The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-01-28

One of the Lon iSn journals has
bsen o.~niDg it's olumns day after
day To popular discussion OF one Of
the most perpIex ing problems Of
family lite. This relates to the fu-
ture If English boys. Scores Of let
tiers have been received froGl practi-
Cal fathers. anxious widows, and
struggling young men III response 10
the inquiry What shall we do
with our boys Those taking part In
this interesting discussion agree on
only one point namely, the diff
Guilty Of finding openings in profes-
sional or mercantile life, or even Of
securing employment for the sons of
the unddle class The opinion most
commonly expressed is that fathers
of that class-merchxDts, lawyers and
tradesmen--nIake the mistake ofed-
ucating their SONS To higher level
of pursuits than they ought, and
neglect to provide for the contin-
gency OF medriocrity by apprentic-
ing them to mechanical cailIngs OF
a lower social grade. There are
many, however, who maintain that
the artisans are mainly at fault III
over educating their boys, and la
this way rendering them discontent-
ed with their own ranks in society.
II is urged that there would he room
enough for the bo.s Of the middle
class, if the sons Of working people
we're not encouraged To rise above
their station aud push their way ln-
to clerksliips and professional va
cancies. The fact: moreover, that
skilled laborers are constantly emf
grating in large numbers is adduced
as convincing proof that the mechan-
ical trades are already oveTcfowded
aud that the soiis of the middle
Class will mol gain any material ad-
vantage by retrograde move
ment.
This interesting series of letters
serves to throw side hight upon the
social condition of the country which
is so often described as prosperous
and contented under the benig
nant sway of free-lrade principles
If the skilled working men i'll me-
chanical trades and agricultural pur-
suits are seeking employ meut abroad
aud the sons of the middle class are
, at their wits end to tiud "A livelihood
at home, England cannot be consid
cred land of promise and thrift
where there is no such thing as SO
clal discomfort. The officers Wild
ows, couutrv persons, and perplexed
tradesmen, who confess that they do
not know what To do with their boys |
and the ill-paid despairing CLERKS aud
professional men, who have reached
middle life without being able To
marry a. d settle down. in coutent- |
ment, ,ffer conclusive evidence that |
the SONS of the middle class do not
have fair chance III England. The |
dearlh of remunerative employment
is admitted on all sides, although |
there is no agreement respecting the
CAUSES of the evil or the remedies 10 /!
he appll. d. The majority OF the Cor
respondents fad iauit with tue pre-
vallIng methods of middle class ed 1
ucalion, but have few practical sug
gestluns to offer III the way Oi re I
forms. The remedies have wide |
range of variety, and are 10 sooner
prescribed by one class of correspu
dents than they are secuted by an
other as in,practicahle. The man
who suggested the occupation OF lace
draughIsman as suitable one for
middle class boys is Immediately re-
minded from Nottingham that every
gentleman in that town is making
his son IA draughtsman and that tbe
trade is flooded cut" SD that expe-
rlenced operators after a seven years
apprenticeship can only earn from
eighteen To twenty shIliipgs a week.
The proposal that a gentleman s
regiment" shall be recruited from.
the class that cannot fad cleikehips
OF professional emplo, ment Is al
|
membership To university gradu
ates who are unable To earn living
An out cry for more denlIsts and
veterinary surgeons is met with II
couEterclaiiu that there are SO MA
ny of them already that they are
enigrating 10 Australia. Every sug-
gestlon fares badly in this curious
controversy. The only point OH
which the correspondents are of one
mind is that tn, English middle class
does not know what to do with its
boys.
1t may be urged that if a similar
discussion were opened in the col
ums Of New York journal, 1t would
be ascertaiued that there are many
American fathers who do not know
what to do with their ooys. We eau
readily believe this aud also that
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