St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-18
WON'T LEARN A TRADE.
The German Boy Is as Bad as the
American in That ReSDeet


WASHINGTON, April 17.-For years
cry has gone up in this country that
sons of American parents would no
longer apprentice themselves to learn
trades, and that they would soon be
driven to the wall by the superior skill
OF foreigners who would emigrate to
America. Germany has been pointed
to as country worthy of emulation,
and one i'll which the young men were
thoroughly trained to useful Occupa-
tons. But report received by the de-
partment of state from Commercial
Agent Smith, of Mayence, on Factory
operatives and apprentices inGermany,
would Indicate that the sons of the
fatherland are by no means so willing
and ready to submit themselves to APP
premiership as has been stated. Mr..
Smith says: There is but slight dis
position among manufacturers to pro-
vide themselves with skilled laborerS by
training up apprentices. For this dis
inclination on the part of manufacture
erS to take and train up apprentices
various reasons are given. One objec-
ton often made is that youths want too
much freedom nowadays. and that the
factories, on account of the mode of
working i'll vogue in them, are not
adapted to apprentices. An apprentice
needs good deal of attention, and re-
Quires strong control, and this cannot
be well given i'll the factories. There
is too much freedom in them. Then,
again, boys do not care to bind
themselves for a term of years, but pre-
fer to go into the factories as day labor
erS. with the right to quit when they
please: and. besides, they generally get
better wages to start with. Another
objection is that the law does not allow
minors under sixteen years of age to be
employed more than ten hours day in
the factories and makes other reStric-
t onS respecting them, which are not
applied to mechanics apprentices. The
objection most frequently urged, how
ever. is that the apprentices do not want
to serve their time fully out, and. when
they have acquired trade, leave those
of whom they have learned it to 90 to
some one else. There is less running
away done by apprentices than few
years ago, even where there is no
written contract. This is said to be
because labor i'll general has become
more stable, and because apprentices
are paid better wrgeS towards the close
of their apprenticeship than formerly.
Besides the instruction which appren-
tees get in factories themselves. there
are particular schools and institutions
for imparting to them generalknoWi-
edge fitting them for the special voca-
cations they are pursuing, such as night
schools, trade and AIT schools, museums,
libraries and WOrkingmen'S clubs, for
general or special improvement. The
industrial schools cannot really be re-
garded as institutions for the schooling
and training Of apprentices, as attend
ance upon them frequently calls for so
much time that a young man can not
very we'll serve an apprenticeship in
any industrial establishment and at
tend them also. Statistics of the total
number of apprentices are not given,
but the report says that in 3,267 facto-
ries in Berlin there were 1870 appren-
tees. This are SiXty-SiX apprentices to
every thousand workmen-foo small a
number, the inspector for the district
thinks, to supply the bosses, foremen
and skilled WOrkmen needed. the
general report of the inspectors is that
apprentices are not employed in too
great proportion to adult WOrkmen. eX-
cept in small establishments, where
good deal of hand labor is used. Com
plants, however, of the employ
ment of too large number of appren-
tees are noted from various districtss
The reports of the factory inspectors
state that business during the year was
good. and that general Improvement
manifested itself especially during the
last six months of the year. Activity
prevailed in many works which in 1856
had with difficulty been able to keep
their men employed, and the shortening
of the hours of labor. which had been
of frequent occurrence on account of
falling off of orders, came gently to a
stop, and an increased employment of
labor succeeded thereto. The general
Improvement G of business; which thus
1888 TO an increased extent, which is
said by one of the leading journals of
the empire to have been the most active
year since 1870 and 1871.