The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1884-12-27
ROYs AND TRApEa.
Philadelphia Record.

tEon-DihRcuItfes in the Way.
Philadelphis Record
Three causes combine to render Il
every year more difficuh for boy 10
learn trade. These three causes are :
| IN Increase of population, leading to
oyercrowding; ~ trade defense on the
part of employers, leading them to
employ only those who are skilled in
some specific matter, and to keep each
to his specialty-in other words, diyi-
sion of labor; and (s) trades unionisnl
on the part of the employed, leading
them TO discountenance additions to
their number. Parents IN al casses
of life feel the effects Of these three
causes. ~ j.. Eu @
The rich man who has retired from
business, or who wishes his son to
follow another business, is confronted
with the effects of which be was him.
self the natural cause, and the son of
the workingman fnds his way to work
barred BY the organizations of one of
which his father IS an ornament.
When boy succeeds in obtaining
work, il by no means follows that he
learns trade. Indeed, If be is paid,
he is not paid to learn the trade, but
to do some one thing, the doing of
which is worth the sum paid him.
Anything more, that he may learn, is
the result Of Ills own tact and shrcwd-
ness. In his odd minutes, or as he
does his subordinate work, quick
witted boy sees how other things are
done, and on some occasion may per
spade friendly workman to let him
try his hand, until at last he comes In
as substitute for sonie one. .'" .@
Apprenticeship in the old sense,
which was supposed to mean allowing
youth to see how things are done,
and permitting him to attempt to do
them, 10 a thing of the past Unre-
mitting observation while at work,
and unremitting study Of matters re-
lating to business during free hours,
are the secrets of success in learning
a trade at the present day. The as
sidnous, patient worker, who minds
nothing but his own business in work
ing hours, and then goes home to
rest, is doomed to stay his life long
in a subordinate position.
OVercrowding and division of labor
are not confined to the mill trades.
They extend into other trades and
into the professions, which bitter are
alSo becoming affected with an ex-
cluSiVenesH which is only trades,
unionsm under another name. The
young gentleman who enters a ner-
chants Office under the impression
that he will learn tho hoAorable busi-
ness Of q merchant may be found en-
gagged in work scarcely as intellectual
as that of the erfand boy aud the
youth who, carried away by the gran
dear Of architecture, enters the Office
Of q craftsman, will usually find that
tracing upon paper or linen and keep
ing drawers in order is all the arehi-
tectural education be is likely to get
for years. The number of youths
who, in the hope to rise, attach them
selves 10 the professions, increases at
a greater ratio than the population,
and the influx tends to bring the pay
of mental work down 10 the leyei of
manual labor.
This is the present state of things.
To suggest a remedy is difficult, to
.pPly It impossible. A state that is
.he result Of the habits of several gen
sFations can only be done away with
BY the gradual growth of habits tend
Hg in 4 reverse direction. EmigFa- ;
lion relieves erowding, but the gaps
I leaves are quickly filled SO long as
population continues 10 Increase at
present rates Cooperation, If it
,ould become extensive, would act as
! check to the power of exclusive or
sanizations of every sort, whether
'uled by employers or emplnyed--but
,o-operation seems at present almost
IS far away as the melenniuln, So
,ialists of extreme views suggest an
rchy and re-deal on communistic
but so long az man is in
lividual, communism is impossible,
nd the attempt to enforce il would
nd in despotism and loss Of the large
mount of individual liberty which,
fteF all that can be said against ex-
sting institutions, is enjoyed by the !
nen and women Of this country.