Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-30
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.
Papers Read and Discussed by the American
Economic Association.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION CONSIDERED FROM srv-
ERL DIFFERENT sraNpPoINrs--rHK HONEST
FORM or INDUSTRIAL EprcsrIox-rHE LIMITS
OF usLIcrrr-NuSIcIPAL OWNERSHIP or Gas
WORKS.
The third and last days session 81 the Amer
lean Econonic Association Was held this morn
ing IN the hsll of the Columbian Tniversity.
The attendance Was not quite as large as at the
previous sessions. The first subject die
cussed was that Of technical education
and series of reports on that subject
were made by the members of the committee TO
whom that topic had been assigned. The dis
ISOLATION. Prof. Walker. who is also the chair
man of the committee.
THREE KINDS OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. a.
He said that in the division of the subject he
would consider it from the point of view known
as the South kensington. The meaning Of the
term industrial education is applied 20 a wide
variety OF schools. There was. in the first
place, the schools of applied science. which
sought to train engineers. architects. chemists
and Others for the life work
linen there were the trade schools which pro-
posed not to train men TO investigate the mate
rial resources OF the country and to devotion
actual workers in the industries - in other
words, fitting men for the trades which will be
their future occupation. This form. the speaker
said. was what industrial education generally
assumed abroad
The third form Of industrial education and
the one that the speaker proceeded to explain
was that which did not seek TO prepare men for
technical professions or to follow any special
trade, but which became a part Of the
n rbar al h.. "a
and made part of the school curriculum. 80
that the student could gain in connection with
acquiring general education. the ability to
use the hand and acquire the training of the
eye: He believed that such an enlargement and
enrolment OF the pres, mt course of training
would make better and happier citizens, elevate
and dignity labor and enhance the productive
power of the community.
PROF. PArTEN's VIEWS.
The same topic was discussed from the stand
point of consumption by Prof Simon n. Pat
ten. He pointed out that the older economists
had thought that the solution Of the problem
OF the improvement of the condition of the
working people lay in the increase of produc-
tive power. The present day had wit
messed a great increase in productive
power and still the problem was unsolved.
Then the importance Of distribution was en-
phasized in the solution of this problem Blu,
the Improvement of distribution the speaker
called attention to the fact that while
great care had been exercised in the
| production and distribution of food pro-
ducts yet after all this care when the
| product reached the consumer it was wasted
The waste OF consumption, he maintained. bad
increased, and by far the greater part of the
food products brought to great city was
wasted. He cited the case Of shoes. which. he
said. were lost to the consumer simply from
the fact that they were purchased by persons
who had not the judgment to know the
proper kind of shoe to buy. He also said
that while the methods of making shoes had i'm.
proved constantly the quality had decreased
| so that now the shoes on the market were lower
| IN quality than was the case years ago. He at
tributed this condition of affairs largely TO the
fact that the members of the families were no,
| familiar with the methods Of production such
as making shoes. cooking food. and a.
| result they were not able to Judge of the quail.
| lty OF the articles produced. Poorer shoe,
were purchased because of the ignorance of the
buyer and food was cooked in an inferior man.
ner for the reason that this work was left to
the ignorant. and they were without proper
| direction and supervision because the
persons upon whom this duty should
devolve were themselves incapable of giving
intelligent direction. He pointed out that thi.
/ ignorance on the part OF the people of these
practical matters was the cause of the waste
that was now going on. The lack of knowledge
of cooking on the part of poor people had the
effect of limiting the articles of food There
was no country. he said. which produced .
| greater variety of vegetables than thi.
country, and yet he knew no couptr,
where vegetables entered so little into the die,
of the people. This was because the people did
not know how to cook them. In his opinion
this view of consumption had a direct aud
important bearing upon the present condition
| OF the people He believed that American societ,
needed this kind of education more than an,
other country. There was in this country i
great ignorance OF the art Of preparing food 70,
the table. He also spoke of the ignorance Of
people about mondirg clothes and said that i
seemed to him tina. the objec. of the poor mer
/ was to buy stocking. fer example. that would
wear out SO quickly that it would not need 10 bs
| mended. This state of affairs resulted in tn,
production of the cheapest and the poorest
| quality Of clothing. He thought that what wa,
needed was the Development in people of care
ful, intelligent habits of consumption, and thi,
was the key Of the entire situation.
TRAINING OF EUROPEAN ARMIES.
| He spoke of the effect that the trainins
which the standing armies in European coun
tries had in giving habits of care and at
tention to small details. While he did not be
heve in large standing armies, vet the lesson Il
| be drawn was that the teao her in America mus
| do what the officer does in Europe As soon a,
the teacher takes hold of the scholar in the sys
| tematlc way that the army officer does the re
Il
| prove the habits of consumption.
OTHER PAPERS on THE SUBJECT
Papers by DR.. n. N. Butler on technical edu
cation from the standpoint of general educa
ton and by Prof. James MacAlister on il.
easy adaptation to school curriculum and man.
| agement were read by title. as the authors were
| unable to attend the sessions OF the association
| An interesting discussion followed the reading
of these papers, which was generally partici
pated in by the members.
THE LIMITS OF PUBLICITY.
The next paper was on the limits of publicity
by Prof. Davis II. Dewey. The speaker spoke
of the growth of publicity in different direc.
tions as illustrated by the census. the Amer.
| lean system of taxation, exhibition Of corporate
accounts and health statistics. He thought tina,
| further extension of this system should be
made in regard to the health condition of the
population. In another direction he said
| further data should be collected in regard &c
the demand and supply OF products.
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP OF GAS WORKS
An interesting paper on Municipal Owner.
ship of Gas Works in the United States" was
read by Prof. Edward W. Bemis of Vanderbilt,
| University. He said that of the nine cities tina,
now own aid operate their gas works in this
country one, Hamilton, Ohio, a city of 20 .O0O
| inhabitants, has begun too recently to enable
results to be given. The other eight.
Philadelphia, Wheeling, W. Va, Beliefon-
| tame, Ohio, Henderson, Ky., and four
l cifiea in VIRGINIA Richmond n.,,,;fl.