The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-10-25
AnleybnD 9Intel)i0enesr.
Practical Education Needed.

cessfIl business mcu's opinions as to the
priyations of the working classes and the
causes of some troubles that befall hun.
dreds of thousands Of families whose
heads work bard yet earn but little. The
witnesses practically agreed that skilled
labor is rare in this country, and that
what there is Of it is done more by work.
men from abroad than by natives. Had
the gentlemen who gave this testimony
been AS familiar with the work people Of
the whole country AS with those in this
city and vicinity they might have modl-
fled their statements 10 some extent
On the other hand. however "labor's
wrongs" are scarcely heard Of except in
large cities and manufacturing towns.
In the thirty or forty thousand Villages
that dot tho country every man who
handles tools OF does any mechanical
work must have so mastered his trade ~
10 be able with his own wits and hands
to begin, forward and complete whatever
he takes in hand. y country carpenter
must select material for house, and
then wO,k with equal facility at the iram-
ing, the floors and sides, the joiner work
ami the rooi, aud thus, by Il variety oi
experiences, lie becomes thorough work,
man. The country shoemaker buys
leather, cuts it into shape anG makes il
into shoes he is his own salesman,
bookkeeper and collector; 50 he untcs
in his person the faculties and knowledge
Of the workman aud the manager Such
men are not so wise that nothing is left
for them to learn but they are skilled
in their trade, and therefore self reliant,
and ~ prosperous as the majority OF the
people about them.
Htt in ha f,iii oil IL
divided and subdivied that each work.
man is compelled to become Il tiny part
Of Il great machine. There are cArpen-
tcrs, so called, who never did anything
but lay floors in this special detail OF
carpentry they are very effective. There
are sh0cmakers who never did anything
but shape s0les, which work they do very
we'll In all other trades similar subdi.
visions Of labor prevail, and TO n" great
profit of employers. But when any
workman can find nothing 10 do III his
own speciality, and womid ike employ
ment in some other department of his
craft, he finds himself almost helpless,
and when employers want competent
foreman, they cannot select him from
among their men, unless some one who
learned his trade in the country or in
Europe happens 10 DC of the number.
lie cannot find makcshilt even among
apprentices, for the very good reason
that there are no apprentices nowadays
boys and men learn only so much AZ will
enable them TO do one of the many va
rietics Of work that constitute the trade.
The lack of skilled labor long ago be-
cnme 80 alarming that many shrcwd en-
ployers began to scuur the country towns
and some portions Of Europe for COmpc-
tent workmen. Even after this the sup
ply was not equal to the demand; for
mon who were already master workmen
in their own towns, saw but little induce.
ment in New York wages to change
their place of abode, and larger wages
than those usually paid could not be
offered by employers without the risk OF
trouble with trade unions TO which their
men belonged.
Then, aud not until then, our large
manufacturers began to talk Of the need
in America, of technical schools Tho
suggestion came late-vcry late, "bu,
better late than never" They began to
seek apprentices and workmcn in the few
trade schools that exist, but the supply
was utterly inadequate; so some, Obliged
to choose between the wrath Of theil
workmen and the deterioration of their
business, organized schools Of their own
for the purpose OF training boys to work
in their shops. One prominent manu-
faclurer told the Senate Committee last
week that he could not find natives who
could werk from drawing; in Europe q
workman 50 ignorant could not obtain
employment in the business referred to
The basis of tho trouble is the lack o
practical teaching in tbs FREQ schools
In nearly every country in Europe the
eye aud hanu, rs we'll as the memory, Ol
the pupil are carefully trained, drawing
being the means usually employed; in
America the course of education begins
continues and ends with books. Thrown
upon his own resources, in new coun
try, the American displays surprising
great shops and mills, he finds himself
abroad, he shows mt onco his lack o
training. Drawing and modelling are
regarded al ornamental branches" by
nearly every school board in the United
States, and when progressive teacher
end.aYors to teach them he is stopped by
the protests of taxpayers who insist that
such studies nre only for the rich, who
If they desire to pursue them, should dc
30 at their own expense. Either can be
learned TO mn extent that will greatly in
crease the learners value in any depart
ment Of mechanics or art in less time
than is now spent on the strictly orna'
mental features of reading lessons, or on
grammatical distinctions that not one
child in thousand applies or even re-
members.
The necessities of the mechanical and
manufacturing arts in America require
that facilities for technical education
shall at once be placed within the reach
Of every child and adult through the
medium of our free school system
Drawing and modelling should be part
of the daily routine Of every school
room, and special courses of instruction
for advanced pupils who desire to take
advantage of them, or for workmen who
wish to beccxie more skilled, should be
given in all large towns and cities. In
Europe, any boy or girl who shows in
telligent earnestness to become proficen,
in aBy Of the arts and sciences can OBJ
tain all necessary instruction at the ex
pense of the community; in the United
States special technical instruction is now
beyond the reach of every one who is
not rich. The only high public schools
that our government maintains-thosea al
West Point and Annapulis-are for the
purpose of teaching man how to mOs
quickly and effectually destroy his fellow
man.
Some little progress has been made ir
the direction of technical or industrial
education through the efforts of single