Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-11-01

Do American boys learn trades any more
One would suppose not, if the multitude Of
purposoless, amlcss young men out of om-
ployment is any Indication. There was a
time when the master mechanic had his
house filed with hearty young apprentices
and when his iomucymon went from under
his roof to set up in life for themselves. To
men in middle life the recollections of those
far-oh times when the master, his men and
boys, formed strong productive ind,Ntrial
group, seem like the memory of primitive
age Sons of rich and educated men did not
think it beneath them to swing the hroad-aN
in the ship yard, or the slodgo hammer Mt
the anvil Or they went TO sea before the
mast. and climbed TO the quartet deck from
the forecastle. In n family Of boys one
would be sent to college, one might POSSIBLY 80
into mercantile pursuits, and the others would
choose their trades, after many GnNioU' but
CHEEKY family councils. Nowadays the
young lads shrink from the irksomc confnc-
ment of the mechanics shop. lithey cannot
go 10 college. and 80 while away tl,,ir youth,
they must go into store - anything but
work We do not bplittlc thc vocation of
clerk or salesman when we say that to he in
either one or the other of these two callings
appear to most young men the most comfort
able thing. OF all the pursuits which inen
follow, this seems to require the i, asst prrIar-
alton. At any rate, the mcu who are not
willing to make themselves useful more nat
urally turn to the shop of the retail trader
than to any other source of employment
They never have learned trade They like
TO wear good clothes and keep their hands
soft and white. If they cannot stand behind
a counter or desk, or secure political intlu-
ence sufficient to push them into an Office Of
some sort, they drift aimlessly about. looking
for employment which never comes False
ideas of living and cXtrayagant notions are
responsible for "A good deal Of this hopeless
misery Young lads are brought up TO con-
slider manual labor degrading, and fond,
foolish parents sometimes seem to prefer that
their children should go out into the world
helpless rather than they should learn II trail.
But the selfshncss Of mechanics, and the out
rageous tyranny Of their unions, have had
hand in bringing tu pass the present state of
things. About tveuty-iivc years ago there
began a series 81 experiments Ia trHdls-un-
ions which has resulted di~a,trously. The
times were good, work was plenty, wages
fair To maintain a monopoly Of these, asso-
Citations Of mechanics began to limit the num-
Der of apprentices which might be employed
in each shop, factory, or company Of work.
Men who had sons TO equip for life actually
voted TO shut the trades against their own
offspring. The Consequence was that the sup
ply of skilled workmen did not keep up with
the expansion of the country, and with the
| legitimate demand. Employers were obliged
| to send abroad for workmen, and If came to
| pass that grown men from foreign parts took
the places in American workshops for which
American boys should lave been educated.
Where now are those neglected, cheated
boys? Some of them are in jails and aims
houses. Some will be found lounging on the
benches in the public parks, vainly waiting
for something to turn up. Others, willing
enough, are advertising for situations where
they can make themselves generally useful. -
| Men York TiBieS.