national blessing if they are prepared to
labor for living in some shape. But if
they are turned loose upon the world with
nothing else ~ do, ten to one if they don't
turn their learning to some bad account.
The capacity Of bad men Is very much inn
proved for forgery or other villanies by
having good education, and il they do not
possess some honest trade or calling they
are very apt to turn their thoughts in the
channel Of evil doing.
1t il much easier to avoid evil than to
hide crime, it is better to disseminate NOR
atty than to punish vice. And while we
we're educating the youth Of the country
We should teach them something by which
they can honestly earn living. We want
and determine the strength Of iron, tim
Der, or other material, 50 a. to use no
more or less than is necessary for the struc-
ture. 1t is often the case that thousands
Of dollars are spent foolishly for want Of
such information, which can only be avoid
ed by educating our Mechanics. Our school
are kept open for study four hours in the
day longer time is considered craming
the mind. If four hours more were spent
in some kind of labor, where their learn
ing could be made applicable, the body
would be improved and the mind put in
training for each days study at school
Our children would then have strong,
healthy, robust frames, and the mind
would be greatly benefited by it. We
start our children to school at SIX years Of
Ase, when boy is eight, or even at seven,
he might be furnished a hammer and some
nails, and he permitted to drive nails until
he 10 familiar with the tIse Of hammer,
in another year give him a saw and hatchet,
let him make box, at ten or twelve he
will become quite familiar with tools Of
almost any mechanical trade, and when
eighteen he will be an educated mechanic
ready to do days work and get wages.
He will then be ready to enter a high
school-work four hours q day and study
four. At twenty-One such a young man
would be superior mechanic, with en-
lArged views and cultivated understanding.
Then he is ready to be foreman or super
intendent in his trade-the world needs
such mechanics. They would be strong,
able-bOdied men, useful to themselves and
their country. There is no necessity Of
having such a school in the heart Of the
city, but out in the suburbs, where in q
street car they might go in a half hour OF
even three quarters.
Such an institution for boys of twelve
years Of age and upwards, would be self
sustaining. Let the State provide work
shops, tools and material, and have certain
articles made under the superintendAnce Of
competent men-such as can be relied upon
for morality, temperance and industry. We
do not want it as a reformatory school, for
the punishment of children, but a school
to learn the useful arts and science practi-
cally az well As theoretically. We want it
TO be place where o young man can grad
uAte as a blacksmith, carpenter, tanner,
painter, or any other trade, Just as he
would graduate for the law, medicine OF
any other profession, and get his diploma
in the same way. In this way the finest
mechanics in the world could be turned
out from our young Americans. Instead
Of leaving them 10 run loose and gain the
degrading sppelation of Hoodlum, we
should find their inventive genius grasping
the elements, and conhning them within
newly discovered spheres of usefulness
Some one must mature pAn for schools
Of industrial pursuits. Who will do il
Hon. John Sweet, our old tried and proved
teacher, still engaged in the business, has
many good ideas upon the subject Of
teaching H. c. Kinnie has spent much
time and thought in that direction, and
written some good articles leaning in that
way. From the two, very much could be
learned that would be valuable in effecting
such an object. There are a number q
labor schools in the United States, where
reports and valuable information could b.
obtained by writing for them. There art
men in the city who are Mechanics, and
have become wealthy-if if such men would
organize themselves into an association
rent rooms and sit in committee on this al
important subject they might in their de
clining years, be Of great service to the
rising generation. We think of callint
upon some of them and learning theil
views in relation TO this suggestion.
A. Nj. WINN.
Work and Play.