New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-12
TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND APPRENTICE
SHIP


The National Association of Carriage Builders
has shown a keener appreciation than many
organizations of manufacturers of the Enced of
technical schools for wOrllingmen. This
arises from the fact that an exceptional degree
of skill and intelligence is required in the work
of carriage making, in which American manu-
facturers have had such marked success. The
association established some time since in the
city a school for the instruction of apprentices
and young mechanics, and has lately been deal
ing with the object of apprenticeship, about
which there is so much complaint in all the
trades.
The results of this effort are of interest as
showing the Indifference with which the APP
premiership system is regarded in q trade
where it could be made peculiarly useful. A
circular of inquiry sent out by committee of
the association, and widely distributed brought
only twelve responses. The carTiagc-buildcr
who made low grades, mostly with machinery,
did not see the need of an apprentice system.
The builder of higher rank did not see why he
should train up wOrbmen for the benefit Of
Others The committee report that one Of the
chief obstacles they find in the way Of Il good
system is the " inefficient education of the
youth in our public schools" They declare
that they have evidence that the character OF
the schools, especially in the larger cities and
towns, is constantly detcriOrating. The boy OF
fifteen, who leaves the average common school,
finds himself, the committee say, totally un
prepared to enter upon a useful career" Either
the studies that would fit him for a apprentice
ship have been ignored, or they have been pur
sued under poor or indifferent teachers, without
o,,v nj rnc,tIt was fouul i'm the school
established by the association that very few of
the pupils had had any instruction in free hand
drawing and geometry, most of them having
left the public schools before these studies were
reached. This proved to be such a serious dis
advantage that the Executive Committee Of the
association sent out a circular to all officials and
official bodies having the superintendent OF
public education, asking their attention to the
fact that studies which were absolutely neces-
sary to those who wished to become skilled me-
chanics were put at too late date III the school
courses to be of use to those who needed them
most The sum total of the work of the special
committee with regard to apprenticeship was
series of recommendations That failure on the
part of the boy to do his duty should cause
money forfeit that at the end of a faithful ap-
premiership he should receive a sum equal to
> per cent of the wages already paid to him;
that there should be probationary period etc;
that, on the other hand, the master should bind
himself to furnish proper instruction, and III
other respects to do his duty by the apprentice.
This the committee believed would be good
substitute for the present haphazard system OF
apprenticeship existing in their trade.
This subject of the employment of the young
of those classes who would naturally be ex-
pected to make a living by manual labor is one
of vast social and perhaps political, import
ance. 1t is not an echo of Old-fOgyism to say
that the signs of the times in this respect are
not so cheering as they might be. They are
often more clearly seen in villages and small
towns. where neghbOrs know one another, than
in the large cities. The German butcher or the
Irish laborer who is ambitious for his children,
strains every nerve to give them an education,
because he knows that with that they will be
better off than he was and they ought to be.
But in how many cases the result seems to be
disastrous The butchers daughter would
consider it degradation to go out to service
when she has her own piano at home, and prac-
tises on it every day. The labOrer's son is
ashamed to do any manual labor If the girl
does ANYTHING for herself, she goes into store,
where the work is exhausing, and moral pit
falls surround her The boy too often spends
his time in lOunging on street corners, and
travels the downward road of idlcrs. Boy and
girl are unhappy, because they are between two
worlds, belonging neither to the one nor to the
other. A good system of technical education
and apprenticeship, by means of which mtelli-
gent young men and women may look forward
TO high class of mechanical employment, re-
spectacle and well paid, would probably do
much to cure growing social evil.
QUESTION OF PHYSICAL DEUELOP-