New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-03

Against the adoption Of such s.syst,r the
nieShah!c himseIiis strong opponent through
Tue trades unions. lie seems To ba,c ~, a. /,
,uA' /" j. nctter 10 limit the supply OF skilled
labor, and that hy preventing more than n
small proportion Of apprentices IN .,.rr,-isnr
/ with the number Of jowucymcu lie achieve,
tnat limitation. He loses SIGHT a.. lie Ca,
that II Is impossible 10 establish an, otbcr
limitation than that afforded b. ~, lcmcnl
ana mat II American mcChaE.,- a.r not await
able, the demand win Re filed by thousand,
/ OF worknen from the other -.,.o ar IN, A.
iantic; ana that, in gcllsiu.. o. low his sons
10 iearn trades, he is bu' giving the an,rloy-
meat tEat should support them in comfort n
IoFeGucTs. Again, aside from this rrsfrir-
ton, the apprenticeship .ystcr +. fcC,r,;vc
because there IL not sufficient r;nylsior C,r
competing lads 10 serve our III, finn, a..
Whicn they are bound. As soon as they
nave acquired = knowledge of the trade they
are anxious to earn journcymen's wages, and
wholly regardless OF the debt they owe their
employers for the knowledge obtained NJ Their
hands, they strike out for Themselves. ShoulI
the employer follow up his runaway aprrer
..ce, ne Will, IN nine cases out OF ten, find his
tlne wasted, because the mag rates will ac-
eept some frivolous pretext ~ n sufficient
plea for the lads DETECTION. This leads IN
TWO evils-cmployers are far from anxious 10
take apprentices, and many Of the trades are
cursed with number Of only halt-taueht
workmen.
Any scheme which promises II Mac, tn,
important matter Of the training ofmcchaniCs
upon better basis is therefore Of the great.
est value to the community. Technical
schools and colleges promise To- 10 much i'm
th!' direction. They tend 10 show that alI
labor Is honorable, that all lahorcr, are TO no
esteemed, and that those are most worthy OF
esteem who strive to attain the nearest 10
perfection in their respective callings. They
oiier means OF education nIcpcndcnt ofthe
oic'a OF trades unions, and they cbviatc
many OF the disadvantages of the APPRENTICE
snip system. They turn out workmen thor.
ouS,iy drilled IN the different branches of
mechanics, and will provide adequately
against the sometime threatened cxtinrtion
OF the American mechanic
a bill is at present before the lrrislatur,
Tor the establishment of such an institution
IN TINS state. 1t has passed the House and
IS penang IN the Senate. Under it n Me.
chanlcs High School is proposed to be found.
ed, in which the youth of the Commonwealth
shall be educated and trained in the yariou,
branches OF science, learning, and PRACTICAL
mechanlcs, as they are connected with each
",ner, IL Is TO be located within a reason
ape Instance OF some manufacturing town rr
anu 40 W oe properly adapted 10 the m
strucuon OF youths in the theory ana practice
Oh inc Inherent trades. Power is given the
trustees to make arrangements or contracts
WIN the employers in any of the trades, "a
snail be within reasonable distance of the
school, to have pupils perform the manual
labor required by its rules Mt their shnps OF
places OF business. The hill appears 10 con
template an institution that cannot but prove
ct inestmablc benefit to the Commonwealth.
and it is to be hoped that the Senate vii
lose no time in putting it upon lis PASSAGE.