The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-02-06
More than Tariff Needed.

ceSSIul operation OF skilled laDOr enlerprlSeS.-
That is the indiscriminate manner in which the
American boy-or youth, or young man, or
y---o oGs,----- r--I--- -~~-~ -rr-~p-;ntnig
s'Young America"-is presumed to learn trade.
It is source of serious regret that since our
young men have become 'Young Americas they
don't learn trades. 1t used to be that if boy
wished to become carpenter, painter, black
smith or mason he was regularly apprenticed to
a man skilled in the particular trade, who
had complete control over the aforesaid boy for
a specified time on certain conditions specified in
the indenture of apprenticeship. The boy was
obliged to remain SO many years with his master
and the master was obligated to teach him all the
arts of the craft and turn him out skilled work
man, the parent or guardian furnishing certain
amount towards the boys support during the
earlier stages of his service, and the master fur
nishing the essential maintenance for the balance
of the time and perhaps giving him an outfit at
the end of this apprenticeship. Then the master
felt that he had responsibility resting upon him
and felt also armed with the necessary authority
to oblge the apprentice to respond to the de-
mands of this responsibility. The master could
prentice becoming sklfdl and rapid " workman *
as soon as possible. The master could get better
service out of him by this. And then he-the
master-had reputation 10 establish for turning
out good workmen. The interest of the master
and that of the apprentice were indentical. How
is it now A boy begins to look around-not SO
much for something to door to learn how to do
something well-as to get spending money. He
knows that he has some inclination towards car
pentering for example. He fancies he can use
toerably well an auger chisel, saw, plane, brace.
bit and square. He presents himself to boss
carpenter and asks for work. He may or may
not disclose to his employer that he knows Moth
ing about the trade in which he seeks occupation
except what be has picked up accidentally. He
can afford to take less for his work than the man
whe has served an apprenticeship. He works for
low wages. If the boss spushed with his work he
puts this novice at the saw and chisel. He-the
boss-can get more for this novice's work out of
his employer than he pays him. If the boss un-
dertakes to give instructions the young man dom t
fancy or if his work is sharply criticised the boss
is left in the lurch. The young man leaves be-
cause he is too wise and too independent to be
taught, and the boss has no power to impart
knowledge the knowing youngster fancies he does
not need. He goes elsewhere and does likewise.
Working for year or two on this principle he
sets up on his own responsibility Botch work
is the result. Thus the country is filled with in
ferior workmen. In this way skillful workmen
are placed at discount before the public because
they are obliged TO compete with the "shoddy"
folks. And the country is filled with "shoddy"
work in every department of life.
How different is European countries where
skilled workmanship stands upon its merits and
rests securely upon footing almost as well es-
tablished and protected as the title of the royal
ciety to the station they occupy. In England
nobody presumes any more to follow the pursuits
of trade without serving an apprenticeship OF
five or seven years than physician would pre-
sumo to practice medicine here without going
through regular course of study and taken his
diploma. As the result of their commendable
caution and self-protection and our criminal neg
igence and indiscrimination is that that the ma
j0rity of our skilled workmen are from abroad
And it must not be forgotten that we do not get
the best of them.
Massachusetts, has discovered her needs in this
respect. Several years ago her manufacturers
memorialized the Legislature on the disadvant-
ages under which her manufacturers labored in
contrast with those of Europe. There Stree in
struction is given workmen of all classes in draw
ing. Almost all the best draughtsmen in our
shops are trained abroad" Since this was done
Massachusetts has gone to work and established
in forty-three of her towns containing each over
ten thousand inhabitants industrial drawing
classes, +" in order that her rising generation of
mechanics may be better prepared to compete
with the skill of a thousand years growth across
the Atlantic. The Worcester class in 1870 was
composed of las MEMBERSHIPS men and wo:
men. They ranged from 20 to 60 years of age,
twenty-eight being above 80 years Of age.
Maryland should not lag behind Massachusetts,
1t is the duty of all classes of community to be-
gin to do something towards our amelioration in
this respect. The parent, the master, the appren-
tice and the employer-these in time include
everybody -should feel that they have special
personal interest in having everybody who fol-
lows mechanical pursuit become skilled in his
line. The community must first have its senti-
ment-if it has any On the subject-reconstruc
ed. This must begin with the fathers and moth
ers, whose duty it is TO teach their sons and
daughters that all legitimate work is not only
honorable, but noble. No man belongs to the
true nobility who is not worker. And they
must teach their children that whatever is neces
sary for them to do to become experts and COM
mand the highest wages is just as honorable-to
be apprenticed to skillful master To give US
the right sort of skilled workmen it will take the
combined efforts of parents, children, masters,
State Legislatures and the Congress of the United
States. And they should all begin at once
Mr.. SPEAKER BLAINE has earned for himself
an enviable reputation for his alertness, abili-
ty, courtesy and fairness as the presiding officer
of the House of Representatives. For six years
he has occupied that position. Hon. Alexan-
der II. Stephens, who was in Congress for six
teen years prior to the war,pronounces him the
ablest Speaker that he has seen preside over
the deliberations of that sometimes turbulant
body. It is refreshing for one to see the readi-
ness with which he decides points of order
dispatches business, counts the votes or stand
ing vote, observes everybody and everything