The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-07-19
School Shops.

The departing generation will never
cease to interest itself in the one that is
advancing to take its place, and if it
would leave the impression that it has
fully done its duty in the world it will
not omit any reasonable preparation for
the worlds lasting improvement. Skilled
industry being the substantial founda-
ton for all advances in civilization,
whatever provides for that as the leading
and abiding interest of man in the social
state takes care practically of all that is
to follow. The Ruggles plan for the es-
tablishment of Developing Schools and
School Shops for lads who are just leav-
ing school, appears to contain within it.
promises of public prosperity and prog
ress. Morals without the sustaining
substratum of industry become speca-
lative affair at the most; they need to be
reduced to practice by those agencies
which steadily hold us all to the neces-
sites of life. And so the best thing to
give lad on leaving school is knowl-
edge of practical mechanics, that he may
be able on entering life to help himself
by being useful to others. All cannot go
to college, and it is probably best that
they cannot; but all who come out of the
public schools may be qualified to be-
come valuable members of the commu-
nifty, which is no more true of such as
graduate at colleges than of those who
do not. The word education is evil
IDENTIFY about to assume larger meaning.
1t must, in the future, imply knowl-
edge of the means of gaining livelihood
as we'll as knowledge of languages and
accounts. Until that is the case, it is a
process that is broken off before it is
fairly begun.
The simple fact that our public schools
every year turn out boys of the age OF tif-
teen or sixteen, who from that time are
of no use to themselves or anybody else,
because no one has put them in the way
of being useful, ought to fix the necessity
for just such system of mechanical in
struction and training as the Ruggles
plan contemplates. If we are to remain
a republican people, too, mechanical in
dustry is to be held as prominent con-
dition of that state. But now boy
blunders into calling instead of finding
his way to it instinctively; and in the la
mentable majority of cases boys never
find the occupation at all for which they
are adapted, but drag on to the end OF
their days without either aim or enthu-
siasm. 1t is fatal waste of force and
freshness for society. BY opening the
door to an honorable vocation as soon as
lad leaves school, not only is no time
lost but the countless temptations to vice
which Turk everywhere in state of idle
ness are removed. Man was made to use
machinery and tools. They give him the
sense of larger power and dignity. Let
him be introduced to personal knowl-
edge of them early in life, and the value
of that whole life to himself and others is
increased in the most wonderful manner
There could be no truer charity, as well
as far reaching policy, in making
provision for the career OF the young
in usefulness to themselves and the
community. OF the details of Mr.
Ruggles's plan of school shops we have
spoken before, and recur to the subject
again only to assist in keeping alive and
enforcing what must sooner or later be
adopted as the simple duty of civilized
community.-Boston Post.
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